Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist

The Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist (VRS) position is located within the Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) program. The VRS is responsible for the provision, supervision, and coordination of the rehabilitation services for Veterans or service members participating in various programs. The VRS is the coordinator of services and liaison between the service providers and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the cut-off date and/or closing date of this job opportunity announcement, 01/04/2027. This Standing Register Job Announcement establishes an applicant pool to fill full-time permanent positions as vacancies occur. The announcement will remain open as stated in the vacancy notice. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be on or about November 23, 2026 with subsequent reviews every three weeks as additional vacancies occur, or on an as-needed basis, until positions are filled. Applicants remain eligible for consideration for up to six months after the announcement closes or until they withdraw. Eligible applicants may also be considered for additional vacancies as new certificates are issued. NOTE: Applicants must meet both the Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR) and the Specialized Experience as stated below. Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR): 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. In addition to the IOR applicants must possess specialized experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: To qualify at the GS-09 grade level: Applicants must have one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-07) in the federal service or private sector. Specialized experience for this position is defined as: Experience in rehabilitation, counseling, disability, therapy, health, employment, wellness or human development theory and principles; and experience in career development process and career development theory. OR Applicants may substitute education for experience to qualify at the GS-09 grade level. Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D., if related. OR Applicants may combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-09 grade level. Combination of specialized experience and education beyond 1 full year of graduate level education. To qualify at the GS-11 grade level: Applicants must have one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-09) in the federal service or private sector. Specialized experience for this position is defined as: Experience in rehabilitation, counseling, disability, therapy, health, employment, wellness or human development theory and principles; rehabilitation counseling skills, techniques and resources needed to work with individuals with multiple disabilities, homebound individuals, individuals with acute or chronic mental disabilities and those with problems adjusting to social and occupational requirements. OR Applicants may substitute education for experience to qualify at the GS-11 grade level. Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related. OR Applicants may combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-11 grade level. Combination of specialized experience and education beyond 2 full years of graduate level education. 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 normally involves mental rather than physical exertion. The work is mostly sedentary; however, there may be some walking, standing, and carrying of light items. 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/.