Secretary (OA)

Major duties include but not limited to:

• Assists in the accomplishment of administrative duties assist in solving non-technical problems in areas of responsibility.
• Serves as a liaison between supervisor office staff and other organizations.
• Primary areas of responsibility include but are not limited to: assisting in preparation and justification for personnel actions timekeeper training coordinator procurement of office materials travel special meetings/preparation assist with vouchers data gathering and property accountability.
• Receives telephone calls and visitors discreetly screening nature of call to determine that tat should be referred to the supervisor or can be diverted to other contacts.
• Transcribes dictation involving both technical and non-technical terminology of correspondence reports etc. from telephone conversations formal and informal meetings/conferences or from one or more individuals.
• Receives and reviews all incoming mail for the office. Determines which items should be brought to the attention of the supervisor as opposed to those that should be sent directly to other appropriate staff members for action.
• Reads directives and instructional material pertaining to administrative practices and clerical procedures in order to be aware of new revised or amended procedures in order to be aware of new revised or amended procedures for such matters as preparation and processing of corresponding engineering reports and forms filling mail procedures preparation for vouchers and security procedures.
• Responsible for proper spelling grammar format format and arrangement of material related to typing work the dispatching of correspondence and the accuracy of cited references.
• Types in final form written materials and/or voice recordings variety of material such as letters reports tabulated data memoranda etc. Arranges the material in various formats assembles the material in proper order and uses files and other references to check information such as citations dates and data.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:30am - 4:00pm
Telework: Ad-hoc Only
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Secretary (OA)/PD013420
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

• 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 drivers licenses or state-issued identification 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 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.

To qualify for this position applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement 09/30/2026.

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-05 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-04. 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 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 and/or education as described below:

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-04 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include but are not limited to: basic understanding of the administrative concepts principles and practices sufficient to perform independently such duties as eliminating conflicts and duplication in extensive office procedures; evaluate data collection forms and coordinates incoming data from a variety of sources; obtain and monitor the use of supplies for the office; develop material for supervisors to use in briefings and town halls; timekeeping; schedule appointments coordinate meetings and/or schedule conferences; review outgoing correspondence/reports for format grammar and punctuation; prepare agendas and take and transcribe minutes of meetings/conferences. OR
• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 4 years of education above high school with courses taken directly related to the knowledge skills and abilities of this position. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED) 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 high school. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED)

Skill Requirement: In addition to meeting experience or education requirements applicants for these positions must show possession of the following skills as appropriate.

• 40 words per minute typing speed

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g. Peace Corps AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g. professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies knowledge and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience including volunteer experience.

Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary. Some work may require movement between offices hospitals warehouses and similar areas for meetings and to conduct work. Work may also require walking/standing in conjunctions with travel to and attendance at meetings and/or conferences away from the work site. Incumbent may carry and lift light items weighing less than 15 pounds.

For more information on these qualification standards please visit the United States Office of Personnel Managements website at

Required Experience:

Junior IC