Duties

Summary

As a VA professional, your opportunities are endless. With many openings in the multiple functions of VA, you will have a wide range of opportunities and leadership positions at your fingertips. Not only is it the largest, most technologically advanced integrated health care system in the Nation, but we also provide many other services to Veterans through the Benefits Administration and National Cemeteries. VA professionals feel good about their careers and their ability to balance work and home
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Responsibilities

Technical Career Field (TCF) is a national workforce development program within VHA that was designed to replenish technical staff in critically identified positions. The TCF career fields represent those technical fields where VA-specific knowledge and experience is required for success in the field. Individuals selected follow a formal individual development plan for two years during which they are trained and coached by a preceptor who is a subject matter expert within the career field/job specialty. Trainees must remain at the hiring grade level for a minimum of one year. Selectees will be required to sign Mobility, Training, and Continued Service Agreements.

This position is located in the Veterans Health Administration of the Department of Veterans Health Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Health Informatics Specialist work is health-oriented in nature, and requires knowledge and skills gained from education, on the job training, developmental assignments, and/or experience in a health science or allied scientific field, such as Health Informatics. The incumbent in this position serves as a Technical Career Field Trainee in a two year training program that will prepare the incumbent to work in the areas of information management/knowledge management, analysis and definition of projects requirements and prioritization, and/or development of strategies to support customer objectives and effective management of VHA investments. The incumbent will be responsible for performing the following duties as a Program Analyst Trainee:

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Meets with stakeholders to outline current and future state workflows and gather requirements for new informatics initiatives.
• Consults, advises and educates all levels of employees including the highest levels of management, on methods and means to make health care operations more effective and efficient.
• Integrates knowledge of clinical and information processes to achieve successful adoption and application of new technologies to support health care operations and systems.
• Initiates, develops and executes complex projects that support veterans' health care needs, collaborating effectively in a lead role.
• Assists clinical business end users in reengineering business processes for clinical efficiency and documentation.
• Uses data to assess treatment impacts such as: clinical endpoints. health status outcomes and utility estimates; estimated usage; characteristics of treating designated populations; evaluating patterns of substitution against other products such as resource impact assessments.
• Actively participates in the development of clinical decision-support systems (with, for example, the Medical Records Committee) using Commercial Off The Shelf Software (COTS) and decision support systems such as Microsoft Sharepoint and Microsoft Power BI.
• Provides knowledge in the design of decision support tools that improve health care efficiency, effectiveness and safety.
• Uses databases and registries, formulates tools to support patient care and ensures quality management and clinical oversight.

Promotion Progression: This position is being hired at the GS-7 grade level. During this program, when trainees meet
administrative and qualifications requirements and have been in their hiring grade for a minimum of one year, they can be promoted to the higher grade level. NOTE: Trainees cannot be promoted beyond the established promotion potential of the position (GS-11). Promotion is not an entitlement and is contingent upon achieving the established training goals to the satisfaction of the preceptor.

Work Schedule: Monday- Friday 8:00 am to 4:30 pm
Position Description Title/PD#: PROGRAM ANALYST (INFORMATICS) TCF INTERN GS-7 (Target 11)/13463-O (GS-7)/13464-O (GS-9)/13465-O (GS-11)

Travel Required

Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
11

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Designated and/or random drug testing may be required
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• You may be required to serve a probationary period
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process

Qualifications

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

• Analysis and Problem Solving
• Analytical Thinking
• Communication
• Health Informatics
• Technical Competence

Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-05) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:
(1) Consults and advises all levels of management, on methods and means to make health care operations more effective and efficient.
(2) Utilizes analytical and evaluative techniques to assess the effectiveness of results and other related programs.

OR

Applicants may substitute one (1) full year of graduate education or superior academic achievement for the experience required for the GS-07 level.
Superior Academic Achievement (SAA) at the GS-7 level : SAA at the baccalaureate level in a course of study in any field is fully qualifying. Applicants who wish to apply under this provision must submit proof from their educational institution that they meet one of the criteria listed below. To qualify for SAA, applicants must have completed all the requirements for a bachelor's degree in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled and meet one of the following:
1. Rank in the upper one-third of your class in the college, university of major subdivision.
2. A grade-point average of "B" ( a GPA of 2.95 or higher out of a possible 4.0) for all completed undergraduate courses, or those completed in the last two years of undergraduate study.
3. A grade point average of "B+" (a GPA of 3.45 or higher out of a possible 4.0) for all courses in your major field of study, or those courses in your major completed in the last two years of undergraduate study.
4. Member in a national honor society (other than freshman honor societies) recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies. For a list of recognized honor societies please visit http://www.achsnatl.org/quick
(http://www.achsnatl.org/quick) link.asp.

OR

Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-07 level. To calculate, first identify the percentage of required graduate education you have earned. Then identify the percentage of required experience you possess. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify at the GS-07.

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

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 education.

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified : applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/ .Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

If you are unable to apply online view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application .

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview.

Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Other

Drug test required
No

Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

Trust determination process
Suitability/Fitness

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

• Resume
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action

The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please use this checklist to make sure you have included other documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), documentation to support Veterans Preference claims, or ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees). You will not be contacted for additional information.

• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action (if applicable for Time in Grade and/or Eligibility):

• Most recent SF-50 if you are a current or former Federal employee
• An SF-50 showing 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
• Award 50's do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted for the purpose of verifying time-in-grade.
• Examples of appropriate SF-50's include:
  • Within grade increases at the highest grade held; or
  • Promotions with an effective date more than one year old; or
  • SF-50's at the highest grade held with an effective date more than one year old.

Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx .

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education .

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.