To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 07/28/2026. 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-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-9. For a GS-12 position you must have held a GS-11 or higher. For a GS-13 position you must have held a GS-12 or higher. 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. Individual Occupational Requirement:In order to meet the basic requirement of the HES Accreditation Specialist position, 1701 series, you must possess one of the following: Degree: that included or was supplemented by major study (at least 24 credit hours) in education or in a subject-matter field appropriate to the position (Healthcare Administration, Clinical Field, Analysis/Performance). or Combination of education and experience -- courses equivalent to a major (at least 24 credit hours) in education, or in a subject-matter field appropriate to the position (Healthcare Administration, Clinical Field, Analysis/Performance), plus appropriate experience or additional course work that provided knowledge comparable to that normally acquired through the successful completion of the 4-year course of study described in number 1 above. Specialized Experience at all grades:In addition to meeting the Individual Occupational Requirement, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Preparing Accreditation self-studies, re-accreditation applications, and official accreditation file audits by accreditation bodies. Verifying and processing completion reports for various accreditation bodies. Interpreting the criteria and requirements from different accreditation bodies and translating them into accreditation policies. Creating national guidance tools such as job aids, standard operations procedures, and policies. Reviewing and approving accreditation packages. Analyzing the return on investment of each accreditation and its impact on VHA clinicians. OR Education to Qualify at the GS-11: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must possess 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. (TRANSCRIPTS ARE REQUIRED) OR, Combination of Education and Experience to Qualify at the GS-11: An equivalent combination of specialized experience and graduate education as described above may be used to meet the total qualification requirements for this position. Only graduate education in excess of 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree. (TRANSCRIPTS ARE REQUIRED) There is no educational substitution at the GS-12 and GS-13 grade levels. Preferred Experience: Extensive Accreditation experience working as an Accreditation Analyst and/or an Accreditation Specialist for at least 3 years or more.You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Technical Competence- Uses knowledge that is acquired through formal training or extensive on-the-job experience to perform one's job; works with, understands, and evaluates technical information related to the job; advises others on technical issues. Communication- Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately. Analysis and Problem Solving- Applies the process of discovery that involves the diagnosis of a problem or issue, identification and gathering of relevant information, formulation and evaluation of alternative solutions or courses of action, and selection or recommendation of the preferred solution or course of action. Organizational Awareness- Knows the organization's mission and functions, and how its social, political, and technological systems work and operates effectively within them; this includes the programs, policies, procedures, rules, and regulations of the organization. Decision Making- Makes sound, well-informed, and objective decisions; perceives the impact and implications of decisions; commits to action, even in uncertain situations, to accomplish organizational goals; causes change 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: Work is performed while sitting at a desk, at conferences, briefings, meetings, in classrooms and the equivalent. The work is primarily sedentary. Must work multiple projects simultaneously and handle occasional high levels of stress and conflicting priorities. Work also involves travel and may include prolonged standing, walking, and transport of instructional supplies and/or equipment in excess of 30 lbs. 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/.