VPD Government Solutions is a rapidly growing, employee-centric professional services company providing Strategic Communications & Stakeholder Engagement, Acquisition and Grants Management, PMO, IT PMO, and Data Analysis & Governance support to our federal clients. Our employees proudly serve as trusted advisors and innovative problem solvers for our clients. We are seeking a 508 Compliance Specialist to join our diverse and talented team.

The 508 Compliance Specialist supports 508 compliancy and document accessibility efforts in the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF). OPRE oversees contracts and grants to study ACF’s social services programs and the low-income and at-risk children and families they serve. Areas of focus include Head Start, childcare, welfare, employment and self-sufficiency, child abuse and neglect, responsible fatherhood and healthy marriage, home visiting, and youth services. OPRE includes approximately one hundred federal and contracted staff, primarily research and evaluation specialists. The Office oversees a portfolio of approximately $200 million in grants and contracts.

• Information on ACF is available at https://acf.hhs.gov.
• Information on OPRE is available at https://acf.hhs.gov/opre

Position Overview:

The 508 Compliance Specialist will review documents produced under OPRE contract and grant funding for 508 compliance, will remediate documents as needed, and communicate areas of non-compliance to contractors and grantees. The 508 Compliance Specialist will also assist with posting publications to the OPRE website and will perform other communications activities as assigned.

Responsibilities:

• Conduct reviews of contract and grant deliverables to ensure 508 compliance regulations are met, and other accessibility and plain language best practices are applied
• Remediate contract and grant deliverables for 508 compliance as needed, and as appropriate communicate areas of non-compliance to contractors and grantees
• Provide expert 508 compliance and plain language consultation to OPRE project staff and serve as a document accessibility point of contact
• Conduct 508 compliance and plain language trainings and develop guidance materials and templates for OPRE staff
• Contribute content to and assist with the maintenance of the OPRE Editorial Style Guide
• Conduct and execute routine OPRE website usability and accessibility checks and optimizations
• Assist federal staff with project management activities (e.g., tracking deliverables and action items, records management, etc.) related to 508 compliance and document preparation
• Assist with posting publications on the OPRE website
• Stay abreast of 508 compliancy, accessibility, and plain language regulations and best practices
• Provide ad-hoc communications support on special projects
• Assist with formatting and designing PDF deliverables
• Provide guidance regarding creating accessible versions of videos and webinars, and create compliant versions as assigned
• Perform other duties as assigned

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree is required
• A total of 5 years of experience with 2 years of highly relevant professional experience in 508 compliance and document accessibility consultation and document remediation
• In lieu of degree, a total of 9 years of experience with 2 years of relevant 508 compliance and document accessibility consultation and document remediation
• Experience providing 508 compliance consultation and remediation support on web and video projects
• Strong written and oral communication skills and responsiveness
• Strong organizational skills and experience with project management software, solutions, and best practices
• Strong writing, production, and technical editing skills
• Ability to be detail-oriented and self-motivated and to prioritize and balance a diverse workload
• Excellent time management skills, including handling multiple projects simultaneously and on tight timeframes
• Ability to work independently, be flexible, and work as part of a remote team
• Strong proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Microsoft Teams, Outlook, and Zoom
• Strong proficiency with Adobe Acrobat Pro and other compliance testing software tools
• Ability to obtain and maintain a public trust clearance
• Must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19
• U.S. Citizenship required

Desired:

• Section 508 DHS Trusted Tester Certification, or equivalent certification preferred
• Experience with and/or demonstrated interest in 508 compliance remediation for Federal government agencies, especially with research and technical documents
• Proficiency with Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, and Premiere Pro
• Knowledge of basic research methods and tools, such as familiarity with different types of research, statistical tools, and/or data visualization tools
• Familiarity with Drupal and other content management systems

Why work for VPD?

• VPD is proud to be a certified Great Place to Work in 2022! See more about what our employees think! Working at VPD Government Solutions | Great Place to Work®
• Robust employee benefits package beginning on 1st of the month following hire date including health, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance
• 401(k) with 5% employer matching- immediate vesting!
• Profit sharing
• Flexible time off program including 3 weeks of paid time off
• Tuition reimbursement program
• Opportunities for professional development
• Employee-centric work culture including company sponsored events, happy hours, and team-building opportunities, frequent communications/information sharing from Leadership, supportive and positive teamwork environment, “open door” policy, etc.

Work Location: Remote - Washington, DC – Health and Human Services.

VPD is Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) and is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

• VPD Uses E-Verify - Right to Work Poster
• VPD Uses E-Verify - Participation Notice

Applicants have rights under Federal Employment Laws:

• EEOC Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal
• EEO is the Law - Federal Contractors/Subcontractors
• Employee Polygraph Protection Act
• Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination Provision