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Vocational Development Specialist - Tucson Arizona

$76,095 - $98,928 yearly
Full time Government Healthcare Professional Services Social Services

Job Description

Vocational Development Specialist

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
Veterans Health Administration

Summary

The Department of Housing and Urban Development-Veterans Administration Supported Housing (HUD-VASH) Vocational Development Specialist carries out all duties related to obtaining and maintaining competitive employment for homeless or at-risk of homelessness Veterans who are referred by a homeless program provider or self-present for employment services.

Duties

Major duties include:

  • Conducts interviews to determine the nature and level of intervention that may be required to assist the Veteran in obtaining employment.
  • Provides the Veteran with a range of service options that will meet both his/her immediate and long-term employment needs.
  • Provides both direct and indirect services including but not limited to: access to job listings; resume preparation; vocational counseling; negotiations with employers for reasonable accommodations; assistance with completion and submission of job applications; coordination of and transportation to job interviews; interview skills training; job development and job placement.
  • Collaborates with Veterans to determine the level and types of services needed, where the end result is competitive employment, employment maintenance or improved job status.
  • Focuses services on employment rather than therapeutic work.
  • Assists Veterans in obtaining a referral to the nearest Compensated Work Therapy Program (CWT).
  • Works closely with the Veterans Benefit Administration (VBA) to determine the Veteran's eligibility for Veterans Readiness and Employment (VR&E) services.
  • Documents all vocational interventions, goals, objectives and outcomes through the writing of an individualized employment plan and actively participates in the implementation of this employment plan.
  • Attends and participates in treatment team meetings, contributes actively to the strategies and support plans for all clients served by the team, and communicates strategies developed for job acquisition and retention to the treatment team.
  • Collaborates with existing community partners and employers and demonstrates unique expertise in the ability to forge new relationships with such entities.
  • Receives and records information from employers regarding employment opportunities.
  • Participates in job fairs and may take a leadership role in coordinating employment fairs and similar events for homeless Veterans.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 8:00am - 4:30pmVirtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Vocational Development Specialist/PD00895A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

 

Requirements

Conditions of employment

 

  • 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, 11/06/2026.

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.

Selective placement factor: is applied in the same manner as minimum qualification requirements. Relevant selective placement factor experience must be well documented in your resume. Failure to meet a selective placement factor will result in you not receiving further consideration. In addition to the minimum qualifications described below, you must meet the following selective placement factor: Must have a valid state driver's license.

Preferred experience: Two years previous experience working homeless population. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education s described below:

  • Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-9 in the the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of 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. 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 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, OR 3 full years of progressively higher education leading to such a degree, OR LL.M., if related. The major study in this education is vocational rehabilitation, vocational or educational counseling, or other fields related to the position. OR,
  • Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond two years of graduate education.

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.

Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary, but does require intermittent driving, standing, and walking. A valid driver's license and ability to drive a government vehicle is required. The work requires that the incumbent drive on a regular basis as a significant amount of their time may be spent in the community meeting with Veterans, employers and other community agency representatives.

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/.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Applicants who do not fully address in their resumes the specialized experience needed for the position (as described in the job opportunity announcement), or who do not possess the education to substitute for it, will not be referred for further consideration.

If you are referred for consideration you will be rated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs)) based on your application for this position:

  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Decision Making
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork


Referral listings will be created on a biweekly basis. Final disposition will be completed once the position has been filled or the announcement reaches the end of the open period stated in the announcement.

See schedule below.
  • First cut-off date-January 30, 2026
  • Second cut-off date-February 13, 2026
  • Third cut-off date-February 27, 2026
  • Close Date- March 17, 2026
You may be asked to submit additional job-related information, which may include responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) identified in the announcement; and/or completion of a work sample; and/or an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or your further consideration for employment.

After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. During our review, if your resume and application package does not support your questionnaire answers, we will adjust your rating accordingly.

Your application will be evaluated using the category rating method based on your responses to the assessment questions and the documents you submit. If you meet the basic requirements for the position, your application will be evaluated and placed into one of three categories:
  1. Best Qualified Category - Candidates who meet the minimum qualification requirements and demonstrate a high level of the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) necessary to perform the duties of the position.
  2. Well Qualified Category - Candidates who meet the minimum qualification requirements and demonstrate a satisfactory level of the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) necessary to perform the duties of the position.
  3. Qualified Category - Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications requirements.
Note: Candidates eligible for veterans' preference will be placed ahead of other candidates in the appropriate category for which they have been rated. Additionally, preference eligible candidates who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent and who meet the minimum qualification requirements will automatically be placed in the best qualified category.
 

Required Documents

Required Documents:

  • Resume
  • For qualifications determinations your resume must reflect hours worked per week, the inclusive dates of employment, and the level of your experience. If your resume does not reflect this information, you will not receive credit for the experience.
  • If you submit more than one copy of your resume, the most recent version will be reviewed. The latest timestamp will be used to determine which version of your resume is "most recent." It is your responsibility to check the status and timestamp of all documents you submit as part of your application. We would recommend that you do not submit more than one version of your resume.
  • If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, we will not use it to make eligibility and qualification determinations, and you may not be considered further for the vacancy.
  • Resumes longer than two (2) pages will result in ineligibility for further consideration for the position.
  • USAJOBS will not allow you to upload or build resumes longer than two pages, and you will need to update the resumes in your profile before applying for a job.
  • Resumes should include information relevant to the knowledge, skills, abilities (KSAs) and competencies of the position to which you are applying.
  • VA is unable to make assumptions about qualifications if not clearly listed.
Transcripts
  • If you are basing all or some of your qualifications on education or if a degree is required for the position, a transcript must be included as part of your application package.
  • An unofficial transcript may be submitted; however, it must reflect the course names, levels, credits earned, grades received, and degree conferred if applicable.
  • Your transcript (official or unofficial) must reflect the degree conferred date if you are substituting a degree for experience.
  • A photocopy of your degree is not acceptable in lieu of a transcript.
  • An official transcript will be required later if you are selected for the position.
  • Whenever possible it is preferable that you submit copies of official transcripts. Unofficial transcripts may lack essential information necessary for a full evaluation of your qualifications.
Accepted Documents:
  • Cover Letter
  • DD-214/ Statement of Service
  • Disability Letter (Schedule A)
  • Disability Letter (VA)
  • Four Essa Questionnaire
  • PCS Orders
  • Performance Appraisal
  • Proof of Marriage Status
  • Resume
  • Separation Notice (RIF)
  • SF-15
  • SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
  • Transcript

