Summary

This position serves as Chief, Business Office, for the VA Boston Healthcare System (VABHS), a Level 1A tertiary care teaching healthcare system comprised of three campuses West Roxbury, Jamaica Plain, Brockton, and associated Community-Based Outpatient Clinics. The position is located at the Jamacia Plain campus. The Business Office Chief reports to the Associate Medical Center Director.

Duties

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This a temporary, not to exceed 1 year position that may be extended and the incumbent may be considered for permanent placement without competition.

Major Duties The Business Office Chief serves as the senior administrative official for the Business Office Duties include:

Program and Policy Management

Directs the planning, integration, and evaluation of all Business Office functions supporting inpatient and outpatient care delivery across VABHS. Leads multidisciplinary workgroups with representatives from Nursing, Medicine, Mental Health, Social Work, Fiscal, Health Information Management, and other administrative services to develop and revise SOPs governing admissions, transfers, discharges, bed management, and after-hours administrative coverage.

Budget and Resource Management

Exercises discretionary authority to allocate and reallocate funds within the Business Office budget without case-by-case approval from higher authority. Develops annual budget estimates for all Business Office activities and long-range financial and resource planning for the service. Monitors execution of fund control points across all sections, identifies variances, and directs corrective action to ensure resources are aligned with mission priorities and workload demands. Advises the Associate Director on current and projected personnel resource needs and staffing requirements affected by workload changes

Supervisory and Personnel Management

Serves as first-line supervisor for three subordinate supervisors directing distinct Business Office units: the GS-12 Chief of Travel, the GS-13 Chief, Health Information Management, and the GS-11 Supervisory Medical Administration Specialist. Exercises final authority for the full range of personnel actions recommended by subordinate supervisors including selections, performance ratings, and disciplinary actions with higher-level clearance required only for removals and awards above delegated dollar thresholds. Identifies training and development needs and ensures appropriate training is provided. Hears and resolves group grievances or serious employee complaints referred by subordinate supervisors.

Heath Information Management Program Oversight

Oversees the Chief, Health Information Management (CHIM) in the direction of the facility's HIM program, including health record documentation, medical coding, clinical documentation integrity, release of information, records management, and transcription/speech recognition services.

Reviews HIM program performance data, compliance with Joint Commission and CARF accreditation standards, and audit findings, directing corrective action through the CHIM as needed.

Travel Program Oversight

Directs the Chief of Travel in the administration of the Beneficiary Travel (BTSSS) and Veterans Transportation Service (VTS) programs, including claims processing, eligibility determinations, vehicle and contract coordination, and scheduling operations supporting Veteran access to care across all VABHS campuses and CBOCs. Reviews program performance data and directs corrective action through the Chief of Travel to ensure timely, compliant service delivery.

Coordination and Compliance

Ensures inpatient discharge follow-up appointments are consistently requested, scheduled, and monitored in accordance with VHA directives and local policy. Serves as principal advisor to the Deputy Executive Director Medical Center and other executive leaders on inpatient business operations, access, and resource utilization, and may serve as Acting Chief in the Associate Director's absence when so designated.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:00am-3:30pm, 7:30am -4:00pm , 8:00am -4:30pm

Compressed: May be available

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

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Medical Administration Officer/PD0424-0

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized

Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Notifications:

-This position is not a Bargaining Unit position.

-This position is covered by locality-based comparability pay.

-The incumbent may be required to travel to other VA campuses and CBOC's.

-Current and former Federal employees must submit copies of their most recent SF-50, (Notice of Personnel Action). The SF-50 must identify the position title, series, grade, step, tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). In some cases, more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held.

-Financial Disclosure: Selectee must file a financial disclosure report, OGE Form 450, within 30 days of onboarding and then annually after that.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Requirements

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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 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 (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, 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, 09/29/2026.

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-13 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-12. 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.

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

• Specialized Experience: Applicants must possess one (1) year of specialized experience that equipped them with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position, and that is typically in or related to the work of this position. To be creditable, this experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-12 level in the Federal service. Specialized experience includes experience in two or more of the following areas, or other work related to the position to be filled: Comprehensive knowledge of administrative laws, policies, regulations, and precedents applicable to the administration of major VA health benefits and business programs, including enrollment and eligibility, beneficiary travel, veterans transportation services, clinic administration, and associated patient administration activities. Extensive knowledge of VA directives, VHA and Healthcare System policies, and publications pertinent to patient care and benefits, and the priorities associated with them, in order to interpret requirements and ensure consistent, compliant implementation across the medical center and CBOCs. Ability to analyze complex situations, determine when decisions can be made at the service level, and identify when issues require elevation for higher-level guidance due to public relations, legal, or policy implications. Broad knowledge and experience in patient administration, records management, and related fields of health care administration sufficient to provide expert guidance, evaluate program performance, and recommend system-wide improvements. Knowledge of budget and fund control principles sufficient to exercise discretionary allocation authority within the Business Office budget. Demonstrated ability to motivate and lead staff, including subordinate supervisors, while ensuring compliance with union contracts and VHA policy.

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

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 comp