Secretary (Office Administration) - Executive Secretary

Summary The Secretary (Office Administration) position is located in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), at the VA Medical Center, Fayetteville, NC. in the Executive Offices. The position provides executive level administrative and secretarial support to the Chief of Staff, with additional assistance to Office of the Director executive team staff as needed. Duties ***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION*** Duties include, but may not be limited to the following: Receives and assists patients and visitors arriving at the Executive Offices. Provides high-level administrative and secretarial support to the Chief of Staff, including screening, drafting, and editing correspondence; tracking suspense items; preparing speaking outlines; and routing communications through the appropriate channels. Manages timekeeping duties by accurately applying pay and leave regulations. Drafts, edits, and reviews executive-level letters, memos, and correspondence in full compliance with VA standards, ensuring correct policy application, grammar, formatting, and required coordination. Maintains awareness of healthcare regulations and accreditation requirements to ensure compliant administrative practices. Responds to incoming telephone calls, provides facility information, and directs callers to the appropriate staff or department. Prepares, proofreads, and formats reports, presentations, and internal documents. Reviews all outgoing correspondence for accuracy, proper formatting, and adherence to style, spelling, and grammar standards. Prepares meeting agendas and materials, takes minutes, and follows up on assigned action items. Coordinates travel arrangements-including flights, hotels, itineraries, and expense reports-using Concur and other automated travel systems. Manages the Chief of Staff's calendar; organizes conferences (including space, speakers, and logistics); arranges travel; attends meetings; prepares minutes; identifies follow-up tasks; and independently ensures completion. Interprets and applies policies, procedures, and precedents to resolve administrative issues and provide clarification in complex or ambiguous situations. Offers guidance, mentoring, and training to clerical staff on correspondence standards, workflows, and administrative best practices. Ensures compliance with organizational policies and procedures. Prepares materials for audits, board meetings, and executive reviews. Coordinates departmental projects, tracks timelines, and monitors deliverables. Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved 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 is sedentary. Typically, the employee may sit comfortably to do the work. However, there may be some walking, standing, bending, and carrying of light items like papers or books. No special physical demands are required to perform the work. 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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). 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) - See "Required Documents" below for details. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary 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, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications Typing Proficiency: This position requires the skills of a qualified typist. In addition to meeting the experience and/or education requirements, you must be able to type at least 40 words per minute. ~AND~ In addition to meeting the Typing Experience, to qualify for this position at the GS-8 level, you must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-7) in the federal service that has given you the particular knowledge, skills and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of this position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. Specialized experience includes providing administrative support to an organization and performing a variety of clerical and administrative duties; drafting a range of communication/correspondence; scheduling appointments and meetings; coordinating travel and conference schedules; serving as a liaison with management and support staff; and utilizing office automation software such as Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint and Microsoft Outlook). Applicants must have excellent written and verbal communication skills and must possess excellent organizational skills. At this level, applicants will perform duties independently and exercise sound judgement. NOTE: Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must clearly indicate the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position. Your resume must include job title, duties performed in detail, start and ending dates (month and year) AND hours worked per week. Preferred experience: Prior Executive Secretary, Executive Calendar Management, Outlook, Excel, coordinating travel and conference schedules. 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/. Additional information Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. Receiving Service Credit for 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. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. 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. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 80 or more before any Veterans preference points) for this vacancy. 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/. Note: Per "Executive Order 14251: Exclusions from Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs", this position is no longer eligible for bargaining unit participation. Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution. Benefits A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits. Review our benefits Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.