Administrative Officer- Blind Rehab & Optometry Service

Summary

The Administrative Officer (AO) of Blind Rehabilitation and Optometry Service (BR/O Service) is responsible to the Chief, BR/O Service. The incumbent develops and directs all administrative functions of the BR/O Service at the Battle Creek VA Medical Center and the Wyoming VA Clinic.

Duties

Major duties include, but are not limited to: Apply analytical methods and detailed study procedures for ongoing assessment of BR/O Service performance metrics and care delivery. Must exercise independent, creative judgment in accomplishing major duties; develop background and management options, available to deal with complex issues and problems; and ensure proposals submitted by staff of various diverse natures are complete and all implementation actions are accurately identified. Taking initiative in program planning and development, managing all resources, and establishing and maintaining communication with all Services within the Medical Center. Makes recommendations to the Chief on such matters as desirability of changes in the organizational structure and the specific changes to be made. Monitors services provided, delivers presentations to facility leadership on service performance, prepares reports on consult requests and responses. Responsible for tracking and developing performance measure monitors to assure quality in BR/O Service. Develops, plans, and implements process improvement measures as needed to maintain or improve patient satisfaction. Responsible for program compliance with regulatory agency requirements. Monitors compliance and communicates regularly with quality assurance personnel. Advises care line managers and employees on the interpretation and application of a variety of human resources procedures including staffing, performance standards, performance evaluations, competencies, and related areas. Serves as the Human Resources liaison ,monitoring service staffing movements and preparing and submitting requests for staffing actions to appropriate boards/committees and HR. Ensures that performance ratings, utilizing the current employee performance system or process, are submitted in a timely manner in accordance with regulatory guidelines. Assures BR/O staff adhere to administrative deadlines and requirements. Clearly communicates all staff performance levels to Chief, BR/O Service regularly, and maintains confidentiality. Monitors and analyzes workload and production of the care line clinicians. Works closely with Health Administration Service to ensure grid accuracy and timeliness of any creations and/or alterations. Responsible for strategic planning, program development, and development of policies and SOPs with input from Chief, BR/O Service. Responsible for meeting performance improvement measures by monitoring progress toward meeting performance measures and developing and initiating solutions for process improvement. Prepares and presents briefings to upper-level management. Assesses and makes recommendations regarding available resources. Maintains close working relationship with Program Mangers to maintain functional and efficient staffing levels and Veteran scheduling availability. Assures Joint Commission, Office of Inspector General and other oversight/regulatory agency readiness. Investigates and drafts responses to patient complaints. Oversees and coordinates clinic setups, space issues, and equipment issues. Rounds independently and with BR/O Chief. Follows up with any issues that arise. This involves working in collaboration with all levels of supervision and services at the Medical Center. Responsible for strategic planning, program development, and development of policies and SOPs with input from Medical Center Program Managers. Responsible for meeting performance improvement measures by monitoring progress toward meeting performance measures and developing and initiating solutions for process improvement. Prepares and/or presents briefings to upper-level management. Ensures compliance with VHA directives and local policies. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 0800-1600 Telework: Ad-hoc telework may be available at supervisory discretion. Position Description/PD#: Administrative Officer- Blind Rehab & Optometry Service/PD918530

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/09/2026. 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-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. 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-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: knowledge of office management or program management that involves planning, staffing, directing, and/or budgeting; coordinating administrative support activities (i.e., approve meeting minutes and agendas, etc.); monitoring/tracking programs or processes; and assisting with resource management responsibilities (i.e., allocating space, time, equipment for daily use of staff, etc.). OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successful completion of a master's degree or equivalent graduate degree, two (2) full years of graduate level education leading to such a degree, or LL.B. or J.D. in a related field that demonstrates the ability to perform the duties of this position. NOTE: This education must have been obtained at an accredited college or university. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. Equivalent combinations of successfully completed graduate-level education (beyond the first year) and specialized experience, as described above, which meet the total experience requirements for this grade level. NOTE: The education portion must include graduate courses that demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. Preferred experience: scheduling and/or administrative support experience. 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 educ