Emergency Management Specialist

The Operations Program Manager is assigned to the Veterans Health Administration's (VHA) Office of Emergency Management (OEM), a VHA staff office out-based in Washington, DC. OEM headquarters is located in Martinsburg.

Qualifications:

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 01/18/2024.

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 GS-14 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-13. 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:

Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-13 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Expert knowledge of healthcare emergency preparedness and response operations, including knowledge of current mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery initiatives, legislation, and plans at the national, territorial, tribal, state, and local levels. Overall expert knowledge of VA, VHA, and federal interagency plans, programs, and operations regarding federal disasters, including public laws and executive orders. Incumbent exercises expert knowledge and expert understanding of the National Incident Management System (NIMS), Incident Command System (ICS), and the National Response Framework (NRF) in relationship to VA/VHA's role with other federal partners. Working knowledge of VA, DoD, HHS, FEMA, and a wide variety of health-related organizations, structures, missions, programs, and operational doctrine. Superior speaking and writing skills to communicate effectively with peers, supervisors, and senior VHA officials; senior federal, state, tribal, and territorial executives and agency representatives; and the public. Ability to produce clearly written reports and correspondence, often dealing with complex or sensitive issues.


You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

• Incident Management
• Systems Thinking
• Analysis and Problem Solving
• Communications
• Interpersonal Skills
• Writing
• Emergency Management
• Political Savvy
• Change Management
• Vulnerabilities Assessment
• Technical Competence
• Strategic Thinking
• Risk Management
• Planning and Evaluating
• Organizational Awareness
• Leadership
• Budget Administration
• Compliance

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 sedentary during non-emergency situations. However, participation in field exercises and operational support missions may require strenuous physical activity including carrying equipment, walking long distances over difficult terrain, running, climbing, working long hours in primitive or arduous conditions, long periods of standing, bending and stooping.
Deployments may include various housing and living conditions to include non-climate controlled, limited privacy sleeping facilities (for example, cots, tents, "hot-bunking", gymnasiums or similar), limited shower and laundry facilities and limited feeding options (such as shelf-stable meals, meals-ready-to-eat (MREs), and field kitchens).


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/.

Responsibilities:

Work for the VHA OEM Associate Director for Operations and serves as a subject matter expert (SME) for VHA demonstrating significant expertise in disaster preparedness and response. Incumbent exercises substantial knowledge of the National Incident Management System (NIMS), the National Response Framework (NRF), VHA emergency management policies and programs (notably the 0320 series), and demonstrates expertise in coordinating the development of response plans for all hazard disasters, with emphasis in Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and high-yield Explosive (CBRNE) disasters. You will be responsible for providing oversight to various programs within the Operations section at the headquarters level, providing policy recommendations to the Associate Director. This individual also serves as a VHA liaison officer and agency representative for various federal interagency partners, such as the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the Department of Defense (DoD).

The Operations Program Manager routinely designs, develops, and implements aspects of a national strategy for VHA emergency response under VHA OEM senior leader guidance, engaging in program analyses, evaluations, and reviews to ensure that plans are current and meet both internal and external requirements. The incumbent may represent the Director, OEM at key meetings, planning sessions, after-action reviews, National response planning meetings, CBRNE planning activities, and any other applicable and ad hoc meetings and forums that may be required. As such, the incumbent must be able to interact in a professional and competent manner on a consistent basis with individuals with executive-level responsibilities and authority. The position requires the incumbent to obtain and maintain a Top-Secret security clearance for federal interagency planning and response involving classified information. This individual will be responsible for:

PROGRAM MANAGEMENT:

• Lead in the development of goals and objectives that integrate organization and overall program activities related to federal disaster response and planning. Develop, research, interpret, analyze, implement and apply a variety of guidelines that impact planning and day-to-day emergency management operations and the associated emergency management activities and functions (e.g., Homeland Security Presidential Directives, National Response Framework, National Incident Management System), and agency-specific guidelines and regulations.
• Establish, revise, and review policies, procedures, mission objectives, and or organizational design for mission accomplishment and complex and evolving issues and functions, including the development of appropriate national guidance and procedures as it relates to the emergency management planning and response for VHA. May serve as a senior advisor and representative for same during contingency plans and continuity of operations.
• Develop and maintain VHA emergency plans in support of internal and external requirements and mandates.
• Prepare an annual report and work with the Regional Emergency Managers (REMs) to consolidate an OEM Operations budget plan for all programs and executive business cases assigned. Works closely with supervisor, VHA leadership, and other program managers and senior staff to ensure annual programmatic objectives are accomplished and in concert with, and in support of, VHA strategic plans and goals.

EXERCISE AND EVALUATION:

• Coordinate and/or participate in the design, implementation, and evaluation of exercises to test and critique VHA emergency response plans and programs, as well as VHA's role in other agency exercises and evaluations incorporating VHA emergency response personnel, assets, and responsibilities.
• Perform work involved in the development or monitoring of agreements, contracts, or other documents regarding internal and external agency training required to effectively deliver VHA emergency management support.
• Conduct after-action reviews of national-level exercises, events, and incidents; develops improvement plans; monitors progress/benchmarks, and documents completion of improvement goals and objectives.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:30am-4:00pm est.
Compressed/Flexible: May be available
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#: Emergency Management Specialist/PD606180
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required