Field Examiner

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement:09/01/2026. 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 (unless if in the commuting area and eligible for a non-competitive hiring authority such as Schedule A, VRA, or 30% or more disabled Veterans). For a GS-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07 level. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09 level. If you are a current VBA employee outside of the commuting area seeking reassignment or change to lower grade via this vacancy announcement, you must currently hold the GS-09 (or higher) and the promotion potential of your current position must be at least GS-11. 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. These requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement and those applying for a Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT: You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: GS-09 Grade Level: Specialized Experience: To qualify at the GS-09 grade level, you must have one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 grade level or higher in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is defined as use of fact-finding sources (i.e., conducting interviews, researching court records, etc.) to verify facts and obtain specific pieces of information; or experience applying Federal, state and/or local laws and regulations to administer benefits programs or services; or financial management experience for individuals or businesses. Examples of specialized experience include but are not limited to: Conducting investigations into allegations of misconduct, compiling findings, and composing reports of recommended action. Determining an applicant's eligibility for welfare programs in accordance with state laws and program regulations. Conducting professional interviews or investigations involving issues/cases such as benefit claims, workplace safety claims, employee/labor allegations, fraud, abuse, or embezzlement for the purpose of gathering factual information to make a determination. Interpretation and application of Federal, State and/or Local benefit programs (i.e., compensation/pension, healthcare, mortgage/lending, insurance, etc.) that comply with related laws, policy, regulations. Establishing and reviewing budgets for expenditures, verifying, or monitoring the use of funds, and balancing or reconciling finances for individual or business. OR Education Substitution: A master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree in Social Work, Counseling Rehabilitation, Criminal Justice, or another degree specifically related to the duties of this position which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the work (You must submit transcripts). GS-11 Grade Level: Specialized Experience: To qualify at the GS-11 grade level, you must have one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 grade level or higher in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is defined as conducting interviews in a state and/or Federal benefit/services program capacity to obtain essential information and assess an individual's competency to make valid decisions; or expertise in personal financial management for individuals in exceptionally unique or complex financial situations. Examples of specialized experience include but are not limited to: Conducting professional interviews or investigations involving issues/cases such as benefit claims, workplace safety claims, employee/labor allegations, fraud, abuse, or embezzlement for the purpose of gathering factual information to make a determination. Establishing and reviewing budgets for expenditures, verifying, or monitoring the use of funds, personal financial management, balancing or reconciling finances for disabled individuals or minors who are unable to legally manage their own accounts. Interpretation and application of Federal, State and Local benefit programs (i.e., compensation/pension, healthcare, mortgage/lending, insurance, etc.) that comply with related laws, policy, regulations. OR Education Substitution: A PhD. or equivalent doctoral degree or three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree in Social Work, Counseling Rehabilitation, Criminal Justice, or another degree specifically related to the duties of this position which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work (You must submit transcripts). Combining Education & Experience: If you do not fully meet the length of experience and education described for a specific grade level (e.g. have six months of experience and some coursework but not a degree), the two can be combined to total 100% of the requirement. Click here for more information. Volunteer Experience: 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. Full vs. Part-Time Employment: Full-time employment is considered to be at least 35 hours per week. Part-time experience will be credited on a pro-rated basis; when including part-time employment in your resume you must specify the average hours worked per week. Physical Requirements: The job requires driving in government owned automobiles, often very long distances requiring overnight lodging. Some walking and climbing of stairs is required since interviews with VA beneficiaries are conducted at the residences of the beneficiaries. 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/.