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Education Compliance Survey Specialist

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Benefits Administration
Veterans Benefits Administration

Summary

This position serves as an Education Compliance Specialist (ECSS) on the Investigations, Compliance, and Enforcement team within the Program Oversight & Accountability Division and is located geographically disbursed across the United States and responsible for providing compliance oversight of educational and training institutions within an assigned portfolio in support of EDU's mission. This position reports directly to the Supervisory Program Oversight Specialist.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Location
1 vacancy in the following locations:
Work site options
Telework eligible
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
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$61,722 - $111,087 per year

Please visit the OPM Salary website to view salaries for each location listed

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
75% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Appointment type
Permanent
Supervisory status
No
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
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
Yes - OGE 450
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
351-26-KP-13079394-BU
Control number
889114000

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

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

Duties

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Specific duties include:

  • Prepares for compliance survey (audit) of an education and training program by examining and reviewing various informational sources.
  • Examines education records for enrolled students and ascertains enrollment data and award actions.
  • Verifies institution has provided appropriate forms for compliance with Equal Opportunity Laws, Conflicting Interest and other documents required for SAA program approval of Veteran education benefits.
  • Conducts investigation and evaluations pertaining to compliance with provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 404 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975. Interviews students and school administrators or employees during the course of investigation to substantiate or refute allegations.
  • Complete assigned Targeted Risked Based Reviews (TRBR) and Risk-Based Surveys (RBS).
  • Conducts entrance and exit-briefings at educational and or training establishments, delineating results of survey findings with School Certifying Officials.
  • Prepares compliance survey report which indicates whether discrepancies found on a prior survey have or have not been corrected, report any discrepancy found on the current survey and explains what additional action, if any, is required.
  • Record payment discrepancies to include direct overpayments or underpayments made to the educational institution on behalf of a GI Bill beneficiary.
  • Refer institution approval and payment discrepancies for action, as appropriate, to other VA personnel, and/or other regulatory agency and provides recommendations in cases of egregious or negligent reporting errors or possible fraud.
  • Assists with liaison visits to educational institutions and training establishments. Aids in the preparation and dissemination of necessary compliance information, conducts face to face training, addresses deficiencies found during a compliance survey, and presents at school conferences and workshops advising school officials about VA regulations and directives.
  • Other duties as assigned.

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-11.

Work Schedule: Full Time,Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
Compressed/Flexible: 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/PD#: Education Compliance Survey Specialist; PD38798A and PD38799A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized.
Financial Disclosure Report: Required. This position requires completion of a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE-450) under 5 C.F.R. ยง 2634.904(a). The selectee must submit the form before entering on duty and annually thereafter.

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
  • You may be required to serve a probationary or trial 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: 10/26/2026.

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-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 requesting reassignment or change to lower grade via this vacancy announcement, you must currently hold the GS-07 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. 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.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT: You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:
GS-09 Grade Level:
  • Specialized Experience: To qualify for the GS-09 level, resume must clearly demonstrate that the candidate has one full year of specialized experience comparable in difficulty and responsibility to at least the GS-07 level in the federal service. Example of qualifying experience include the following types of tasks performed on a regular and recurring basis:
    • Demonstrates experience and knowledge of Federal and State laws, regulations, executive orders, agency rules and policies for benefit programs.
    • Demonstrates knowledge identifying issues and analyzes information to draw accurate conclusions, ensuring careful attention to detail. Dissects problems and information into their meaningful parts and uses logic and judgment to evaluate alternatives and develop solutions.
    • Demonstrates knowledge of procedures for assessing, evaluating, and monitoring programs or projects for compliance with laws, regulations, and guidance.
    • Demonstrates knowledge of generally accepted auditing standards, procedures, and reports.
  • Education Substitution: Master's Degree or equivalent graduate degree, if related (You must provide transcripts); OR have two (2) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree; or LL.B. or J.D., if related. (You must provide transcripts.)
OR
  • Combination: A combination of specialized experience and education as described above. See below link for more details.
GS-11 Grade Level:
  • Specialized Experience: To qualify at the GS-11 grade, you must have one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-9 level or higher. Specialized experience should include demonstrated experience and knowledge of Federal and State education laws, regulations, executive orders, agency rules and policies for VA Education benefits; identifying issues and analyzes information to draw accurate conclusions, ensuring careful attention to detail by dissecting information into their meaningful parts and uses logic and judgment to evaluate an organization's records management; Demonstrated experience with procedures for assessing, evaluating, and monitoring programs or projects for compliance with laws, regulations, and guidance; Knowledge of generally accepted auditing standards and procedures for conducting financial and/or record keeping reviews/audits. Demonstrated experience providing management with detailed reports of discrepancies/findings based on review/audit.
  • Education Substitution: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree (You must provide transcripts); OR have three (3) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M, if related. (You must provide transcripts).
OR
  • Combination: A combination of specialized experience and education as described above. See below link for more details

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: The work is mostly sedentary with occasional walking, bending, reaching and driving.

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.

Note:
Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://www.ed.gov/about/initiatives/international-affairs/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications.

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

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. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.

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):

  • Reading Comprehension
  • Reasoning
  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork
  • Knowledge of Laws & Regulations
  • Analytical Reasoning
  • Compliance
  • Writing
  • Auditing
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/13079394

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

Kayla Petersen
Phone
515-003-3280 X43280
Email
kayla.petersen2@va.gov
Address
Muskogee Regional Benefit Office
125 South Main St
Muskogee, OK 74401
US

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https://vacareers.va.gov/

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