Applicants claiming veterans' preference must also submit:
  • A legible copy of your DD Form 214, "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty," showing all dates of service as well as character of service (Honorable, General, etc.) is required. The member copy 2 or 4 of your DD Form 214 is preferable, as they show the characterization of service. Copies of DD-214s can be requested from the National Archives.
  • Current active-duty members must submit a signed statement of service from their commander dated within the last 120 days that reflects their expected discharge date, their release from active duty under honorable conditions, any medals awarded, and the timeframe of their service so that eligibility can be determined.
  • Veterans and others (Spouse, Parents, Widows/Widowers) claiming 10 point preference must also submit an SF-15 and all documents indicated on the form as proof of type of preference. This includes a VA letter supporting your disability claim with the overall percentage listed.
  • If you are unsure as to whether you qualify for Veterans' preference, consult the U.S. Department of Labor's Veterans' Preference Advisor.
Applicants claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility must also submit:
  • Certification of expected separation, reduction-in-force separation notice, or notice of proposed removal; and your most recent performance evaluation; and an SF-50 demonstrating your separation or the position you will be separated from; or
  • Worker's compensation separation (agency certification of inability to place employee and notification of separation or a separation SF-50; or
  • Disability annuity termination (notification from OPM of disability annuity termination and separation SF-50 of the last position held); or
  • Military reserve or National Guard technician special disability retirement annuity under 5 U.S.C. 8337(h) or 8456 (certification of special disability retirement annuity from a military department or National Guard bureau and separation SF-50 of the last position held).
Failure to submit any of the above-mentioned required documents may result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure that all required documents have been submitted by the cut-off date and/or closing date of the job opportunity announcement. You will not be contacted for additional information.

 

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

Seth Hickman
Phone
(858) 552-8585 X7394
Email
seth.hickman@va.gov
Address
Tucson VA Medical Center
3601 South Sixth Avenue
Tucson, AZ 85723
US

 

Department of Veterans Affairs
About Department of Veterans Affairs

 

A Legacy of Service. The Future of Care

In 1946, just months after taking over as Administrator of the Veterans Administration, General Omar Bradley, along with VA’s first medical director, Major General Paul Hawley, M.D. laid the groundwork for today’s Veterans Health Administration by creating the Department of Medicine and Surgery (DM&S). Bradley and Hawley expanded access to care for Veterans during the post-World War II era and instituted a range of changes and initiatives to create what is now known as the ‘third generation’ of Veteran’s health care. 

While the Veterans Administration had provided care to some Veterans since the first Soldier’s Home opened after the Civil War in 1866, the post-World War II era saw the need to dramatically re-envision the role of VA in caring for nearly 16 million new Veterans. For the first time, the U.S. military saw more casualties due to combat injuries than diseases and improved battlefield medical care meant more service members returned home with wounds that were not previously survivable. 

The lesson learned from the wave of WWI Veterans was likely a significant factor in the minds of Bradley and Hawley in creating an expansive program at the end of WWII. With only one-third the number of Veterans, the ‘Great War’ introduced complexities to care and Veteran benefits that shaped events of 75 years ago. In addition, Bradley and Hawley also had no interest in repeating the mistakes that led to the 1932 bonus marches and other controversies. Within this context, Bradley and Hawley embarked on a radical reorganization of VA health care services, undertaking key initiatives including: 

  • Establishing new Veterans’ hospitals to accommodate caring for Veterans of all eras and conflicts and converting former military hospitals into Veterans facilities
  • Locating VA hospitals alongside major medical schools to promote research and innovation, responding both to the US physician shortage and providing training for Veterans pursuing medical education after the war
  • Incorporating mental health services and facilities into the design and operations of new VA hospitals for the first time, re-envisioning the concept of the modern general hospital
  • Creating a pilot program known as the Michigan Plan to allow Veterans to be treated by local physicians, expanding access to care where VA care was not available
  • Absorbing VA’s research and development capacity, committing to spend more than $1 million each year, beginning with a focus on improving prosthetics for Veterans with limb loss
  • Establishing the VA Voluntary Service to augment and complement VA’s professional health care staff
  • Establishing the Veterans Canteen Service to provide low-cost goods to Veterans, their families, and caregivers 
  • Hiring the first women doctors in VA history

Today’s Veterans Health Administration (VHA) continues to meet Veterans’ changing medical, surgical, and quality of life needs. New programs provide treatment for traumatic brain injuries, post-traumatic stress disorder, suicide prevention, women Veterans, and more. VHA operates one of the largest health care systems in the world and provides training for a majority of America’s medical, nursing, and allied health professionals. Roughly 60% of all medical residents obtain a portion of their training at VA hospitals and our medical research programs benefit society at-large.

Though Bradley and Hawley’s tenures were brief (both departed VA in 1947 to return to the Department of Defense) their vision had a lasting impact on the organization that would later become the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Many of Hawley’s key initiatives have evolved into the core, foundational care that VHA provides to Veterans today.

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