Employee will be assigned to the Telecommunications Section, Orlando VA Medical Center. The work involves operating telephone switchboard equipment to connect incoming and outgoing calls; routing calls to their proper destinations; and providing telephone and organizational information to callers.
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 05/01/2025. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: General Experience: Applicants mustpossess at least one (1) year of general experience with duties related to the position. General experience is progressively responsible clerical, office, or other work that indicates ability to acquire the particular knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of the position such as but is not limited to: customer service, receptionist duties, receiving and directing a variety of inquiries, and providing immediate communications throughout the medical center. OR Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have two (2) years of education above high school. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED). OR Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an equivalent combination of experience and education to qualify for the Telephone Operator position. Example: The position to be filled is a Payroll Clerk, GS-04. An applicant has 8 months of qualifying experience and 20 semester hours of college. The applicant meets 67 percent of the required experience and 33 percent of the required education. The applicant meets 100 percent of the total requirements and is qualified for the position. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED). You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Customer Service (Clerical/Technical) Information Management Technical Competence Telecommunications 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 usually sedentary but may involve some standing and walking to consult directories and manuals. The work is normally performed in a well-lighted, temperature-controlled room. Normal safety precautions are required. 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/.
Major duties include, but are not limited to: Places and receives local, regular, and special long distance calls using government lines, commercial circuits, or other systems. Provides directory service assistance to callers by retrieving organizational information from computerized directory databases. Maintains records of all calls for computing charges; and provides primary or alternate routing service for high precedence calls. Prepares files for end of month reporting. Monitors vital circuits and emergency type calls such as those to security, the police, the fire department, and other departments; and monitors alarm systems and surrounding buildings and takes appropriate action upon receiving an alarm notification. Operates various paging systems (long range, in-house, overhead call). Makes routine and emergency broadcast announcements during environmental disasters or emergent medical situations. Issues and receives staff pagers in the absence of the assigned supervisor. Retrieves and updates relevant information in computerized databases using instructions and established guidelines pertaining to customer assistance, record keeping and call receiving, placing and monitoring. Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Rotating shifts, Holidays and Weekends may be required as the service needs dictate. Telework: VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for Ad Hoc-only telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Telephone Operator/PD07253A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized