Telephone Operator

This Telephone Operator position is with Veterans Health Administration (Department of Veterans Affairs) in Tucson, AZ. The Southern Arizona VA Health Care System (SAVAHCS) is seeking a Telephone Operator. This position operates the telephone switchboard to provide telephone communications for the medical center including all off site community based outpatient clinic locations. Key duties: • Duties include but not limited to: Monitor and serve as an emergency dispatcher for all medical and fire emergency codes and emergency alarms. Provide patient information to visitors and responds to telephone inquiries regarding patient information. Use standard procedures to place outgoing calls through various circuits and networks. Provide telephone directory assistance for internal and external callers. Handle all threatening telephone calls including bomb threats consistent with standard operating procedures. Conduct procedures, routine testing, documentation, and reporting in accordance with standard operating procedures. Utilize automated operators' log, logs all alarms, unusual situations, codes, and all information pertinent to the operation of the switchboard and medical center. Work Schedule: Various shifts, days off vary. Telework: Not Authorized. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Telephone Operator/PD11895A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized. Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized. Qualifications: To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/18/2026. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. 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 restrictions do not apply to applicants currently serving at the GS-2 or GS-3 grade who are being considered for advancement to this GS-4 position. 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. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of general equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-03) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. General experience is progressively responsible for clerical, office, or other work that indicates ability to acquire the particular knowledge, skills and abilities needed to perform the duties of the position to be filled. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed two (2) years of education above the high school level. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college or university. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED). 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 high school. A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. 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/. View the full announcement and apply on USAJOBS.gov.