Administrative Officer

Summary

The Administrative Officer (AO), serves in the Executive Director Office at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System. The position encompasses many diverse areas and requires in­-depth knowledge of the entire health care system. The AO is responsible for performing analytical studies, developing procedures, facilitating organizational process improvement activities, assisting in organizing policies for administrative managers, and preparing reports for organizational leadership.

Duties

• The Administrative Officer (AO) is responsible for planning and developing complex administrative activities. Duties include but are not limited to: Provides administrative management and guidance for the Office of the Director and its operational services, interpreting policies, laws, and regulations and recommending solutions to administrative issues. Reviews, tracks, and coordinates responses to patient complaints, patient advocate requests, congressional inquiries, Office of Inspector General reports, issue briefs, and other time-sensitive correspondence. Coordinates the review, revision, and implementation of policies and standard operating procedures; reviews facility policies requiring executive concurrence and recommends corrective actions. Coordinates recruitment and hiring activities for service chiefs, executives, and Title 5 employees, including developing position descriptions and functional statements, initiating personnel actions, assisting with vacancy announcements, and arranging interview panels. Maintains personnel-related records and prepares documentation for performance management, incentives, awards, telework agreements, organizational changes, and other personnel matters; supports implementation of approved All Employee Survey action plans. Serves as the Automated Data Processing Applications Coordinator and Personal Identity Verification sponsor, coordinating user access, basic technical troubleshooting, access reviews, equipment and software needs, and PIN resets. Develops and facilitates process improvement projects using Lean, Six Sigma, and project management techniques to improve administrative workflows and ensure timely completion of action plans. Supports leadership committees, councils, and workgroups by coordinating assigned activities, participating in meetings, and documenting proceedings and action items. Conducts qualitative and quantitative analyses of program operations, resource needs, and performance trends; investigates deviations and recommends improvements to program efficiency and effectiveness. Prepares studies, reports, executive decision memoranda, and briefings that present findings, implementation strategies, and recommendations to the Director, Health System Specialist, and other management officials. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4;30pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Administrative Officer/PD01447O Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11/09/2026. 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-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-9. 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 specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-9 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Creating reports, coordinating and scheduling meetings, and submitting requests/work orders using a personal computer and office automation programs (such as word processing, spreadsheets, etc.); maintaining and updating department or service-level databases and shared computer drives; accurately preparing timecards for submission and processing; resolving timekeeping issues related to overtime, holiday pay, unscheduled hours, and various types of extended leave; managing and balancing financial aspects of general fund control points and purchase procedures; and preparing and submitting requests for recruitment, promotion, reassignment, and disciplinary actions. 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. or equivalent doctoral degree, or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, or an LL.M. in a field related to this position that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. 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 graduate level education. 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/.

Education

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. 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: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Requirements

You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required. Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Grade: GS 11. . Apply by 2026-11-09 on USAJOBS.