Employment Specialist

Summary The incumbent will serve as a triage team member to help disabled veterans make an informed choice regarding the appropriate employment track that best meets their needs with the understanding that veterans can move between tracks.

Responsibilities The employment coordinator will also coordinate and/or perform the evaluation/assessment of rapid access to employment - employment needs (Pre-employment Job Readiness Evaluation) including: resume preparation, interviewing assistance, career search activities, discussion of disability and related accommodations, assistive technology needs, labor market information, re-employment information, assistance, and/or referral and self-directed job search via networking and electronic databases.

Major duties include, but are not limited to:
Markets to employers based on vocational goals of the job-ready disabled veterans.

Markets and provides special employer incentives such as on-the-job training, non-paid work experience, special employer incentives, and available tax information.

Coordinates employment readiness classes for veterans ready to go to work but lacking important traits in employment readiness. Maintains and promotes a positive image of the VR&E program through active networking and ongoing contacts with employers. Offers direction to employers regarding reasonable accommodation and rehabilitation technology accommodations.

Disseminates labor market information to assist counselors and veterans with "informed choice." Provides Employment Services Performance Data for local office.

Maintains and continually updates a database of job-ready disabled veterans (incorporate Corporate WINRS tracking system). Assists veterans with job networking, development, and placement. Develops partnerships with employers and other agencies to assist veterans with employment services (e.g. - the Department of Labor, Small Business Administration, local and state agencies, and private sector businesses and employment services). Assists counselors with employment follow-up according to regulatory requirements.

Coordinates efforts to develop job clubs, job labs, or job readiness resource rooms for use by veterans in job readiness preparation and self-directed job search.

Maintains records of employment activities through case notes in Corporate WINRS.

Markets to and becomes initial "point of contact" for employers who need assistance with return-to-work cases of disabled veterans whose job is affected by disability.

Other duties as assigned.

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 grade progression for this position is GS-9, GS-11, GS 12.

Work Schedule:
Full time, Monday through Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm Compressed/Flexible:

Not Available Telework:
Yes - as determined by the agency policy Virtual: This is not a virtual position

Position Description/PD#:
Employment Specialist; PD01623A, PD11623-A, and PD31623-A Relocation/

Recruitment Incentives:

Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report:

Not Required Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement:07/05/2024.

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.

For a GS-9 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7 level. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09. For a GS-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11. 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.


NOTE:
To verify you meet Time-in-Grade requirements, also submit a SF-50 reflecting when you entered your highest grade held (e.g., Promotion, Appointment, Within Grade Increase)

MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT:
You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: GS-09

Grade Level:

Specialized Experience:

Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least grade the next lower grade (GS-07) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

Specialized experience is defined as experience involving job networking, development and/or placement and employment assistance to various groups of individuals.

The experience may have been gained in the federal, military, or private sector.

Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:
Recruiting for/placing candidates for a hiring firm or large corporations. Employment assistance duties for a non-profit or community organizations. Human Resources experience in staffing, employee relations or reemployment assistance.

OR Education Substitution:

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 Combining Education and Experience:

Combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements for the grade levels specified in the table, and may be computed by first determining the applicant's total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level; then determining the applicant's education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level; and then adding the two percentages.

The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for that grade level. Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be used to qualify applicants for positions at grades GS-9 GS-11

Grade Level:

Specialized Experience:

Applicants must have one 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 is defined as experience working with individuals with disabilities and providing individuals with work experiences, internships, or volunteer experiences related to overall employment goal.

The experience may have been gained in the federal, military, or private sector.

Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:
Employment assistance duties for state or federal vocational rehabilitation offices. Account management/liaison for staffing or employment firms in the public or private sector. Federal Human Resources experience in staffing, employee relations or reemployment assistance.

OR Education Substitution:
Ph.
D.

or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M.

, if related OR Combining Education and Experience:

Combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements for the grade levels specified in the table, and may be computed by first determining the applicant's total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level; then determining the applicant's education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level; and then adding the two percentages.

The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for that grade level.

Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be used to qualify applicants for positions at grades GS- 11.

NOTE:
ALL TRANSCRIPTS MUST HAVE A CONFERRED DATE GS-12

Grade Level:

Specialized Experience:

Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-11) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

Direct delivery of vocational rehabilitation services to adults with disabilities in rehabilitation programs, other than those in correctional facilities.

Specialized experience is defined as experience involving coordination of federal, private and public hiring authorities, working with veterans with disabilities to access veteran's employment goals and aligning them to the employment track that best meets their needs.

The experience may have been gained in the federal, military, or private sector.

Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:

Human Resources experience in the Department of Veterans Affairs or Veterans Service Organization that involves staffing and/or employment law.

Employment coordination duties for private, public or government entities that involve coordinating targeted outreach at various career fairs, jobs clubs, and/or job labs.

Education:
There is no education substitution at the GS-12 grade level.

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:
Full vs

Part-Time Employment:
Full-time employment is considered to be at least 35 hours per week.

Part-time experience will be credited on a pro-rated basis; when including part-time employment in your resume you must specify the average hours worked per week.

Physical Requirements:

The purpose of the contacts is to serve as an advocate for the employment of job-ready disabled veterans, influence potential employers to hire job-ready disabled veterans, assist qualified veterans in obtaining and retaining suitable employment, conduct work-site analysis to ensure work area is conducive to the.

job-ready disabled veteran or encourage the employer to implement "reasonable accommodations", and assist case managers with the development of potential job alternative for job ready disabled veterans.

The employee may encounter resistance due to organizational conflict with other VR&E staff, competing resources, or employers who may have doubts about the value of hiring disabled veterans and about the Employment Coordinator as a workforce consultant.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at 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 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.

If you are unable to apply online view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.

---