Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist

Summary

The Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist (VRS) position is located within the Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) program. The VRS is responsible for the provision, supervision, and coordination of the rehabilitation services for Veterans or service members participating in various programs. The VRS is the coordinator of services and liaison between the service providers and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

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Duties

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• Provide case management services including coordination of all rehabilitation services, employment services, documentation of progress and adjustment, and maintenance of case records according to VA regulations.
• Provide training and supervision to contract service providers to ensure that the services rendered are appropriate and in accordance with accepted professional standards.
• Provide coordination of all rehabilitation services such as financial decisions, adjust rehabilitation plans, and coordinate employment services.
• Implement minor adjustments to rehabilitation plans, if necessary, for the Veteran to meet the goals of the original plan.
• Research resources and funding available in the community for consumers.
• Provide comprehensive employment and post-employment services which include assessing employability and assisting in the development of an employment assistance plan.
• Responsible for the provision, supervision, and coordination of the rehabilitation services for Veterans or service members participating in the various programs.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1 year or 2-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and 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, 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
• Required to attend an 8 week training session, which may require travel.
• 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 dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the cut-off date and/or closing date of this job opportunity announcement, 07/17/2026.

NOTE: Applicants must meet both the Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR) and the Specialized Experience as stated below.

Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR):

Education

Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study vocational rehabilitation, vocational or educational counseling, or other fields related to the position.

OR

Experience

Specialized Experience (for positions above GS-5): Examples of qualifying specialized experience include:

• Work that required obtaining and applying occupational information for people with disabilities, knowledge of the interrelationships of the involved professional and specialist services, and skill in employing the methodology and techniques of counseling to motivate and encourage individuals served by the program.
• Experience that demonstrated knowledge of the vocational rehabilitation problems characteristic of the disabled, including familiarity with available resources and skill in identifying, evaluating, and making effective use of such resources to serve individuals with disabilities; or of the disadvantaged, including knowledge of adjustment problems of the educationally or culturally disadvantaged, familiarity with available adult education and training resources, and ability to recognize problem areas needing special attention.
• Experience in vocational guidance or teaching in a recognized vocational rehabilitation program or school, developmental or supervisory work in programs of vocational rehabilitation or training programs for the disadvantaged, or personnel or employment placement work that provided extensive knowledge of the training and adjustment requirements necessary to place persons having disabilities or social adjustment problems.

In addition to the IOR applicants must possess specialized experience and/or education as described below:

Specialized Experience:

To qualify at the GS-09 grade level : Applicants must have one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-07) in the federal service or private sector. Specialized experience is work experience that equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) to successfully perform the duties of the position. Specialized experience for this position is defined as: Experience in rehabilitation, counseling, disability, therapy, health, employment, wellness or human development theory and principles; and experience in career development process and career development theory.

OR

Applicants may substitute education for experience to qualify at the GS-09 grade level. Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D., if related.

OR

Applicants may combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-09 grade level. Combination of specialized experience and education beyond 1 full year of graduate level education.

Note: 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 you document, to include volunteer experience.

Education

An unofficial or official copy of your transcripts 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:

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:

Additional information

This announcement is being recruited for the VBA Northeast District. Please see the list of locations above in the Overview section. Vacancies may be available and/or offered at additional Regional Offices or out-based locations.

Applicants can only apply to one location.

This is not a virtual or remote position. Relocation expenses are not approved for this vacancy. Applicants who apply and are selected for locations outside of their local commuting area are responsible for all costs associated with a move to the new official worksite.

Work Schedule : Regular office hours, Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM. Alternate work schedules may be available.

Physical Requirements: Some travel may be necessary on occasion for training, meetings or customer interactions.

Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. The full performance level of this position is grade GS-11.

Telework: This position is eligible for situational (ad hoc) telework only. The selectee is required to report to the official duty station each scheduled workday. Telework may be approved only on a case-by-case basis with supervisory approval. Routine or recurring telework is not authorized for this position.

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: 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. VA may offer newly appointed federal employees credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active-duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used to determine the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

Placement Policy: The posting of this job opportunity 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.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act , the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

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.

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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.

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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.