This position is located in the Vocational Readiness and Employment (VR&E) Division of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA).The position supervises VR&E staff and is responsible for the administration and workflow of the division. The incumbent exercises technical and oversight responsibility for subordinate employees for the VR&E Division.

Duties

Major Duties of this position are, but not limited to: Serves as a first level supervisor for the VR&E personnel located at the Regional Office or out based facility, providing advice and guidance on unusual or unprecedented problems. The work supervised is vital to the processes through which VBA directly serves the public. Responsible for interviewing and recommending selection of employees to the VR&E Officer. Is also responsible for training and monitoring performance of employees within the unit. Prepares performance ratings, assist on preparing division reports, resolves disciplinary and performance problems, and assesses the ongoing training needs of the employees supervised at the out based locations. Reviews and provides consultation and supervision regarding the most difficult cases, using expertise, training, and experience beyond the journeyman level of line VR&E Counselors. This also includes broad expertise of divisional operations to provide supervision and management of the Employment Coordinator and Program Specialist positions. Provides quality assurance, contributing to the development of reports, such as Strategic Oversight and Analysis Review (SOAR) quarterly reports, congressional and AVA inquiries and white papers. The SVRC is supervised and accountable to the VR&E Officer, with consultation of the Assistant VR&E Officer. Collects data and prepares accurate reports and analysis as required by the VR&E Officer, including systematic analysis of operations (SAO's) and reports on special projects. Identifies and recommends to the VR&E Officer changes needed for improvement of operations or service and acts as directed. The incumbent prepares a budget for travel funds for employees under their supervision and monitors the use of travel funds. Provides technical support and supervision as needed for accomplishing the work of the unit. Analyzes, interprets, and managerially enforces the application of laws, regulations, and rules as they affect policies, procedures and methods of operations. Also performs administrative and personnel management functions relative to staff supervised as directed. Compressed/Flexible Schedule: Monday - Friday Telework: Available, per agency guidelines. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description Title/PD#: Supervisory Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor/ 039814A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Physical Requirements: The work normally involves mental rather than physical exertion. Bargaining Unit Position: This is NOT a bargaining unit position. Financial Disclosure Report: This position Requires a Financial Disclosure.

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Designated and/or random drug testing may be required
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• You may be required to serve a probationary and/or supervisory period
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 06/20/2024. 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. BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT: 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. NON QUALIFYING EXPERIENCE: Vocational rehabilitation experience obtained prior to completion of the requirements for the Master's degree is not qualifying. There is no substitution of work experience for the basic educational requirement. Substitution of work experience only applies to the internship requirement. It does not replace or substitute the basic educational requirement of a Master's degree. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: GS-13 Specialized Experience at the GS-13: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade, GS-12 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is defined as 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 veteran concerns). Experience in training; and understanding and clearly explaining to veterans, the benefits, and services available through the VR&E program. Or Education: There is no education substitute at this grade level Supervised Internship - you must describe the duties and responsibilities performed during your supervised internship. Include the dates of the internship(s), where the internship(s) was performed, number of hours completed, and the name/title/phone number of the individual that supervised your internship. 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. 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: The work is mostly sedentary in an office setting. 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/.

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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address Columbia Regional Benefit Office 6437 Garners Ferry Rd Columbia, SC 29209 US
• Name: Sheneka Mustipher
• Email: [email protected]