Duties

Summary

This position is located in the Department of Veterans' Affairs, Veterans Benefits Administration, and is assigned to Compensation Service (CS) in the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA). The incumbent serves with specific subject matter expertise to advise the VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities (VASRD) staff in assessing service-connected disabilities, assessing the effects of military exposure events/incidents, and other related medical issues.
Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

Major Duties:

• Conducts reviews of pertinent medical literature and published research to comprehensively assess the causal link between conditions within set environments and resulting disabling effects that manifest into chronic diseases or injuries.
• Provides subject matter expertise on behalf of VBA pertaining to (agency-wide) decision ­making concerning exposures such as radiation, herbicides, airborne hazards and open burn pits, etc.
• Completes medical advisory opinions and provides specialty consultations in medical disciplines and in program areas involving service connection and VASRD.
• Leads technical workgroups on assigned body systems and collaborates with other federal partners, medical experts and medical scientist to facilitate VA deliberations on new or revised service-connected disabilities-whether direct, secondary or presumptive.
• Collaborates with various VA Offices, other federal agencies, VA stakeholders (Veterans Service Organizations, Veteran focus groups, and congressional staffers), and academia on VASRD rulemaking and legislative determinations that involve VASRD and service connection issues.
• Briefs the Secretary's Advisory Committee for Disability Claims on issues related to the VASRD and service connection.
• Researching, drafting, and proposing regulations within appropriate cycle times and updating taskers and Share Point sites as needed to ensure efficient and effective program management, recordkeeping, and communication.
• Responding to public comments, 0MB, and Congress concerning rulemaking-related questions or status requests.
• Reviewing regulations published in the Federal Register as quality control for completeness and correct formatting to ensure they are accurate, complete, and adequate to support VA disability rating decisions. The review will also ensure that all contractual and medical requirements have been met and properly documented.
• Documents all review and research findings and compiles routine reports to document review findings, trends, and recommendations. Conducts detailed analysis and review of medical and scientific information that is pertinent to the VASRD subject matter. review findings to develop, report, and implement strategies to improve contract exam quality, and the Veteran experience.
• Participates in periodic and special issue reviews to validate compliance with new statutory requirements or significant policy changes or to gather information on particularly sensitive processing issues which impact examinations.
• Assists in analyzing data to identify both national and local trends that impact the quality or timeliness of examinations. Prepares reports based on analysis, recommending appropriate corrective action under the guidance of the VASRD Director, while preparing regulatory reviews and correspondence, memoranda and other communications to ensure they conform to established regulations and policy and to evaluate the VASRD and law for possible precedent effect.
• Serves as an advisor and consultant to the VA rating activity and provides technical assist for training products as these relate to the VASRD on precedent determinations involving decisions on individual cases and national issues regarding technical, regulatory, procedural, and operational aspects of the VASRD. May act for his/her immediate supervisor when called upon to do so.
• Undertakes research and studies program activities within CS to support the organization's business goals and objectives. Gathers relevant data, analyzes it critically, and makes recommendations based on findings using available information resources such as internet tools, manuals, and other reference material. Manages multiple projects or programs concurrently where effort involves coordination among multiple resources, other divisions, or agents outside of the organization. Conducts investigations or inquiries into examinations involved in resolving appealed or special interest cases.
• Leads in-house efforts and participates actively as a team member or sub-group leader on project teams involving participants outside of VBA.

Work Schedule: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Compressed/Flexible: May be Available
Telework: May be Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#:Physician (Disability Evaluation)/PD38619A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Relocation with BVO Benefit is Authorized. Recruitment Incentive of $10,000, a year, for 3 years (total of $30,000) is Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Travel Required

Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
None

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• You may be required to serve a probationary period
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 03/03/2021.

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-15 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-14. 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. To support your claim of time in grade, you must submit your most recent appointment, promotion, or within grade increase SF-50 (not an award or general adjustment SF-50). Some applicants may have to submit more than one SF-50 to demonstrate their eligibility. See the required documents section for more information.

