Clarification from the agency

Current, permanent employees of VISN 4 and may apply to this job vacancy.

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This position ensures that claims are processed within specific timelines and according to regulatory requirements. The position further advises employees and supervisors of procedures to follow when an injury occurs and informs injured employees of their responsibilities under the program. The position is also responsible for actively facilitating methods and techniques to reduce and prevent unnecessary and costly expenditures related to the VISN Workers' Compensation Program.

Major duties include, but may not be limited to:

Program Oversight

• Developing and managing the VISN Workers' Compensation Program.
• Provides oversight and compliance enforcement through quality assurance reviews and initiatives and case file review activities.
• Manages claim investigations and functions performed by subordinates and leaders.
• Implement and review performance measures and collaborate with subordinates to develop action plans to address areas of inefficiency and improvement.
• Establishes and ensures standards and procedures for all matters relating to workers' compensation regulations, policies, procedures, goals, objectives, and strategies are implemented throughout the VISN.
• Ensures locally developed policy complies with applicable laws and regulations as well as VA and VHA policy.
• Develops, recommends, and implements workers' compensation policies and procedures; recommends and implements goals and objectives pertaining to the program and its activities.
• Ensures productive duty assignments for injured workers as soon as medically possible.
• Establishes quarterly visits (in-person or electronically) to sites to discuss complex cases identified by subordinates and obtain case file information not available electronically.
• Makes recommendations and implements injury prevention strategies.
• Ensures program conformance to applicable laws and regulations.
• Interfaces with physicians, attorneys, employees, and management staff; makes recommendations regarding aspects of decisions related to workers' compensation cases; coordinates return-to-work plans; coordinates and monitors rehabilitation plans for injured employees; evaluates results of medical examinations and makes appropriate determinations.
• Provides assistance to VISN Deputy HRO and CHRO, as well as other VISN HR leadership and managers; conducts research and studies; prepares and presents staff reports and other correspondence as appropriate.

Supervision (35%)

• Supervises management of employee injury cases.
• Oversees the investigation of claims and develops strategies to handle specific cases in consultation with appropriate parties.
• Performs quality case review and regular consultation with subordinates on complex administrative cases, congressional correspondence, and other written program responses.
• Develops and provides subordinates with professional guidance, education, training, and orientation to ensure compliance with laws, regulations, and policies.
• Supervises assigned staff including selection, training, and evaluation of personnel; provides and coordinates staff training; works with employees to correct deficiencies; implements discipline procedures.
• Plans work to be accomplished by subordinates, prepares schedules for completion of
• work, assigns work to subordinates and/or leads based on priorities, selective consideration of the difficulty and requirements of assignments and capabilities of employees, evaluates work performance of subordinates.
• Gives advice, counsels or instructions to employee on both work and administrative matters; interviews candidates for positions within unit; hears and resolves employee complaints and group grievances; effects minor disciplinary measures such as warnings and reprimands.
• Performs other duties as required.

Work Schedule: 8:00am - 4:30pm, Monday - Friday
Telework: 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#: Supervisory Human Resources Specialist / PD99961S
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized
Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is 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
• 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.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary or 2-year trial 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 or trial 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, 04/07/2026.

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-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.

The BASIC REQUIREMENT for the HR Specialist GS-0201 series is presumed met if found qualified at the GS-0201-7 level and above.

To qualify for this position at the GS-13 level, you must meet one of the following listed Criteria:

Criteria 1-

• Graduate Degree and Specialized Experience: Successful completion of a graduate level degree or higher and three years of progressive specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level. Such experience may be gained in administrative, professional, technical or other responsible work positions in the public (i.e., Government or military) or private sector. Qualifying specialized experience includes: providing advice and assistance to employees and managers, program administration, research, and case management in matters related to a variety of HR program functions in Federal Workers' Compensation Program (WCP); managing/investigating claims; counseling employees; complies with applicable laws and regulations as well as VA and VHA policy.

~OR~

Criteria 2-

• Specialized Experience: You must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in federal service that demonstrates HR management knowledge, concepts and principles and the performance of work in one or more of the HR specialty areas. Such experience may be gained in administrative, professional, technical or other responsible work positions in the public (i.e., Government or military) or private sector. Qualifying specialized experience includes: Lead or Supervisory HR work that involves providing advice and assistance to employees and managers, program administration, research, and case management in matters related to a variety of HR program functions in Federal Workers' Compensation Program (WCP); managing/investigating claims; counseling employees; complies with applicable laws and regulations as well as VA and VHA policy.

How you will be evaluated

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

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

• Customer Service
• Decision Making
• Lead or Supervise
• Leadership
• Technical Competence

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

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.

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.