This position is located at the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center (537) a Level 1b Complexity VHA Facility and is organizationally aligned to the Office of Quality, Safety, Value, within the Office of the Director. The operational scope of the position, duties, and work assignments supports Executive Leadership innovation initiatives and works closely with the VA Center of Innovation. The position works with Facility leadership and staff to build a culture of innovation to empower employees.

Duties

MAJOR DUTIES Leads Innovation Development Programs at the Local and National Level (45%) Supports developing a national level strategy for innovation, including helping to lead and stand- up programs, processes, policies, and infrastructure to support innovation across the VA. Develops the local organizational vision that integrates VA Center for Innovation program goals, strategic priorities and core values. Creates a facility-level Innovation program segment that encourages creative thinking, innovation, collaboration and transparency. Identifies opportunities to improve service and program performance. Executes open dialogue across organizational lines both within the VA Medical Center and with stakeholders across the VA to maximize opinion diversity and input from a wide range of stakeholders. Executes innovation strategies through collaboration with external stakeholders outside of both the VA Medical Center and VA more broadly. Develops Strategic Plans (15%) Incumbent works with relevant clinical and administrative chiefs and staff members to develop and share innovation-driven strategic plans for programs, services, and/or the facility. Incumbent's managerial duties and responsibilities involve decisions which have a direct and substantial effect on the organization and its programs. These include, but are not limited to, decisions affecting the nature, scope, quality, and emphasis on the organization's patient care programs and activities. Innovation Competency Building Training, Program, and Events (15%) Develops and executes training activities to VA employees at the facility and national level surrounding innovation-related competencies, such as design thinking, entrepreneurship, and innovation value creation. Collaborates with internal and external stakeholders, such as designers, engineers, entrepreneurs, makers, and other facilitators, to run a full spectrum of innovation training activities at the novice, beginner, intermediate, and expert levels. Works to move interested employees from novice, beginner, intermediate, and expert levels in innovation-related competencies. Designs and implements training that allows employees to discover their potential, connects the organization horizontally and vertically, and fosters core values and high ethical standards in meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals. Organizes events internal and external to the VA to help facilitate innovation activities, such as hackathons, makeathons, workshops, training programs, and speaker sessions. Innovation Project Management and Collaboration Across Sites (15%) Researches, identifies, and implements innovation projects identified as best practices from other sites or within their site. Reviews projects for value and analyzes potential for impact based on local needs, issues and capacity for successful implementation. Determines the suitability of outside solutions or best practices appropriate for local implementation based on analyses of applicability and probability for success and recommends implementation strategies to Executive Medical Center and VISN leadership. VISN, VHA, VACO, and VA/DoD Joint Planning (10%) Incumbent will engage with regional, national, and other agency partners on as-needed tasks, program and policy development, and formal planning processes. May serve as a Medical Center liaison to the Great Lakes Health Care System (VISN 12) and VA Headquarters staff for planning initiatives. Represents JBVAMC on key VISN councils, national committees, and ad hoc assignments. Responds to inquiries for information as necessary on a variety of special interest topics. Adheres to timeframes and communicates with VISN and VACO staff to ensure a smooth transfer of information. Keeps informed of key areas of VISN and VACO interests and briefs top management accordingly. Work Schedule: Monday to Friday 8am- 430pm Telework: VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Health System Specialist (Innovation Specialist)/PD240070

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/30/2024. 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 12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11. 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. In-service placement applicants may meet minimum qualification requirements based on education (including superior academic achievement) and/or experience, as specified in the appropriate qualification standard. Individual Occupational Requirement: Education: Bachelor's or graduate level degree with a major field of study such as hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration. OR Experience Positions above GS-5: 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; and Government-wide, agency, and facility systems and requirements in various administrative areas such as budget, personnel, and procurement. In addition to the Individual Occupational Requirement above, the following is the experience and/or educational requirement to qualify at the GS-12 grade level in this occupation. Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-11 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Specialized knowledge of health care service administration, continuous quality improvement; data analysis; healthcare principles, theories and practices; planning, administration, or other key administrative support functions; sufficient to analyze and evaluate broad and difficult problems, apply extensive qualitative and/or quantitative methods for program improvement, make recommendations for complicated solutions; and the related ability to apply health care management principles to complex problem solving situations. Mastery of and skill in applying advanced qualitative and quantitative techniques to perform thorough management analysis of current and projected diagnostic service programs. Specialized knowledge of the unique characteristics of the specific health care delivery system served; the missions, organizations, programs, and requirements of health care delivery systems, intra-and interdepartmental relationships, and agency operations and program sufficient to interact effectively with healthcare facilities. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: AccountabilityAnalysis and Problem SolvingAnalytical ThinkingCommunicationsRisk Management 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 Demands: Performance of the incumbent's duties may require extensive walking per day to meet with the facility managers and other clinic personnel. Trips to satellite outpatient clinics are sometimes necessary and will involve transportation via automotive vehicle. Work Environment: Work is typically performed in an adequately lighted and climate-controlled office. Work may require occasional travel. 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Contacts

• Address Jesse Brown Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center 820 South Damen Avenue Chicago, IL 60612 US
• Name: Shaundila Bass
• Phone: 312-569-7917
• Email: [email protected]