Executive Assistant

Summary

Serves as the Executive Assistant to the Under Secretary for Health, providing executive-level leadership, strategic advice, and oversight of administrative operations. Directs organizational planning, evaluates policies and programs, coordinates high-level initiatives, and advises senior leadership on complex healthcare management issues to advance Veterans Health Administration (VHA) priorities and organizational effectiveness.

Duties

Major Duties Include but are not limited to: Serves as a principal advisor to the Under Secretary for Health on complex administrative, organizational, operational, and healthcare management matters affecting VHA programs and initiatives. Directs and oversees daily executive office operations, including administrative management, executive scheduling, correspondence, briefing coordination, and internal control processes. Develops, evaluates, and recommends policies, strategic initiatives, and management practices to improve organizational performance, operational efficiency, and program effectiveness. Analyzes complex healthcare policies, legislative initiatives, and organizational challenges to formulate recommendations and support executive-level decision-making. Represents the Under Secretary for Health in executive meetings, committees, and interagency engagements, communicating leadership priorities and coordinating follow-up actions. Provides leadership and direction in organizational planning, resource utilization, workforce management, and administrative operations to support agency objectives. Establishes and maintains collaborative relationships with senior government officials, congressional representatives, external stakeholders, and organizational leadership to coordinate critical initiatives. Leads or participates in high-level studies, evaluations, and organizational improvement initiatives, recommending changes to administrative processes, program operations, and management practices. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 08:00-04:30pm Compressed/Flexible: Available Telework: This position may be authorized for ADHOC telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This position is not authorized for Virtual Work. Virtual Work eligibility is for current VA employees that are already subject to the return to the in-person work mandate in their current position. Definition of Virtual Work: Employee works outside of original hiring duty station at a VA-owned or leased space. Return to Office (RTO): RTO mandates are in effect and selectees will be required to report to in-person work unless they are approved for an exception or an exemption. Any approval for an RTO exception, exemption, or extension will happen after a tentative job offer, but before a final job offer. Position Description/PD#: Executive Assistant/PD021380 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: 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-15 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-14. 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 as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-14 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Applying expert knowledge of healthcare administration policies, programs, and operations to evaluate complex organizational issues, interpret regulatory requirements, and advise senior leadership on policy development and program management decisions. Conducting comprehensive program and organizational analyses using advanced analytical and evaluative methods to assess program effectiveness, develop management improvement strategies, and recommend changes to policies, procedures, and operational processes. Providing executive-level advisory services and strategic guidance to senior management officials on complex organizational initiatives, legislative matters, resource allocation, and the development and implementation of agency-wide policies and programs. Coordinating and communicating complex organizational initiatives with senior executives, congressional representatives, government agencies, and external stakeholders, including preparing executive briefings, presenting analytical findings, and advising leadership on sensitive policy and program issues. 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

There is no educational substitution at this grade level. 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/.