Secretary (OA)

Full Job Description

This position is located within the Office of the Director of the Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System (CAVHCS) located in both Montgomery and Tuskegee, AL and serves as the principal clerical assistant and advisor to the Executive Director.

The incumbent ensures that the different and varied administrative support functions for which he/she is responsible for are handled in a manner to enhance the efficiency of the Executive Suite as a whole for a multi-facility healthcare system .

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 04/03/2026.

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-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.

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 would typically include, but are not limited to: direct support of executive leadership within an organization; experience with preparing executive travel arrangements; experience using automated software applications such as Microsoft Office; experience with preparing written materials such as memos, policy documents, presentations and briefing documents; experience with maintaining administrative files and records; experience with maintaining staff timecards.

Proficiency Requirement: In addition to meeting the above Time-In-Grade and Specialized Experience requirements above, applicants for this position must show possession of the following skill, as appropriate.

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.

Agencies may verify proficiency skills of self-certified applicants by administering the appropriate performance test.

40 words per minute typing speed Preferred Experience: Direct support of executive leadership (Executive Director, Associate or Deputy Director, CEO, COO) within VA, federal or private sector.

Management of executive travel to include scheduling and invoicing reconciliation.

Experience with customer service engaging with leadership, external stakeholders to include Veterans and city, state and federal elected officials.

Management of electronic databases and Microsoft Office Applications; Share Point management, update and design; Teams; Planner.

Preparing executive level work products to include memos, policy documents, presentations and briefing documents following required style guides for formatting.

Records liaison management of electronic, digital and paper records in shared folders, SharePoint and filing systems following established records control schedules.

Human Resources records management to include paper personal files, electronic personnel systems for position management, recruitment and personnel actions, organizational charts, time keeping and management of leave records, new employee onboarding and employee separation processing and documentation.

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:

Duties include, but are not limited to the following: Serve as the principal administrative, clerical and personal assistant to the Director.

Serve as the administrative liaison providing administrative and technical support to the all subordinate Executive Leadership Team and to assist and train other Executive Secretaries and Administrative staff by carrying out and coordinating all the clerical and day-to-day administrative support activities which are typically required to accomplish the work of the organization.

Maintains the Directors daily calendar. Schedule appointments, audio and video conferences, and meetings.

Confirms conference rooms, coordinate attendance, reserves equipment, prepares, and distributes agendas and minutes. Coordinate training and travel for the Director.

Prepares training request and documents attendance.

Ensure official documents that require the Director's signature are appropriately mailed from the Director's Officer to VACO, VISN & or other outside agencies from the Director's Office.

Received, review, and distributes all of the Director surface mail, inter-office mail, electronic mail and facsimile mail, delegating responsibility for replies as appropriate.

Monitors, recommends, and implements changes in correspondence processes affecting work in the Office of the Director.

Advises the Director of significant items of interest in correspondence, files, and reports. Responds to correspondence not requiring the Director's personal attention.

Maintains the Director's personal correspondence files.

Prepares letters, memoranda, messages, agendas, and minutes either self-composed, from handwritten notes, dictation or recorded media with responsibility for content format, grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

Review correspondence prepared by others for the signature of the Director for content, format, grammar, neatness, punctuation and spelling.

Guide staff in the preparation of correspondence and informs them of procedural changes.

Responds to inquiries and administrative problems brought to the Director's Office by staff, Central Office, State and local government, other hospitals, other Federal agencies and Congressional staff.

Exercises exclusive control over the Director's appointments, with complete authority for commitments of time.

Screens all calls and visitors, answering most questions and completing most business involving established policy or routine matters without referring people to the Director.

Screens all publications, directives, and periodicals, and brings those of significance to the Director's attention. Performs other related duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm CST. Work schedule subject to change based on agency needs. Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Secretary (OA)/PD09306A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized