Office Assistant Secretary Jobs in Blue Ridge, VA

Summary
Come Join Our Team! The Secretary (OA) will assist the Associate Chief of Staff for Research and Development (ACOS/R) and the Administrative Officer (AO) for Research & Development Service, committees, and subsections in performing a variety of clerical and administrative duties and maintaining clear lines of communication to optimize utilization of resources and meet program objectives. This position is located within the Dept of VA, Veterans Health Administration, Salem VA Medical Center.
Learn more about this agency
Duties
Help
Duties include but are not limited to:

• Serves as designated Timekeeper for the R&D Service. Responsible for time and attendance reporting, as directed.
• Serves as Talent Management System (TMS) Administrator, ensuring compliance with the training requirements for all Research VA staff, WOC/IPAs, and Committee members.
• Serves as Primary ADPAC (Automated Data Processing Application Coordinator) for the R&D Service. Assures that VISTA key menus are accurate and appropriate for each employee by completing annual report.
• Manages individual calendars for ACOS/R&D and AO. Manages Administrative Team Leave Calendar for the R&D Administrative Staff.
• Submits work orders, space requests, IT requests etc., for Research Service and other research personnel, as applicable.
• Works with IRB, SRS, and R&D Committee Coordinators to maintain regulatory committee rosters and appointment letters.
• Assists AO with initial preparation and execution of ongoing HR documentation, including but not limited to: Performance Evaluations, Competencies preparation and records; Research WOC/IPAs initiations/submissions/modifications/extensions/and routing for signatures.
• Oversees access, scheduling, and upkeep in common areas within the Research Service Space. Includes determining and ordering keys needed, cores that need to be changed, tracking of keys signed in and out and which key numbers open which doors. Ensures Keystone Database is updated with all key transactions.
• Back-up Records Liaison for the R&D Service. Ensuring all research records (hard copy and electronic) are kept within the Records Control Schedule.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:45am-4:30pm or 8:00am-4:30pm
Telework: Not Available.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Secretary (OA)/PD022660
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Physical Requirements: The work requires long periods of time working and keyboarding at a computer workstation. It may involve some walking, standing, bending, or carrying of light items.
Requirements
Help
Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation.
• 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 identification 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, 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, 08/25/2026.
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-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-06. 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.
NOTE: Your resume must include job title, duties listed for each position, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week.
You may qualify based on your experience as described below:

• GS-07 Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade, GS-06, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is defined as clerical and administrative experience related to secretarial support for a large organization and/or in a large medical center setting. Examples may include but are not limited to: organize the work of an office and perform clerical and administrative duties; computer software and database experience such as Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook Email/Calendar; meeting minutes/note taking, committee experience; use of automated office equipment typical to an office setting such as: computer equipment, printer/scanner/copier/fax machines, telephones, and document management systems. Please note: Your resume must support your response.

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/.
Preferred Experience: VA or Research experience.
Education
***There is no educational substitution at this grade level.***
Additional information
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.
Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.
Expand Hide additional information
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
Benefits
Help
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Review our benefits
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.