Summary This position is in the Office of Field Operations (OFO), Records Acquisition and Research Division with out-based duties at the Air Force Historical Research Agency (AFHRA) Maxwell, Air Force Base, Alabama. The position reports to the Supervisory Program Analyst (Classified Research Operations, Chief). Responsibilities Specific duties include: Conduct onsite research of classified and sensitive military records, under the direction of the Classified Operations Chief and/or Lead Analyst, to locate and review documents that help substantiate Veterans' service-connected (S/C) disability claims. Perform day-to-day records research by pulling, reviewing, extracting, and organizing information from multiple sources, including military unit records and other documents, to reconstruct events involving units that participated in hazardous and dangerous operations, including classified and sensitive operations; verify that a Veteran's unit was present in a covered location; identify and document stressor and exposure incidents; and provide findings to support VBA claims development. Record research findings in the designated tracking tool, complete assigned research within established timeframes, and promptly inform the supervisor of issues that may affect research completion, including the expected impact on timelines. Coordinate with the onsite Department of War (DoW) facility Archivist, military service department offices, and other research agencies (such as the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations) to locate records and obtain guidance on research requests; when needed, travel to NARA and other repositories to conduct onsite research of records such as deck logs and command histories. Support internal coordination and VBA program initiatives, projects, and policy changes related to VBA military records research and supporting disability claims processing. Respond timely to inquiries from RAR management and internal and external stakeholders, verbally and in writing, by assessing requests, providing accurate research findings or status updates, and promptly referring sensitive or classified matters to RAR leadership. 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, GS-12. Work Schedule: Full Time, Monday through Friday. 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. Position Description/PD#: Program Specialist (Military Records Liaison); PD41245A and PD41246A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized. Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required. Security Clearance: Selectee must have or be able to secure and maintain a top secret clearance. Requirements Conditions of Employment 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. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement:11/16/2026. TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENT: As a current Federal, GS employee you must 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 level. For a GS-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11 level. If you are a current VBA employee requesting reassignment or change to lower grade via this vacancy announcement, you must currently hold the GS- GS-11 or higher and the promotion potential of your current position must be at least GS-12. 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. MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT: You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: GS-11 Grade Level: Specialized Experience: Specialized experience is defined as researching, interpreting and applying broad guidelines and principles in the execution of duties and responsibilities; applying organization policies and regulations to conduct detailed analysis of complex issues; keeping abreast of current developments and needs of an organization, making suggestions to improve effectiveness and efficiency; performing research and analysis for the purpose of reconstructing activities and events, some of which are of a classified or sensitive nature, to facilitate claims adjudication or similar work. Education Substitution: A Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree. Education must be related to the position being filled. GS-12 Grade Level: Specialized Experience: Specialized experience is defined as diagnosing problems within an organization and implementing plans to make improvements and/or changes; preparing large amounts of narrative and statistical data in relation to processing disability compensation claims; interpreting policy, regulations, and legislation affecting the conduct of disability compensation programs. Education Substitution: There is no education substitution at the GS-12 grade 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: Work is partially sedentary and involves the use of a personal computer, a degree of manual dexterity, and visual acuity enough to utilize these tools is required. The incumbent lifts and carries record boxes, unit records, reference books, and similar items throughout archive facilities. A moderate amount of standing, walking, bending, crouching, stooping, reaching, and similar activities are required at the various archive facilities to assist with records retrieval, and conversion for electronic upload. 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: 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. Additional Information The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP)and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/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 your 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 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/. 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. Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members. 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 (TJO). Please visit the Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP), https://www.va.gov/EMPLOYEE/docs/The-Fair-Chance-to-Compete-Act.pdf 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: Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. (https://appsupport-usastaffing.opm.gov/hc/en-us/sections/45063131363475-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information) For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.
