Summary The incumbent of this position serves as a Performance Improvement Coordinator (PIC) for the VISN 2 Improvement Program (IP). As PIC, the incumbent is expected to lead transformative quality, safety, effectiveness, and efficiency improvement efforts; act as manager for large and complex healthcare and operational improvement projects impacting patient care delivery systems and functions throughout the VISN; and conduct studies and organizational analyses of diverse functions and work processes. Responsibilities Lead complex and far-reaching performance improvement initiatives using systems engineering/systems redesign principles. The incumbent will take on a leadership role in organizing and conducting performance improvement efforts based on systems engineering principles such as, but not limited to, LEAN and Systems Redesign. The incumbent will modify standard LEAN and Systems Redesign methodologies to fit into the healthcare environment in general and the organizational cultural transformation already underway in VISN 2. The incumbent will demonstrate creativity and flexibility in the integration of standard systems engineering improvement methodologies with existing organizational cultural transformation efforts. In this capacity, the incumbent is expected to not only lead performance specific improvement efforts but also train others. Provide consultative support on identifying appropriate process measures and monitors for quality and performance improvement based on systems engineering tools and principles. The incumbent will serve as an internal consultant to groups working to improve quality and performance by helping them identify the most appropriate measures and monitors to ensure quality outcomes. To this end, the incumbent will help performance teams develop process maps and identify steps critical to improve quality outcomes. Once critical to quality steps have been identified, the incumbent will work with teams to identify measurement and monitoring strategies that balances effort with effectiveness based on sound statistical analysis. Manage faculty and staff involved in studies based on systems engineering principles to optimize quality, safety, effectiveness, and efficiency in healthcare systems. These studies will use a wide range of advanced analytical techniques, statistical methods, and systems engineering tools to collect baseline information, identify limitations in current systems, and discover potential improvements. The incumbent will manage faculty developing statistical, graphical, and narrative reports and communicate these studies to network executive leadership, medical center leadership, and other staff. Ensure sustainability and spread of program efforts directed at improving quality, safety, effectiveness, and efficiency using management engineering. The incumbent will collaborate with medical center leadership and management to ensure that improvements to processes spread to other work unites and locations and that these improvements are sustained over time. To this end, the incumbent will work with VISN staff and the Office of Organizational Excellence (SAIL and other programs) to develop methods for the measurement and assessment of spread and sustainability. The incumbent will work with other individuals and services to develop automated systems for tracking improvement (data trending, data dashboards, and balanced scorecards) and for monitoring project progress and completion (project management, "closing the loop"). The incumbent will provide oversight for national reporting activities related to the VISN 2 Improvement Program. Manage faculty and staff involved in planning and conduct studies directed at reducing errors due to cognitive overloading and human-computer interaction failure. The incumbent will work with VISN 2 faculty and staff to identify systems design problems that contribute to human errors and then identify alternative systems and processes based on systems engineering principles to mitigate these types of errors. Manage faculty and staff involved planning and conducting studies of management functions in support of improvements in organizational structure and staffing level efficiency. The incumbent will actively participate in the network's and national VHA efforts to create a culture of quality, safety, effectiveness, and efficiency by planning and conducting studies directed at identifying optimum staffing and management structures. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm EST Telework: VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. 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#: Health System Specialist/PD08160O Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 You may be required to serve a probationary period Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 01/29/2024. 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 GS13 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS12. 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 as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS12 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Experience leading complex and far-reaching performance improvement initiatives using systems engineering/systems redesign principles; Experience providing consultative support on identifying appropriate process measures and monitors for quality and performance improvement based on systems engineering tools and principles; Ability to manage faculty and staff involved in studies based on systems engineering principles to optimize quality, safety, effectiveness, and efficiency in healthcare systems; and Experience managing faculty and staff involved in planning and conduct studies directed at reducing errors due to cognitive overloading and human-computer interaction failure. Preferred Experience: Master's Degree, and LEAN SIX SIGMAN Black Belt Certification, 3 years demonstrated complex project improvement experience You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Communication Teaches Others Technical Competence Technology Management 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; religions; 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 to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of 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 requires some physical exertion, such as periods of standing when teaching; some walking, bending, crouching, stooping, stretching or similar activities when visiting work sites; and some moderate lifting and carrying. At other times, the work is sedentary requiring the use of a personal computer. 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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/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 competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.