Clarification from the agency

Status Candidates {Current and former competitive service Federal employees, and people eligible under special hiring authorities. This includes all Merit Promotion sources: Status (Transfers, Reinstatements), VEOA, Permanent Canteen (VCS) employees, CTAP, ICTAP, Non-Competitive Eligibles and certain Excepted Service Employees (i.e., Interchange Agreements).}

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The major duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

• Works directly with the VA Medical Center (VAMC), Emergency Management Committee (EMC) , Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) EMC, and Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Office of Emergency Management (OEM), federal, state, and local partners, on an ongoing basis, to coordinate and collaborate on EM related planning and responses.
• Provides support to the Emergency Management (EM) manager in the implementation of EM quality improvements to enhance EM operations and planning activities.
• Engages in the review and provide input to the EM manager of Federal, State, local governments, hospital coalitions, and consortiums emergency management plans.
• Prepares draft annual report and budgets for all programs, to ensure annual programmatic objectives are in concert with and support VAMC and VHA strategic plans and goals for approval by the Emergency Manager.
• Leads during exercise scenarios using Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program principles and serves as a facility evaluator.
• Works with EM and community partners to perform hazard vulnerability analysis (HVA) requiring assessment of risks that have the potential to interrupt the continuity of critical operations.
• Contributes in the implementation of guidelines that impact the day-to-day operations and the associated emergency management activities and functions.
• Provides input in the revision and review of policies, procedures, mission objectives, and/or organizational design for mission accomplishment of complex and evolving issues and functions, including the development of appropriate national guidance and procedures as it relates to Comprehensive Emergency Management Program (CEMP), Environment of Care (EOC), and Continuity of Operations (COOP) activities.
• Establishes and maintains relationships with the stakeholders, and/or community in order to communicate and disseminate program information with results in an understanding of the agency's mission and activities.
• Assists in the tracking of contingency supplies and equipment, maintenance of databases, and resource requirements to meet objectives and provide support as needed.
• Possesses working knowledge of technical requirements, wrap around services, and training needs to deploy resources to alternate care sites including critical communication assets to ensure interoperability with local, state, and national agencies.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday | 7:30 AM - 4:00 PM CST
Telework: Ad Hoc Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Emergency Management Specialist/PD99789S
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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
• You may be required to serve a probationary/trial period
• Subject to background/security investigation
• You must have and maintain a valid motor vehicle operator's license.
• 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)

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 07/28/2025.

Interchange Agreement: Applications will be accepted for this position under the Interchange Agreement as outlined in VA Handbook 5005, Part III, Appendix C. This agreement allows for the movement of Title 38 and Title 38 hybrid personnel, who have at least 1 year of full-time continuous service, to apply for competitive service positions.

OPM 90 Day Waiting Period: OPM requires that all current permanent federal employees serve 90 days after their competitive selection in their current Title V position prior to moving to another position.

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-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-9. 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.

Examples of appropriate SF-50s include:

• Within grade increases at the highest grade held; or
• Promotions with an effective date more than one year old; or
• SF-50s at the highest grade held with an effective date more than one year old.

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.

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

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-9 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is defined as:

• Providing support for the organization's assessments, operations, planning, liaison, mission activities, and functions.
• Contributing to the implementation of guidelines that impact the day-to-day operations and the associated emergency management activities and functions.
• Assisting in the development and implementation of Emergency Management (EM) protocols and methods appropriate in the Emergency Management operations activities.
• Working directly with the federal, state, and local partners to coordinate and collaborate on Emergency Management related planning and responses.
• Analyzing and evaluating, on a quantitative and qualitative basis, the effectiveness or programs or operations in meeting established goals and objectives.
• Contributing to the planning and organization of activities ensuring that training and operations requirements are fully integrated and coordinated and in compliance with all legal and regulatory requirements.

OR

EDUCATION: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a 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. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED).

OR

COMBINATION: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education as described above.(TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED).

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

• Organizational Awareness
• Planning and Evaluating
• Problem Solving

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.

Note: 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.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: The work is sedentary during non-emergency situations. However, participation in field exercises and operational support missions may require strenuous physical activity to include carrying persons and equipment, walking long distance, climbing, working long hours, long periods of standing, and bending and stooping. May include various housing and living conditions to include non-climate controlled, limited privacy sleeping facilities (for example, cots, tents, "hot-bunking", gymnasiums, or similar), limited shower and laundry facilities, and limited feeding options [such as shelf-stable meals, meals-ready-to-eat (MREs), and field kitchens]. Incumbent must have and maintain a valid motor vehicle operator's license. During emergency situations the incumbent may be required to remain available 24 hours per day, seven days per week for multiple weeks. Incumbent is subject to work under emergency notification and contact procedures. EMS will be provided and must carry a government provided mobile communication device.

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

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.

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 contact for 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.

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.

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

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.

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.