Health System Specialist (Executive Assistant to the VISN Chief Nursing Officer)

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 06/29/2026. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-13 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-12. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. Preferred Experience: The ideal candidate will have 2 years or more of documented experience as a current or prior HSS Executive Assistant to an Executive Leadership Team member or Clinic Manager; within a VA Medical Facility or VISN office; and have COTR (Contracting Officer Representative) experience. BASIC REQUIREMENTS: Individual Occupational Requirements: 1. Progressively responsible analytical or administrative, or clinical management or supervisory experience in the health care field. This work may have been performed in an operating health care facility or a higher organizational echelon with advisory or directional authority over such facilities. Work must have involved a close working relationship with facility managers and analysis and/or coordination of administrative, clinical, or other service activities, and provided knowledge of the following: Missions, organizations, programs, and requirements of health care delivery systems Regulations and standards of various regulatory and credentialing groups Government-wide, agency, and facility systems and requirements in various administrative areas such as budget, personnel, and procurement. OR 2. Education: Undergraduate or graduate education with a major study in hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration. Specialized Experience GS-13: In addition to the basic requirements applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level. Specialized experience is experience in progressively responsible analytical or administrative, or clinical management or supervisory experience in the health care field. This work may have been performed in an operating health care facility or a higher organization echelon with advisory or directional authority over such facilities. Work must have involved a close working relationship with facility managers and analysis and/or coordination of administrative, clinical, or other service activities, and provided knowledge of the following: missions, organizations, programs, and requirements of health care delivery systems; regulations and standards of various regulatory and credentialing groups; and government-wide, agency, and facility systems and requirements in various administrative areas such as budget, personnel, and procurement. Specifically: Advanced experience progressively responsible experience in clinical administration with a focus on Quality Improvement, Accountable Care Organizations, healthcare reform and/or Population Health. Experience serving as staff assistant to executive leadership and provides policy development and managerial decision-making. Expert knowledge of monitoring healthcare compliance in accordance with regulation. Experience preparing correspondence and reports on behalf of an executive officer for external review. Experience lead workgroups on new system implementation and/or process improvement initiatives. Collecting, organizing links, analyzing trends, and interpreting highly specialized data from large databases. Managing a performance plan roll out, to include updates aggregate analysis, presentations, and end of year reporting. Proficiency in applications such as MS Excel, MS Word, MS PowerPoint, MS Outlook, including database applications reporting. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Ability to communicate effectively with individuals from varied backgrounds and organizational levels. Ability to work with others to identify opportunities for improvement of network operations and provide recommendations for improved processes. Knowledge of and ability to apply management tools and techniques (e.g., flow charts, decision-making assessments etc.) in dealing with daily healthcare operations and short/long-range planning activities. Ability to analyze, interpret and apply laws, regulations and standards to initiate necessary action to implement changes. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

This Health Systems Specialist will serve as the Executive Staff Assistant to the Chief Nursing Officer for the Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 9 within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and provides assistance in policy development and managerial decision-making. Duties will include but not limited to: Provide support to health care executives by analyzing, evaluating, advising on and/or coordinating health care delivery systems and operations for the network. The position renders advice on operational and nursing policies and assures these policies are coordinated with, and in support of, field operations at each of the VISN facilities. The incumbent must assure that operational policies are coordinated with and in support of administrative functions in coordination with the supervisor. Use initiative in organizing and accomplishing the responsibilities that have been delegated. The incumbent works closely with senior management officials and others in implementing and evaluating policies, plans, and internal operational systems. Addresses specific problem areas and applies a high degree of analytical ability and specialized healthcare knowledge to the management of healthcare delivery systems. Serves as a representative of the Chief Nursing Officer on issues as appropriate, and works with others toward meeting national mandates, such as the recently implemented and evolving nursing professional standards and scope of practice, sterile processing regulations, clinical contact center requirements, and veteran experience program initiates. This position exercises broad latitude and provides senior expert level advice to senior personnel, and/or agency officials concerning complex, novel, and unusual healthcare issues. Special studies and project requests for information will be provided to VISN 09 Executive Leadership within established time frames. Manages the overall administrative operations for the various services and programs under the auspices of the Chief Nursing Officer. Plans, controls, and directs administrative programs. Manages contracts and budgets in a cost-effective manner. Prepares annual budget forecasts and oversees the preparation of submittals related to balances score cards, business plans and management briefings. Facilitates two-way communication with the Health System Specialists and Administrative Officers in the Administrative and Clinical Service Lines at medical centers and VISN through regularly scheduled meetings intended to ensure consistent and competent business practices and reporting. Facilitates training of Health System Specialists and Administrative Officers aligned under the Chief Nursing Officer to fill gaps in their business knowledge using appropriate subject matter experts. Monitor health performance measures, administrative performance measures and manage change within each/all system/s of care; participates in developing plans to meet or exceed the network's Strategic Plan, priority construction projects and performance measures; participates in development and documentation of long and short range planning efforts; develops, reviews and recommends business plans, resource projections, priorities, justifications, action plans, etc.; prepares and contributes to reports, action plans, and other presentations on program planning and evaluation as well as VISN reporting (internally and externally). Knowledge of the Strategic Capital Investment Planning Process and development of Annual VISN operating and Budget plans and objectives. Responsible for the development of comprehensive business plans to improve the operation and cost effectiveness of VISN programs which involve and impact several clinical and administrative services. Coordinates and monitors the implementation of initiatives to expand or enhance health care programs. Designs and conducts a wide variety of comprehensive and detailed analyses of complex functions and processes related to health care programs, evaluates the use of new technologies and business practices, and recommends best outcome options. Work schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm; Subject to change to meet the needs of the Agency Compressed/Flexible Schedule: Available at supervisory discretion Telework: Eligible on a Adhoc basis Virtual: This may be a virtual position. (Reporting to another government owned or leased space other than the VISN 9 Headquarters located in Franklin, TN.) Remote: This is NOT a remote position. (Work from home) Position Description/PD#: Health System Specialist (Executive Assistant to the VISN Chief Nursing Officer) Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station Incentive: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required