Health System Specialist

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Houston (TX); Remote; USD 75,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center is seeking a Health Systems Specialist (Executive Governance) to support governance compliance operations.

The role analyzes workflows, manages sensitive documentation, supports audits, and coordinates cross-service activities to strengthen accreditation readiness and organizational performance. The position requires experience with governance, regulatory standards, and coordinating complex investigations, with telework

Qualifications

• Undergraduate/Graduate Education in hospital/public health administration or related field with coursework in health care administration.
• Specialized experience in analytical/administrative or clinical management roles in health care, including governance and compliance
• Time-In-Grade and related federal qualification requirements may apply and transcripts required.

Responsibilities

• Evaluates governance workflows, identifies operational barriers, and analyzes trends across committees.
• Conducts audits, develops compliance dashboards, and uses advanced analytics to assess program effectiveness.
• Performs root-cause analyses, designs corrective action plans, and assesses feasibility and sustainability of solutions.
• Manages executive-level documentation systems and ensures sensitive records are accurate, secure, retrievable, and audit-ready.
• Maintains secure systems for investigative records and ensures timely submission of findings.
• Reviews practices, data sets, and documentation to ensure accuracy, logic, and regulatory conformity.
• Communicates with investigators, staff, and leadership in a courteous and respectful manner.
• Facilitates cross-service communication during investigations and coordinates governance and compliance across departments.
• Addresses conflicts constructively and models customer service.
• Plans governance calendars, charters, agendas, and work plans; ensures committee readiness.
• Coordinates requests and tracking systems for compliance and investigations.
• Monitors timelines and progress on corrective actions to meet deadlines.

Skills

Governance compliance

Data analysis

Communication

Regulatory knowledge

Risk assessment

Education

Graduate degree in health administration or related field

Tools

Documentation systems

Regulatory dashboards

Data tracking tools

Job description

Summary

The Health Systems Specialist (Executive Governance) supports governance compliance operations within the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center. The position analyzes workflows - manages sensitive documentation - supports audits and regulatory compliance - develops tracking and decision-support systems - assesses operational risks - and coordinates cross-service activities to strengthen accreditation readiness and organizational performance.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position - applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Individual Occupational Requirement: Applicants who meet the Individual Occupational Requirements described below are fully qualified for the specified entry grade and must also meet the specialized experience and/or education requirements. 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. (Transcript required) OR Specialized Experience: (for positions above GS-5): 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. OR 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 above Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR) - applicants must also meet the experience and/or directly related education relevant to this position. 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-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09. 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-09 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include - but are not limited to: Support complex executive governance - compliance - documentation - and investigate operations within a large medical center. Evaluate organizational workflows and administrative processes to identify inefficiencies and opportunities for improvement. Conduct and coordinate investigations and Administrative Investigation Boards (AIBs) - including reports - documentation - and corrective-action taking. Review sensitive records for accuracy - compliance - audit readiness - and adherence to internal and external standards. Maintain governance documentation systems - compliance tracking tools - schedules - and corrective-action plans. Coordinate multidisciplinary and cross-service activities involving executive leadership - service chiefs - investigators - and administrative personnel. Analyze data - assess risk - and apply VHA - VISN - CMS - and TJC standards to support regulatory compliance and executive oversight. Communicate complex and sensitive information clearly and tactfully while exercising sound judgement - discretion - and attention to detail. Manage multiple high-visibility priorities while meeting strict deadlines and regulatory requirements. OR Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have Successfully completed a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M in a field related to this position that demonstrates the knowledge - skills - and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. (Transcript required). OR Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have equivalent combination of successfully completed graduate education (beyond the first two graduate years or 36 semester hours) and specialized experience to meet the total experience requirements. The education portion must include graduate courses that demonstrate the knowledge - skills - and abilities necessary to do the work of the position. (Transcript 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/.

Duties

• Major Duties Include: Evaluates governance workflows - identifies operational barriers - and analyzes trends across committees
• Conducts audits - develops compliance dashboards - and applies advanced analytical techniques to assess program effectiveness
• Performs root-cause analyses - designs corrective action plans - and evaluates feasibility and sustainability of solutions
• Manages executive-level documentation systems and ensures sensitive records remain accurate - secure - retrievable - and audit-ready
• Maintains secure systems for investigative records and ensures findings meet strict documentation integrity and timely submission requirements
• Reviews operational practices - data sets - compliance documentation - and trend analyses to ensure accuracy - logic - clarity - and regulatory conformity
• Communicates with investigators - representatives - visitors - staff - service chiefs - and leadership in a courteous and respectful manner
• Facilitates communication between services during investigations and coordinates governance and compliance processes across medical center departments
• Addresses conflicts constructively - ensures positive working relationships - and models a commitment to customer service
• Plans and organizes governance calendars - charters - agendas - work plans - and committee readiness reviews
• Coordinates RMC requests - staffing/resource proposal reviews - and tracking systems for compliance and investigative activities
• Monitors project timelines - implementation milestones - and progress on corrective actions to ensure organizational deadlines are met
• Work Schedule: Monday-Friday - 7:30am - 4:00pm
• Subject to change based on needs of the facility
• 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 Title/PD#: Health System Specialist/PD041890