Telephone Operator

Full Job Description

This position is located in Health Administration Service at the Ralph H Johnson Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

The incumbent is an experienced telephone operator who operates the medical center switchboard working rotating shifts.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 04/22/2026.

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-4 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-3. 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: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of general experience that equipped you with the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to successfully perform the duties of this position.

General experience is progressively responsible clerical, office, or other work that indicates the ability to acquire the particular knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of the position to be filled.

OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience.

To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have Successful completion of two (2) years of education above the high school level in any field.

One year of full-time undergraduate study is defined as 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours, or the equivalent in a college or university or at least 20 hours of classroom instruction per week for approximately 36 weeks in a business, secretarial or technical school.

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.

Combination of successfully completed post high school education and experience and the total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for that grade level.

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 but may involve some standing and walking to consult directories and manuals.

Constant hand motion is involved including but not limited to pulling, grasping, and typing.

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 may not be limited to the following:: Monitors various Medical Center alarms and initiating emergency call procedures as required.

Operates the audio and radio paging systems to contact staff members on call during both regular and irregular duty hours.

Establishes connections for conference calls for key medical center personnel as requested.

Maintains an accurate listing of patients, as well as key employees and other records incidental to the telephone system, that are used regularly to give information by telephone and assist in the routing of visitors.

Maintains on-call roster of physicians, technicians, and other Medical Center personnel for location during non-administrative duty hours and an alphabetical listing of all employees.

Handle a variety of difficult calls requiring extensive seasonal involvement.

Retrieves and updates relevant information in computerized databases using instructions and established guidelines pertaining to customer assistance, record keeping and call receiving, placing and monitoring.

Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Different rotating tours of duty that are 8 hours a day, 5 days a week with rotating weekends and holidays.

Subject to changed based on Agency Needs. Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Telephone Operator/PD07555A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized