Health System Specialist to the Deputy Network Director

The incumbent serves as a Health System Specialist to the VISN DND, providing expert-level analysis and program management across the full scope of the DND portfolio. This position serves as a principal advisor and action officer for network-wide initiatives, operational issues, and crossfacility coordination efforts, and functions as a critical extension of the DND in managing the networks programmatic and administrative workload.

Major duties

The incumbent serves as an executive level liaison with all elements of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), VISNs, HSAs and all VAMC; and uses expert knowledge of and specialized experience in the management of health care delivery systems to support and enhance VHA executive level program and operational initiatives. Specific areas of VISN oversight include Emergency Management, Business Implementation Management, VISN Operations Center (VOC), Capital Asset Management, Environmental Programs, Occupational Safety and Health Management, Healthcare Technology Management, Logistics, and Human Resources Management, and Market Planning and Analysis. As the primary liaison, the incumbent serves as the conduit for information flow and manager of assignments between the VOC and VISN Programs. The incumbent facilitates the collaboration between the offices above, and with relevant HSA and facility points of contact, ensuring cross-department functions are accomplished. The incumbent Serves as the DND's representative and will frequently attend meetings on their behalf and may be given decisional rights at the discretion of the DND. Serves as a representative of the DND in meetings with other VA key officials, other government agencies, and organizations outside the Federal government and speaks for the DND within stated office limits. Exercises delegated authority to sign documents and commit resources to program initiatives that are considered under the scope, purview and known viewpoints. Work Schedule: To be determined. Telework: 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 to the Deputy Network Director/PD00006VS Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized. Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/13/2026. 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-14 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-13. 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. You may qualify based on your experience as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-13 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:

• Leads, coordinates, plans, organizes, and carries through to completion program plans, program/policy analysis, data collection, legislative interpretation, and analytical studies involving Federal and VA programs and policies,
• Leads or independently conducts special and/or confidential assignments as necessary to support Executive Leadership Team in executing the missions of the office,
• Establishes, monitors, reviews and improves systems and procedures for tracking and maintaining desired quality and timeliness of correspondence produced, exercises responsibility for a variety of administrative management functions and develops internal administrative policies, guidelines and procedures, and evaluates, processes, or make recommendations for effective organizational changes affecting several departments.

In addition to the specialized experience above, you must also meet the individual occupational requirement below: Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study -- hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration. OR Specialized Experience (for 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. Special Provision for Inservice Placement: Successful completion of an agency-sponsored on-the-job training program may be substituted for qualifying experience, provided it included a formal individualized training plan. Such a training program must have been conducted in an operating health care system and included: Assignments providing a knowledge of basic health system administration philosophies, practices, and procedures, and basic government administrative policies and requirements; Practical assignments providing an opportunity to apply health system administration skills and principles (as the individual progresses, work assignments must be characteristic of the grade level to which he or she is assigned); and Oversight by an experienced health system administrator with periodic evaluation of the individual's progress and appropriate adjustment of the training program. 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

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

Requirements

You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required. Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.