What are the responsibilities and job description for the Health System Specialist position at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs?
Summary
The Health System Specialist serves as the National Administrative Officer for the Multiple Sclerosis Centers of Excellence (MSCoE) - matrixed organizationally within the National Neurology Program Office - Specialty Care Program Office (SCPO) - Department of Veterans Affairs.
Qualifications
To qualify for this position - applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement - 06/08/2026. 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-14 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-13. 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: Individual Occupational Requirements: Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study--hospital administration - health administration - or related fields such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration. OR Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS13 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include - but are not limited to: Progressively responsible analytical or administrative - or clinical management or supervisory experience in the health care field. 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. OR - 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. Grade Level Requirement: 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. Examples of specialized experience would typically include - but are not limited to: Develops and implements policies and procedures for all major HAS administrative operations - ensuring compliance with VISN and VHA requirements. Prepares workload analyses and contributes to annual budget estimates for medical administrative functions (staffing - equipment - supplies). Monitors quality and productivity measures to ensure optimal patient care and appropriate resource utilization. Provides accurate - timely information to Veterans and families regarding administrative processes - eligibility - admissions - and benefits. Coordinates with community clinics (CBOCs) and internal clinical services to ensure consistent administrative support to Veterans. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Budget Administration Performance Measurement Planning and Evaluating Project Management 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 sedentary and does not require any special physical effort. Some work may require walking and standing in conjunction with travel and attendance at meetings and conferences away from the work site. The employee may carry light items such as papers - books - and portable computer equipment or drive a motor vehicle relative to attendance at meetings. The work may require long hours to meet project deadlines and to devise corrective action and solutions to unexpected technical and/or management crises resulting in sometimes highly stressful work situations. Work Environment: Work is performed in a typical office environment and/or in a virtual setting. 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/.
Duties
The Health System Specialist serves as the National Administrative Officer for the Multiple Sclerosis Centers of Excellence (MSCoE) - matrixed organizationally within the National Neurology Program Office - Specialty Care Program Office (SCPO) - Department of Veterans Affairs.
Qualifications
To qualify for this position - applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement - 06/08/2026. 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-14 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-13. 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: Individual Occupational Requirements: Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study--hospital administration - health administration - or related fields such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration. OR Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS13 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include - but are not limited to: Progressively responsible analytical or administrative - or clinical management or supervisory experience in the health care field. 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. OR - 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. Grade Level Requirement: 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. Examples of specialized experience would typically include - but are not limited to: Develops and implements policies and procedures for all major HAS administrative operations - ensuring compliance with VISN and VHA requirements. Prepares workload analyses and contributes to annual budget estimates for medical administrative functions (staffing - equipment - supplies). Monitors quality and productivity measures to ensure optimal patient care and appropriate resource utilization. Provides accurate - timely information to Veterans and families regarding administrative processes - eligibility - admissions - and benefits. Coordinates with community clinics (CBOCs) and internal clinical services to ensure consistent administrative support to Veterans. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Budget Administration Performance Measurement Planning and Evaluating Project Management 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 sedentary and does not require any special physical effort. Some work may require walking and standing in conjunction with travel and attendance at meetings and conferences away from the work site. The employee may carry light items such as papers - books - and portable computer equipment or drive a motor vehicle relative to attendance at meetings. The work may require long hours to meet project deadlines and to devise corrective action and solutions to unexpected technical and/or management crises resulting in sometimes highly stressful work situations. Work Environment: Work is performed in a typical office environment and/or in a virtual setting. 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/.
Duties
- Major Duties include but are not limited to: Develops - interprets - and implements national MSCoE program policies - administrative regulations - and guidance - based on ongoing collaboration with VHA Central Office (VACO) Specialty Care and Neurology Program Office Leadership
- Communicates new legislative - regulatory - and policy changes to MSCoE Directors - VAMC leadership - and VISN Directors nationwide
- Serves as a principal advisor to the MSCoE National Director and provides authoritative recommendations on policy interpretation - program direction - and operational priorities
- Serves as a major leadership point of coordination for advisory committee activities - assisting in the development - modification - and presentation of program goals - progress - and future plans
- Develops and applies national evaluation frameworks - methodologies - and performance metrics - including SMART goals across MSCoE core domains (administration - clinical - education - informatics - and research)
- Coordinates the day-to-day operational functions of the MSCoE to ensure efficient program execution and expansion of the national MS network
- Leads and coordinates national initiatives to strengthen program operations - including conducting site visits (virtual and in-person) - facilitating national teleconferences - and implementing standardized clinical and administrative practices
- Plans and prepares annual budget requirements - monitors funding utilization - and ensures alignment with VHA strategic goals Work Schedule: Monday - Friday - 8:00am - 4:30pm Position Description/PD#: Health System Specialist/PD13030O Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Salary : $143,913 - $187,093