This developmental position, located in the Equal Employment Opportunity Office at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center is a career ladder structure to the full performance level of Equal Employment Opportunity Specialist, GS-0260-11. Primary purpose of this position is to assist the EEO Manager in planning, development, implementation, evaluation and monitoring of the Affirmative Employment and Equal Employment Opportunity Programs in the VA Medical Center.

Duties

Major duties and responsibilities include but not limited to: Advise management on specific actions in support of affirmative actions and strategies for handling discrimination complaints. Provide guidance to MEDVAMC staff for coordination with the Office of Resolution Management and Administrative Judges for investigations and hearings. Provide advice and guidance during the post investigative stages, i.e., hearings, appeals, and compliance phases, for each formal complaint. Serve as technical expert for processing the following Federal conducted external complaints: Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Age Discrimination Act of 1975 and Executive Order 13166, Limited English Proficiency. Assist VHA Central Office Staff with processing the following complaints: Title IX, Title VI of Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Executive Order 13160. Assists with coordinating the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Program for the MEDVAMC. Provide MEDVAMC ADR program management oversight for processing cases and compliance with MEDVAMC ADR program procedures. Assists in ensuring the MEDVAMC maintains a diverse and inclusive work force. Conduct analyses on the utilization of minorities and women in the workplace, identifying obstacles and outlining alternative solutions to identified problems. Compile and analyze statistical data in order to evaluate progress of the EEO Program. Develop, implement, coordinate, review, monitor, evaluate, and update all plans associated with the EEO Program. Conduct periodic evaluations of the workforce to develop data that can be utilized in evaluating the effectiveness of the program. Serves as technical advisor to the facility's Special Emphasis Programs. Provide sound technical advice to management and employees or applicants regarding equal employment opportunity programs. Conduct EEO Training. 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. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm, subject to change based on the needs of the Agency. 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. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Equal Employment Opportunity Specialist/PD03937A and PD03938A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 01/08/2025. 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-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09. 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. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: To meet the minimum qualifications for this position at the GS-9 grade level: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-07 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Advising management in assigned organizations of routine requirements and of the goals established to enhance the employment opportunities of minorities, females, and underrepresented groups; Analysis of discrimination complaints, to include finalizing resolutions of complaints/disputes; Provides routine advice of discrimination complaints; Analyzes changes to regulations, policies, etc., for impact on EEO programs; Accurately identifies specific barriers that exist throughout the organization; Ensures that assigned equal employment opportunity programs meet requirements outlined in agency self-assessment guidance; Assists with developing and/or monitoring of proposals or plans related to the implementation of EEO Programs; and Provides conflict resolution services to employees. Note: This experience must experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a master's or equivalent graduate degree, or 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, or an LL.B. or J.D. in a field related to this position that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. 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 successfully completed graduate level education in excess of the first year or 18 semester hours and specialized experience. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. Experience must be clearly indicated in your resume. . To meet the minimum qualifications for this position at the GS-11 grade level: Specialized Experience: You must have one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-09 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience would typically include but are not limited to: Using working knowledge with federal, state, and local equal employment opportunity laws, regulations, and policies, such as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Age Discrimination in Employment Act(ADEA), and related legislation; diversity and inclusion principles, strategies, and best practices to create a welcoming and inclusive work environment that values and respects individual differences; conducting investigations into complaints of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation, and ensuring compliance with EEO laws and regulations which includes investigative techniques, interviewing skills, and documentation practices; develop and implement policies, procedures, and initiatives that promote equal opportunity, fair treatment, and diversity in recruitment, hiring, promotion, and other employment practices; designing and delivering training programs on EEO laws, employs diversity, and inclusion to employees and management, fostering awareness and promoting a culture of equal opportunity; collecting, analyzing, and interpreting EEO data, including workforce demographics, hiring statistics, and complaint trends. Note: This experience must experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, or an LL.M. in a field related to this position that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of successfully completed graduate level education (in excess of the first 2 years or 36 semester hours) and specialized experience to meet the total experience requirements. The education portion must include graduate courses that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. Experience must be clearly indicated in your resume. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Employee RelationsLabor LawManaging Diverse Workforce 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. 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/.

Contacts

• Address Michael E DeBakey VA Medical Center 2002 Holcombe Boulevard Houston, TX 77030 US
• Name: Susan Reynon
• Phone: (808) 726-0496
• Email: [email protected]