Administrative Support Assistant

Veterans Health Administration; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

The incumbent serves as an Administrative Support Assistant under the supervision of the Administrative Officer, of Nursing Acute Care at VA Palo Alto Health Care System (VAPAHCS), at the Palo Alto Division. The position encompasses a wide range of duties related to the administrative and operational support of a large and complex hospital based service.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/14/2026.

Qualifications

• One year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-6.
• Experience with integrated healthcare delivery systems.
• Proficiency in MS Office and data handling.
• Knowledge of VA policies, directives and handbooks.

Skills

Healthcare systems

Word processing

Spreadsheet development

Presentation design

Electronic mail

Statistics

Oral and written communication

Tools

Fax machines

Video conferencing hardware

Office equipment

Job description

The incumbent serves as a Administrative Support Assistant under the supervision of the Administrative Officer, of Nursing Acute Care at VA Palo Alto Health Care System (VAPAHCS), at the Palo Alto Division. The position encompasses a wide range of duties related to the administrative and operational support of a large and complex hospital based service.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/14/2026.

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-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-06. 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: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-6 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:

• Familiarity with the unique characteristics of integrated healthcare delivery systems;
• Computer skills in word processing, spreadsheet development, presentation design, information gathering, electronic mail and basic statistical analyses are imperative;
• Comfort with the operation of facsimile machines, video conferencing hardware and other office equipment is required;
• Exemplary oral and written communication skills are required, Work with individuals with varying backgrounds and areas of expertise;
• Clinical experience Is preferred, but not required;
• Comprehensive knowledge of the range of administrative laws, policies, regulations, and precedents applicable to VA, this includes knowledge of VA policies, directives and handbooks and knowledge of agency program goals and objectives;
• Requires knowledge and reasoning skills necessary.

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/.