Equal Employment Specialist

Other

Duties

Duties include, but are not limited to: EEO Program and Harassment Prevention Program Management Advising the Director & management on specific actions in support of affirmative action and strategies for handling discrimination complaints & skill to apply knowledge to more difficult/complex problems encountered in the program. In collaboration with the ORMDI Field Office, serving as the local liaison for all aspects of the facility's complaint processing program. This includes aiding the ORMDI field office personnel (EEO Counselors, Investigators & Intake Specialists) during both the counseling/investigative stages. Includes providing documentation as requested; locating & identifying employees involved in the complaint process; discussing resolution efforts; negotiating settlements & drafting the same on behalf of management. Providing advice & assisting during post-investigative stages (e.g., hearings, appeals and compliance phases) for each formal complaint. Includes working with EEOC Administrative Judges, Regional Counsel staff, Office of General Counsel, Office of Employment Discrimination Complaint Adjudication, as well as local supervisors & managers. Incumbent is a trained & certified National Facilitator and conducts EEO training including the Prevention of Sexual Harassment, for all managers & supervisors. Conducting mandated training within 60 days of all newly hired employee's entry on duty. Conducting studies/analysis on the utilization of minorities & women in the workplace, identifying obstacles & outlining alternative solutions to identified problems such as underrepresentation. Methodically researching, complying & analyzing statistical data to evaluate progress of the EEO Program. Identifying organizational or occupational areas that need improvement & developing/implementing alternatives to resolve problems. Identifying program goals that may conflict with existing policies or practices actions, reassignments, job training, sexual harassment & reprisal. Conducting briefings to MCD & management officials making them aware of their responsibilities in relation to these plans & soliciting their support for successful implementation. Serving as the Harassment Prevention Coordinator for the Harassment Prevention Program & is primary point of contact to receive harassment allegations for the facility. Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) Program Directing/developing an ADR Program, which is any procedure or combination of procedures voluntarily used to resolve issues in controversy without the need to resort to litigation. Preparing correspondence, conducting through reviews & discussions with all parties & helping/mediating to negotiate resolution. Assisting the parties in: Briefing the process & preparing for negotiation Structuring the negotiation Clarifying the core issues in dispute Avoiding personality conflict(s) which may disrupt the negotiation Identifying the strengths & weaknesses of each party's position Keeping all parties focused & on track Examining alternative approaches, which facilitate a compromised agreement Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. Creating/implementing communication strategies & serving as a content manager for trainings, web resources, social media & print Developing innovative strategies/recommendations for initiating & establishing goals. Implementing new initiatives/programs to strengthen, facilitate & integrate programs into the overall facility's strategies/priorities Investigating/analyzing adverse operations, trends or conditions & initiating corrective action & follows-through Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 8:00 - 4:30pm Telework: This position is authorized for telework (Ad-hoc Eligible Only) Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Equal Employment Specialist/PD004980 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required. 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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-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. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 06/10/2026. 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-09. 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. 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: I possess one year of specialized experience, equivalent to at least the GS-9 level in the federal service, that equipped me with the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to successfully perform the duties of this position and that is typically in and/or related to the position being filled. Specialized experience includes: knowledge of principles, concepts, laws, and regulations of human resources management (HRM), and EEO principles, concepts, federal EEO laws, regulations and policies to include: 29 CFR, Part 1614, MD-110, MD 715, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Sect. 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Age Discrimination Act of 1975, Title IX, Education Amendments of 1972, and VHA Policies, Directives, and Executive Orders, with a high level of consultative skill that is sufficient to serve as an expert and key advisor to top agency management officials. Knowledge of program development and delivery methodologies and techniques to manage, identify, evaluate, recommend, and implement program strategies, knowledge of concepts, principles, and practices of program analysis, to analyze and evaluate previous, current, and projected operating programs for potential effectiveness in meeting their objectives, and skills in conflict resolution, team building, executive meeting facilitation, and group dynamics, ability to analyze problems and present both written and oral recommendations taking into full consideration a wide range of factors and requirements which affect the management of the healthcare delivery system. 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. (Transcripts may be submitted with application package.). 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. 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/.

Education

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Note: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application.

Other Information

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.