SECRETARY (OA)
: Job Details :

Summary This position is located in the Director's Office of the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center in Charleston, SC. The incumbent serves as Secretary t to the Associate Director; who is responsible for various administrative functions of the Medical Center. The position provides direct clerical and administrative work and collaborating with other clerical staff within the Director's Office to support administrative services. Responsibilities The incumbent performs secretarial duties for the Associate Director by performing general office work. Duties include but are not limited to: Receives schedules, refers, and contacts members of the staff, agency, and persons outside the agency ranging from other government agencies to the general public. Acts as liaison to other managers and staff within the organization and provides accurate advice on procedures, reports, requirements, and other matters necessary to implement the supervisor's policies, directives, and instructions. Performs office automation duties using such software applications as electronic mail, desktop publishing, calendar, word-processing, spreadsheet, database, and/or graphics. Provides support and instruction to other staff members on office equipment issues, including computer, printer and copier problems. Serves as primary resource person/liaison for the Associate Director's and Assistant Director's Office. Schedules appointments, coordinates meetings, schedules conferences and/or arranges for conference call/video call lines for the Associate and Assistant Directors. Coordinates and prepares the Associate and Assistant Director's travel arrangements and keeps in contact with the traveler during absences for emergent purposes. Processes incoming and outgoing materials such as correspondence, reports, memoranda, and other forms of written communication. Manages telephone calls by providing preliminary triage for appropriate routing and follow-up and documenting/summarizing contact when necessary other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 You may be required to serve a probationary period Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See Additional Information below for details. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11/01/2024. 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-7 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-6. 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. For a GS-8 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7. 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. Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-06 in the normal line of progression for the GS-07 occupation in the organization. For the GS-08 position, You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-07. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: clerical duties such as typing, taking and transcribing dictated material; compiling and preparing replies to general correspondence; prepares station memoranda and committee minutes; posting calendars; maintaining suspense file. Control work flow, meet various deadlines, anticipate supervisor's needs, exhibit patience and diplomacy in receiving visitors, use discretion in the release of information, and exercise the ability to keep informed on and readily locate a variety of instructional material. Ability to communicate orally and in writing to various individuals including customers who are difficult, hostile, or distressed. Utilize Medical Center computer system and software (VISTA, CPRS, Microsoft) to access information, produce reports, and prepare correspondence Proficiency Requirements. In addition to meeting experience or education requirements, applicants must be able to type 40 words per minute. Applicants may meet these requirements 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 or self-certification. You must submit this certification with your application documents. Note: A transcript is not a substitute for a typing certificate for self-certification. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Error! Filename not specified. 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 will involve periods of walking throughout the facility to interface with other services, bending, stooping, lifting, and carrying. Reasonable accommodation may be considered in determining an applicant's ability to perform the duties/functions of the position. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at Education There is no educational substitution at this grade level. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: Additional Information The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position. It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members. For more information on the Who may apply eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.