Secretary (OA)
What you'd do
The incumbent serves as the executive secretary to the Deputy Chief of Staff. This position is located in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Tennessee Valley Healthcare System (TVHS), which has 11 community based outpatient clinics, a research program, two affiliations - Vanderbilt University and Meharry Medical College, and other educational institutions and sharing agreements with various DOD facilities.
Major duties
The incumbent will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the office functions and information to and from the Deputy Chief of Staff. Responds to administrative problems brought to the supervisor's attention by members of the staff or management officials outside the organization or outside the agency. Notifies the appropriate subordinate management officials of the need for information or recommendation, and either prepares the response or follows up to ensure a timely response by others. Performs administrative work for the Deputy Chief of Staff, which includes management of the office's schedule or day-to-day plans. Develops routine plans or schedules using standard references and existing information. Based on defined objectives, determines specific steps, input required, and/or milestones. Identifies schedule/time required, and estimates resources required. Acts as a liaison or handles the communication with persons and/or groups within and outside of an organization or office. Maintains liaison and communications with persons from a wide variety of backgrounds within the facility, the VISN office, and other VHA and VA officials as requested by the Deputy Chief of Staff. Provides administrative support functions and serves as recorder for all assigned TVHS committees, boards, and councils as requested by the Chief of Staff or Deputy Chief of Staff. The incumbent will also coordinate projects or compile information as requested by the Deputy Chief of Staff. This will require knowledge of the clinical services offered by TVHS. Maintains and updates as necessary a Desk Guide that describes the tasks to be performed by the executive secretary in sufficient detail to guide staff providing temporary coverage the secretary is absent and that will facilitate orientation to the position in the event permanent replacement is required. Provides backup coverage for other Director's Office secretary/administrative assistants at the York Campus as needed. Instructs and assists secretaries/administrative assistants in the clinical service/service line offices on correct correspondence procedures. Serves as timekeeper for employees under assigned Time and Leave units. Time keeping for these units is complicated by the fact that the units cover with various types of employees (e.g. Title 5, Title 38, etc) that may be located off site. May be assigned as an alternate timekeeper for other sections within the Office of the Director or the Office of the Chief of Staff. Works with Meharry Medical College to reconcile hours for contract physicians working with the Preventive Medicine contract. As a team member in the office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, participates in discussions of mutual expectations and necessary follow-up. In this way, cooperation and collaboration are assured. Serves the coordinator for control of keys for employees under the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm Telework: ADHOC This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Secretary (OA)/PD700770 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
What you need to qualify
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 07/07/2026. 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-08 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. 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. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education 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 would typically include, but are not limited to: Assembles, summarizes, and tabulates data and statistics from multiple sources, ensuring their accuracy before submission. Processing and editing incoming and outgoing correspondence, reports, and memoranda; reviewing documents for grammatical errors. Compiles and summarizes statistics and material from files or other sources as required for reports or presentations. Coordinates and prepares Deputy Chief of Staff's evaluations and performance appraisals Maintaining files of correspondence and events Preferred Experience: Have extensive experience providing high level administrative and secretarial support in a complex and fast-paced healthcare, academic, or similar organization. Experience must include managing executive schedules and calendars, coordinating meetings, handling sensitive correspondence, compiling and preparing reports, and maintaining office files and records. The candidate must demonstrate proficiency in independently prioritizing and completing multiple tasks with strict deadlines and minimal supervision. Familiarity with general office procedures, correspondence rules (including grammar, spelling, punctuation), and use of office automation/computer systems is required. Experience interacting effectively with senior officials, a wide range of internal and external contacts, and the public is essential. Exercising sound judgment and maintaining confidentiality, as well as skill in handling a variety of complex or non-routine administrative issues. Prior experience coordinating administrative procedures involving multiple offices and personnel, and supporting executive staff or committees is highly desirable. Knowledge of VA and/or large healthcare system administrative policies and programs is preferred. 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/.
Before you apply
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