Supervisory Vocational Rehab Counselor

Veterans Benefits Administration • Oakland, CA

5d • Onsite

About The Position

The Supervisory Veteran Readiness and Employment Officer (VREO) manages the Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) division and is responsible for providing administrative and technical direction and professional leadership to professional and technical staff of Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors and clerical staff. This role involves keeping abreast of changes in State Labor Laws and license requirements, adhering to Department of Veterans Affairs laws and policies, and demonstrating awareness of available VA benefits and services. The position requires making decisions on resource allocation, personnel direction, and reviewing the work of subordinate staff. It also involves making presentations, providing administrative expertise in all phases of rehabilitation, and promoting Equal Employment Opportunity goals. The VREO is responsible for initiating merit promotions, recruitment, hiring, fair treatment of employees, career development, and establishing clear staff guidelines and performance expectations. They must set priorities, manage budgetary resources, maintain essential resources for rehabilitation procedures, consult with external professionals, identify and correct operational deficiencies, and collaborate with employers, school officials, and community resources. The role also includes serving as a consultant and expert on employment issues for Veterans with disabilities and writing position papers.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must serve a 1-year probationary period.
• Must serve a one-year supervisory probationary period if not previously completed in a Federal position.
• 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.
• To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement: 10/16/2026.
• 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-15 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-14 level. 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.
• BASIC REQUIREMENTS: Degree: behavioral or social science; or related disciplines appropriate to the position. OR Combination of education and experience that provided the applicant with knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field. OR Four years of appropriate experience that demonstrated that the applicant has acquired knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field.
• SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS: Creditable experience must have been obtained post-degree and be directly related to the duties to be performed to qualify to work as a professional VRC.
• GS-15 Grade Level: Specialized Experience: Completion of one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-14 grade level is required. Specialized experience is defined as experience that has provided an advanced and detailed knowledge of VA's Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) Program. Specifically, an in-depth knowledge of testing and evaluation, rehabilitation, job development and job placement, knowledge of Chapters 18, 30, 31, 34, and 35 of Title 38, USC and demonstrated comprehensive experience in all of the following: Conducting assessments of both the local labor market and employability. Active involvement in the development of appropriate vocational goals and subsequent objectives outlines in rehabilitation plans. Providing case management services to customers while pursuing their rehabilitation plans (e.g., personal contact regarding achievement of vocational goals, referral for medical or ancillary services, and responding efficiently to rehabilitation concerns); and Written and oral communication skills in explaining the benefits and services available through the rehabilitation program.
• Full-time employment is considered to be at least 35 hours per week.
• 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.

Nice To Haves

• Relocation expenses and services (Permanent Change of Station - PCS) are authorized.
• PCS covers the relocation of a household for government convenience when transferring between duty stations.
• By accepting PCS, the selectee agrees to remain in Federal service for 12 months after the move.
• Failure to complete the service period may require repayment of PCS expenses.

Responsibilities

• Keeps abreast of changes in State Labor Laws and State, county, and city license requirements related to employment.
• Applies and adheres to Department of Veterans Affairs laws, regulations, policies, and procedures.
• Demonstrates by action and decisions, awareness of the full scope of benefits and services available through the Department of Veterans Affairs.
• Makes decisions related to assigning and allocating program resources and directing and reviewing personnel within the assigned complement to accomplish goals.
• Makes presentations before groups and organizations and demonstrates the ability to professionally address challenging questions.
• Provides administrative expertise in all phases of rehabilitation activities, including counseling, case management, rehabilitation plan development, and job development and placement.
• Takes action and makes decisions on information gathered and presented by subordinate personnel functioning in Supervisory Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, Counseling Psychologist, Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, Employment Coordinator, and Program Support Clerk positions.
• Promotes the goals of Equal Employment Opportunity by taking positive steps to assure the accomplishment of affirmative action objectives and by adhering to nondiscriminatory employment practices regarding race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or disability.
• Initiates/facilitates merit promotion of employees and recruitment and hiring; fair treatment of all employees; encouragement and recognition of employee achievements; career development of employees; and full utilization of their skills.
• Establishes staff guidelines and performance expectations which are clearly communicated and develops work improvement plans, recommending personnel actions as necessary.
• Sets priorities and determines which program elements require immediate attention, and which elements can be deferred.
• Manages allocated budgetary resources and supervises the expenditure of funds.
• Maintains essential resources for referral for special rehabilitation procedures.
• Consults with others in fields related to vocational rehabilitation to secure the services necessary to affect rehabilitation of disabled Veterans.
• Identifies and corrects deficiencies recognized through systematic analysis of VR&E operations and multiple sources of performance data reflecting timeliness and quality.
• Maintains collaboration and referrals with employers, school officials, contractors, state employment service personnel, and other community resources.
• Serves as consultant and expert on employment issues for Veterans with disabilities.
• Writes position papers.

Benefits

• A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package.
• As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding.
• Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Education Level: No Education Listed