Secretary (OA)

Full Job Description

This position is located in the Office of the Associate Director, Patient Care Services/Office of the Chief Nurse Executive Directorate suite, located at the Captain James A.

Lovell Federal Health Care Center (FHCC), North Chicago, Illinois. To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 04/06/2026.

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-7 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-6. 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 -7 Grade Requirements: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-6 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: prepare memoranda; maintain calendars; maintain suspense files; prepare agendas for meetings; take minutes; make travel arrangements; and timekeeping.

Skill in interpersonal communication to inform customers/stakeholders and present recommendations; Working knowledge of electronic office applications (e.g.

Windows Office) and equipment, and emerging electronic technologies for automating office functions; Understanding of grammar, spelling, punctuation, VA correspondence format and skill in proofreading; Skill in adapting policies and procedures to emergency situations.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Attention to Detail Clerical Computer Skills Interpersonal Skills 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. Typically, the employee may sit comfortably to do the work.

However, there will be walking, standing, bending and carrying (delivery/pickup) of light items like papers or books. No special physical demands are required to perform the work.

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/.

Major Duties:

This position is critical to the success of the office of the Associate Director, Patient Services/ Nurse Executive.

The incumbent, therefore, contributes to managing office operations for a service with a mission that affects a wide range of agency activities and is expected to deal with many jobs and responsibilities beyond those normally expected of many secretaries in similar positions.

Exercises considerable judgment in screening calls and assisting visitors to Patient Services Directorate Office Suite and when necessary refers them to the supervisor or other qualified individual deemed appropriate.

Answers many procedural inquiries with personal knowledge of program activities, FHCC policies, and intentions of the Associate Director, Patient Services/ Nurse Executive.

The incumbent determines the appropriate staff members for handling technical inquiries.

Provides technical guidance to the Patient Services Directorate secretaries on matters of clerical or procedure nature. The incumbent will independently review and control all action item requests.

Ensures that through direct liaison assigned personnel due dates are enforced.

The incumbent is responsible for updating, deletions, transfers, and extensions of due date within the directorate and the subordinate groups departments/divisions.

Ensures overall accuracy and clarity of their content; ensures correspondents are in compliance with required specifications, and brings to the attention of the submitting department heads/ secretaries' discrepancies requiring corrections or clarification.

Duties include but are not limited to: Reviews and controls all action item requests.

Provides general clerical public contact support services such as answering the telephone, referring visitors, or providing information about the office.

Processes incoming and outgoing mail materials such as correspondence, reports, memorandums and other forms of written communication for accuracy and completeness.

Maintains calendars Schedules and records supervisor and staff appointments. Must pass training requirement to become a purchase a government purchase card holder.

Creates work orders, tracks, and purchases supplies and equipment necessary for the different sections. Functions as a department timekeeper..

Maintains effective office systems (including files and report automation).

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:30am-4:00pm Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Secretary (OA)/PD24011A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: None