Education Compliance Survey Specialist

Veterans Benefits Administration•Washington, DC

4d•Onsite

About The Position

This position serves as an Education Compliance Specialist on the Investigations, Compliance, and Enforcement team within the Program Oversight & Accountability Division. The role is geographically distributed across the United States and provides compliance oversight of educational and training institutions within an assigned portfolio in support of EDU’s mission. It reports directly to the Supervisory Program Oversight Specialist. The specialist prepares for and conducts compliance surveys and risk-based reviews of education and training programs. The role includes examining student and institutional records, verifying required forms and approvals, investigating compliance with civil rights laws, interviewing students and school personnel, documenting discrepancies, and referring issues for appropriate action. The specialist also provides compliance information and training to educational institutions and school officials. The position has a GS-11 promotion potential, subject to meeting applicable regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements. The work schedule is full-time, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Compressed or flexible schedules are available. Situational telework may be approved case by case with supervisory approval; routine or recurring telework is not authorized, and the selectee must report to the official duty station each scheduled workday. This is not a virtual position. The work is mostly sedentary, with occasional walking, bending, reaching, and driving. A Confidential Financial Disclosure Report is required before entering on duty and annually thereafter.

Requirements

U.S. citizenship is required.
For GS-09 qualification through experience: one full year of specialized experience comparable in difficulty and responsibility to at least the GS-07 level, including relevant experience with laws and regulations for benefit programs, analyzing issues and information, assessing programs for compliance, and auditing standards and procedures.
For GS-09 qualification through education: a related master's or equivalent graduate degree, two full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, or a related LL.B. or J.D.; transcripts are required. A combination of qualifying education and experience may also be used.
For GS-11 qualification through experience: one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level or higher, including knowledge of education laws and VA education benefits, analyzing organizational records, assessing programs for compliance, auditing or review procedures, and reporting findings and discrepancies to management.
For GS-11 qualification through education: a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, or a related LL.M.; transcripts are required. A combination of qualifying education and experience may also be used.
Current Federal GS employees must meet time-in-grade requirements by the announcement closing date: 52 weeks at GS-07 for GS-09 consideration or 52 weeks at GS-09 for GS-11 consideration, as applicable.
Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must be registered with Selective Service.
The selectee must complete a one-year probationary period and may be subject to a probationary or trial period.
The selectee is subject to a background or security investigation and must complete online onboarding and provide acceptable identification for I-9 requirements.
The selectee must submit a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE-450) before entering on duty and annually thereafter.
Education used to meet qualification requirements must be from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education; foreign education requires a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency.
The work is mostly sedentary, with occasional walking, bending, reaching, and driving.

Responsibilities

Prepare for compliance surveys of education and training programs by examining and reviewing informational sources.
Examine education records for enrolled students and ascertain enrollment data and award actions.
Verify that institutions have provided forms required for compliance with Equal Opportunity Laws, Conflicting Interest requirements, and other documents necessary for State Approving Agency program approval of Veteran education benefits.
Conduct investigations and evaluations concerning compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975.
Interview students, school administrators, and employees during investigations to substantiate or refute allegations.
Complete assigned Targeted Risk Based Reviews (TRBR) and Risk-Based Surveys (RBS).
Conduct entrance and exit briefings at educational or training establishments and discuss survey findings with School Certifying Officials.
Prepare compliance survey reports indicating whether prior discrepancies have been corrected, identifying current discrepancies, and explaining any additional action required.
Record payment discrepancies, including direct overpayments or underpayments made to educational institutions on behalf of GI Bill beneficiaries.
Refer institution approval and payment discrepancies to appropriate VA personnel or other regulatory agencies, and provide recommendations in cases involving egregious or negligent reporting errors or possible fraud.
Assist with liaison visits to educational institutions and training establishments.
Help prepare and disseminate compliance information, conduct face-to-face training, address deficiencies found during compliance surveys, and present at school conferences and workshops to advise school officials about VA regulations and directives.
Perform other duties as assigned.