Health System Specialist (GHATP Trainee)

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 06/09/2026. 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-7. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09. 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. In addition to meting the time-in-grade requirement, you must meet the following minimum qualification requirements. Individual Occupational Requirements (IOR) for occupational series 0671 - Health Administration Series: One of the following Individual Occupational Requirements must be met in order to be found qualified. Undergraduate or Graduate Education: Graduate Education. Applicants must have a major study in hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration. (Transcripts required) OR, Specialized Experience: 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 In-service 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. In addition to the Individual Occupational Requirement the applicant must also meet the below minimum qualification requirements. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Grade Determination GS-9: Specialized Experience: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-7 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Qualifying specialized experience is defined as 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, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D., if related in hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond 18 semester hours. Grade Determination GS-11: Specialized Experience: Applicants must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level GS-9 in the Federal service that includes performing the following duties: Qualifying specialized experience is defined as 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: 1. Researching laws, regulations, and policies related to fiscal management; 2. Participating in operational projects; and 3. Preparing program and workflow reports. OR, EDUCATION: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a degree or LL.M., if related in hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration). OR, Combination: Equivalent combinations of successfully completed graduate-level education (beyond 18 semester hours) as described above. 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/. This position serves as a GHATP Trainee functioning as a Health System Specialist in the Office of the Medical Center Director, VISN 9, Lexington VA Healthcare Center in Lexington, Kentucky and is responsible for managing projects and assisting in the coordination of daily office activities. The incumbent is responsible for all program matters under the direction of the Medical Center Director that is delegated to them. (Applicant must be willing to relocate.)