Clarification from the agency

This position is open to current, permanent employees of the VISN 23 HR OWCP Department.

Time-Limited: This position is for a temporary promotion, not to exceed 1 year, may be extended up to 4 years. You may be returned at any time to the position from which you were temporarily promoted, or to a different position of equivalent grade or pay.

Major duties include but are not limited to:

• Serves as the VISN Subject Matter Expert on the Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA) servicing the employee's workers' compensation needs at all medical facilities within a Network Director's organizational and geographical scope of authority.
• Serves as a subject matter expert (SME) and is a liaison between the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Labor's Office of Workers Compensation Programs (OWCP) District Offices.
• Document outcomes and collaborate with subordinates to ensure corrective actions are implemented.
• Manage claim investigations and functions performed by subordinates and leaders.
• Establish and ensure standards and procedures for all matters relating to workers' compensation regulations, policies, procedures, goals, objectives, and strategies are implemented.
• Ensure locally developed policy complies with applicable laws and regulations as well as VA and VHA policy.
• Develop, recommend, and implement workers' compensation policies and procedures to include recommending and implementing goals and objectives pertaining to the program and its activities.
• Make recommendations and implement injury prevention strategies.
• Ensure all supervisors are provided with training opportunities for their roles and responsibilities related to the Workers' Compensation Program.
• Interface with physicians, attorneys, employees, and management staff to make recommendations regarding aspects of decisions related to workers' compensation cases.
• Supervise management of employee injury cases.
• Oversee the investigation of claims and develop strategies to handle specific cases in consultation with appropriate parties.
• Perform quality case review and regular consultation with subordinates on complex administrative cases, congressional correspondence, and other written program responses.
• Plan work to be accomplished by subordinates and prepare schedules for completion of work, assign work to subordinates and/or lead based on priorities and consideration of the difficulty and requirements of assignments and capabilities of employees.
• Develops, implements and monitors performance standards.
• Works with supervised employees to correct deficiencies and implements discipline procedures.
• Supervises assigned staff including selection, training, and evaluation of personnel and provides and coordinates staff training.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, Administrative Days
Telework: ADHOC-May be authorized (Employees who Telework on an occasional, episodic, or short-term, and have completed required telework training and telework agreement).
Position Description/PD#: Supervisory Human Resources Specialist - OWCP/PD99961S
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized

The VA Midwest Health Care Network advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being.

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
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 03/27/2026.

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-13 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-12. 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.

The BASIC REQUIREMENT for the HR Specialist GS-0201 series is presumed met if found qualified at the GS-0201-7 level and above.

To qualify for this position at the GS-13 level, you must meet one of the following listed Criteria:

Criteria 1- Graduate Degree and Specialized Experience: Successful completion of a graduate level degree or higher and three years of progressive specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level. Such experience may be gained in administrative, professional, technical or other responsible work positions in the public (i.e., Government or military) or private sector. Qualifying specialized experience includes: Knowledge of HR concepts, principles and practices related to the systematic process. Determining if products and services meet the specific quality assurance requirements. Knowledge of worker's compensation policies and procedures. Knowledge of Worker's Compensation Program case file reviews. ~OR~

Criteria 2- Specialized Experience: You must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in federal service that demonstrates HR management knowledge, concepts and principles and the performance of work in one or more of the HR specialty areas. Such experience may be gained in administrative, professional, technical or other responsible work positions in the public (i.e., Government or military) or private sector. Qualifying specialized experience includes: Provide oversight and compliance enforcement of a Workers' Compensation Program through quality assurance reviews and initiatives and case file review activities; Develop, recommend, and implement workers' compensation policies and procedures to include recommending and implementing goals and objectives pertaining to the program and its activities; Interface with physicians, attorneys, employees, and management staff to make recommendations regarding aspects of decisions related to workers' compensation cases; Represent a Workers' Compensation Program before external groups and agencies and appeal boards; and Establish and ensure standards and procedures for all matters relating to workers' compensation regulations, policies, procedures, goals, objectives, and strategies are implemented.

Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required. You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination. The regular and recurring work of the position involves sitting at a desk attending conferences and meets, and visiting work sites. Occasional use of automobile and public conveyances may be required. Requires occasional walking, standing, bending stooping, kneeling, twisting, reaching over shoulder height, and lifting (for example, case files approximately 10 pounds and supplies of approximately 25 pounds).

Work Environment: the regular and recurring work of the position is performed in a work environment that involves normal everyday low risks or discomforts typical of offices or commercial vehicles. The work areas are adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. Incumbent is frequently subjected to hostile/irrational employees (such as, physical threats, abusive language, yelling, etc.). The abusive behavior may require intervention from management and Police Service.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

• Communication
• Critical Thinking
• Performance Management
• Planning and Evaluating

Your experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. 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. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

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.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

• Resume
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action

The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please make sure you have included other documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), documentation to support Veterans Preference claims, or CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees). You will not be contacted for additional information.

• Cover Letter
• Performance Appraisal
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action (if applicable for Time in Grade and/or Eligibility):

• Most recent SF-50 if you are a current or former Federal employee
• An SF-50 showing 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
• Award 50's do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted for the purpose of verifying time-in-grade.
• Examples of appropriate SF-50's include:
  • Within grade increases at the highest grade held; or
  • Promotions with an effective date more than one year old; or
  • SF-50's at the highest grade held with an effective date more than one year old.

Next steps