As we work to provide millions of Veterans with health care, we rely on our dedicated human resources (HR) professionals to recruit and support teams across the nation who care for those Veterans each and every day.
“It’s not just a job,” said Heriberto Muñoz, assistant human resources officer at the VA Pittsburgh Health Care System. “The role of human resources is to ensure that employees are taken care of, because if the employees are taken care of, then they can care for our Veterans.”
Human Resources at VA
As the largest health care system in the nation, our HR professionals at VA tackle a variety of duties each day. There are a multitude of ways you can contribute to the operations of your facility.
“The HR field is wide open, and you can go in so many different directions in HR,” said Curtis Raybuck, the supervisory human resources specialist at the Butler VA Medical Center.
- Staffing. Whether it’s recruiting applicants, examining resumes, conducting interviews, selecting candidates, or onboarding new hires, you’re the one who makes sure the right people find a place on your team.
- Classification. For every job announcement you find on USAJOBS.gov, someone went through the process of drafting, editing, and clarifying the language . You’ll consult with supervisors and department heads to make sure that each job announcement paints a clear picture of the job.
- Compensation and benefits. Your role here is making sure every employee is educated about the great benefits available to them and ensure that they are enrolled in the programs that matter most to them. You ensure your teammates understand their salaries, incentives, or bonuses they may be due.
- Performance management. Every VA employee participates in an annual performance review, and HR professionals like you are there to work with supervisors to make sure that evaluations are fair and helpful and empower employees with a clear path to success.
- Employee relations. You’ll also help employees with issues that arise in the workplace. This involves leading discussions and negotiations with labor organizations to make sure that employees are treated fairly and that your facility has a meaningful say in procedures.
No matter the issue, your expertise in human resources matters makes you one of the most in-demand people in our facilities, as you’re the one who everyone can rely on for guidance and consultation.
“Meeting with program managers, the associate director, the chief of staff,” Raybuck explained, “when they have a question, whether their executive assistant asks me or they ask me, I need to be there to support it.”
Benefits that make a difference
While supporting the greatest mission by serving Veterans is its own reward, the benefits of your new VA career offer plenty in the way of enticement.
To start with, our employees receive 13-26 paid vacation/personal days, 13 sick days annually with no limit on accumulation, and 11 paid federal holidays each year.
These positions offer access to federal insurance programs, too, so you can choose from a variety of plans that all cover preexisting conditions. We also pay up to 75% of health premiums, a benefit that can continue into retirement.
VA’s premium benefits–in addition to competitive starting salaries and the possibility of hybrid work schedules for some positions–makes your choice to bring your HR expertise to VA a beneficial one for you and your loved ones.
When the time comes to take your career to the next level, we offer ongoing leadership development through every level of employment. These programs facilitate career development through continuous learning, coaching/mentoring, and assessment throughout your career.
Work at VA
We’re looking for HR professionals with diverse skill sets who can offer the best possible support to our employees as we serve Veterans.
- LEARN more about human resources at VA.
- EXPLORE the benefits we offer our employees.
- SEARCH for an opportunity near you.
