The position is located in the Clinical Services Division of the Pine Ridge Service Unit. The incumbent will provide directorship responsibilities for clinical staff in both Outpatient and Inpatient medical setting. Emphasis in specialty in either Family Practice, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, or Surgery.
A REAL ID will be required beginning May 7, 2025, in accordance with 6 C.F.R. 37.5 (2021).
Recruitment or relocation Incentive authorized.
- Current Federal Employees
Learn more about this agency
U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
Native Americans or Alaskan Natives with a tribal affiliation.
The IHS is required by law to give absolute preference to qualified applicants who meet the Secretary of the Interior's definition of Indian for appointment to vacancies within the IHS in accordance with established IHS policy as outlined in the Indian Health Manual Part 7, Chapter 3.
Total Compensation Package - Check out IHS's outstanding total compensation package for this job:
Physician Total Compensation | Pay (ihs.gov)
- Provide clinical director responsibilities in administrative functions for division performance and improvement, quality care, compliance with bylaws, and regulations.
- Perform medical services in a 45-bed hospital, emergency department, surgical program, inpatient and outpatient department, several field clinics, behavioral health department, dental department, and a full range of community health programs.
- Make decisions to establish patient care programs, clinical services and operations, staff work scheduling, work close with health professionals to coordinate patient services.
- Compile clinical data, produce reports, lead presentations of data oversite board and Chief Executive Leadership.
REQUIREMENTS
This is a competitive vacancy announcement advertised under Direct Hire Authority. Selections made under this vacancy announcement will be processed as new appointments to the civil service. Current civil service employees would therefore be given new appointments to the civil service; however, benefits, time served, and all other Federal entitlements would remain the same.
This is a designated position covered by Public Law 101-630, requiring contact or control over Indian children. Due to this requirement, the agency must ensure that persons hired for these positions have not been found guilty of or pleaded nolo contendere or guilty to certain crimes.
IHS Selectees that will work in an IHS health care facility may be subject to Employee Health Policies related to Measles and Rubella, and seasonal influenza immunizations. Vaccine exemption requests may be available according to the National and/or Service Unit guidance.
The selected individual is required to obtain and maintain medical staff clinical privileges, including any licensure requirements. If privileges are not obtained or maintained during employment, the employee will be subject to adverse actions, up to and including removal from Federal service.
On-call hours or standby duty may be required.
Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit www.dhs.gov/E-Verify/.
You will need to set up direct deposit so we can pay you.
A one-year supervisory/managerial probationary period may be required upon selection/placement.
Confidential Financial Disclosure Form required.
Selectee may be subject to a probationary period
U.S. Citizenship is required
Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
Background Investigation Requirement:
This position requires the successful completion of a federal background investigation as a condition of employment.
A background investigation is a standard process used by the Federal Government to verify an individual's identity, employment history, education, and other relevant information to determine suitability for Federal service.
Upon receipt of instructions, applicants must complete all required background investigation forms within five (5) calendar days of issuance. Timely completion is critical to avoid delays in processing or a determination of unsuitability.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to prioritize this requirement and to maintain regular communication with their assigned Personnel Security Specialist throughout the process.
Financial Suitability Requirement:
This position requires a review of the applicant's financial history as part of the personnel security and suitability determination. Applicants must demonstrate financial responsibility, maintain good standing with creditors, and satisfy all legal financial obligations prior to applying.
Individuals with substantial delinquent or unresolved financial obligations-including, but not limited to, delinquent federal or state tax liabilities, defaulted federal student loans, court-ordered fines or fees, or child support arrears-may be deemed unsuitable for employment with the Indian Health Service (IHS).
Prior to the appointment, candidates must present two valid forms of identification. If one of the documents is a state-issued ID or driver's license, it must be REAL ID-compliant.
To qualify for this position, your resume must state sufficient experience and/or education, to perform the duties of the specific position for which you are applying.
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; religious; spiritual; community; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer and part time experience. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week.
