Summary This position is functionally located under the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System (VAPHS), Health Administrative Service Line (HAS) and reports to the Supervisory Telephone Operator. The primary purpose of the position is to provide comprehensive telephone and telecommunications support to the VAPHS and all associated sites. Responsibilities The Telephone Operator provides a welcoming and positive first impression of the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System by processing incoming, outgoing, networked, and interoffice calls regarding hospital services, patient information and providing emergency notification information. The incumbent of this position performs work in the VA Pittsburgh Telephone Operations Center, which encompasses a variety of different duties and responsibilities relating to provision of telephone and related telecommunications services to all facilities within VA Pittsburgh as well as performs telecommunications support assignments which involves a significant amount of customer service in recognizing and routing patient and other inquiries to the correct VA Pittsburgh location and program. Major duties include but are not limited to: Operate centralized telephone system to receive and connect incoming and outgoing calls; Utilize complex computerized equipment and telecommunications software; Interview incoming callers to route calls to appropriate destination; Operate internal and external paging system; Respond to alarms and acts as key member for various emergency situations; Dispatch information according to alarm requirements for facility wide alarm systems; Perform testing of all communication and alarm systems daily; Troubleshoot telephone and computer related problems. Work Schedule: During the training period for the position, the tour of duty will be Monday through Friday 7:00am - 3:30pm. After completion of training, tour of duties will change and may be Monday through Friday 5:00am - 1:30pm, Tuesday through Saturday 3:00pm - 11:00pm, Monday through Friday 11:00am - 7:30pm. All are subject to change, based on the needs of the facility. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Telephone Operator/PD00202A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 You may be required to serve a probationary period Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 02/25/2025. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: General Experience: You must have one year of general experience to include progressively responsible clerical, office, or other work that indicates the ability to complete the indicated competencies of the position. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have two years of education above high school. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond the one year of education above high school You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Customer Service (Clerical/Technical) Information Management Technical Competence Telecommunications 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. The employee sits comfortably to do the work. There is some moving around to adjust equipment; carrying of light items such as papers, books. Monthly/Quarterly, the operator must ambulate throughout the campus to conduct power fail phone checks, nurse call alarm checks, and other alarm monitoring checks as established by department policy. This may require being away from the regular work station for several hours. 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 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. 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.