This position is located with in VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System (VAECHCS) in Aurora, Colorado. The Health System Specialist- Innovation Specialist - works closely with the VA Center of Innovation and with VAECHCS leadership and staff to build a culture of innovation to empower employees in action through training of innovation-related competencies. The position ensures the appropriate investment in innovation.
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/25/2025. 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. There is an Individual Occupational Requirement for the GS-0671 series. Please note transcripts and/or information listed in a resume will be used to verify eligibility. Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study - hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration. Specialized Experience: Progressively responsible analytical or administrative, or clinical management or supervisory experience in the health care field. This work may have been performed in an operating health care facility or a higher organizational echelon with advisory or directional authority over such facilities. Work must have involved a close working relationship with facility managers and analysis and/or coordination of administrative, clinical, or other service activities, and provided knowledge of the following: 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. Special Provision for Inservice Placement: Successful completion of an agency-sponsored on-the-job training program may be substituted for qualifying experience, provided 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 to meeting the Individual Occupational Requirement, you need to qualify based on your specialized experience as described below: Specialized Experience GS-12: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-11 in the normal line of progression for the occupation Health System Specialist (Innovation Specialist). Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: leading, coordinating, facilitating and providing support to a health care system in the design and implementation of innovation initiatives in support of the Innovators Network; developing a national level strategy for innovation, including helping to lead and standup programs, processes, policies, and infrastructure to support innovation; executing innovation strategies through collaboration with internal and external stakeholders; developing and executing a facility-wide communication plan in coordination with local Public Affairs to promote a culture of innovation; executing the operating budget, preparing budget requests with justifications, and aligning resources to deliver sustained value to Veterans; developing and executing training activities to employees at the facility and national level surrounding innovation-related competencies, such as design thinking, entrepreneurship, and innovation value creation; leading teams on Innovators Network programs in collaboration with Innovation Specialists by communicating effectively through stakeholders. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations. 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. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Control of Funds Design Education and Training Grants Management Influencing/Negotiating Oral Communication Project Management Written Communication 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: No special physical exertion is required other than walking in a large 1.2M square foot primary facility. The work is primarily performed while sitting though some work requires periods of standing. The regular and recurring work of the position involves sitting at a desk, conferences, meetings, etc., and occasional visits to activity work sites. Occasionally incumbent is required to carry objects, such as equipment, files, mail, laptops, supplies and papers. The incumbent will be required to move wheeled tables and chairs as needed for training or conferences. 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/.
Duties include but are not limited to: Supports developing a national level strategy for innovation, including helping to lead and standup programs, processes, policies, and infrastructure to support innovation across the VA. Develops the local organizational vision that integrates VA Center for Innovation program goals, strategic priorities and core values. Develops and executes a facility-wide communication plan in coordination with local Public Affairs to promote a culture of innovation Determines awardee eligibility using formulas and methodology and established eligibility criteria. Negotiates terms and conditions of grant awards to include costs, schedules, and oversight responsibilities and works with stakeholders Conducts program evaluation, including monitoring and assessing awardee performance, and establishes performance measures for assessment of innovation impact and value to the organization. Conducts post-award reviews and analyses to identify management, financial, and administrative issues. Conducts risk assessments and business reviews of innovation proposals and projects at sites. Coordinates with the Office of General Counsel (OGC) to help protect Government interests regarding intellectual and design patents when necessary, facilitating all discussions with leadership and the OGC. Ensures all projects for the Spark-Seed-Spread applications are in compliance with federal appropriation law, exercises judgment and initiative to identify what aspects of regulations apply to which procurements, and ensures the use of special clauses, clearances, and determinations applicable to certain procurements. Executes the operating budget, prepares budget requests with justifications, and aligns resources to deliver sustained value to Veterans. Identifies opportunities to develop policies to accelerate innovation at the national, regional, and local level. Develops and executes training activities to VA employees at the facility and national level surrounding innovation-related competencies, such as design thinking, entrepreneurship, and innovation value creation. Researches, identifies, and implements innovation projects identified as best practices from other sites or within their site Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 07:30 AM - 04:00 PM (negotiable) Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Health System Specialist (Innovation Specialist)/PD125810 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized Strengthening Probationary Periods: The first year of service of an employee who is given a career or career conditional appointment in the competitive service under the Civil Service Regulations is probationary period unless specifically exempted by the appointing authority. Employees promoted, transferred, or otherwise assigned, for the first time, to supervisory or managerial positions shall be required to serve a probationary period. If an employee is required to concurrently serve both a probationary period in a supervisory or managerial position under 5 C.F.R part 315, subpart I, and a probationary or trial period following initial appointment or reinstatement in accordance with Civil Service Rule 11, the latter takes precedence and fulfills the requirements of the EO. At least 60 days prior to the end of each employee's initial probationary or trial period, management officials shall, to the extent practicable, meet to discuss the employee's performance and conduct (based in part on input from the employees supervisor), the needs of the agency, and whether their continued employment would advance the public interest, the organizational goals of the agency, and the efficiency of the service. Within 30 days prior to the end of each employee's probationary or trial period, management officials shall determine whether to finalize the employee's appointment to the Federal service, or whether to terminate their service. Before the employee is terminated, they shall be notified in writing of the effective date of action.