Secretary (OA)

Full Job Description

This position serves as Executive Secretary for the Director's Office, supporting the Director, Associate Director, Nurse Executive, Chief of Staff, and Administrative Assistant.

The incumbent is the lead secretary among the three executive office secretaries.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet time-in-grade & specialized experience requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement,, 02/09/2026.

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 within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

For a GS-08 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. For a GS-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-08.

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.

Please note: In addition to meeting experience requirements, applicants for this position must show possession of the following proficiency: Ability to type 40 words per minute.

Applicants may meet this requirement by passing the appropriate performance test, presenting a certificate of proficiency from a school or other organization authorized to issue such certificates by the Office of Personnel Management local office, or by self-certifying their proficiency.

Performance test results and certificates of proficiency are acceptable for 3 years.

You may qualify based on your experience as described below: GS-08: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-07 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

Examples of specialized experience include arranging meetings and conference calls, scheduling and booking resources, reviewing written materials for compliance and clarity, maintaining personnel and performance records, managing timekeeping, tracking deadlines, organizing work to meet established processes and regulations, operating office equipment to support complex programs, using software such as Outlook and Microsoft Office, reviewing directives and publications, and recording and transcribing meeting minutes.

GS-09: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade, GS-08, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

Examples of specialized experience include independently planning and setting priorities, coordinating activities, and applying strong knowledge of organizational theory and practice.

It also involves communicating effectively across all organizational levels, arranging meetings and conference calls, scheduling resources, reviewing written materials for clarity and compliance, maintaining personnel and performance records, managing timekeeping, tracking deadlines, and organizing work to meet established processes.

Additional responsibilities include operating office equipment to support complex programs, using software such as Outlook and Microsoft Office, reviewing directives and publications, recording and transcribing meeting minutes, and providing essential support during the absence of other Tetrad secretaries.

Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary. It occasionally requires lifting and carrying light objects such as files, books, and papers. No special physical qualifications are required.

Work Environment: The work is performed in a large, open office setting.

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 involves a multi-grade career ladder.

The major duties listed below represent the full performance level of GS-09, however a selection can be made at any of the following grade levels: GS-08, OR GS-09.

At the GS-08 grade level, you will perform assignments of a more limited scope and with less independence.

You will progressively acquire the background necessary to perform at the full performance level of GS-09.

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. Major duties include: Receives visitors and telephone calls to the Director's office.

Screens callers by determining nature or purpose of call and either handles personally, or refers to other staff members, those not requiring the personal attention of the Director.

Suspends action items from the VISN/Central Office and follows through on deadlines with the responsible staff. Ensure templates, Excel spreadsheets, and requested information is accurate.

Average 100 suspenses per month from the VISN/Central Office. Incumbent devises and installs a system of office procedures and practices.

As principal secretary reviews and coordinates the workflow of the administrative support staff for the Executive office.

Arranges conferences for the Director and, at the request of District Counsel, Central Office officials, for meetings to be held locally.

In the performance of official duties, the he/she has regular access to printed and electronic files containing sensitive information, which must be protected under the provision of the Privacy Act of 1974, and other applicable laws and regulations.

Incumbent receives all mail for the Executive office, independently reviewing and assigning actions to the appropriate staff.

Independently creates, copies, edits, calculates, revises, retrieves, stores and prints a wide range of documents in final form from handwritten drafts such as correspondence, reports, graphs, statistics, calendar, table of contents, etc., involving highly technical and specialized terminology.

Incumbent is a government credit card holder and has access to the Director's control fund point and the Chief of Staff.

Incumbent is knowledgeable of the electronic system used to order supplies, publications and other items for the Executive office.

Records and transcribes monthly meeting minutes for the Executive Leadership Team, station Town Halls, and other executive meetings as required.

Incumbent serves as principle timekeeper for the Director's assigned T&Ls as well as alternate for the Chief of Staff and the Nurse Executive offices.

Incumbent arranges travel and is responsible for the coordination of background materials for all trips for the Director and other Tetrad members as needed.

Provides assignments and distribution of workload as needed to ensure coverage for Tetrad member if their secretary is out of the office.

Responsible for training, mentoring and providing direction regarding correspondence, congressional responses, publications, directives, reports and public relations responsibilities, to all levels of staff in the organization including service secretaries, administrative and clinical staff.

Independently develops, plan, and presents annual administrative training sessions for all secretaries and program assistants in the organization.

Ensures that practices and procedures used are consistent with those of the Director's Office and in compliance with VA requirements. Initiates corrective action as needed.

Prepares and disseminates issuances providing notices of procedural changes and instructions in implementing such changes. Arrange for guest speakers to present material as needed.

The agenda for the above training consists of all phases of duties required by secretaries, such as correspondence, congressional responses, telephone procedures, publications, directives, reports, public relations responsibilities.

Independently signs routine correspondence and certain procedural authorizations in the name of the Director, per prior agreement.

This includes the VCS Director's canteen fund which he/she has authority to spend according to VCS rules and regulations. Oversees all catering on station that request use of the VCS Director's fund.

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday; 8:00am to 4:30pm PST Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Secretary (OA)/PD902510 and PD902480 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized