Executive Assistant
What you'd do
This role supports the Associate Director at Erie VAMC by providing strategic and operational guidance across Facilities, Health Administration, Logistics, Prosthetics, Privacy/FOIA, Finance, Voluntary Services, Environmental Management, and Biomedical. It ensures coordinated healthcare delivery through advising, evaluating programs, and solving complex administrative challenges across diverse departments.
Major duties
Analyzes staffing versus workload across all departments under the Associate Director to determine proper manning and recommend alignment based on budget, workload, span of control, and operational needs. Reviews departmental processes to identify productivity improvements and leads change management initiatives. Influences necessary staffing or process changes using data-driven recommendations. Oversees and guides implementation of departmental changes to achieve desired outcomes. Identifies when change management strategies must be adjusted or redirected. Conducts space planning with leadership, FMS, and Interior Design, anticipating short-, mid-, and long-term facility needs. Determines optimal space assignments to support efficient patient care and operational workflows. Addresses resistance to space changes by applying communication skills, knowledge, and experience. Reviews construction plans and timelines for major and minor projects, ensuring minimal disruption to healthcare delivery. Coordinates with Contracting Officers to resolve delays and enforce contractor accountability. Works with leadership to identify renovation and construction priorities for SCIP's 10-year facility planning. Ensures FMS submits required business cases and prioritization documentation. Oversees Environment of Care (EOC) deficiency tracking, ensuring timely entry, monitoring, and closure of issues across the medical center and CBOCs. Plans and manages projects on behalf of the Associate Director, ensuring deadlines are met and clinical, facilities, and administrative functions align. Studies organizational goals, identifies opportunities, and recommends solutions to system-wide operational problems. Operationalizes services from planning through implementation and evaluation, ensuring financial sustainability, regulatory compliance, and technology integration. Evaluates facility-wide programs for efficiency, productivity, and effectiveness. Motivates leaders and staff across diverse healthcare and support functions by applying broad organizational knowledge. Acts on behalf of the Associate Director during absences. Leads or participates in complex management studies affecting organizational structure, policies, processes, and fiscal control. Plans and oversees team studies, selecting appropriate qualitative and quantitative methodologies. Collects and analyzes data from various stakeholders, forming findings, conclusions, and recommendations. Presents results in written and oral formats to senior leadership. Provides budgetary and expenditure data support, ensuring healthcare delivery and operations remain within financial limitations. Advises on funding and personnel shortages, proposes adjustments, and identifies cost-saving opportunities. Conducts Fact-Finding investigations and Administrative Boards of Investigation for Erie VAMC, VISN facilities, and executive leadership. Gathers and evaluates evidence, prepares witness lists, conducts interviews, administers oaths, determines facts, and drafts comprehensive reports. Makes evidence-based recommendations to convening authorities. Reviews all contracts prior to submission to VA Central Office, ensuring alignment with healthcare delivery and operational needs. Communicates with contracting leadership to resolve issues, justify interventions, and address delays or anomalies. 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. Work Schedule: 0730-1600/0800-1630 Monday - Friday Telework: 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#: Executive Assistant/PD066770 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized
What you need to qualify
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 07/16/2026. 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-07. For a GS-11 position, you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09.For a GS-12 position, you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11.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. 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. Specialized Experience: Progressively responsible analytical or administrative, or clinical management or supervisory experience in the health care field equivalent to at least the next lower grade level. This work may have been performed in an operating health care facility or a higher organizational echelon with advisory or directional authority over such facilities. Work must have involved a close working relationship with facility managers and analysis and/or coordination of administrative, clinical, or other service activities, and provided knowledge of the following: Missions, organizations, programs, and requirements of health care delivery systems; regulations and standards of various regulatory and credentialing groups; and government-wide, agency, and facility systems and requirements in various administrative areas such as budget, personnel, and procurement. GS- 9 Executive Assistant Series, 0301 Grade Level Minimum Qualification Requirements GS-09 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. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D., if related. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education. Special Provision for Inservice Placement: Successfully completed an agency-sponsored on-the-job training program may be substituted for qualifying experience, provided it included a formal individualized training plan. Such a training program must have been conducted in an operating health care system and included: Assignments providing a knowledge of basic health system administration philosophies, practices, and procedures, and basic government administrative policies and requirements; practical assignments providing an opportunity to apply health system administration skills and principles (as the individual progresses, work assignments must be characteristic of the grade level to which he or she is assigned); and oversight by an experienced health system administrator with periodic evaluation of the individual's progress and appropriate adjustment of the training program. GS-11 Executive Assistant Series, 0301 Grade Level Minimum Qualification Requirements Graduate Education: Major study -- hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration. OR, GS-11 Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-09 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed a Ph.D., equivalent doctoral degree, 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, Or LL.M in the related field of the position to be filled. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with your application. Education cannot be credited without documentation. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education. Special Provision for Inservice Placement: Successful completion of an agency-sponsored on-the-job training program may be substituted for qualifying experience, provided it included a formal individualized training plan. Such a training program must have been conducted in an operating health care system and included: Assignments providing a knowledge of basic health system administration philosophies, practices, and procedures, and basic government administrative policies and requirements; Practical assignments providing an opportunity to apply health system administration skills and principles (as the individual progresses, work assignments must be characteristic of the grade level to which he or she is assigned); and Oversight by an experienced health system administrator with periodic evaluation of the individual's progress and appropriate adjustment of the training program. GS - 12 Executive Assistant Series, 0301 Grade Level Minimum Qualification Requirements GS-12 Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-11 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. 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. Specialized Experience: Experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Applicants must be eligible under the VA Interchange Agreement, having served continuously for at least one year in the other merit system under this interchange agreement. For more information regarding the VA Interchange Agreement please visit: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-authorities/competitive-hiring/.All Title 38 Veterans Canteen Service (VCS) employees must have served in their Excepted Service position for at least 90 days in order to be eligible for a position within the Competitive Service. 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.
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