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Supervisory Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Benefits Administration
Boston Regional Benefits Office

Summary

The incumbent of this position will serve as a Supervisory Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor for the Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) Division in the Boston Regional Office. The position supervises VR&E staff and is responsible for the administration and workflow of the division. The incumbent exercises technical and oversight responsibility for subordinate employees of the VR&E Division.

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
$120,548 - $156,715 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
Occasional travel - 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
Moderate Risk (MR)
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Financial disclosure required
Yes
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
301-26-HC-13048667-NBU
Control number
882486500

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

This vacancy announcement is open ONLY to current, permanent VA employees and current/former VA employees who are CTAP eligible. For the purpose of this job announcement, Fiduciary Hub bargaining unit employees in the commuting area are considered facility employees.

Duties

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Specific duties include:

  • Serves as a first level supervisor for VR&E personnel located at the Boston Regional Office or out based facility, providing advice and guidance on unusual or unprecedented problems.
  • Responsible for interviewing and recommending applicants to the VR&E Officer.
  • Trains and monitors performance of employees within the unit. Prepares performance ratings, assists on preparing divisional reports, and resolves disciplinary and performance problems. Assesses the ongoing training needs of employees under supervision.
  • Reviews and provides consultation and supervision regarding the most difficult cases using expertise and training.
  • Provides quality assurance and contributes to the development of reports such as Strategic Oversight and Analysis Review (SOAR) quarterly reports, congressional and AVA inquiries, and White Papers. The SVRC is supervised and accountable to the VR&E officer, with consultation of the Assistant VR&E officer.
  • Collects data and prepares accurate reports and analysis as required by the VR&E officer including systematic analysis of operations (SAO's) and reports on special projects. Identifies and recommends to the VR&E officer changes needed for improvement of operations or services and acts as directed. Prepares a budget for travel funds for employees under their supervision and monitors the use of travel funds.
  • Provides technical support and supervision as needed for accomplishing the work of the unit. Analyzes, interprets, and enforces the application of laws, regulations, and rules as they affect policies, procedures, and methods of operations. Also performs administrative and personnel management functions relative to staff supervised as directed.
Work Schedule: Full time, Monday through Friday 8:00am-4:30pm
Compressed/Flexible Schedule: Not Available.
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.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description Title/PD#: Supervisory Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor; 39814A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized.
Financial Disclosure Report: Required.
Bargaining Unit: No

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

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.

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.
  • Selectees are required to serve a one-year supervisory probationary period if not previously completed in a Federal position.
  • 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.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement:09/01/2026.

TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENT: As a current 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 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 None.
The grade may have been in any occupation and 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. You must provide a copy of your most recent SF-50 that indicates proof of status (career, career-conditional, or excepted service), time-in-grade requirements have been met, and identifies your position title, series, grade, step, salary, tenure, and type of service. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate possession of time-in-grade requirements. In this instance, you must also submit your most recent Promotion or Within Grade Increase SF-50, or a Promotion or Within Grade Increase SF-50 that indicates the highest grade/step previously held. DO NOT submit Award SF-50s and/or General Adjustment SF-50s as they cannot be used to verify time-in-grade.

NOTE: Applicants must meet both the Basic Requirement and the Specialized Experience as stated below.

1. BASIC REQUIREMENT:
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.

B. Internship or Experience Requirement. The required (1) supervised internship or (2) post-master's degree experience is described as follows:
  • Supervised Internship: The education in paragraph 1A must have included a supervised internship in rehabilitation counselling 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
  • Experience: One-year post-master's degree work experience in direct delivery of professional vocational rehabilitation services to individuals with disabilities.
C. Grandfathering Provision. VRCs employed in the Veterans Benefits Administration 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:
  • 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, changed to a lower grade within the occupation, or placed in a supervisory or managerial position.
  • 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.
  • 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
MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT: You may qualify based on your experience as described below:

GS-13 Grade Level:

Specialized Experience: Applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level. Specialized experience is defined as:
  • Working with employment and vocational rehabilitation programs;
  • Possessing knowledge and expertise in the procedures for vocational and rehabilitation law;
  • Administering counsel in the areas of career development, job placement, psychology, rehabilitation and counseling; and
  • Provide individual and group training, orientation, consultation, and guidance within specialization of rehabilitation counseling practice to develop, improve, and maintain programming.
There is no education substitution at the GS-13 grade level.

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; 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.

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 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

There is no authorized substitution of education for the specialized experience required at the grade level GS-13.

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 your 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 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: 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
  • CUSTOMER SERVICE: Works with clients and customers (that is, any individuals who use or receive the services or products that your work unit produces, including the general public, individuals who work in the agency, other agencies, or organizations outside the Government) to assess their needs, provide information or assistance, resolve their problems, or satisfy their expectations; knows about available products and services; is committed to providing quality products and services.
  • LEADERSHIP: Inspires, motivates, and guides others toward goal accomplishment; coaches, mentors, and challenges subordinates; adapts leadership styles to a variety of situations; models high standards of honesty, integrity, trust, openness, and respect for the individual by applying these values to daily behaviors.
  • ANALYSIS AND PROBLEM SOLVING: Applies the process of discovery that involves the diagnosis of a problem or issue, identification and gathering of relevant information, formulation, and evaluation of alternative solutions or courses of action, and selection or recommendation of the preferred solution or course of action.
  • PLANNING AND EVALUATING: Organizes work, sets priorities, and determines resource requirements; determines short- or long-term goals and strategies to achieve them; coordinates with other organizations or parts of the organization to accomplish goals; monitors progress and evaluates outcomes.
  • COMMUNICATION: Expresses ideas and facts to individuals or groups effectively; makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others; facilitates an open exchange of ideas.
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/13048667

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

Hussein Chammout
Phone
313-596-7206
Email
hussein.chammout@va.gov
Address
Boston Regional Benefit Office
JFK Federal Building, 15 New Sudbury St
Boston, MA 02203-9928
US

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https://vacareers.va.gov/

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