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Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Benefits Administration
Denver VBA Regional Office

Summary

This position is located within the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) program. The Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist (VRS) carries out all duties related to assisting Veterans and Service members with completing their program of rehabilitation services.

There are a total of four (4) vacancies for this position, 1 vacancy in Cheyenne, WY and 3 vacancies in either Colorado Springs, CO or Lakewood, CO.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Location
4 vacancies in the following locations:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—This position is eligible for situational (ad hoc) telework only.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$61,722 - $97,087 per year

Please visit the OPM Salary website to view salary for your location: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/

Pay scale & grade
GS 9 - 11
Promotion potential
11
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
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
Yes
Drug test
No
Security clearance
Other
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low 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
101-26-LD-13048474-BU
Control number
883288300

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

This vacancy is open to those covered by the indicated hiring paths and living in the local, Lakewood, Colorado, Colorado Springs, Colorado or Cheyenne, Wyoming commuting area. Veterans eligible under the Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) and current, permanent VBA employees holding the GS-9/GS-11 or higher and seeking non-competitive reassignment/change to lower grade need not live in the local commuting area to be considered.

Duties

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Specific duties include:

  • Serves as Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist (VRS), responsible for providing, supervising, and coordinating rehabilitation services and benefits for Veterans and Servicemembers, including authorizing necessary services, reviewing charges, and maintaining compliance with VA regulations.
  • Delivers comprehensive case management-coordinating rehabilitation and employment services, documenting progress, assisting with VA benefits, providing referrals for medical/mental health services, and supporting transition and resource development for Veterans.
  • Acts as Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR), acquiring, training, and supervising contract service providers to ensure the delivery of appropriate and professional rehabilitation services.
  • Assesses employability, develops individualized employment assistance plans, makes adjustments to rehabilitation plans as needed, and researches community and funding resources to support successful Veteran outcomes.

Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. The grade progression for this position is GS-09, GS-11.

Work Schedule: Fulltime, Monday - Friday, 6:00 AM - 6:00 PM, schedule to be determined by hiring manager
Compressed/Flexible: Available
Telework: Yes - 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/PD#: Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist; PD38706A and PD38707A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required

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 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.
  • 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.
  • 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:09/10/2026.

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 (unless if in the commuting area and eligible for a non-competitive hiring authority such as Schedule A, VRA, or 30% or more disabled Veterans).

  • For a GS-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07 level.
  • For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09 level.
  • If you are a current VBA employee outside of the commuting area seeking reassignment or change to lower grade via this vacancy announcement, you must currently hold the GS-09 (or higher) and the promotion potential of your current position must be at least 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. These requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement and those applying for a Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.

INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENT (IOR): This series has an IOR and requires either, the education or experience described below:

Education
Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study -- vocational rehabilitation, vocational or educational counseling, or other fields related to the position.

OR

Experience

Specialized Experience (for positions above GS-5): Examples of qualifying specialized experience include:
  • Work that required obtaining and applying occupational information for people with disabilities, knowledge of the interrelationships of the involved professional and specialist services, and skill in employing the methodology and techniques of counseling to motivate and encourage individuals served by the program.
  • Experience that demonstrated knowledge of the vocational rehabilitation problems characteristic of the disabled, including familiarity with available resources and skill in identifying, evaluating, and making effective use of such resources to serve individuals with disabilities; or of the disadvantaged, including knowledge of adjustment problems of the educationally or culturally disadvantaged, familiarity with available adult education and training resources, and ability to recognize problem areas needing special attention.
  • Experience in vocational guidance or teaching in a recognized vocational rehabilitation program or school, developmental or supervisory work in programs of vocational rehabilitation or training programs for the disadvantaged, or personnel or employment placement work that provided extensive knowledge of the training and adjustment requirements necessary to place persons having disabilities or social adjustment problems.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT: You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

GS-09 Grade Level:
  • Specialized Experience: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-07) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is defined as knowledge or experience in rehabilitation, counseling, disability, therapy, health, employment, wellness or human development theory and principles; experience in career development process and career development theory.
OR
  • Education Substitution: Applicants may substitute education for the experience required to qualify at the GS-09 grade level. Note: coursework must have equipped you with the knowledge, skills, and abilities described in the "How You Will Be Evaluated" section of the announcement.
    • Master's or equivalent graduate degree; or
    • Two (2) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree; or
    • LL.B. or J.D., if related to the duties of this position.

GS-11 Grade Level:
  • Specialized Experience: To qualify for the GS-11 Applicants 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 and experience in rehabilitation, counseling, disability, therapy, health, employment, wellness or human development theory and principles; knowledge of rehabilitation counseling skills, techniques and resources needed to work with Veterans with multiple disabilities, homebound veterans, veterans with acute or chronic mental disabilities and those with problems adjusting to social and occupational requirements.
OR
  • Education Substitution: Applicants may substitute education for the experience required to qualify at the GS-11 grade level. Note: coursework must have equipped you with the knowledge, skills, and abilities described in the "How You Will Be Evaluated" section of the announcement.
    • Ph.D or equivalent doctoral degree; or
    • Three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M, if related to the duties of this position
Combining Education & Experience: If you do not fully meet the length of experience and education described for a specific grade level (e.g. have six months of experience and some coursework but not a degree), the two can be combined to total 100% of the requirement. Click here for more information.
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: 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 if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

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.

Additional information

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), va.gov/EMPLOYEE/docs/The-Fair-Chance-to-Compete-Act.pdf for more information.

VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/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. Click here for more information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility.

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.

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.

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

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.gov/hc/en-us/sections/28980686389652-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information)

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.

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):

  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Decision Making
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork


In addition, you will also be assessed on the following technical competencies:
  • Therapy and Counseling
  • Planning and Evaluating
  • Partnering
  • Customer Service
  • Organizational Awareness

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.

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?

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Agency contact information

HRC Denver - Denver RO Servicing Team
Email
vbadenhrcdenver@va.gov
Address
Denver Regional Benefit Office
155 Van Gordon St
Lakewood, CO 80228
US

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