Clarification from the agency

This announcement is opened to current permanent employees Federal Wide.

Videos

The Voluntary Services Officer is responsible for planning and leading all philanthropic activities and programs within widely dispersed locations across the healthcare system, VA Administrations and State Veterans Homes. Major duties and responsibilities include:

Program Management

• Conducts and analyzes comprehensive needs assessments for optimal alignment of the program in support of the organization's mission and goals.
• Responsible for the design, development and implementation of the recognition and incentive awards program for the organization's volunteer workforce.
• Provides oversight of all of the organization's funds and in-kind development activities, conducts and analyzes routine needs assessments, manages the day-to-day operations of the philanthropic development activities, and monitors all donated monetary funds at the healthcare system level within the station's General Post Fund (GPF) Accounts.
• Monitors the adequacy of programs, services and available resources through coordination with leadership, staff, appropriate committees, and governing bodies at the national, state, regional, and local levels.
• Ensures compliance with all relevant regulations and laws, maintains accountability standards to donors in conducting philanthropic development activities, as well as ensures compliance with the code of ethical principles and standards of professional conduct in accordance with VA's core values and those established for all government officials.
• Responsible for the full scope of fiscal management and accountability for the office, including the preparation of an annual operating budget.
• Prepares business case justification for anticipated expenses, including alignment with VA and VHA goals and priorities, strategy identification, benchmarking and evaluation in support of proposed budget.
• Assures sound fiscal operation of the CDCE/Voluntary Service office including timely, accurate and comprehensive reporting, monitoring and implementation.
• Establishes performance measures for all aspects of the CDCE/Voluntary Service program, monitors the results, and makes program adjustments that maximize human, financial and in-kind resources to build capacity and services for the organization and its stakeholders.

Personnel/Training

• Responsible for the education and training of all VHA, VBA, NCA and other authorized VA program staff on the effective use of volunteers, donations, and the management of strategic partnerships to ensure compliance with all policies, procedures and regulatory parameters that govern such activities.
• Guides and directs the performance management and evaluation process at prescribed intervals for all volunteers in collaboration with using departments and assigned personnel responsible for leading the work of volunteers.

Strategic Planning

• Develops short and long-term strategic and operational planning, positioning the Center to successfully support the established values, mission, and general objectives of the organization.
• Serves as a strategic advisor to executive leadership for the utilization of community resources in support of operational goals, assesses risks, anticipates outcomes, and alternative strategies.
• Collaborates with VA Headquarters to develop and pilot programs for execution across VHA, preparing implementation guidance and key recommendations based on pilot evaluation data and stakeholder input.
• Prepares the organization for key shifts in priorities, policies, or operating procedures.
• Establishes local policies and procedures for the strategic utilization of volunteers and community partnerships across the healthcare system, which are uniformly applied across associated programs within VBA, NCA and other authorized VA programs to facilitate impactful community relationships, ensure the performance of due diligence and consistent implementation of programs, services and activities.
• Functions as a primary external communications liaison to community partners, including VSO's, corporations, academic institutions, faith-based and other organizations for the purpose of developing opportunities for strategic engagement in support of organizational goals and priorities.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm with occasional weekends and holidays.
ADHOC: This position may be authorized for ADHOC. ADHOC eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Voluntary Services Officer/PD99897S
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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
• May serve a probationary period
• A complete application package; Resume, Transcripts, etc.
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Pre-employment physical required
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)
• Please note, Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment with the VA.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 02/02/2026.

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-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. 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.

• Specialized Experience: You 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. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: planning, scheduling, executing special events involving community leaders, staff and visitors; developing and proposing policies and innovative programs governing voluntary services; managing general post fund accounts and other financial accounts; representing a volunteer program on speaking engagements before service, fraternal, and civic organizations; and making presentations for diverse audiences and varying sizes from small meetings to large conferences.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

• Administration and Management
• Computer Skills
• Creative Thinking
• Managing Human Resources
• Organizational Awareness

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 incumbent is responsible for the supervision of volunteers across the healthcare system, as well as affiliated VBA and NCA offices. These roles are performed across numerous locations, which may include different buildings on a campus, varied locations to include outpatient clinics, VBA offices, and national cemeteries; or specially designed volunteer roles for the coordination of community events. The incumbent is required to monitor and evaluate these work sites routinely, which may require long distance travel and adjustments in work schedule to ensure the completion of frequent comprehensive assessments, identified issues and concerns are addressed, necessary adjustments are made to accommodate the needs of the volunteer and requirements of the role, and conduct reassignments as required.

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/.

How you will be evaluated

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

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

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. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.