Health System Specialist (Facility Systems Redesign Specialist)

Summary

Albany VA Medical Center is recruiting for one Health System Specialist (Facility Systems Redesign Specialist) located Albany VAMC. The primary purpose of this position is to implement a Performance Improvement program at the Health Care System level. The position is responsible for delivering Performance Improvement techniques to a broad array of program and services throughout the Medical Center, including Data analytics, Lean, Six Sigma, Coaching, Project Management, and Training.

Duties

• The primary purpose of this position is to implement a Data Analytic Performance Improvement program at the Health Care System level. The position is responsible for delivering Performance Improvement techniques to a broad array of program and services throughout the Medical Center, including Lean, Six Sigma, Coaching, Project Management, and Training. Duties may include but are not limited to: Participates in and facilitates transformative quality, safety, effectiveness, and efficiency improvement efforts; using the data with improvement teams. Acts as the project lead for healthcare and operational improvement projects impacting patient care delivery systems and functions throughout the medical center; Facilitates, coaches, and trains audiences at all levels of the organizations throughout the lifecycle of a performance improvement project; Analytics and Project Management (40%): Organizes, directs, controls and coordinates group activities in a timely and effective manner; Conducts extensive work in analyzing data and conducting background research on the issue; Develops statistical models to measure successful of performance improvement actions; Defines a project scope and goals through a collaborative process with subject matter experts and leadership at the facility, service line or program, or unit level; Leads a team of subject matter experts, front line staff and leadership through a rigorous and defined project management process utilizing multiple tools from Lean Six Sigma, Lean VATAMCCS and other performance improvement disciplines to further define the current state of the process; Identifies various solutions approaches and when necessary further leads them through prioritizing exercises with tools like affinity diagrams, PICK Charts and multi-voting; Develops control plans, communication plans, risk management plans, and through closeout of the project; Internal Consultation for System Engineering (30%): Provides consultation to executive, service line, and program leadership by leveraging VA data analytics resources; Identifies metrics performing below benchmarked standards or falling below the upper or lower control limits of a statistically controlled models such as SAIL; Plans and conducts studies directed at reducing errors due to cognitive overloading and human computer interaction failure; Identifies alternative systems and processes based on Lean/Systems Redesign/Systems Engineering principles to mitigate these types of errors; Collects baseline information, identifies limitations in current systems, and discovers potential improvements; Develops statistical, graphical, and narrative reports, and communicates these studies to medical center executive leadership, service chiefs, supervisors and other staff; Aligns identified metrics to known organizational priorities, such as VA/VHA/VISN/Facility strategic or operational plan; Develops benchmarks, and assigns a schedule or priority level to a potential project based on the needs of the organization and direct consultation with executive leadership; Develops local data metrics and dashboards to monitor projects in progress or performance benchmarks of a project that is awaiting a charter or formal decision from executive leadership for action; Aligns appropriate performance improvement teams and resources, project scopes, and value streams, strategic and operational plans; Identifies projects critical to improving quality outcomes and maximize return on investment of utilized resources; Develops and refines information for comprehensive reports, addressing such elements as cost analysis, work measurements, trend analysis, efficiency, effectiveness, productivity, and tangible benefits; Educator (20%): Provides instruction to others on data analytics Lean, Lean Six Sigma, Systems Redesign or other improvement methodologies principles and tools through formal classroom instruction or small group mentoring; Develops written and verbal teaching materials; Deli…

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11/19/2026. INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENT (IOR): An IOR is a basic requirement that must be met in order to qualify for entry into this job series, and it is something that can't be waived. The education must be accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained. To qualify for the GS 0671 occupational series, applicants MUST possess one of the following: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-11) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Experience should be directly related to the work of the position and has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties as a Health System Specialist - Facility Systems Redesign Specialist. Qualifying specialized experience is defined as 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 Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 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, 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 meeting the Individual Occupational Requirement as listed above, applicants must also meet the Specialized Experience, which is experience that is directly related to that of the position. Select the appropriate answer based on your current level of experience that demonstrates your ability to perform the duties of this position. When answering the questionnaire, remember that your experience is subject to verification by investigation. You may be asked to provide specific examples or documentation of experience or education as proof to support your answers, or you may be required to verify a response by a practical demonstration of your claimed ability to perform a task. In addition to meeting the Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR) as listed above, applicants must also meet the Specialized Experience that is directly related to that of the position. GS-12 Specialized E…

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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.