Secretary

Veterans Health Administration • Grand Junction, CO

12d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Secretary for the Chief of Staff's office performs general office work in support of the Chief of Staff and, in some cases, subordinate staff. This is the office's principal clerical or administrative support position and operates independently of other similar positions. The Secretary handles correspondence, calls, visitors, schedules, records, reports, meeting minutes, and information requests; supports managers and clerical staff in completing office work; and follows up on projects and actions to help ensure schedules are met.

The position is scheduled Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Ad-hoc telework may be authorized; this is not a virtual position. The position may be filled at GS-6, GS-7, or GS-8. Promotion to the full performance level may be possible without further competition when regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. No educational substitution is available at these grade levels.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship is required.
• Applicants must complete the application, questionnaire, and required online assessment.
• Males born after December 31, 1959, must be registered with the Selective Service.
• Applicants are subject to a background/security investigation and must complete online onboarding and pre-employment identification requirements.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is required for Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel.
• A one-year probationary period or two-year trial period is required, as applicable.
• For GS-6, one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least GS-5 is required; examples include screening visitors and calls, routing callers, proofreading, routing correspondence, typing varied materials, and instructing typing and clerical personnel on correspondence procedures.
• For GS-7, one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least GS-6 is required; examples include resolving general and specific inquiries, screening and acting on correspondence, obtaining information from VA sources, composing correspondence, and taking minutes and preparing written materials.
• For GS-8, one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least GS-7 is required; examples include providing clerical and administrative assistance, managing schedules, reviewing documents for compliance, obtaining VA information, composing correspondence, and preparing office records.
• Current or former federal employees applying at a higher grade must meet the applicable time-in-grade requirement: 52 weeks at GS-5 for GS-6, at GS-6 for GS-7, or at GS-7 for GS-8.
• There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

Responsibilities

• Receives and screens calls and visitors, determines their identity, purpose, and relative importance, takes messages, and provides information about staff availability.
• Refers inquiries and matters to appropriate staff based on knowledge of organizational components and individual responsibilities.
• Reviews, composes, prepares, types, and processes correspondence and other materials, including reports, travel documents, and personnel actions.
• Composes correspondence on own initiative based on knowledge of supervisors' views and desires.
• Reviews and proofreads correspondence and documents for tone, format, policy and regulatory compliance, completeness, grammar, spelling, and typographical accuracy; returns inadequate communications for correction when needed.
• Assists subordinate staff with correspondence procedures and the procedural aspects of expediting office work, including distributing clerical workload as needed.
• Takes accurate meeting minutes and captures action items.
• Provides information within standard office procedures and responds to general inquiries that do not require specialized program knowledge, while observing callers' need to know and authorization to receive information.
• Prepares regular and special reports and records, including time and attendance, leave, and filing-space usage.
• Assists with problems and inquiries received in person, by telephone, or through referrals from other secretaries.
• Responds to information requests and develops one-of-a-kind reports using information available in office records and files.
• Follows up on projects resulting from conferences to ensure schedules are met and reports progress to managers.
• Keeps superiors informed about important office details, visitors, and events, and determines whether matters require their personal attention or referral to another division.
• Establishes priorities; schedules, reschedules, or declines appointments and invitations; arranges subordinate representation at meetings; controls activity schedules and reminds managers of appointments.
• Obtains information required by management from sources within the VA and researches applicable regulations, assembling relevant information and prior correspondence for presentation.
• Screens incoming correspondence for matters that can be handled personally, takes appropriate action, and refers matters to supervisors when appropriate.
• Types written material, brief instructions, or voice recordings into final form using manual, electric, or automated typing equipment.

Benefits

• Federal employees and their families have access to a comprehensive benefits package; specific benefits depend on position type and should be confirmed with the hiring agency.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed