Summary The Administrative Officer of Surgery Service reports directly to the Chief of Surgery Service. The primary purpose of this position is to administratively lead the Surgery Service at St. Louis VA Medical Center (STLVAMC) in the main Medical Center and eight Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs). Responsibilities Below are the duties of the position at the GS-12 (Full Performance Level). Duties include, but are not limited to: Serves as operations manager for the Surgery Service. Responsible for advising, planning, developing, implementing, and evaluating administrative processes and programs such as contract management, funds management, clinic flow, clinic scheduling, staffing efficiency, labor mapping, access, and communication across the Service Line. Performs annual review and analysis of productivity data and develops action plans that lead to improved performance and/or productivity, implementation of management controls, and short-and long-range planning. Advises senior management on matters impacted by programmatic/policy changes and works with subject matter experts to formulate new, or adapt existing, policies and procedures to meet Service Line goals. Makes appropriate recommendations to include OR block time, clinic matrix set up, recruitments, resource allocation, equipment, policy, and contracting, to the Chief of Surgery Service and STLVAMC Executive Leadership Team based on national, VISN, and local data analysis and findings. Gathers all applicable facts and communicates effectively to management on issues and concerns within the Service to include Issue Briefs. Attends council and committee meetings in lieu of the Service Chief. Conducts data research and analysis on specific programs and incentives such as bookability, cost outliers, and contract management items to inform the Chief of Surgery on the current status of operations and enables the Chief to take action or communicate further on national committees within the national surgery office to support the STLVAMC and the VISN 15 surgical workgroup, as well as other facility, VISN, and national programs. Serves as the Service Level Advocate (SLA) for all Surgery Service and subspecialties to include Anesthesiology, Bariatrics, General Surgery, Gynecology, Neurosurgery, Ophthalmology, Orthopedics, Otorhinolaryngology, Plastic Surgery, Podiatry, Thoracic Surgery, Urology, Vascular, and Wound. Serves as the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) for medical service contracts needed for the provision of essential patient care within the Medical Center and CBOCs. Responsible for establishing and maintaining necessary controls to supply management with desired information for effective financial oversight. Completes documents, packets, quotes, statements of work, and other required materials for the procurement of medical equipment and supplies necessary for patient care. Responsible for the continuous monitoring and management of resources of the Service to ensure that it functions within budget. Develops and implements new information systems, tracks aggregate and provider specific utilization data, updates costs associated with the Service, monitors compliance with fiscal allocation targets and communicates with Service Chief and top management regarding each of these processes. Plans and implements resource allocation decisions to include FTE ceiling, salary budget, supply budget, equipment budget, space utilization, maintenance contracts, overtime usage etc. Responsible for ensuring new or changing programs are implemented effectively and efficiently, including coordination of support with the affiliated academic institution and contracted providers. Evaluates and monitors administrative activities and makes recommendations for program improvements. Oversees the daily administrative operation of the Surgery Service. Administers and oversees all aspects of personnel management within the Service. Develops performance plans and evaluates the performance of direct reports, provides administrative oversight and guidance (not supervision) over the performance of the clinical subordinates as the direct extension of the Surgery Service Chief. Directs recruitment and onboarding activities, research and input for market pay development and reviews, and other personnel administrative tasks. Coordinates performance evaluations for all Service members in concert with the supervisors and appropriate professional oversight personnel. Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Telework: AD-HOC; Supervisor discretion Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Administrative Officer/PD097020 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. 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, 07/12/2024. GS-11 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-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-9. 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. GS-12 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-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. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: GS-11, Administrative Officer Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-9 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: participating in the formulation of annual operating budgets; providing all administrative functions in support of a health care program, including human resources management, budget, finance, management and program analysis, and office support services; applying the knowledge of clinical administrative laws, regulations, and policies; providing personnel management services; communicating to a wide variety of individuals internal and external to the agency; providing advice, counsel, training or instructions to employees on work and administrative matters; and utilizing various computer applications such as Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related. 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 the first 2 years of graduate education. (The applicant's first 2 years of graduate study are not qualifying for GS-11.). TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED GS-12, Administrative Officer 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: performs administrative management duties within a healthcare environment; plans, directs, or coordinates multiple administrative services of an organization, to include staffing/recruitment, budget management, contract management, program management, project management, human resources management, management analysis, and other office support services; skill in performing administrative oversight actions; evaluates and tracks programs and outcomes; assists in developing recommendations and solutions for process/program improvement; conducts management studies to collect various data; prepares and reviews operational reports an schedules to ensure accuracy and efficiency; evaluates programs to determine if they are meeting established goals and objectives; analyzes internal processes and recommends/implements procedural or policy changes to improve administrative operations; applies the knowledge of clinical administrative laws, regulations, and policies; provides personnel management services; communicates to a wide variety of individuals internal and external to the agency; and utilizes various computer applications such as Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Administration and Management Capacity Management Communication Information Management Manages Resources Managing Human Resources 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 primarily sedentary, although some slight physical effort may be required. 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/. 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. Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. 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.