Summary This is position is a Telephone Operator within the Health Administrative Service. The incumbent is responsible for receiving and distributing incoming calls and messages throughout the medical center. Responsibilities Major Duties Include: Operating a multiline telephone system to receive, answer, resolve and connect incoming and outgoing calls Performing telephone clerical tasks such as referring callers to appropriate agencies, locating telephone numbers, updating/maintaining files of telephone numbers Routing the calls to their proper destination and provides telephone and organizational information to callers Must possess poise, tact, diplomacy, and resourcefulness in handling all telephone calls in dealing with; veterans, employees, and the VA Employees Performs pre-approved routine overhead announcements (such as visiting hours, religious service schedule, etc.), requests to page a patient or staff, and other special announcement as approved by the Director' s Office (such as hospital events, activities or other Important information). Responds to emergency alarms and makes emergency announcements on the overhead paging system requiring immediate response from facility and professional staff Routinely handles 800 to 1,000 calls during a normal week day shift, ranging from simple to highly complex. Responsible for receiving and distributing Incoming calls throughout the medical center Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Selection may be made from multiple shifts according to Medical Center needs. May require rotating shifts to include nights, weekends and holidays. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Telephone Operator/PD00642A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized. Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized. 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, 01/16/2025. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: GS-4 MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: 1 year of general experience is required. General experience includes progressively responsible clerical, office, or other work that indicates ability to acquire the particular knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of the position to be filled. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 2 years above high school. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college or university. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Computer Skills Customer Service (Clerical/Technical) Speaking 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: Position requires long period of sitting, causing possible discomfort in legs and lower back. Good hearing and clear speaking are essential. Incumbent must possess strong upper limb dexterity to perform multitasks. 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 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 in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. 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. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. 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.