The incumbent will serve as the Secretary for the Medicine Service at the VA Texas Valley Coastal Bend Health Care System in Harlingen, TX. The VA Texas Valley Coastal Bend Health Care System (VATVCBHCS) is comprised of the Corpus Christi OPC, Corpus Christi Specialty Clinic, McAllen OPC, Laredo OPC, Harlingen Outpatient clinic and Harlingen Health Care Center. The incumbent is assigned to the Administrative Officer for Medicine service.

Duties

The incumbent functions as the secretary to the Chief of Medicine and the Administrative Officer for Medicine Service. As the secretary, the incumbent supports and facilitates the daily operations of the office and aids in management of many aspects of the program. The Chief of Medicine is responsible for the overall clinical and administrative management and direction-setting for the Medicine Service. The incumbent is a vital staff member in effectively meeting the goals and responsibilities of this program. In the performance of official duties, the employee has regular access to printed and electronic files containing sensitive information which must be protected under the provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974 and other applicable laws and regulations. The employee is responsible for: 1) protecting that information from unauthorized release or from loss, alteration, or unauthorized deletion, and 2) following applicable regulations and instructions regarding access to computerized files. Assists in the management of all routine and daily administrative components of the Office for Chief of Medicine. The responsibilities include, but are not limited to, management of routine administrative details which fall under the purview of the service. These include management of purchase of supplies, completion of timecards, travel authorizations, and the coordination of equipment inventory (CMR). To ensure the smooth functioning of the office for Chief of Medicine, the incumbent makes arrangements for meetings and conferences, preparing agendas, gathering background materials, and notification of participants. The incumbent may record, and draft minutes of meetings chaired by the Chief of Medicine, Administrative Officer of Medicine and department supervisors. The Administrative Office maintains follow-up to ensure necessary actions from such meetings are taken and keeps the Chief informed. Prepares accurately and expediently complex but nontechnical correspondence reports, procedures, and other materials. The incumbent is responsible for determining based on knowledge, the type of action involved, the number of proper distribution of copies, proper format, and necessary concurrences. Incumbent is responsible for corrections of punctuation and grammar of the finished product. As assigned by the Administrative Officer, assists in implementation of program goals and changes by working through many of the administrative details and action items necessary for the implementation of changes necessary to meet of Medicine Service and Health Care System goals. Except for complex details, the incumbent works through the implementation with only broad guidelines provided by the Chief or AO. The incumbent must independently recognize time frames, requirements, schedules and commitments of the Medicine Service and its staff without definitive details. The incumbent must recognize these priorities and needs and adjust the workflow to accommodate anticipations and requirement. Works directly with services and program officials for expeditious or efficient handling of administrative details or the resolution of problems affecting the operations and effectiveness of Medicine programs. Coordinates and arranges all travel arrangements, schedules, and commitments for the Chief of Medicine and AO. Arranges schedules of visits, makes reservations, notifying organizations and officials to be visited and prepares and submits all travel vouchers and reports in a timely fashion. Work Schedule: Monday to Friday 8:00am to 4:30pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Secretary (OA)/PD00154O Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 08/30/2023. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-04 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: knowledge and skill in the management and coordination of office operations and organization. Knowledgeable in VA time keeping procedures, budgetary systems, and inventory processes. Knowledge of directives and regulations that apply to a Department/Service to effectively support the day-to-day operations of the Department/Service. Skill in interpersonal relations, diplomacy, tact with patients, visitors, staff, and other individuals from the community. Ability to make extensive arrangements for travel, conferences, and meetings. Knowledge and in-depth understanding of the operations of Microsoft Office to include Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access as well as microcomputer and data management software. Ability to design and manage projects using standard application software. Knowledge of word processing to compose written material and routine correspondence and use computer systems in the retrieval of data. Knowledgeable and skill in the use of the English language, grammatical organization, sentence structure, punctuation, spelling, word usage, medical terminology, as well as professional styles and formats.. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have: 4 years above high school. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond an Associates Degree. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Organizational Stewardship Problem Solving Customer Service Clerical Communication Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary. Some work may require movement between offices, hospitals, warehouses, and similar areas for meetings and to conduct work. Work may also require walking/standing, in conjunctions with travel to and attendance at meetings and/or conferences away from the work site. Incumbent may carry and lift light items weighing less than 15 pounds. 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/.

Education

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

NOTE: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application.

Contacts

• Address VA TX Valley Coastal Bend HCS 2601 Veterans Drive Harlingen, TX 78550 US
• Name: VISN 17 SSU USAS Group
• Email: [email protected]