Clarification from the agency

This vacancy announcement is open ONLY to current, permanent Montgomery, AL VBA Regional Office employees and current/former VA employees who are CTAP eligible. For the purpose of this job announcement, Fiduciary Hub bargaining unit employees in the commuting area are considered facility employees.

The primary duties of this position include but are not limited to:

• Serves as first-line supervisor for professional VR&E counseling and other VR&E staff, as assigned and based in the Montgomery RO VR&E jurisdictional area. Serve as an alternate to the division AVREO in their absence.
• Manages and assesses professional employee and other staff performance, as assigned.
• Makes decisions on inquiries or issues presented by subordinate VR&E professional and other employees, consults, and advises the division level management staff, and assesses the impact on the VR&E program.
• Assists the division level management in the process of understanding, implementing, and monitoring a management system of work measurement, program evaluation, accountability, and a management information reporting system as it applies to VR&E.
• Interviews candidates for employment and internal merit promotion, keeping meticulous records of scoring on records review, the written portion of interviews, oral interviews, etc. in compliance with federal and VA Human Resource policies.
• Recommends performance, special contribution, and other awards for subordinate employees, providing full justification in the package.
• Takes appropriate disciplinary action when warranted, carefully adhering to agency, local procedure, and legal requirement for doing so, consulting with senior management and Human Resources/Labor Management Relations, and Union national and local agreements (for bargaining unit employees), as applicable.
• Responsible for handling employee and Veteran, Service Member, or dependent complaints, inquiries, and grievances and brings them to successful resolution. Only those which cannot be resolved within the authority of the Supervisory VRC are referred to the AVREO.
• Serves as a VR&E leave approving official for Montgomery RO VR&E professional and other staff as assigned/delegated.
• Makes recommendations to the division level management in planning and implementing the VR&E professional and other staff development training program for Montgomery RO VR&E division.
• Serves as the master subject matter expert in the areas of VR&E case management and processes for the VR&E professional staff and administrative staff.
• Provides general guidance to employees on work-related matters in accordance with established regulations, policies, procedures, and practices. Assists with the staffing of difficult cases with the Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors (VRCs) and other staff.
• Identifies problems with work, adjusting as needed to keep the cases moving and ensure accurate, successful rehabilitation scenarios.
• Ensures that caseloads and workloads are appropriately balanced among the professional staff and other subordinate staff, as assigned.
• Provides extensive training to incoming and current VRCs and staff assigned to Montgomery RO VR&E. Evaluates training needs of all existing professional staff and conducts refresher training, training on new technology/processes, and makes decisions on mission related training scenarios for individual employees.
• Reviews VR&E program participant physical and electronic records to ensure compliance with regulations and procedures, and to promote among staff members high quality of performance in entitlement determinations, evaluation, planning, case management, and rehabilitation and placement services.
• Responsible for carrying out quality assurance reviews and training for assigned VR&E professional and other staff on a regular and recurring basis and for conducting other reviews as needed. In addition, they will help to support the quality assurance integrity of the division.
• Responsible to the VR&E division for supporting and conducting systematic analysis of operations in area of program review. Is responsible for identifying and correcting deficiencies recognized through systematic analysis and for using the information to make improvements and streamline processes.
• As directed by the Director's Office or division level management as assigned, conducts formal fact-finding inquiries/investigations surrounding employee issues and questionable work scenarios. Provides written narrative reports on investigative findings that are used by RO and/or division level management, to make decisions on these issues.
• Takes measures, within Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) guidelines, to mitigate negative impact on the mission, with concurrence of division level management.

Promotion Potential: The full performance level of this position is GS - 13.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
Compressed/Flexible: Not Available
Telework: Ad-hoc telework may be authorized as determined by the agency policy.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description Title/PD#: Supervisory Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor; 39814A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required
Bargaining Unit: No

Conditions of employment

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness & whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• Your performance and conduct;
• The needs and interests of the agency;
• Whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• Whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period or trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Additional Conditions of Employment are as follows:

• 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 or trial period
• 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 I-9 Acceptable Documents.
• Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.

Qualifications

1. TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENT: As a current Federal, GS employee you must 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 level.
• If you are a current VBA employee requesting a reassignment or change to lower grade via this vacancy announcement, you must currently hold the GS-13 (or higher) and the promotion potential of your current position must be at least GS-13.

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 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.

2. BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT:To be eligible for this position, candidates must meet the following basic requirements:

Satisfactory completion in an accredited college or university of all the requirements for a Master's degree in rehabilitation counseling, including an internship; or a Master's degree in counseling psychology or a related field, including at least 30 semester hours of course work in such areas as foundations of rehabilitation counseling, human growth and development, counseling theories and techniques, vocational assessment, career development, job placement, case management, and medical/psycho-social aspects of disability. Total graduate study must have included or been supplemented by a supervised internship. For Master's degree programs without a supervised internship/practicum, substitution is allowed for successful professional experience following completion of the Master's degree. Experience suitable for substitution must be one full year in direct delivery of vocational rehabilitation services to adults with disabilities in rehabilitation programs, other than those in correctional facilities. The experience or internship/practicum must have been supervised by a professional in vocational rehabilitation or a closely related professional field that typically has oversight for vocational rehabilitation programs.

Grandfathering Provision: VRCs employed in VBA on the effective date, July 28, 2023, of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including certifications that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements in this standard but met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed, the following provisions apply:

1. VRCs who are grandfathered into the GS-0101 occupational series may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance level of a career ladder or changed to a lower grade within the occupation or placed in a supervisory or managerial position.
2. VRCs who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of this qualification standard may not be extended or reappointed on a temporary or permanent basis until they fully meet the basic requirements of this standard.
3. If VRCs who are grandfathered under this provision leave the occupation, they lose protected status and must meet the full qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re-entry to the occupation.

Reference: Additional information on the qualification requirements for this position can be located on the OCHCO VA Qualifications Standards website found here.

GS 13 Level Specialized Experience:
Applicants must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-12). Specialized experience is defined as one (1) full year of performance of technical assignments affecting the entire field of VA's Veteran Readiness & Employment (VR&E) division. Your resume/application must support your response. To meet the specialized experience, your resume should reflect:

• Experience in conducting assessments of veterans' employability.
• Involvement in the development of appropriate vocational goals and subsequent objectives outlined in rehabilitation plans.
• Providing case management services to veterans while pursuing their rehabilitation plans (e.g. personal contact regarding achievement of vocational goals, referral for medical or ancillary services, and responding efficiently to veterans concerns);
• Experience in training; and understanding and clearly explaining to veterans, the benefits, and services available through the VR&E program.

Supervisory/Managerial Abilities:

• Candidates must also demonstrate experience or training they possess, or have the potential to develop, the qualities of successful supervision as follows:
• Assign to and review work of subordinates, train and work effectively with subordinates from a variety of backgrounds and with different levels/areas of training;
• Accomplish the quality and quantity of work expected within set limits of cost and time;
• Plan own work and carry out assignments effectively;
• Communicate with others effectively both orally and in writing in working solutions to problems or questions relating to the work;
• Understand and further management goals as these affect day-to-day work operations; AND
• Develop improvements on, or design new work methods and procedures.

Volunteer 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; religious; 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.

Full vs. Part-Time Employment: Full-time employment is considered to be at least 35 hours per week. Part-time experience will be credited on a pro-rated basis. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

Physical Requirements: The position is primarily in an office setting. Some travel may be necessary on occasion for training, meetings, or customer interactions.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at http://://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

How you will be evaluated

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

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. 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):

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/12972247Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete application package to include the documents detailed below.
Failure to submit the required documents may result in your application being considered incomplete and you being deemed ineligible. It is your responsibility to ensure your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. We will not request additional documentation or accept late or missing documents after the announcement has closed.

• Resume, limited to 2-pages, detailing specialized experience and competencies as they relate to this position.
  • For each position in your resume, you must specify the start and end dates (month/year) and a description of duties. If the position was Federal, you must also indicate the grade level. Resumes containing a general summary of all positions held, not specifying start/end dates, and/or not including Federal grade level(s) are insufficient to determine basic qualifications.
• Transcript reflecting your master's degree in Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling (or related degree).
  • Your transcript must show coursework and the total number of credits earned to include graduation date and degree. A diploma is NOT sufficient to determine qualifications.
• Your most recent NON-AWARD SF-50. The SF-50 must indicate proof of status and should identify your position title, series, grade, step, salary, tenure, and type of service (Competitive or Excepted).
• Your SF-50 reflecting when you entered your highest grade (e.g., Promotion, Appointment, etc.) in order to verify time-in-grade requirements.

Additional Documents accepted:

• Most recent Performance Appraisal (VA Form 0750)
• Award SF-50s
• CTAP documentation - RIF notice, SF-50 showing VA employee, and performance appraisal.

Please use this checklist to 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 VA employees). You will not be contacted for additional information.

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