BASIC REQUIREMENT(S):
Degree: Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine or equivalent from a school in the United States or Canada. This degree must have been accredited by the Council on Medical Education of the American Medical Association; Association of American Medical Colleges; Liaison Committee on Medical Education; Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation of the American Osteopathic Association, or an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained.
Degree from Foreign Medical School: A Doctor of Medicine or equivalent degree from a foreign medical school must provide education and medical knowledge equivalent to accredited schools in the United States. Evidence of equivalency to accredited schools in the United States is demonstrated by permanent certification by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates, a fifth pathway certificate for Americans who completed premedical education in the United States and graduate education in a foreign country, or successful completion of the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination.
Licensure: For all grade levels and positions, applicants must possess a current, active, full, and unrestricted license or registration as a Physician from a State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States.
Graduate Training: Subsequent to obtaining a Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree, a candidate must have had at least 1 year of supervised experience providing direct service in a clinical setting, i.e., a 1-year internship or the first year of a residency program in a hospital or an institution accredited for such training. For purposes of this standard, graduate training programs include only those internship, residency, and fellowship programs that are approved by accrediting bodies recognized within the United States or Canada. Descriptions of such programs are described below.
- An internship program involves broadly based clinical practice in which physicians acquire experience in treating a variety of medical problems under supervision (e.g., internal medicine, surgery, general practice, obstetrics-gynecology, and pediatrics). Such programs are in hospitals or other institutions accredited for internship training by a recognized body of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).
- A residency program involves training in a specialized field of medicine in a hospital or an institution accredited for training in the specialty by a recognized body of the American Medical Association, (AMA) or Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).
- A fellowship program involves advanced training (beyond residency training) in a given medical specialty in either a clinical or research setting in a hospital or an institution accredited in the United States for such training.
In addition, to the Basic Requirements, you must also meet the Minimum Qualifications stated below-
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Your resume must demonstrate at least five (5) years of specialized experience and/or completion of a residency program in either the private or public sector performing the following type of work and/or tasks:
GS-15: 5 years of graduate training in the specialty of the position to be filled or equivalent experience and training.
(
Completed graduate training and experience can be combined to meet the five (5) year minimum qualification.)
*Board Certification Preferred, not required.
You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement.
This position has an education requirement. You are strongly encouraged to submit a copy of your transcripts or a list of your courses including titles, credit hours completed, and grades. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application package. Official transcripts will be required from all selectees prior to receiving an official offer.
Only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education may be credited. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: https://www.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
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 CompetencyBased 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. (https://appsupport-usastaffing.opm.gov/hc/en-us/sections/45063131363475-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information)
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. IHS may offer newly-appointed Federal employees credit for their directly related previous non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave.
Recruitment or relocation incentives may be authorized. At least a 6 month service agreement will be required.
The Indian Health Service (IHS), National Health Service Corps (NHSC), and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) have student loan repayment programs for qualifying health disciplines. This is a competitive process separate from the hiring process. Opportunities for LRP are based on agency hiring priorities and availability of funds. For additional information please visit:
For IHS - http://www.ihs.gov/loanrepayment/
For NHSC - https://nhsc.hrsa.gov/loanrepayment/
For HRSA Nurse Corps - https://bhw.hrsa.gov/loansscholarships/nursecorps
You will be evaluated for this position in accordance with the OPM Merit Hiring Plan.
As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide short essay responses (200 words or less each) to the following four questions.
- How has your commitment to the Constitution and the founding principles of the United States inspired you to pursue this role within the Federal government?
- In this role, how would you use your skills and experience to improve government efficiency and effectiveness?
- How would you help advance the President's Executive Orders and policy priorities in this role?
- How has a strong work ethic contributed to your professional, academic or personal achievements?
- Your responses are optional and will not be scored.
- However, they may be reviewed by hiring managers and agency leadership (or designees) during the evaluation process.
- You will be asked to certify that your responses are written in your own words and that you did not use a consultant or artificial intelligence (AI) tool (such as ChatGPT or Copilot).
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.
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.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
For more information, visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center.
You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.
You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):
- Administration and Management
-
Clinical Care
-
Decision Making
-
Quality Assurance
Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.
