Supervisory Vocational Rehab Counselor.

Responsibilities

• Directs the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VRE) Program, performing technical, administrative, and professional work.
• Serves as the Regional Office's professional and technical expert in education, training, testing, evaluation, counseling, rehabilitation, psychology, job development, job placement, and entitlement.
• Provides administrative and technical direction and professional leadership to a team of Counseling Psychologists, Rehabilitation Counselors, Vocational Rehabilitation Specialists, Employment/Program Specialists, and support staff, including oversight of contractors.
• Oversees Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors (VRCs) and staff in Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) Regional Offices, out-based office locations, Vet Success On Campus (VSOC) school sites, or Integrated Disability Evaluation System (IDES) locations on military installations.
• Develops short- and long-term plans to ensure timely, high-quality work that aligns with VA Central Office and local management initiatives.
• Ensures staff provides expert, high-quality services to Veterans with service-connected disabilities, including vocational counseling, consultation, counseling interventions, and case management.
• Manages allocated budgetary resources, authorizing expenditures such as staff travel, beneficiary travel, tools, supplies, equipment, revolving fund loans, tutoring, reader services, instructor fees, tuition, and subsistence allowances.
• Provides counseling, training, and employment services to eligible beneficiaries statewide, impacting agency activities and direct payment of benefits.
• Directs a VRE Program encompassing 1,650–2,000 participants and administers approximately $10 million in expenditures from the Rehabilitation Benefits Account.
• Establishes division goals, objectives, and priorities to ensure program and Regional Office mission success.
• Meets with senior managers at Regional Offices, State or Labor representatives, VA Medical Centers, Outpatient Clinics, and other facilities.
• Frequently contacts high-ranking civilian managers, supervisors, and technical staff regarding contracting of services, as well as professionals such as physicians, psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, and social workers.
• Takes personnel-related actions, including resolving grievances, proposing disciplinary actions, evaluating performance, approving expenses, recommending awards, and classifying positions.

Requirements

As a condition of employment:

• Must serve a 1-year probationary period, during which fitness and public interest will be evaluated.
• Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• May be required to serve a supervisory probationary period.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Must complete an online onboarding process.
• Effective May 7, 2025, non-REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses or state-issued IDs cannot be used for employment verification.

Qualifications

To qualify, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement (07/29/2026).

• Time-in-Grade Requirement: Must have served 52 weeks at the GS-13 level for this GS-14 position. Current VBA employees requesting reassignment or change to a lower grade must hold a GS-14 (or higher) position with promotion potential to GS-14.
• Basic Requirements:
  • Education: Master’s degree (or higher) in rehabilitation counseling, rehabilitation services, clinical rehabilitation counseling, counseling psychology, mental health counseling, career counseling, or social work from an accredited institution.
  • Internship or Experience:
    • Supervised internship in rehabilitation counseling or case management, supervised by a vocational rehabilitation professional.
    • One year of post-master’s degree experience in direct delivery of professional vocational rehabilitation services to individuals with disabilities.
  • Grandfathering Provision: VRCs employed in VBA on July 28, 2023, are considered to have met all qualification requirements for their current title, series, and grade.
• Specialized Experience (GS-14): One year of post-graduate professional vocational rehabilitation counseling experience equivalent to the GS-13 level, including:
  • Expertise in employment and vocational rehabilitation programs.
  • Knowledge of vocational and rehabilitation law procedures.
  • Experience administering and counseling in areas such as rehabilitation, psychology, career development, and job placement entitlements.
  • Experience managing budgetary resources for financial expenditures.
• Volunteer Experience: Paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work, may count toward qualifications.

Schedule

• Full time, Monday through Friday, 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM Eastern Standard Time (EST).
• Compressed/Flexible Schedule: Available.
• Telework: Eligible for situational (ad hoc) telework only.
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Benefits

• Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized.
• Financial Disclosure Report: Required.