Health System Specialist (Systems Redesign)

Summary The purpose of this position is to implement a Performance Improvement program at the Health Care System level. The position is responsible for delivering Performance Improvement techniques to a broad array of program and services throughout the Medical Center, including Lean, Six Sigma, Coaching, Project Management, and Training. Additional functions involve advising leadership in the formulation of planning complex facility wide Strategic Plans and projects in support of Strategic Planning. Learn more about this agency Duties Duties include, but are not limited to: Participates in and facilitates transformative quality, safety, effectiveness, and efficiency improvement efforts. Acts as the project lead for healthcare and operational improvement projects. Facilitates, coaches, and trains audiences at all levels of the organizations throughout the lifecycle of a performance improvement project. Organizes, directs, controls and coordinates group activities in a timely and effective manner. Analyze data and conduct background research on issues. Pulls, isolates and manipulates data to identify root causes of a performance issue. Develops statistical models to measure success of performance improvement actions. Converts data into numerous formats using advanced statistical models including statistical process control charts, histograms, Pareto charts, and many more. Defines a project scope and goals through a collaborative process with subject matter experts and leadership at the facility, service line or program, or unit level. Leads a team of subject matter experts through the project management process. Delivers classroom instruction. Develops written and verbal teaching materials. Leads project teams through designed brainstorming sessions to develop solutions towards a specific deliverable or goal during a project. Develops processes by consulting with subject matter experts in order to develop standard work. Conducts experiments and collects data to identify if the developed solutions are effective. Develops control plans, communication plans, and risk management plans through closeout of the project. Provides consultation to executive, service line, and program leadership by leveraging VA data analytics resources. Identifies metrics performing below benchmarked standards or falling below the upper or lower control limits. Plans and conducts studies directed at reducing errors. Identifies systems design problems that contribute to human errors. Identifies alternative systems and processes. Collects baseline information, identifies limitations in current systems, and discovers potential improvements. Develops statistical, graphical, and narrative reports, and communicates these studies to others. Develops local data metrics and dashboards to monitor projects in progress or performance benchmarks. Identifies projects critical to improving quality outcomes and maximize return on investment of utilized resources. Assesses (in terms of degrees) the success or failure in attaining program operational goals/objectives. Incorporates recommendations for the resolution of problems. Prepares complete and fully documented studies for review of others. Evaluates the quality of care and the efficiency of care processes. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm Compressed/Flexible: Not Approved Position Description/PD#: Health System Specialist (Systems Redesign)/PDS0012A 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 requires some physical exertion, such as periods of standing when teaching; some walking, bending, crouching, stooping, stretching, or similar activities when visiting work sites; and some moderate lifting and carrying. At other times the work is sedentary, requiring the use of a computer. 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) As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may 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 period 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 by the closing date of this announcement, 04/13/2026. 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-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11. 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. The Occupational Series 0671 includes an Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR). Candidates may not hold a position in this series without meeting one of the IOR requirements established by OPM: Undergraduate or graduate education in a major field of study hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration. OR, Specialized experience in 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, Successful completion of an agency-sponsored on-the-job training program, 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, you must also meet the specialized experience as described below: Specialized Experience: For the GS-12 Health System Specialist (Systems Redesign), you must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level in the Federal service that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of a Health System Specialist (Systems Redesign). Qualifying specialized experience includes, but is not limited to: Analyzing data and conducting background research on issues; pulling, isolating and manipulating data to identify root causes of a performance issue; developing statistical models to measure success of performance improvement actions; developing written and verbal teaching materials; providing consultation to executive, service line, and program leadership by leveraging VA data analytics resources. NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. Preferred Experience: Trained/certified as a Lean or Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. Experience in leading System Redesign, Lean, or Lean Six Sigma teams throughout the lifecycle of a performance improvement project. Experience in delivering classroom instruction on System Redesign, Lean, or Lean Six Sigma. 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. A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on 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. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional information 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. 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. 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. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced 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/. Expand Hide  additional information 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.