Field Examiner (Education Approval Specialist)

Summary

This position is in Veterans Benefits Administration, Education Service (EDU). EDU has department-wide responsibility administering VA's education programs that provide education and training benefits to eligible Active Duty, National Guard, and Reserve Servicemembers, Veterans, and dependents. EDU assists to cover the cost of furthering education and skills through benefits for tuition, housing, training, and other expenses related to education; EDU also aids Veterans transition.

Duties

• Major duties include, but are not limited to: Serve as an Education Approval Specialist on the Approvals Management and Oversight team within the Program Oversight and Accountability Division. Receive, review, and take appropriate action on all approval packages submitted by State Approving Agencies (SAAs), federal agencies, and foreign institutions and other actionable items from School Certifying Officials and other stakeholders within an assigned portfolio in support of EDU's mission. Apply all relevant laws, regulations, and policies governing SAA work and review approval packages for program approval, revision, suspension, or withdrawal. Evaluate documentation such as catalogs, licenses, accreditation, and instructor qualifications, then determine whether to approve, request more information, or identify deficiencies. Resolve complex issues with SAAs related to Educational and Training Institutions (ETIs) oversight and may temporarily assume SAA duties when agreements lapse or additional support is needed. Maintain comprehensive records of institutional approval statuses and draft official approval, suspension, denial, or development letters. Act as primary VA liaison for SAA Cooperative Agreements, ensuring SAAs comply with agreement terms and reporting requirements. They conduct quality reviews of SAA approval actions and oversight activities, identify discrepancies, and provide remediation support. Manage funding allocations for contracted SAA partners, oversee budget appropriateness, and audit invoices before submission for payment. The incumbent contributes to quarterly and annual SAA performance evaluations and supports collaborative relationships among VA, SAAs, ETIs, and other stakeholders. Maintain cooperative relationships with ETIs and state and federal agencies, coordinating oversight activities on behalf of Education Service. Validate SCO credentials, monitors ETI reporting requirements, documents findings, and recommends appropriate actions. Provide technical guidance and training to internal and external stakeholders on ETI approvals, compliance, and required VA forms. Attend and present at workshops and conferences, offering updates that impact SAA and SCO work. Assist with responses to inquiries from Congress, the White House, and other stakeholders, ensuring accuracy in education benefit matters. The incumbent supports supervisors on special programs and projects and performs other duties as assigned. 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. The grade progression for this position is GS-11 Work Schedule Full Time, Monday- Friday 8:00am to 4:30pm Compressed/Flexible: Not Available Telework: This position is eligible for situational (ad hoc) telework only. The selectee is required to report to the official duty station each scheduled workday. Telework may be approved only on a case-by-case basis with supervisory approval. Routine or recurring telework is not authorized for this position. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Position Description/PD#: Field Examiner (Education Approval Specialist); PD38788A and PD38789A Financial Disclosure Report: Required, This position requires completion of a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE-278) under 5 C.F.R. § 2634.904(a). The selectee must submit the form before entering on duty and annually thereafter. Bargaining Unit: Yes

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement:09/23/2026. MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT: Specialized Experience: To qualify for the GS-10, applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-09) or higher in the federal service, state or private sector. Specialized Experience is defined as: Utilizing established procedures to assess, evaluate, and monitor programs or operations for compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and standards, including oversight activities related to education or benefit programs administered at the federal or state level. Delivering training through effective instructional methods-including presentations, workshops, demonstrations, and assessments-to support learning and ensure compliance with education or benefit program regulations and requirements. Applying regulatory and policy knowledge to review, analyze, or make determinations on program requirements, including those associated with federal or state education or other benefit programs. Education Substitution: Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. I have at least two and a half years (45 semester hours or 68 quarter hours) of progressively higher level graduate education leading to Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree (such as an LL.M.) from an accrediting institution. OR Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education beyond graduate level. Specialized Experience: To qualify for the GS-11, applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-10) or higher in the federal service, state or private sector. Specialized Experience is defined as: Identifying program deficiencies or areas of risk and recommending or implementing corrective actions and process improvements for education or benefit programs; Developing training using presentations, workshops, demonstrations, and assessments to support learning and ensure program compliance. Interpreting and translating complex federal and state laws, regulations policies and requirements governing education or benefit programs for diverse audiences. Independently assessing, evaluating, and monitoring programs for compliance with applicable federal laws regulations and policies; 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 LL.M., if related. 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 graduate level. 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 work is mostly sedentary with occasional walking, bending, reaching and driving. Incumbent will generally lift office files and folders up to twenty pounds. Work requires lengthy periods viewing video display terminals and extensive use of computer keyboarding. 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/.

Requirements

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary 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. Additional Conditions of Employment are as follows: 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 or trial period 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 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.

Education

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Awarded/Conferred degrees must be reflected on transcripts submitted at the time of application. 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://www.ed.gov/about/initiatives/international-affairs/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications. You may submit unofficial transcripts when applying. However, if you are selected for the position, you will be required to provide an official transcript or a statement from the institution (e.g., from the registrar, dean, or other appropriate official) or equivalent documentation prior to the start date.

How to apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. (EST) on 09/23/2026 to receive consideration. It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date. The application process is as follows: Click the Apply Online button. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. Set aside about two (2) hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link. Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused. Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us. To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To view the announcement status or your application status: Visit https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application. Beginning September 27, 2025, Federal agencies will only accept resumes up to two pages in length to comply with the Merit Hiring Plan. Resumes longer than two 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, and competencies of the position to which you are applying. VA is unable to make assumptions about qualifications if not clearly listed. Resumes must be legible so they can be reviewed for eligibility, minimum qualifications and other position requirements listed in the job announcement. Your resume must be 5MB or less. We recommend saving and uploading your resume as a PDF to maintain formatting and number of pages. We also accept GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, TXT, PDF, ODT or Word (DOC or DOCX). We do not accept PDF portfolio files. We recommend using a sans-serif font size like Lato, if available. Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open San Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans. Make your page margins 0.5 inches. Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text in your resume. The resume builder can help you create a resume using these recommendations and uses the information in your USAJOBS profile to help you get started. Helpful Hints for Creating a Two-Page Resume: Prioritize most relevant and recent experience Use concise, results focused language Align language from the job announcement Focus on demonstrating skills and competencies Remove outdated or unrelated experience Use the USAJOBS resume builder Additional guidance on this new requirement and resume building tools can be found at: USA Jobs Help Center - Resume Page Limit Applicant Guidance on the Two-Page Resume Limit