You may qualify based on your experience and education as described below:

BASIC EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENT: To be eligible for consideration at the GS-15 level, applicants must meet the following Basic Educational Requirement: Satisfactory completion in an accredited college or university of all the requirements for a Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine or equivalent degree including Graduate training of at least 1 year of supervised experience providing direct service in a clinical setting, i.e., a 1-year internship or the first year of a residency program in a hospital or an institution accredited for such training. For purposes of this standard, graduate training programs include only those internship, residency, and fellowship programs that are approved by accrediting bodies recognized within the United States or Canada. Descriptions of such programs are described as follows: An internship program involves broadly based clinical practice in which physicians acquire experience in treating a variety of medical problems under supervision (e.g., internal medicine, surgery, general practice, obstetrics-gynecology, and pediatrics). Such programs are in hospitals or other institutions accredited for internship training by a recognized body of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). A residency program involves training in a specialized field of medicine in a hospital or an institution accredited for training in the specialty by a recognized body of the American Medical Association, (AMA) or Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). A fellowship program involves advanced training (beyond residency training) in a given medical specialty in either a clinical or research setting in a hospital or an institution accredited in the United States for such training. Additionally, at the GS-15 grade level you will be required to have 5 years of graduate training in the specialty of the position to be filled or equivalent experience and training.

AND

Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-14 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is defined as work that involves extensive and authoritative knowledge of medicine, training and experience in a specific area of medicine; extensive and authoritative experience using knowledge of medicine, training, and experience in a specific area of medicine (e.g. general surgery, psychiatry, neurology) to serve as the agency expert and knowledge of medical disability examinations; and experience conducting in-depth, independent research to provide documented support of medical disability examinations.

AND

Professional Licensure: For all grade levels and positions, applicants must possess a current, active, full, and unrestricted license or registration as a Physician from a State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States.

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: Requires walking, standing, and visiting office and activities at various locations.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at http://://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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html .
Degree: Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine or equivalent from a school in the United States or Canada. This degree must have been accredited by the Council on Medical Education of the American Medical Association (external link) ; Association of American Medical Colleges (external link) ; Liaison Committee on Medical Education (external link) ; Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation of the American Osteopathic Association (external link) , or an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (external link) at the time the degree was obtained.

Degree from Foreign Medical School: A Doctor of Medicine or equivalent degree from a foreign medical school must provide education and medical knowledge equivalent to accredited schools in the United States. Evidence of equivalency to accredited schools in the United States is demonstrated by permanent certification by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (external link) , a fifth pathway certificate for Americans who completed premedical education in the United States and graduate education in a foreign country, or successful completion of the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination.

Additional information

VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.

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 (have a final rating of 85 or more) for this vacancy. Information about 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/ .

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application .

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.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

• Knowledge of the principles of the specialization being filled (e.g. assigned VA).Schedule for Rating Disabilities body system, clinical, occupational medical, research, teaching or training, disability evaluation, or administration) gained by experience performing forensic, diagnostic, preventive, or therapeutic medical services for research or to patients in hospitals, clinics, public health programs, diagnostic centers, etc.
• Knowledge of Federal Public Law, Federal regulations and standards; VA and VBA policy, standards, and procedures regarding veterans' benefits and services that govern medical practices.
• Ability to instruct, guide, collaborate, and advise others-peers, supervisors, support staff, stakeholders, and/or veterans-on medical issues.

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Not Required

Drug test required
No

Position sensitivity and risk
Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk

Trust determination process
Suitability/Fitness

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

• Must possess a current, active, full, and unrestricted license or registration as a Physician from a State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States.
• Resume
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please use this checklist to make sure you have included other documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), documentation to support Veterans Preference claims, or ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees). You will not be contacted for additional information.

• Cover Letter
• Must possess a current, active, full, and unrestricted license or registration as a Physician from a State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States.
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

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.