What are the responsibilities and job description for the Administrative Officer position at Northern Indiana HCS?
The Administrative Officer - Surgery Service (AO) is located in the office of the Associate Chief of Staff for Surgery Service (ACOS), VA Northern Indiana Health Care Systems (VANIHCS). VANIHCS is a multi-site health care system with main campuses located in Fort Wayne and Marion, Indiana, and Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOC) in Mishawaka, Goshen, Peru, and Muncie, Indiana. The Surgery Service is a multi-disciplinary clinical and surgical service which includes multiple sub sections.
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.
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:
GS-09
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/.
- Provides oversight for receiving and reviewing all incoming correspondence and determines whether correspondence should be brought to the Chief, referred to Health System Specialist, or handled by the incumbent. Follows up on incoming mail to ensure timely and accurate responses. Reviews and approves all outgoing correspondence for neatness, accuracy, adherence to established format, and adherence to Medical Center policies and procedures.
- Act as an administrative extension of the Contract Officer Representative (COR) by serving as the control point clerk responsible for accurate Form 2237 submission.
- Assist the Health System Specialist with administrative oversight of staffing and equipment contracts to include auditing time sheets and assigning required bi-annual chart review OPPES.
- Serve as secondary timekeeper for all staff in the Acute Medical Service, including Physicians, Physician Extenders, Technicians, Intermittent & Fee-Basis providers.
- Will ensure that all staff can utilize the timekeeping programs accurately/timely- through ad hoc targeted training with new and existing providers. Explain the time and leave process and expectations of requesting leave in advance.
- Attends all service meetings, overseeing the preparation of agendas, and minutes. Meetings can include, but not limited to, staff meetings and events planning involving other service.
Data Collection / Analysis (30%)
- Responsible for daily reporting and review of consults, open encounters, and alerts within Acute Medical Service. Triage and alert appropriate stakeholders of delinquencies ensuring timely completion to ensure high quality patient care.
- The incumbent analyzes, evaluates, and manages data associated with the administrative activities of Acute Medical Service, to include workload statistics, chart reviews of a demographic nature and staffing coverage daily. The incumbent completes multiple reports for the service, analyzes trends and deficiencies, and works with the Chief to review and solve any issues that may arise
- Evaluates, analyzes, and shares requested data for VISN 10 Surgical Service for the VISN 10 Lead Surgical Chief (e.g., encounter trends, etc.).
- The incumbent performs all other duties as assigned by the Chief/ACOS.
Customer Service (20%)
- Interacts frequently with VANIHCS management and personnel, VACO, VISN, and community officials to keep abreast of substantive service issues within the organization. Works as the primary liaison for the Associate Chief of Staff as issues are being addressed and resolved throughout the VISN
- Respond to and coordinate resolutions for patient complaints within Acute Medical Service.
- Serve as the point of contact for all patient experience related initiatives and initiates service level patient experience process improvements by identifying trends in satisfaction through V-Signals and other surveys.
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: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm (Monday - Friday)
Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized
Telework: Not Authorized
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Administrative Officer/PD028060
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, 04/27/2026.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.
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:
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. 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.); accurately preparing timecards for submission and processing; managing and balancing financial aspects of general fund control points and purchase procedures; and performing various human resources/personnel management duties related to recruitment, disciplinary actions, and/or awards. OR,
- Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a 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 beyond one year of graduate education and Specialized Experience. Such experience and education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work.
- 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: 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 a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, or LL.M., if related. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. 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 a Master's Degree (leading to a PhD) and Specialized Experience. Such experience and education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work.
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/.
Responsibilities:
Program Administration (50%)- Provides oversight for receiving and reviewing all incoming correspondence and determines whether correspondence should be brought to the Chief, referred to Health System Specialist, or handled by the incumbent. Follows up on incoming mail to ensure timely and accurate responses. Reviews and approves all outgoing correspondence for neatness, accuracy, adherence to established format, and adherence to Medical Center policies and procedures.
- Act as an administrative extension of the Contract Officer Representative (COR) by serving as the control point clerk responsible for accurate Form 2237 submission.
- Assist the Health System Specialist with administrative oversight of staffing and equipment contracts to include auditing time sheets and assigning required bi-annual chart review OPPES.
- Serve as secondary timekeeper for all staff in the Acute Medical Service, including Physicians, Physician Extenders, Technicians, Intermittent & Fee-Basis providers.
- Will ensure that all staff can utilize the timekeeping programs accurately/timely- through ad hoc targeted training with new and existing providers. Explain the time and leave process and expectations of requesting leave in advance.
- Attends all service meetings, overseeing the preparation of agendas, and minutes. Meetings can include, but not limited to, staff meetings and events planning involving other service.
Data Collection / Analysis (30%)
- Responsible for daily reporting and review of consults, open encounters, and alerts within Acute Medical Service. Triage and alert appropriate stakeholders of delinquencies ensuring timely completion to ensure high quality patient care.
- The incumbent analyzes, evaluates, and manages data associated with the administrative activities of Acute Medical Service, to include workload statistics, chart reviews of a demographic nature and staffing coverage daily. The incumbent completes multiple reports for the service, analyzes trends and deficiencies, and works with the Chief to review and solve any issues that may arise
- Evaluates, analyzes, and shares requested data for VISN 10 Surgical Service for the VISN 10 Lead Surgical Chief (e.g., encounter trends, etc.).
- The incumbent performs all other duties as assigned by the Chief/ACOS.
Customer Service (20%)
- Interacts frequently with VANIHCS management and personnel, VACO, VISN, and community officials to keep abreast of substantive service issues within the organization. Works as the primary liaison for the Associate Chief of Staff as issues are being addressed and resolved throughout the VISN
- Respond to and coordinate resolutions for patient complaints within Acute Medical Service.
- Serve as the point of contact for all patient experience related initiatives and initiates service level patient experience process improvements by identifying trends in satisfaction through V-Signals and other surveys.
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: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm (Monday - Friday)
Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized
Telework: Not Authorized
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Administrative Officer/PD028060
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Salary : $61,722