Job Title

Secretary (OA) at Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration in Boise, Idaho, United States Job Description Summary The position provides administrative and clerical support to the Chief of Staff (COS) at the Boise VA Medical Center in Boise, Idaho. The position is assigned to the office of the Medical Center Director and is supervised by the Chief of Staff. The Boise VAMC serves a Veteran population of about 58,000 in a 65,000-square-mile area. Responsibilities Duties include, but may not be limited to the following: The incumbent provides comprehensive administrative and technical support to the Chief of Staff’s office. As the executive secretary for the Boise VA Medical Center, the incumbent ensures that the practices and procedures used by subordinate offices are consistent with those of the Executive Office. They coordinate with other staff in the Executive Office to ensure smooth workflow and appropriate office coverage. On their own initiative, the incumbent recommends changes in administrative policies. The incumbent is responsible for receiving all visitors and telephone calls for the Chief of Staff (COS). Reception responsibilities frequently require initiative, knowledge, and decision-making on the part of the incumbent, who represents the facility in highly sensitive contacts. They screen all contacts to determine the nature and purpose of calls, referring those not requiring the COS’s attention to the appropriate clinical service chiefs or independently addressing matters without referral. When situations must be referred to the COS, the incumbent provides the COS with information to aid in the discussion. The incumbent frequently interacts with both internal and external customers to resolve a variety of complaints from patients and their families, including potentially hostile or aggressive visitors. The incumbent independently exercises exclusive responsibility for maintaining a complex calendar for the COS. In collaboration with the COS and using independent discretion, the incumbent establishes and adjusts priorities, schedules or reschedules appointments, and accepts or declines invitations to meetings. On their own initiative, the incumbent coordinates with staff involved in the meetings, arranging for appropriate meeting facilities either at the Medical Center or at remote locations, including audiovisual equipment, teleconferencing equipment, etc. The incumbent prepares and distributes agendas or visit itineraries, arranges for refreshments or meals as appropriate, and assists with travel arrangements or provides information on lodging and travel as necessary. The incumbent responds to inquiries and administrative problems brought to the COS by members of the staff and officials of the agency, VASN 20’s central offices, state and local governments, other hospitals and organizations, other federal agencies, and congressional staff. The incumbent prepares a wide variety of internal recurring reports and documents from information obtained from staff files and other sources. Works with and safeguards confidential information on sensitive matters such as medical or administrative staff problems, labor and Employee Relations issues, personnel grievances, and evaluations of key personnel. The incumbent responds to inquiries and administrative problems brought to the COS by members of the staff and officials of the agency, VASN 20’s central offices, state and local governments, other hospitals and organizations, other federal agencies, and congressional staff. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm MTD Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Secretary (OA)/PD607930 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required. Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (Effective May 7, 2025, driver’s licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement, 04/15/2026. 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-7 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-6. 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-6 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of Specialized experience includes, but is not limited to: independently planning and effectively setting priorities; coordinating activities; performing a wide range of administrative support tasks; answering and screening telephone calls; arranging meetings and conference calls; coordinating schedules; maintaining a complex calendar; booking conference rooms and equipment; preparing agendas and minutes; processing correspondence, reports, memos, and other forms; handling confidential information; reviewing and editing policies and procedures; performing timekeeping functions; maintaining a government credit card to order non-routine supplies; working with databa To view full details and how to apply, please login or create a Job Seeker account