Summary

This position is located at the VA Portland Health Care System (VAPORHCS) in the Office of the Director. The purpose of the Equal Employment Opportunity Program Manager is to establish a highly visible position to raise the consciousness and awareness of the Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Employment (EEO/AE), Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), and external Civil Rights (CR) within VAPORHCS, a level 1A tertiary medical center.

Duties

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Major duties include, but are not limited to:

• Serves as the principal advisor, subject matter expert and spokesperson in the area of EEO/AE (including Special Emphasis Programs), ADR, CR external programs, and Reasonable Accommodation (RA) for the Health System Director, service line executives, supervisors and employees.
• Directs and is responsible for all aspects of the aforementioned program areas including program development, administration, consultation, evaluation, training, reporting and advisory functions.
• Reviews new or proposed personnel policies, procedures and guidelines and makes recommendations to management on the need for changes in existing policies.
• Develops organizational strategies and plans.
• Conducts analyses and develops statistics upon which realistic affirmative action goals can be based.
• Analyzes changes to regulations, policies, etc., for impact on EEO/AE.
• Plans and implements actions to correct deficiencies identified by reviews.
• Develops and implements all plans associated with the EEO program.
• Provides timely advice and guidance when procedural and policy changes occur.
• Provides management with thorough and conclusive advice on the legal precedents and requirements of the equal employment opportunity program for the agency.
• Advises the Director and other top management staff of the disposition of EEO cases and negotiates with complaints, attorneys and management to facilitate settlement.
• Conducts EEO training including the Prevention of Sexual Harassment, to all managers and supervisors at the Medical Center.
• Serves as the technical expert for the agency in EEO complaints.
• Develops methods of measurement that provide a valid assessment of the success of the equal employment opportunity program or related initiatives in accomplished established goals and objectives.
• Develops and/or monitors proposals or plans related to the implementation of personnel programs or projects.
• Ensures that the agency properly investigates EEO complaints, provides documentation to the Office of General Counsel to develop the agency defense against allegations of discrimination that will withstand legal challenges, and analyzes all findings of discrimination and provides guidance to the Health System Director to avoid similar action.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm PST

Telework: Not Authorized

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Equal Employment Manager/PD212640

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

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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 time-in-grade requirements and specialized experience within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement, 07/23/2026.

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 within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the 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. 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.

You may qualify based on your experience as described below:

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-11 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Developing and implementing EEO plans and identifying areas for improvement; Advising on affirmative action and discrimination complaint handling; Facilitating complex civil rights issues; Conducting EEO trainings, harassment prevention, and alternative dispute resolutions; preparing compliance reports and mitigation plans; Compiling and analyzing statistical data and briefing senior management officials on EEO regulations and program plans. Note: 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.

Preferred Experience: Developing and implementing EEO plans and identifying areas for improvement; Advising on affirmative action and discrimination complaint handling; Facilitating complex civil rights issues; Conducting EEO trainings, harassment prevention, and alternative dispute resolutions; preparing compliance reports and mitigation plans; Compiling and analyzing statistical data and briefing senior management officials on EEO regulations and program plans.

Physical Requirements: The regular and recurring work of the position involves sitting at a desk, conferences, meetings, etc., and occasional visits to activity work sites. Occasional use of automobile and public conveyances may be required. No special physical exertion is required.

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.

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

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

Additional information

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. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

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 the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

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

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and 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 for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. 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/.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.