Summary

The DLO has broad programmatic responsibilities for linking educational activities of the facility to VHA's long-term strategic goals to deliver of high quality, patient-centered care. The position serves as a leader in the transformation of health in creating a culture of learning and education to address the new VA workforce.

Duties

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Duties of the position will include but not be limited to:

• Responsibilities include oversight, operation, and management of employee education, clinical and administrative training programs, staff development and professional continuing education, learning resources and has an integral role in facility workforce planning, including staff recruitment, workforce development and succession planning.
• The DLO plans, develops, and implements short- and long-term goals and objectives consistent with the program's strategic plan.
• The work of the position requires management and executive knowledge and ability; specialized knowledge of the basic principles and practices related to the management of health care delivery systems and the ability to apply this knowledge to solve the unique problems arising in the VHA health care delivery system; mastery of the broad functional area of education and employee development, including continuing education, staff education, workforce development and ability to collaborate closely with academic health professions training programs.
• The incumbent provides administrative and technical supervision necessary for accomplishing the work of the unit/services.
• Performs the administrative and personnel management function relative to staff supervised. Incumbent establishes guidelines and performance expectations for staff, which are clearly communicated through the formal employee performance management system.
• Observes employee performance, demonstrates, and conducts work performance critiques.
• Provides informal feedback periodically evaluates employee performance. Incumbent resolves informal complaints and grievances.
• Develops work improvement plans, recommending personnel actions as necessary.
• Develops and implements information systems to track educational activities including the accomplishment of principal program goals and objectives. Incumbent formulates, interprets and implements policies and procedures for programming, as appropriate.
• The incumbent is responsible for submitting reports to the Chief of Staff or Deputy Chief of Staff, Medical Center Supervisors/Managers and the Executive Leadership Team, as appropriate and advising management on issues, making recommendations in a timely manner for improvement in the Services.

Work Schedule: Monday Through Friday 08:00am - 04:30pm

Telework: This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.PD03417-O

Position Description/PD#: Learning Resources Officer (Designated Learning Officer)/

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be authorized for highly qualified candidates

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• 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 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 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 or trial 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, 07/01/2026.

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.

In addition to meeting the specialized experience you must meet the Individual Occupational Requirements:

Individual Occupational Requirements

Basic Requirements:

1. Degree: that included or was supplemented by major study in education or in a subject-matter field appropriate to the position.
   or
2. Combination of education and experience courses equivalent to a major in education, or in a subject-matter field appropriate to the position, plus appropriate experience or additional course work that provided knowledge comparable to that normally acquired through the successful completion of the 4-year course of study described in A above.

You may qualify based on your experience as described below:

• Specialized Experience: 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 in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:
• Knowledge of the overall mission, functions, and organization of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Veterans Health Administration, VISN 21, and VANCHCS, including agency program operations, processes, goals, and objectives.
• Knowledge of the theories, principles, functions, and processes of management and the organization of work to conduct studies of work processes in various organizations to identify, analyze, and recommend solutions to problems or to develop planning guidance.
• Knowledge of evaluative, planning, and analytical processes and techniques (quantitative and qualitative) for measuring the effectiveness, efficiency, and productivity of administrative and technical programs.
• Specialized knowledge of the basic principles and practices related to the management of health care delivery systems and the ability to apply this knowledge to solve the unique problems arising in the VHA health care delivery system.
• Ability to research problems and issues, including evaluating the content of new or modified legislation, regulations, and policies to determine their impact on programs or resources.
• Skills with information management systems to support learning analysis techniques, including database management, database analysis and reporting, and flowchart software.
• The clear linkage of education at all levels to patient care outcomes requires a local education leader of vision, credibility, and flexibility, with strong communication, interpersonal, and management skills.
• The DLO must be able to recognize the different functions and motivations of various employees and groups in the health care delivery systems and to communicate effectively with each in order to gather information, present recommendations, and coordinate services.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

• Analysis and Problem Solving
• Critical Thinking
• Customer Service (Clerical/Technical)
• Information Management

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 primarily sedentary. The employee sits comfortably to do the work. However, there may be some walking to (other sites, buildings or services within the medical center), standing, or carrying of light items such as manuals or files. The work does not require special physical demands.

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

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.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

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.

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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

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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.

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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.