Associate Service Chief (Pharmacy)

Summary

Pharmacy Associate Service Chief is responsible for cultivating the effective, efficient, and compliant delivery of comprehensive pharmaceutical care activities. Participates in strategic planning for service including long range forecasting of staffing, space, technology, operational, and/or clinical program needs. Assists in developing and implementing service-level goals. Functions in the capacity of a pharmacist in any area of competency as staffing requirements dictate.

Duties

• Functions Leadership Performs effective leadership through the establishment and maintenance of collaborative relationships within and outside Pharmacy service, resolution of conflicts and successful negotiations. Shows empathy, empowers others, and possesses stellar written and oral communication . This includes the provision of fair, principled and decisive leadership which inspires a climate of productivity, effectiveness and high morale. Develops and implements business plans in a timely manner, adherence to policies, support of VHA and Network initiatives, and identification of opportunities to expand quality, access and timeliness of care to Veterans. Adapts quickly to changes, manage multiple inputs and tasks simultaneously, and accommodate new situations and VA Directives. Performs organizational stewardship by identifying the needs of individuals and health care system. Evaluates technical work of the organization based upon a clear understanding of processes, procedures, standards, methods and technologies necessary to run an effective service. Communicates effective and clear expression of ideas, anticipates normal requirements and takes appropriate actions to meet a given situation. Administrative Oversees the outpatient, inpatient, clinical, inventory, specialty medication, procurement, controlled substance, procurement program, the drug supply chain security accountability program, specialty medication program, controlled substances program, professional training, residency and compounded special preparation programs. Develops performance standards that are realistic, challenging and support the organizational mission, vision, and goals. Provides and discusses performance plan ratings. Monitors workload. Develops policies and procedures relating to pharmaceutical care and assures that the Ambulatory Care and Inpatient Pharmacy programs are compliant. Ensures assigned administrative projects and reports are submitted. Monitors the Federal Electronic Healthcare Record and Bar Code Medication Administration (BCMA) computer systems, automated pharmacy systems, equipment and other computer software. Program Monitoring and Evaluation Monitors workflow patterns to keep drug distribution and care are in accordance with the requirements. Serves as a lead for regulatory and accreditation readiness. Assists the Chief with budget planning, cost-containment strategies, and resource allocation for inpatient, outpatient, and clinical programs. Organizes workload, directs inpatient and outpatient activities, plans short and long range objectives/goals, solves problems, and achieves established goals within budget and staffing constraints. Incorporates performance improvement (PI) activities into applicable areas of pharmacy sections. Reviews with other pharmacy leadership and staff to identify areas of duplication of efforts and develops solutions to streamline processes, reduce waste, save costs and improve patient care. Serves as purchase card approving official, DEA Power of Attorney, and/or Primary Record Keeping Official, etc. Clinical Provides clinical support when required based on competencies and scope of practice. Promotes a patient-focused, team-based multi-disciplinary model of pharmaceutical care. Assures that pharmacists provide patient medication counseling by verifying patient understanding. Ensures the provision of pharmaceutical care support services are provided as required. Ensures pharmacists report actual and/or potential medication errors or adverse events and participates in quality improvement initiatives to promote patient safety. Training and Education Ensures training, orientation, and re-training of employees. Responsible for reviewing each subordinate's competencies. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8-4:30pm Telework: AD-HOC Virtual: This is not a virtual position Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Education: Graduate of an Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) accredited College or School of Pharmacy with a baccalaureate degree in pharmacy (BS Pharmacy) and/or a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree. Verification of approved degree programs may be obtained from the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, 20 North Clark Street, Suite 2500, Chicago, Illinois 60602-5109; phone: (312) 664-3575, or through their Web site at: http://www.acpe-accredit.org/. (NOTE: Prior to 2005 ACPE accredited both baccalaureate and Doctor of Pharmacy terminal degree program. Today the sole degree is Doctor of Pharmacy.) Graduates of foreign pharmacy degree programs meet the educational requirement if the graduate is able to provide proof of achieving the Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Examination Commission (FPGEC) Certification, which includes passing the Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Equivalency Examination (FPGEE) and the Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet-Based Test (TOEFL iBT). Licensure: Full, current and unrestricted license to practice pharmacy in a State, Territory, Commonwealth of the United States (i.e., Puerto Rico), or the District of Columbia. The pharmacist must maintain current registration if this is a requirement for maintaining full, current, and unrestricted licensure. A pharmacist who has, or has ever had, any license(s) revoked, suspended, denied, restricted, limited, or issued/placed in a probationary status may be appointed only in accordance with the provisions in VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, section B, paragraph 16. NOTE: Individuals who have or have had multiple licenses and had any such license revoked for professional misconduct, professional incompetence or substandard care, or who surrendered such license after receiving written notice of potential termination of such license by the State for professional misconduct, professional incompetence, or substandard care, are not eligible for appointment to the position unless such revoked or surrendered license is fully restored (38 U.S.C. § 7402(f)). Effective November 30, 1999, this is a requirement for employment. This requirement does not apply to licensed pharmacists on VA rolls as of that date, provided they maintain continuous appointment and are not disqualified for employment by any subsequent revocations or voluntary surrenders of State license, registration or certification. English Language Proficiency: Pharmacists must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d). May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria). Grade Determinations: Associate Service Chief, GS-14 Experience: In addition to the GS-13 requirements, must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. Assignments: For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity (difficulty) and range of variety as described in this standard at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Associate Service Chief/ Associate CMOP Director: Responsible for coordinating multiple programs in pharmacy service in a medical facility. Serves as the Acting Service Chief in the absence of the Service Chief. Develops and maintains a system of internal reviews that ensure service programs operate at a satisfactory level of performance and in compliance with regulatory and accrediting bodies. Responsible for pharmacy utilization of resources and budget. Makes selections, assigns personnel, and serves as a mentor to help employees develop their full potential. Demonstrated KSAs: The KSAs shown below apply to all assignments at this grade level, and the specific KSA designated by an asterisk (*) applies to assignment. Skill in persuading others and gaining cooperation to accomplish goals. Ability to effectively communicate orally and in writing regarding complex clinical and technical issues. Skill in utilizing regulatory and quality standards to develop and implement operational programs. Skill in managing multiple people or programs. Skill in utilizing available resources to support the mission and goals of the organization. *Ability to plan, organize and direct the functions of the pharmacy staff. Preferred Experience: VA supervisor experience Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-14. Physical Requirements: This work requires moderate lifting and carrying (15-44lbs), light lifting and carrying (under 15lbs), reaching above shoulder, use of fingers, both hands required, standing, ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously, and near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4. Environmental factors are working in dry atmospheric conditions, constant noise, working closely with others, and working alone.

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 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 will 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

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/.

How to apply

All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the full 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 09/21/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13066750. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS 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 is submitted prior to the closing date.