Duties
Major duties include, but are not limited to:
- Providing information, explanation of services, support, and connection to a variety of individuals of various educational, environmental, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds, regarding benefits and eligibility to VHA, RCS, Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) and the National Cemetery Administration (NCA).
- Developing, managing, and distributing outreach materials to include brochures, presentations, flyers, fact sheets, web content, and other targeted information which highlights Vet Center services and locations as well as the combat Veteran experience.
- Creating presentations and materials with information in the appropriate format to allow the Veteran and/or Service Members, their families and representatives to understand the information they are receiving.
- Serving as a community liaison representing the Vet Center with organizations to include but not limited to Veterans Service Organizations, community groups, and others whose interest is in helping and protecting Veterans, their families, and their representatives.
- Collaborating closely with Vet Center direct service providers, helps initiate client referrals, and follows up to ensure client needs are being met timely.
- Collaborating, participating in the planning, coordinating, and executing of a variety of outreach events.
- Preparing documentation of contacts, client visits, and administrative activities in accordance with program guidelines and policies.
- Driving either a Government Owned Vehicle (GOV) or a Mobile Vet Center Mobile Vet Center to perform outreach services on a daily basis. Each Mobile Vet Center may be up to 40 feet long.
- Setting up and closing the Mobile Vet Center for operation, i.e., leveling the Mobile Vet Center, checking communications systems, electrical systems, etc.
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday
, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm. Some nights and weekends may be required to meet mission.
Telework: Not available.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Veteran Outreach Program Specialist/76029A
Requirements
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
- You may be required to serve a probationary/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 (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
CTAP is designed to improve your chances of finding a new job in your agency through selection priority.
To receive selection priority, you must:
- Be "surplus" or "displaced";
- Have a current performance rating of at least "fully successful" (Level III) or equivalent;
- Occupy a position in the same local commuting area of the vacancy;
- Apply for a specific vacancy at or below your current grade level with no greater promotion potential than your current position;
- Meet the application deadline in the announcement; and
- Be found "well qualified" for the job.
You are "surplus" if you:
- Are in the competitive service;
- Are in tenure group I (career) or tenure group II (career-conditional); and
- Have an official notice from your agency saying that your position is no longer needed. This notice could be:
- a "Certificate of Expected Separation" (CES);
- an agency certification that you are in a surplus organization or occupation;
- a notice that your position is being abolished; or
- a letter saying you are eligible for discontinued service retirement.
You are "displaced" if you:
- Are in the competitive service;
- Are in tenure group I (career) or tenure group II (career-conditional); and
- Have an official notice from your agency saying you will be separated by reduction in force. This notice could be:
- a specific reduction in force separation notice; or
- a notice of proposed removal because you declined a directed reassignment or transfer of function out of the local commuting area.
You are generally NOT eligible for selection priority if you are:
- In the excepted service;
- Downgraded or reassigned due to reduction in force, but not separated;
- In a different local commuting area from the vacancy;
- In a temporary or term position in the competitive service;
- In an agency that is not in the Executive branch;
- In an agency that does not follow OPM hiring procedures (this includes Postal Service, legislative and judicial branch agencies); or
- In the Senior Executive Service (SES).
For additional information on CTAP, see
https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/ctap_guideline.pdf.
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 08/29/2025.
This position requires a valid state driver's license.
You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:
- Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-9 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:
- Working within the community, developing, planning, scheduling, and conducting outreach events, and referral processes.
- Creating and presenting formal briefings to a variety of individuals with various education, environmental, ethics and cultural backgrounds.
- Developing, managing, and distributing outreach materials to include brochures, presentations, flyers, fact sheets, web content, and other targeted information which highlights services and locations.
- Preparing and maintaining records including documentation of contacts, clients visits and administrative activities in accordance with program guidelines and polices.
- Preparing and providing accurate reports and cursory analysis on outreach data as assigned in accordance with program requirements.
OR,
- Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have Ph.D. or equivalent degree OR (3) full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree OR LL.M., if related.
OR,
- Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education beyond graduate level.
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.
Note:
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.
Physical Requirements: An elevated level of physical energy is necessary as the incumbent is expected to meet with many people in the course of a workday. The incumbent is responsible for driving a GOV or MVC to mobile work site, setting up the work site to meet clients-GOV may entail setting up furniture (chairs and small table), lifting boxes with literature (Vet Center pamphlets, community resources or VA programs), and establishing computer access (via laptop or other government owned equipment) to present outreach services for a given day or outreach event. Driving the MVC requires incumbent to use moderate physical effort in operating hand and foot controls. Occasionally incumbent handles objects weighing up to 50 pounds (23 kilograms) while loading and unloading the MVC work site.
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/
Education
A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.
Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.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/.
Benefits
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Review our benefits
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
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.
Narrative 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.
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.
For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.
Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.
It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.
Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.
How to Apply
All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 08/29/2025 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12789480.
- To begin, click Apply Online to create a USA JOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
- Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.
NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
The
Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be
well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at
http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.
During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.
Next steps
Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.
You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center.
NOTE: Participation in the seasonal influenza program is a condition of employment and a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). It is a requirement that all HCP to receive annual seasonal influenza vaccination or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons. Wearing a face mask is required when an exemption to the influenza vaccination has been granted. HCP in violation of this directive may face disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service. HCP are individuals who, during the influenza season, work in VHA locations or who come into contact with VA patients or other HCP as part of their duties. VHA locations include, but are not limited to, VA hospitals and associated clinics, community living centers (CLCs), community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), domiciliary units, Vet centers and VA-leased medical facilities. HCP include all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrative, remote and onsite, paid and without compensation, full- and part-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, researchers, volunteers and health professions trainees (HPTs) who are expected to perform any or all of their work at these facilities. HPTs may be paid or unpaid and include residents, interns, fellows and students. HCP also includes VHA personnel providing home-based care to Veterans and drivers and other personnel whose duties put them in contact with patients outside VA medical facilities.