Summary This position will serve primarily as a timekeeper for 170+ employees in the Nursing Service at the William S. Middleton Veterans Hospital. Responsibilities VA Careers - Medical Support Assistant: https://youtube.com/embed/EE9c4XkaELo Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional This Advanced MSA position serves primarily as a timekeeper Duties include but are not limited to: Manage and maintain employees' time and attendance records. Ensure accurate recording of leave, overtime, and work schedules. Verify employees' work hours daily, including start and end times, meal breaks, and leave taken. Ensure time entries are complete and comply with VA policies. Process and verify leave requests and balances promptly. Record all types of leave and ensure proper documentation (e.g., medical certificates). Record and track overtime and compensatory time with the appropriate approvals. Correctly record holidays and manage swapped or adjusted schedules as needed. Promptly correct any errors in time entries and keep records of changes made. Run regular reports to check for discrepancies. Ensure timecards are submitted and approved on time, adhering to VA policies. Work Schedule: Full-Time, Day Shift Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66. Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. 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. 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 dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. 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. Qualifications Basic Requirements: US Citizenship is required. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3.g.). ENGLISH: Must be proficient in basic written and spoken English. EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE: Must possess six (6) months experience of clerical, office, customer service or other administrative work that indicates the ability to acquire the particular knowledge and skill necessary to perform the duties of the Medical Support Assistant. OR Must have successfully completed one (1) year above high school. This education must have been obtained in an accredited technical school, junior college, college or university. One year of full-time academic study is defined as 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours, or the equivalent in a college or university. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED) OR Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying for entry level. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED) IN ADDITION TO MEETING THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS LISTED ABOVE, YOU MUST MEET THE GRADE REQUIREMENTS AT THE GS-6 LEVEL TO QUALIFY FOR THIS POSITION. GS-06 - Work involves specialized administrative judgment and the flexible use of a wide range of clinical flow processes relating to access to care across multiple clinics, specialties, and/or care in the community resources. Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level. At this grade level, experience consists of: scheduling, canceling, re-scheduling patient appointments and/or consults; entering no-show information; monitoring appointment requests from multiple electronic sources; participating in huddles with other MSAs and/or clinic staff to determine the daily needs of the clinic; monitoring both inpatient and outpatient appointments; verifying and updating demographics and insurance information when patients check-in for appointments. AND Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: Ability to collaborate and communicate with a wide range of medical clinicians across multiple disciplines (e.g. medical doctors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, clinical pharmacists, and nursing staff) to accomplish team goal setting to ensure medical care to patients is met. Ability to independently set priorities and organize [work to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations. Ability to communicate tactfully and effectively, electronically, by phone, in person, and in writing, with internal and external customers. This may include preparing reports in various formats and presenting data to various organizational levels, as well as resolving patient concerns. Advanced knowledge of the technical health care process (including, but not limited to, scheduling across interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery and/or care in the community models and patient health care portals) as it relates to access to care. Advanced knowledge of policies and procedures associated with interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery and/or care in the community operational activities that affect patient flow, and patient support care administrative functions to include, but not limited to appointment cycles, outside patient referrals, follow-up care, overbooking, provider availability, etc. Advanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by clinicians. Preferred Experience: 1. Timekeeping and Payroll Systems Experience: Familiarity with timekeeping systems such as VATAS (VA Time and Attendance System) or similar electronic timekeeping software. Previous experience managing employee attendance, leave balances, and payroll-related tasks. 2. Health Care Environment Experience: Experience working in a healthcare or medical setting, understanding the unique challenges and requirements specific to such environments. Knowledge of healthcare policies, procedures, and compliance standards. 3. Administrative and Clerical Skills: Strong proficiency in administrative functions, including data entry and record keeping . Experience in customer service and strong communication skills. 4. Analytical and Problem-Solving Skills: Ability to analyze timekeeping data to identify discrepancies and resolve errors promptly. Strong problem-solving skills Good attention to detail. 5. Customer Service Skills: Demonstrated experience in providing excellent customer service, responding to inquiries, and resolving issues. A patient and empathetic approach when interacting with employees regarding timekeeping questions or concerns. Ability to handle sensitive situations with discretion and professionalism. 6. Communication Skills: Excellent written and verbal communication skills for interacting with employees, supervisors, and HR personnel. Ability to explain timekeeping policies, procedures, and system functionalities clearly and effectively. Experience in conducting training sessions or providing one-on-one assistance to employees on timekeeping processes. 7. Team Collaboration: Experience working collaboratively with a team, including supervisors, HR staff, and other administrative personnel. Ability to maintain positive working relationships and work effectively in a team-oriented environment. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. 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/. Additional Information During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. 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. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.