Administrative Officer

Summary

This position is located at the Palo Alto VA Medical Center, in the Nutrition and Food Service (N&FS) department. The primary purpose of this position is to serve as the Supervisory Administrative Officer (AO) for N&FS and is responsible for coordinating and monitoring all N&FS administrative programs.

Duties

• The Administrative Officer at this level (GS-11) has supervisory responsibility for all office staff and has authority to make changes to the administrative programs to support NFS goals. Major duties and responsibilities include: Oversees and facilitates the administrative management for Nutrition & Food Service. Provides technical and administrative supervision to a Budget Technician, Program Support Assistant (OA), and administrative support staff. Manages the incentive awards program. Carries out Equal Employment Opportunity policies and program activities. Develops indicators, monitors and compiles data collection and analysis, and corrects actions and prepares related reports Independently develops, plans, issues and implements procedures to comply with directives concerning administrative matters. Analyzes and evaluates problems, makes recommendations, and devises solutions to systems administration, training management, publication management and data management within the division. Participates in regular meetings with leadership and other senior members to address administrative management issues, resolve problems, and provide recommendations for correcting or improving processes and programs. Serves as the department's Automated Data Processing Application Coordinator (ADPAC) and Contracting Officer's Representative (COR). Manages, monitors, coordinates, and provides regulatory guidance on all personnel actions, organizational structures, and position management for the Service. Reviews, interprets, and provides recommendations for the revision of regulatory guidelines, policies, and standing operating procedures pertinent to personnel administration and all Service operations. Participates in the planning for budgeting needs and financial management for Nutrition & Food Service. Attends budget calls, reviewing guidelines and instructions in order to brief managers on schedules and data requirements. Coordinates with Assistant Chief, N&FS/Food Production Manager to control purchasing and use of supplies. Reviews office needs in order to plan and develop budget data and justification for review and approval. Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Full-Time; Monday-Friday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm or as determined by the supervisor. Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Administrative Officer/PD99863S

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/17/2026. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade at 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: Creating reports, coordinating and scheduling meetings, and submitting requests/work orders using a personal computer and office automation programs (such as word processing, spreadsheets, etc.); maintaining and updating department or service-level databases and shared computer drives; accurately preparing timecards for submission and processing; resolving timekeeping issues related to overtime, holiday pay, unscheduled hours, and various types of extended leave; managing and balancing financial aspects of general fund control points and purchase procedures; and preparing and submitting requests for recruitment, promotion, reassignment, and disciplinary actions. NOTE: 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. 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 an LL.M. in a field related to this position that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with application. Education cannot be credited without documentation. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education beyond a master's degree. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with application. Education cannot be credited without documentation. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Attention to Detail Decision Making Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Reading Comprehension Reasoning Self-Management Teamwork 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; religious; 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 35-40 hours per week. Part-time experience will be credited based on the 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 and is usually accomplished while the incumbent is comfortably seated at a desk or table. Some physical demands such as standing, walking, bending, and lifting (up to 40 pounds) are required. Physical exertions including stretching, reaching, and pulling or pushing carts occur when assisting with inventories or activities involving retrieving items from shelves and cabinets. The work is performed in a typical office setting, requiring the use of normal safety precautions necessary for an office environment. The work area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. 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/.

Requirements

You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing-designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. 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. Must pass a pre-employment physical examination. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1- 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 trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Education

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. 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 to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

How to apply

All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 09/17/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13057756. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package. NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation are submitted prior to the closing date. To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link, and then select the more information link for this position. The Application page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account, or your application will be incomplete.