Summary The Audie L. Murphy VAMC is recruiting for a qualified Management and Program Assistant. The position is a primary member of a team responsible for providing operational support to Nursing Services, VA South Texas Veterans Health Care System, a complexity level 1-a facility. Responsibilities Duties may include but are not limited to: The incumbent uses analytical techniques and abilities to support the operations of Nursing Services as well as to provide objectively based information on the administrative and programmatic aspects of agency operations and management; Performs tasks associated with operations and administration, ensures procedures are completed reliably and in a timely fashion, adheres to current policies and practices and maintains accurate records of all activities; The incumbent provides reports for Clinic Practice Management with Pyramid Analytics for the Deputy Associated Director, Chief Nurses, and/or medical center; The incumbent ensures the accuracy of the data being processed by performing routine and non-routine audits; The audits may be performed on source data from Financial reports, VISTA, VHA financial systems, Pyramid Analytics, DSS data, or end-user reports displaying DSS data; Incumbent provides advice to Deputy Nurse Executive, Nursing Service Chief and Supervisory Management Analyst on issues relating to Nursing Service Inpatient and Outpatient; Monitors statuses of service projects and recommends reallocation of resources as needed; Incumbent at full performance serves as Approving Official and assures that all expenditures are properly authorized and documented. Prepares SF-52 for staff recruitment activities, ensures staff is assigned to proper FCPs and BOCs and corrects employee data as necessary; Tracks recruitment and vacancies within the Service to maintain accuracy of Organizational Chart; Troubleshoots pay issues with staff and works with Fiscal and HR to resolve issues. Monitors Nursing Service clinical indicators frequently to notify the Supervisor of potential service performance issues; Notification is early enough so that Service can meet all action items and ECF performance measures that apply to Nursing; Assists in developing new or modified administrative program policies, regulations, goals, or objectives; identifies data required for use in the management and direction of programs; develops data required for use in the management and direction of programs; develops management and/or program evaluation plans, procedures, and methodology; conducts studies of employee/organizational efficiency and productivity and recommending changes or improvements in organization, staffing, work methods, and procedures; develops procedures and systems for establishing, operating, and assessing the effectiveness of administrative control systems such as those designed to prevent waste, loss, unauthorized use, or misappropriation of assets; and performs management surveys to determine compliance with agency regulations, procedures, management practices, and effective utilization of staff; Independently collects, reviews, and analyzes statistical data from various automated data systems used by VA; Develops analytical tools to identify, format, and reduce data for analysis, to provide information to management in an easily recognized format, or to assist other analysts and staff. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm 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#: Management and Program Assistant/PD00331A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 You may be required to serve a probationary period Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/17/2024. 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 GS-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-06. 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 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 awareness of the major issues, program goals and objectives, work processes and administrative operations of the organizational unit; Knowledge of management principles, organizational theory, and techniques of analysis and evaluation; Knowledge of standardized administrative practices and procedures to conduct studies of analysis to identify, analyze, and recommend solutions to problems in organizational structure; and knowledge and skills necessary to interpret and analyze complex information and the ability to reduce such data to clear, precise written summaries, reports, recommendations, to management and other key audiences. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: 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 can be sedentary, although some slight physical effort may be required. Travel to and from wards, clinics, and offices for interviews and consultations are often necessary. 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. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.