The Emergency Management Specialist functions as an exercise planner in the Department of Veterans Affairs' Office of Operations, Security and Preparedness (OSP)/ Office of Emergency Management (OEM)/ Planning, Exercise, Training, and Evaluation (PETE) Service. This position facilitates the coordination and execution of VA-wide exercise planning, development and execution.

Duties

The Planning, Exercise, Training, and Evaluation (PETE) Service coordinates the development of VA policies, plans, training, exercises, evaluations, education and research to ensure and demonstrate the Department's preparedness for the full range of emergency situations, including VA continuity of operations and continuity of government, emergency preparedness and response, Department of Defense contingency support, national security, and homeland security and to position the Department to enhance the Nation's preparedness and response to war, terrorism, national emergencies and natural disasters. Major duties and responsibilities include: Assists and otherwise supports VA personnel in the development of, and participation in, exercises at the VA Integrated Operations Center (VA IOC), national, state and local level Develops exercises to test VA Integrated Operations Center functional plans and standard operating procedures Develops, writes and coordinates Master Scenario Events List (MSEl.) items for national level exercises to affect the necessary level of participation and evaluation of VA elements in response to specific scenario driven events Assists in production of exercise work products (Exercise Plan, Controller & Evaluator Training, Scenario, Ground Truth, Master Scenario Events List (MSEL) Injects, Simulation Plan) based on player inputs (objectives) utilizing input from VA Administrations and Staff Offices Develops exercise guidance for both national and field level exercises to include exercise and scenario development, as well as execution of the exercise plan Functions as an exercise evaluator and/or controller, as required, to implement and observe exercises, evaluating performance against standards, and ascertaining the degree to which the exercise plan meets stated objectives Provides department level oversight of the exercise evaluation program to include evaluation of capabilities demonstrated during major internal and external exercises Manages the collection and analysis of evaluation data generated during assigned exercises Provides guidance to evaluation team members, often in multiple locations on evaluation methodology and procedures Oversees the development of exercise After Action Reports (AAR), evaluation standards, improvement implementation plan and ensures timely distribution of materials following exercise delivery Conducts special studies, predictive analysis, reviews, and projects of high priority interest Reviews and evaluates COOP exercise planning programs for effectiveness and integration with federal plans Work Schedule: Monday- Friday 8:00am to 4:30 pm. *During emergency situations may be required to remain available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week for multiple weeks. Telework: 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. Telework would be on an ad hoc basis only, determined by the needs of the service and supervisor approved. Virtual: This is not a virtual or remote position. Position Description/PD#: Emergency Management Specialist/PD82081A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not approved for this position Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

• 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 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, 11/25/2024. 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. 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. See the Required Document section below for more information regarding the SF-50s needed to verify time-in-grade. You may qualify based on your experience as described below: Specialized Experience: 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. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Applying the policies governing emergency management programs and operations; assisting with the execution of a comprehensive emergency management program; responding quickly to emergency situations; implementing a variety of emergency, contingency, and operations plans; applying basic data gathering methodologies to collect various types of information; using and managing database programs. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Emergency Management Technical competence Critical Thinking Technical Credibility Project Management 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 primarily sedentary, with some walking, standing, and carrying of light objects required. The specialist may participate in exercises or actual emergency situations, which could require adaptation to unusual environmental conditions. Some local and regional travel may be required. 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

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

Contacts

• Address Dep Asst Sec for Emergency Mgmt and Resilience 810 Vermont Ave NW Washington, DC 20402 US
• Name: Tamara Harrington
• Phone: 907-375-2133
• Email: [email protected]