SUMMARY

Employee will serve as an Emergency Management Specialist for the VA Western New York Healthcare System (VAWNYHS), Medical Center in Buffalo, NY. As the Program Manager, you will be responsible for managing the health care system in sustaining national and regional support to the Comprehensive Emergency Management Program (CEMP).
Employee will be required to travel between the Buffalo and Batavia Medical Centers and associated facilities.

QUALIFICATIONS

SELECTIVE PLACEMENT FACTOR (SCREEN-OUT) - A Selective Placement Factor (SPF) has been identified for this position. Selective Placement Factors (SPF) are a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirements for the position. Applicants who do not meet the SPF are ineligible for further consideration.
The SPF for this position is: Driver’s License Requirement: A current valid state-issued driver’s license is required. Note: We cannot accept photographs. Therefore, please do not submit a copy of your license with your application package. If an interview is requested, you will be required to provide your driver’s license for verification purposes.
To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must possess at least one (1) full year of specialized experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of this position. To be creditable, experience must have been equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience includes: applying the policies governing emergency management programs and operations; assisting with the execution of a comprehensive emergency management program; responding quickly to emergency situations; implementing a variety of emergency, contingency, and operations plans; applying basic data gathering methodologies to collect various types of information; using and managing database programs. NOTE: Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must clearly indicate the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position:

• Communication
• Emergency Management
• Incident Management
• Planning and Evaluating
• Vulnerabilities Assessment

IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. 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.
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; religious; 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.
Physical Requirements/Work Environment: The work is sedentary during non-emergency situations. However, participation in field exercises and operational support missions may require strenuous physical activity to include carrying persons and equipment, walking long distance, climbing, working long hours, long periods of standing, and bending and stooping. 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 (MRE’s), and field kitchens). During emergency situations the employee may be required to remain available 24 hours per day, seven days per week for multiple weeks and is subject to work under emergency notification and contact procedures. The EMS will be provided and must carry a government-provided mobile communication device.
The work is typically performed in an adequately lighted and climate-controlled office; however, the employee may be required to work in a warehouse and store emergency management equipment in an outdoor storage facility and indoor storage rooms. The EMS will support site visits to all outpatient clinics to perform hazard vulnerability analysis, conduct drills, conduct training, and any other comprehensive emergency management implementation. Environment may be subject to adverse weather to include wind, precipitation, temperature and humidity extremes. Protective gear (gloves, hard hats, hearing protection, and similar) and adherence to safety precautions may be required. Travel by motor vehicle, train, boat, and aircraft within the United States may be required.
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.

HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).
Your responses to the assessment questionnaire will be reviewed along with the information provided in your resume and supporting documentation to determine if you are qualified for the position. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your rating may be lowered and/or you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.
The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate’s abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

Candidates who apply under All U.S. Citizens announcements will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures. Qualified candidates will be assigned to a quality category. The categories are defined as follows:

• Best qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position;
• Highly qualified - applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the requirements of the job;
• Well qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in some, but not all, of the requirements of the job; and
• Qualified - applicants possessing experience and/or education that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors.

Application of Veterans’ Preference: Category rating and selection procedures place those with veteran’s preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Preference eligible applicants that meet the eligibility and qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category (except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher).
It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.
Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

IF YOU ARE RELYING ON YOUR EDUCATION TO MEET QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

The Emergency Management Specialist (EMS) is a high-profile position requiring daily interaction with the highest levels of medical center leadership, the Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN), VHA, the VHA Office of Emergency Management (OEM), and community stakeholders. The EMS works with the VISN in coordinating and administering duties required to execute the roles and responsibilities under the VA’s national level partners, Department of Defense (DoD), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as well as federal, state, and local agencies in the public and private sector. Major duties and responsibilities include:

• Coordinates the Healthcare System efforts and engaging staff, as well as the functions required to manage the Comprehensive Emergency Management Program (CEMP).
• Ensures the emergency response results and conclusions lead to a continual improvement of the emergency management program throughout the healthcare system.
• Prepares for and carries out or coordinating emergency functions to prevent, protect from, mitigate against, prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies and disasters.
• Assists with the various program coordinators relating to Emergency Management (EM), Safety, Pharmacy Cache, Clinical Support, and Law Enforcement.
• Develops and coordinates all VAMC emergency plans and exercises in accordance with VHA directives and VHA Emergency Operations Plan.
• Collaborates with community partners to support the execution of national objectives.
• Represents Executive Leadership at key planning sessions, after actions reviews, and response planning meetings, conferences, forums and symposiums.
• Provides guidance and assistance in all employee and vulnerable patient/Veteran accountability efforts before, during and after an emergency.
• Ensures all data on employee and patient/Veteran accountability is reported to the healthcare system Incident Command Center and VISN in a timely manner.
• Establishes relationships with the stakeholders and community in order to communicate and disseminate program information to ensure an understanding of the agency’s mission and activities.
• Establishes, maintains, and fosters strong working relationships with partners at national, regional and local levels.
• Performs other related duties assigned

The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50’s (current/former Federal employees), documentation to support Veterans Preference or ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees).

• Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (VA)
• Other (1)
• Other (2)
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Actio