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Summary This position is a key role within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA), stationed at the VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System (ECHCS). The Supervisory Health System Specialist (HSS)/Integrity and Compliance Officer (ICO) operates closely with the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) to support this highly complex organization. Responsibilities The mission of VHA's system-wide Integrity and Compliance program is to serve as the principal advisor on issues of organization integrity in the business arena. This mission is pursued chiefly in two ways: by providing reasonable assurance that VHA's business operations comply with all laws, regulations, and policies that apply; and by encouraging standards of excellence in business practices. The VHA's Integrity and Compliance program is designed to ensure adherence to all applicable laws, regulations, and policies. The ICO plays a central role in shaping, communicating, and enforcing these standards within the healthcare system. Duties include: - Managing and directing day-to-day operations of the Ethics Program as the organization's Ethics Advisor. The Ethics Advisor provides accurate, comprehensive, and written advice to VHA employees on matters related to government ethics including the Standards of Ethical Conduct, financial disclosures, and employee travel. - Planning, designing, implementing, and maintaining compliance program policies and procedures. - Serving as liaison to Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 19 ICO and ELT regarding ethical business practices and regulatory obligations. - Promoting organizational integrity through compliance education and effective internal controls. - Overseeing audits, data analysis, and investigations. - Establishing goals, implementing compliance initiatives, and ensuring program effectiveness. - Preparing detailed reports on compliance activities and effectiveness to senior leadership. Incumbent conducts and oversees audits, analyzes data, and completes investigations within all phases/settings of the health care system. Also, the Incumbent will conduct routine monitoring in areas of previous compliance-related failures. While the Incumbent has a broad purview under the direction of QPS Chief, as determined by the Director, there are areas that will always be audited. These include scheduling practices, consult management, clinic cancellations, use of the Electronic Wait List (EWL), Logbooks, Veterans Crisis Line (VCL), community care, privacy practices, controlled substance program, Part Time Providers, business compliance, coding and documentation accuracy, and compliance with records management policy. When analyzing data and developing recommendations, the Incumbent will consider individual, policy, process, and system failures in determining the root cause. Work Schedule: 0730-1600, Monday-Friday Compressed/Flexible: v Telework: 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#: Supervisory Health System Specialist (Integrity and Compliance Officer)/PD146760 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): 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 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) As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period 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 probationary period or trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement,11/06/2025 . 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 GS-13 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-12. 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: 0671 Individual Occupational Requirements Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study -- hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration. OR, Specialized Experience: Progressively responsible analytical or administrative, or clinical management or supervisory experience in the health care field. This work may have been performed in an operating health care facility or a higher organizational echelon with advisory or directional authority over such facilities. Work must have involved a close working relationship with facility managers and analysis and/or coordination of administrative, clinical, or other service activities, and provided knowledge of the following: Missions, organizations, programs, and requirements of health care delivery systems; Regulations and standards of various regulatory and credentialing groups; and Government-wide, agency, and facility systems and requirements in various administrative areas such as budget, personnel, and procurement. OR, Special Provision for In service Placement: Successful completion of an agency-sponsored on-the-job training program may be substituted for qualifying experience, provided it included a formal individualized training plan. Such a training program must have been conducted in an operating health care system and included: Assignments providing a knowledge of basic health system administration philosophies, practices, and procedures, and basic government administrative policies and requirements; Practical assignments providing an opportunity to apply health system administration skills and principles (as the individual progresses, work assignments must be characteristic of the grade level to which he or she is assigned); and Oversight by an experienced health system administrator with periodic evaluation of the individual's progress and appropriate adjustment of the training program. In addition to the Individual Occupational requirement: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-12 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Report on Integrity and Compliance Office (ICO) program implementation, reviews periodic reports with senior management detailing compliance initiatives throughout the year, recommends improvements and implements changes to the ICO program and operational compliance related activities. Document allegations of improper activities and the enforcement of appropriate disciplinary actions against employees who have violated compliance policies, regulations, or federal health care program requirements. Ensuring compliance with Federal regulations that govern health care operations and the prevention, detection, and remediation of fraud waste and abuse (FWA). Assist in the development and implementation of regular, effective education and training for all Medical Center employees. Posse in-depth systems knowledge to be used in preparing recommendations to change the way programs are carried out; in evaluating the content of new or modified legislation for projected impact upon agency programs and resources; and/or translating basic legislation into program goals, actions, and services. Knowledge of fiscal, ethical, and administrative regulations and policies from federal agencies such as the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Management and Budget, General Accounting Office, VA & Health and Human Services Offices of Inspector General, VA Headquarters, and other contract requirements and project specifications. Knowledge of and ability to develop a risk management system of internal monitoring and auditing that identify potential organizational risks through trending and analysis, implementation, corrective action, and measured outcomes. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Accountability Compliance Compliance Inspection Knowledge Management Organizational Awareness Risk 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 is primarily sedentary, although some slight physical effort may be required in meeting with stake holders throughout the health care system. This would include walking to meet with stake holders, visiting other service chiefs and managers in their program areas, and at time, standing and conversing with stake holders and standing to train and present. 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: 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. 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.