Supervisory Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor

Summary This role is in the Veteran Readiness and Employment Division (VR&E). The incumbent will serve as Supervisory Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (VRC) for the VR&E Division in the Regional Office. The position supervises VR&E staff and is responsible for the administration and workflow of the division. The SVRC exercises technical and oversight responsibility for subordinate employees for the VR&E division. This role is not remote and requires regular in-person attendance at the Waco office. Responsibilities Specific duties include: The Supervisory Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (SVRC) duties include oversite of VRCs performing initial evaluations, transferable work skills analysis, employability assessments, entitlement determination, rehabilitation planning, problem-solving counseling, adjustment counseling, case documentation, and administration and interpretation of vocational testing when appropriate. Analyzes and interprets laws, regulations, and rules as they affect the establishment of new policies, procedures, and methods of operation. Gathers and interprets a wide range of data addressing service concerns. Further, they can recommend appropriate action based on the data. Interviews claimants in-person or over the telephone and to elicit information essential to resolve a concern or obtain necessary evidence so that a pending claim may be properly adjudicated. The SVRC is responsible for administrative actions affecting VR&E activity and provides advice, counsel, and instruction to individual employees on both technical and administrative matters. Responsible for personnel administration and actions (e.g., evaluates subordinates' performance, interviews, and makes recommendations for position appointments, promotions, or reassignments; hears and resolves employee and Veteran complaints, effects disciplinary measures, and identifies training needs). Incumbent is responsible for training and monitoring performance of employees within the unit; prepares performance ratings, resolves disciplinary and performance problems, and assesses the on-going training needs of the employees supervised. The SVRC plans work to be accomplished by subordinates, sets, and adjusts short-term priorities, and prepares schedules for completion of work; assigns work to subordinates based on priorities; gives advice, counsels, or instructions to employees on work matters; interviews candidates for positions in the unit; recommends awards or bonuses for staff employees. Incumbent will work with a team of Counseling Psychologists, Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors, Employment Coordinators, and Program Support Specialists. The SVRC recommends the use of overtime, training, and travel for attendance at meetings. Incumbent is responsible for furthering the goals of Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) by taking positive steps to assure the accomplishment of affirmative action objectives, and by adhering to nondiscriminatory employment practices regarding race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or handicap. Specifically, incumbent initiates nondiscriminatory practices and affirmative action for the area under his/her supervision in the following: (1) merit promotion of employees and recruitment and hiring of applicants; (2) fair treatment of all employees; (3) encouragement and recognition of employee achievements; (4) career development of employees; and (5) full utilization of their skills. The SVRC reviews case files for Quality Assurance, and contributes to the development of reports, including Strategic Oversight and Analysis Reviews (SOAR's), Quarterly Reports, Congressional and IRIS inquiries, White Papers, and other special projects. Ensures that performance goals related to timeliness, accuracy, cost, customer service, and employee development are met and takes action to help the organization achieve said goals. This includes assessment of office issues, client and organizational needs, directives, and ensuring that the quality, timeliness and cost-effectiveness of resources align with VBA expectations. The SVRC acts as a program consultant to federal and state rehabilitation agencies to coordinate services. The incumbent facilitates operations with major public and private universities, community colleges, and vocational/technical institutes in the state to resolve training issues. The incumbent may serve as technical representative in developing, awarding, implementing, and evaluating contracts to provide professional counseling, evaluation, case management, and employment services. Additional duties include coordinating intra and inter-state transfer of cases, and consulting with VR&E Officers throughout the field. Other additional duties as assigned. Promotion Potential: None - Position is at Full Promotion Level Work Schedule: Full time, Monday through Friday, 8am - 430pm Compressed/Flexible: Not Available Telework: Yes - 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. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Supervisory Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor; PD39814A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required Requirements Conditions of Employment As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-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 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. 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 Selectees are required to service a one-year supervisory probationary period if not previously completed in a Federal position. 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 To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement: 09/01/2026. 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. 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: The Supervisory Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor series requires that all applicants meet both the basic requirement per the Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR) AND the specialized experience described below: INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENTS (IOR): To qualify for the SVRC position, candidates must meet the following basic requirements: Degree: behavioral or social science; or related disciplines appropriate to the position. OR Combination of education and experience that provided the applicant with knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field. OR Four years of appropriate experience that demonstrated that the applicant has acquired knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade of GS-12 LEVEL: 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 veteran's 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, 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 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 in or design new work methods and procedures. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at Education A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to be credited towards qualifications. Provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. All education claimed by applicants will be verified upon appointment. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript to receive credit. Additional Information 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 (TJO). Please visit the Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP), va.gov/EMPLOYEE/docs/The-Fair-Chance-to-Compete-Act.pdf for more information. VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. 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 (have a final rating of 85 or more) for this vacancy. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at 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. It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document. 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 Competency Based 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.