What are the responsibilities and job description for the Voluntary Services Officer position at St Cloud VA Medical Center?
The Voluntary Services Officer serves as the Chief of the Center of Development for Civic Engagement (CDCE)/Voluntary Services, reporting directly to a member of the executive leadership team. The position has oversight for CDCE/Voluntary Service's full scope of interrelated business lines which include Voluntary Service, Philanthropic Engagement, and Partnership Solutions.
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-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. 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 as described below:
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: Work is moderately sedentary, although considerably variable. It requires a fair amount of standing, sometimes for long periods, walking, climbing stairs, and bending. Work may require some heavy to moderate lifting, transporting of materials, equipment and supplies for special events and other programs. Due to diverse nature and scope of the work, it may require occasionally working in extreme temperatures (hot or cold).
Work Environment: Work is typically performed in an adequately lit and climate controlled office. Requires occasional travel, local and national; movement between worksites include outpatient clinics, Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) offices, or national cemeteries. Extended evening or weekend work hours may be required. Work may also take place in a variety of settings including outdoor in various temperatures, crowded conferences or conventions for outreach and other events.
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/.
Major duties include but not limited to:
Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized
Telework: Not Authorized
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Voluntary Services Officer/PD99897S
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
The VA Midwest Health Care Network advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being.
Qualifications:
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 06/15/2026.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-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. 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 as described below:
- Specialized Experience GS-12: You must have one (1) year (52 weeks) 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. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: planning, scheduling, executing special events involving community leaders, staff and visitors; developing and proposing policies and innovative programs governing voluntary services; managing general post fund accounts and other financial accounts; representing a volunteer program on speaking engagements before service, fraternal, and civic organizations; and making presentations for diverse audiences and varying sizes from small meetings to large conferences.
- Demonstrated expertise in managing large, diverse volunteer workforces and executing full scope human capital functions in a healthcare or complex organizational environment.
- Proven ability to build, negotiate, and manage strategic community partnerships that advance organizational priorities and expand resource capacity.
- Strong fundraising, philanthropic development, and fiscal stewardship skills, including managing donated funds and leading donor engagement initiatives.
- Skilled in developing policy, conducting needs assessments, evaluating program performance, and executing long and short term strategic plans.
- Exceptional leadership and communication abilities, including influencing stakeholders, delivering presentations, and representing the organization with high visibility external partners.
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: Work is moderately sedentary, although considerably variable. It requires a fair amount of standing, sometimes for long periods, walking, climbing stairs, and bending. Work may require some heavy to moderate lifting, transporting of materials, equipment and supplies for special events and other programs. Due to diverse nature and scope of the work, it may require occasionally working in extreme temperatures (hot or cold).
Work Environment: Work is typically performed in an adequately lit and climate controlled office. Requires occasional travel, local and national; movement between worksites include outpatient clinics, Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) offices, or national cemeteries. Extended evening or weekend work hours may be required. Work may also take place in a variety of settings including outdoor in various temperatures, crowded conferences or conventions for outreach and other events.
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:
Due to the cross-cutting nature of this office, the incumbent shows a comprehensive understanding of the federal government, VA and each of its Administrations, with a primary focus on VHA; to include the relevant laws, regulations, policies and procedures, accrediting organizations, as well as the organizations within the agency to facilitate a systems-oriented approach to the Center's success.Major duties include but not limited to:
- Planning and leading all philanthropic activities and programs within widely dispersed locations across the healthcare system, VA Administrations, and State Veterans Homes.
- Conducting and analyzing comprehensive needs assessments for optimal alignment of the program in support of the organization's mission and goals.
- Exercising final authority for the full range of personnel actions and organization design proposals recommended for the integration of this category of without compensation (WOC) employees.
- Ensuring compliance with all applicable standards of The Joint Commission (TJC) for VHA volunteers, to include maintaining the official volunteer personnel files, mandated training records, assignment guides, competency and performance assessments, and other applicable role-specific documentation.
- Designing, developing, and implementing the recognition and incentive awards program for the organization's volunteer workforce.
- Providing oversight of the organizations' General Post Funds and in-kind development activities.
- Managing the day-to-day operations of the philanthropic development activities.
- Monitoring all donated monetary funds at the healthcare system level within the station's General Post Fund (GPF) Accounts.
- Exercising discretionary authority to approve the allocation and distribution of such funds.
- Preparing business case justification for anticipated expenses, including alignment with VA and VHA goals and priorities, strategy identification, benchmarking, and evaluation in support of proposed budget.
- Responsible for project and event management of varied sizes and scope.
- Maintaining significant and expansive supervisory responsibility for every registered volunteer in accordance with the TJC and established occupational standards for the profession.
- Planning, design, and development of each volunteer role and the work to be accomplished.
- Serving as a strategic advisor to executive leadership for the utilization of community resources in support of operational goals, assesses risks, anticipates outcomes, and alternative strategies.
- Establishing local policies and procedures for the strategic utilization of volunteers and community partnerships across the healthcare system.
- Serving as an advisor to VA Headquarters Voluntary Service National Advisory Committee.
- Conducting thorough and exhaustive research on potential community partners to determine suitability for development of non-monetary partnership agreements.
- Serves as the local subject matter expert on volunteer and donation management.
- Providing technical and administrative supervision to subordinates which may include an Assistant Chief, Specialist, Program Support Assistant, Secretary, or other administrative staff.
Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized
Telework: Not Authorized
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Voluntary Services Officer/PD99897S
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
The VA Midwest Health Care Network advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being.
Salary : $97,582