Clarification from the agency

This vacancy announcement is open ONLY to current permanent Columbia VBA Regional Office employees.

• Responsible for the propriety and technical sufficiency of Field Examination reports, final annual accountings, and correspondence to fiduciaries, and all other fiduciary related issues.
• Performs quality reviews of completed actions to monitor individual performance data for Fid Hub employees.
• Analyzes data that reflects quality levels to determine training needs of Fid Hub employees, from Field Examiners through clerical staff.
• Develops various quality assurance processes with emphasis on work procedures and techniques that address unique work conditions and practices.
• Ensures all program requirements imposed by VA Central Office Fiduciary Service are met or implemented.
• Performs quality reviews and develops local operating procedures for the team to supplement regulations and directives as needed.
• Functions as an authoritative consultant on the technical aspects of fiduciary activities.
• Provides management advisory services, including making planned, systematic studies of immediate and long-range training needs,
• Uses surveys, focus groups and similar tools to obtain feedback from employees, managers, and supervisors, on training effectiveness.
• Prepares the annual training plan and may prepare training outlines and lesson plans.
• Utilizes technology in carrying out training programs. Videotapes satellite training. Computer assisted programs and computer enhanced presentations are developed for use throughout the Hub.
• Develops methods for mentoring members of the team on the technical aspects of the job in a manner that addresses individual learning needs and effectively offers feedback to identify and correct deficient areas.
• Advises the Fiduciary Hub Manager/Supervisor on all aspects of technical training policies, planning, review, and research as related to the Instructional System Design (ISD) methodology and VBA developed training packages.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Mon - Fri 8:00am - 4:30pm
Compressed/Flexible: Available
Telework: Available
Position Description/PD#: Program Specialist - QRT / 41105A / 37120A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required

Conditions of employment

• 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
• Bargaining Unit Position: Yes

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 08/02/2023.

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. 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.

• For a GS-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11 or higher.
• For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09 or higher.

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: GS-11 Specialized Experience: You 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 knowledge of a complex field of laws, regulations and federal legislation pertaining to the full range of Veterans benefits, which should include the Fiduciary program. Examples of specialized experience would typically include:

• Experience that demonstrates competence in adjudicating and authorizing veterans' claims.
• Experience in the development, examination, investigation, adjudication, and authorization of claims for disability compensation, disability pension, death compensation, death pension benefits, life insurance benefits, etc.
• Experience in explaining VA benefits and eligibility requirements to a variety of customers.
• Training/Mentoring in investigation, adjudication, and authorization of claims for benefits or compensation.

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 LL.M., if related to the competencies.
OR
Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-11 level. Equivalent combinations of (1) specialized experience and (2) PH.D graduate education. To compute, divide your total months of qualifying experience by 12. Then divide your semester hours of graduate education beyond one year by 18. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100% to qualify. (The applicant's first 2 years of graduate study are not qualifying for GS-11.)

GS-12 Specialized Experience: Applicant must have one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level. In addition to the specialized experience needed at the GS-11 level, specialized experience is defined as work that involves functioning in either a capacity performing training, analyst or information systems duties of a benefits claims process. The experience should be substantive and relevant and may have been gained in the federal, military, or private sector. Examples of specialized experience may include but are not limited to the following:

• Conducting focused evaluations and reviews to determine quality and accuracy;
• Providing advisory services to management via preparation and presentation of quality trend information;
• Developing training strategies and materials to address deficiencies and/or conducting training activities;
• Analyzing performance deficiencies and quality trends to identify knowledge/skill gaps;
• Providing quality-review services, feedback, and guidance to staff to correct unsatisfactory performance.

There is no education substitution for the GS-12 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: 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: Work is primarily sedentary but may require walking and standing during training sessions.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

1. ORAL COMMUNICATION: Skill in oral communication which includes the explanation of reports, decisions, inquiries, or letters to individuals with varying levels of understanding.
2. WRITTEN COMMUNICATION: Skill in written communication which includes the preparation of reports, decisions, inquiries, or letters to individuals with varying levels of understanding.
3. REASONING/TRAINING: Ability to independently interpret and apply complex regulations, principles, and concepts to analyze information to make sound conclusions and provide training. Demonstrated skill in planning, coordinating, conducting, and overseeing training initiatives.
4. EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT: Ability to independently plan, develop and apply new program methods, approaches, and technology toward training techniques.
5. TEAM BUILDING: Ability to motivate others to effectively perform in accomplishing the goals of the Fiduciary Hub in an accurate and timely manner. This includes maintaining effective working relationships with employees, management, veterans, and customers.
6. PLANNING AND EVALUATING: Ability to establish goals, priorities, plan, control, organize, assess status, identify viable solutions and ability to formulate and implement training.