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Supervisory Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (AVREO)

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Benefits Administration
Veterans Readiness & Employment Office

Summary

This position serves as the Assistant Veterans Readiness and Employment Officer (AVREO), within a Regional Office setting, providing administrative, technical direction, and professional leadership to Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors and clerical staff within the Regional Office and its out-based locations.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$110,047 - $143,062 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Promotion potential
None
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
Yes
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
No
Drug test
No
Security clearance
Other
Position sensitivity and risk
Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Financial disclosure required
No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
311-26-DS-13027779-NBU
Control number
880142600

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

This vacancy announcement is open ONLY to current, permanent VBA employees and current/former VA employees who are CTAP eligible.

Duties

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Duties are divided between counseling duties and case management which include the following, but are not limited to:

  • Plans, organizes, coordinates, directs, and controls the work of the division.
  • Serves as technical advisor to Regional Office Director for the administration of the Veterans Readiness and Employment (VR&E) program.
  • Provides administrative expertise in all phases of rehabilitation activities, including counseling, case management, rehabilitation plan development, and job development and placement.
  • Maintains collaboration and referrals with employers, school officials, medical and rehabilitation officials, contractors, state employment service personnel, and other community resources.
  • Identifies and corrects deficiencies recognized through systematic analysis of VR&E operations and multiple sources of performance data reflecting timeliness and quality.
  • Sets priorities and determines which program elements require immediate attention and which elements can be deferred.
  • Performs other duties as assigned.
Promotion Potential: This position is being selected at the full performance level.
Work Schedule: Full time, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday. Hours to be determined by hiring office.
Compressed/Flexible Schedule: Hours to be determined by hiring office.
Telework: This position is eligible for situational (ad hoc) telework only. The selectee is required to report to the official duty station each scheduled workday. Telework may be approved only on a case-by-case basis with supervisory approval. Routine or recurring telework is not authorized for this position.
Remote/Virtual: This is not a remote/virtual position.
Position Description Title/PD#: Supervisory Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (AVREO), PD002760
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not Applicable
Bargaining Unit: No

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may 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.

Additional Conditions of Employment are as follows:
  • 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 or trial period.
  • Selectees are required to service a one-year supervisory probationary period if not previously completed in a Federal position.
  • You may be 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 I-9 Acceptable Documents.
  • Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
  • A complete application package must be submitted: Resume, transcripts, and any other required documents.
  • You will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application.

Qualifications

As a current/former Federal, GS employee you must meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement.: 08/17/2026

1. TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENT: As a current/former Federal, GS employee you must 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 level.
If you are a current VBA employee requesting a reassignment or change to lower grade via this vacancy announcement, you must currently hold the GS-13 (or higher) and the promotion potential of your current position must be at least GS-13.

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: This series has a Basic Requirement per the following Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR), and applicants will be required to meet both the IOR and the Specialized experience as listed on the announcement.

The IOR for this position is as follows:

2. BASIC REQUIREMENTS: To be eligible for this position, candidates must meet the following basic requirements:

a. Education: Successful completion of a master's degree (or higher) in rehabilitation counseling, rehabilitation services, clinical rehabilitation counseling, counseling psychology, mental health counseling, career counseling, or social work from an accredited college or university.
AND
b. Internship or Experience Requirement: The required supervised internship or post-master's degree experience is described as follows:
    1. Supervised Internship: The education in the Basic Requirements above must have included a supervised internship in rehabilitation counseling or case management specialization. The internship must have been supervised by a professional in vocational rehabilitation or a closely related professional field that typically has oversight for vocational rehabilitation programs.
OR
    1. Experience: One-year post-master's degree experience in direct delivery of professional vocational rehabilitation services to individuals with disabilities.
  1. Grandfathering Provision: VRCs employed in VBA on the effective date, July 28, 2023, of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including certifications that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements in this standard but met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed, the following provisions apply:
    1. VRCs who are grandfathered into the GS-0101 occupational series may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance level of a career ladder or changed to a lower grade within the occupation or placed in a supervisory or managerial position.
    2. VRCs who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of this qualification standard may not be extended or reappointed on a temporary or permanent basis until they fully meet the basic requirements of this standard.
    3. If VRCs who are grandfathered under this provision leave the occupation, they lose protected status and must meet the full qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re-entry to the occupation.
Reference: Additional information on the qualification requirements for this position can be located on the OCHCO VA Qualifications Standards website found here.

3. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS: In addition to the time-in-grade and education/internship requirements, you must also meet the following grade-specific qualification requirements. Creditable experience must have been obtained post-graduate and be directly related to the duties to be performed to qualify to work as a professional VRC.

NOTE: If work experience is credited for the basic requirement, that experience cannot also be used for qualifying at the GS-13 level.

GS-13 Grade Level: In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements stated above, one year of post-graduate level professional vocational rehabilitation counseling experience, equivalent to the GS-12 level is required.
  • Specialized Experience: One year (52 weeks) of specialized vocational rehabilitation experience in a federal, state, and/or private vocational rehabilitation setting equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level. Specialized experience is defined as: (1) Experience in conducting assessments of Veteran's employability, (2) Involvement in the development of appropriate vocational goals and subsequent objectives outlined in rehabilitation plans, (3) Providing case management services to Veterans while pursuing their rehabilitation plans (e.g. personal contact regarding achievement of vocational goals, referral for medical or ancillary services, and responding efficiently to Veteran's concerns), (4) Experience interpreting the benefits and services, to Veterans, available through the VR&E.
  • Education cannot be used to qualify for the GS-13.

Volunteer 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; religious; 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.

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. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

Physical Requirements: The position is primarily in an office setting. Some travel may be necessary on occasion for training, meetings, or customer interactions.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at http://://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Education

A transcript must be submitted with your application. It must include your coursework and date of conferral of a Masters degree in rehabilitation counseling, rehabilitation services, clinical rehabilitation counseling, counseling psychology, mental health counseling, career counseling, or social work. 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.
Note: You may submit unofficial transcripts when applying. However, if you are selected for the position, you will be required to provide an official transcript or a statement from the institution (e.g., from the registrar, dean, or other appropriate official) or equivalent documentation prior to the start date.

Additional information

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 CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.

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.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

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.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer (TJO). Please visit the Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP), https://www.va.gov/EMPLOYEE/documents/The-Fair-Chance-to-Compete-Act.pdf

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. (https://appsupport-usastaffing.opm.gov/hc/en-us/sections/45063131363475-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information)

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

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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. You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.

You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

  • Accountability
  • Customer Service
  • Decisiveness
  • Flexibility
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Problem Solving
  • Resilience
  • Technical Knowledge - Applies Federal, State and Local laws, regulations, policies, guides, procedures and judicial determinations applicable to Veterans benefits and related rehabilitation services under Chapters 18, 30, 31, 34, and 35, and other chapters of Title 38, U.S. Code.
  • Human Capital Management - Builds and manages workforce based on organizational goals, budget considerations and staffing needs. Ensures that employees are appropriately recruited, selected, appraised and rewarded; takes action to address performance problems. Manage multi grade level workforce and various work situations.
  • Leadership - Develops and leads employees work activities toward meeting organization mission/goals, identify patterns in (VR&E) operations to develop solutions to enhance productivity/service, encourages an inclusive workplace, support constructive resolution of conflicts.
  • Analytical Reasoning - Analyzes (i.e. review and evaluate), comprehend and apply decisions based on data or complex information, weighs relevance and accuracy of information, generates and evaluates alternative solutions, makes recommendations or final determinations.
  • Communication - Clearly and concisely expresses information to individuals or groups, fully considering audience and nature of information, makes clear and convincing oral presentations, listens to others and responds appropriately.
Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link:https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13027779

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 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.

Veterans Benefits Administration

OUR MISSION: "To fulfill President Lincoln's promise to care for those who have served in our nation's military and for their families, caregivers, and survivors." How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate care to Veterans?

The VA has adopted Core Values and Characteristics that apply universally across the Department. The five Core Values define "who we are," our culture, and how we care for Veterans, their families, and other beneficiaries.

The Values are Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect, and Excellence ("I CARE").

As a VA professional, your opportunities are endless. With many openings in the multiple functions of VA, you will have a wide range of opportunities and leadership positions at your fingertips.

Agency contact information

Daniel Sykes
Phone
313-596-7200
Email
daniel.sykes@va.gov
Address
VBACO HRC Detroit
810 Vermont Ave NW
Washington, DC 20420
US

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https://vacareers.va.gov/

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