To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12961188
- Administration and Management
-
Clinical Care
-
Decision Making
-
Quality Assurance
Additional selections may be made for similar positions across the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) within the local commuting area(s) of the location identified in this announcement. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with interested selecting official(s) at HHS. Clearance of CTAP/ICTAP will be applied for similar positions across HHS. This position will be filled through the Office of Personnel Management's Direct Hire Authority. Category rating and Veterans' Preference will not be considered in evaluating applicants. For more information on Direct Hire Authority, please see OPM Direct Hire Fact Sheet. Your application (resume and supporting documentation) will be evaluated to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications required as listed on the announcement under qualification requirements. To be considered well qualified for the purposes of the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) and the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), you must substantively exceed the basic qualifications and meet all eligibility, physical, medical, suitability, and any other requirements.
All documents above MUST be received by 11:59 (Eastern Standard Time) of the closing date of 08/07/2026, to be considered.
Resume: You are highly encouraged to visit the USAJOBS Help Center before submitting a resume. USAJOBS Help Center - Update your resume now so it meets new resume requirements
Required as applicable for the purposes of specific eligibility and appointment claim(s), and position requirements:
- Indian Preference Applicants: If claiming Indian preference, applicants must provide a completed copy of the Form BIA-4432, "Verification of Indian Preference for Employment in the BIA and IHS Only." Indian preference will not be given unless a properly signed and dated form is submitted with your application, including any verification by an authorized Tribal Representative or BIA Official of tribal enrollment records. For detailed instructions, see form BIA-4432. Refer to BIA-4432 link: https://www.bia.gov/sites/default/files/media_document/1076-0160_indian-pref_expires-04.30.25_508.pdf.
- Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): If you are claiming CTAP/ICTAP, follow the instructions below: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/ctap_guideline.pdf.
- Transcripts: You are encouraged to submit copies of transcripts (official or unofficial) although not required at the time of application. You must list your courses including titles, credit hours completed, and grades. Official transcripts will be required after tentative selection and prior to issuing an official job offer.
- Licensure, Certifications: Applicants should list their license/certifications on their resume, along with the expiration date, if applicable. Certification of licensure/certification will be required after tentative selection and prior to issuing an official job offer.
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:
- Click the Apply Online button.
- Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
- Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
- If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
- Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
- Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
- Set aside about two (2) hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.
- Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.
Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us.
To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
To view the announcement status or your application status: Visit https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/howto/application/status/. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.
For additional questions please see our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) found here: http://www.ihs.gov/jobs/index.cfm?module=search&option=faq.
Joyce Pretty Weasel
Address
Pine Ridge Service Unit
PO Box 1201
E Hwy 18
Pine Ridge, SD 57770
US
Stay Updated with Text Alerts
You can choose to receive text message notifications about your application status. To enable this feature:
- Log in to your USAJOBS account.
- Go to your Account Settings and select Notification Preferences.
- Check the option to receive SMS/Text Messages.
Text message updates are optional and provided in addition to email notifications. Standard messaging rates may apply.
You can track the progress of your application package via your USAJOBS account. You will receive an acknowledgement from USAJOBS that your submission was successful once we have received your on-line eligibility questionnaire, resume, and any supporting documentation. You will be notified of the status of your application via your USAJOBS Account after we conduct a qualification review of your complete application package. You will be contacted if further evaluation or interviews are required. Any exaggeration of your experience, false statements, or attempt to conceal information may disqualify you for employment consideration. We may verify all information you provide in your resume and questionnaire responses, through reference and/or background check, and/or verification of your education. If you are selected, you will be contacted personally by the human resources office posting this announcement.
If all required documentation is not submitted with your application you will lose consideration. It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that information and documents entered, uploaded, or faxed are received, legible and accurate.
Accepting applications
Posted this week · Apply by 08/07/26
Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on August 7, 2026
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
No matching locations found.
Work site options
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$300,000 - $400,000 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 15
Learn more about pay scale and grade
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Travel Required
Not required
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Financial disclosure required
No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
IHS-26-GPA -12961188-DHA
