Summary
The Veterans Service Representative (VSR) (Authorizer) works as an employee in the Veterans Service Center (VSC), Pension Management Center (PMC), Benefits Eligibility Support Team (BEST), or Integrated Disability Evaluation system (IDES) Program Division explaining benefit program and entitlement criteria, conducts interviews, identifies issues, gathers relevant evidence, adjudicates claims, authorizes payments and inputs data necessary to generate the award and notification letters.
This job is open to
- Internal to an agency Current federal employees of this agency.
Clarification from the agency
This vacancy is open ONLY to agency employees of the Atlanta, GA, Columbia, SC, Nashville, TN, OR Roanoke, VA, Regional Office and current/former T5 VA employees who are CTAP eligible. For purposes of this job announcement, unless CTAP eligible, you are ONLY eligible to be considered for the Regional Office where you are a current, permanent employee.
Duties
Major Duties include but are not limited to:Incumbent will serve as a Veterans Service Representative (Authorizer) within the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), Office of Compensation Service, Veterans Service Center (VSC) or Benefits Eligibility Support Team BEST. The incumbent of this position will adjudicate claims, authorize payments, and input data necessary to generate the award and notification letter to the veteran describing the decision and the reason for it. Specific duties are as follows:
- Serves as an Authorizer reviewing all required work of other Veterans Service Representatives when a second signature is required.
- Reviews and approves work for technical accuracy, clarity, thoroughness, and sensitivity of notification.
- Ensures that notices of decisions are prepared with an empathetic tone and are complete and phrased in terms that the claimant can understand. The VSR (Authorizer) must be familiar with rating procedures to ensure proper notification to the claimant.
- Makes administrative decisions and special determinations relating to qualifying military service, character of discharge, domestic relations contested claims, homicide, presumed death, line of duty, or willful misconduct, corpus of estate, and violations of U.S. Penal Code, related attorney fees, administrative error, and fraud.
- Authorizes administrative decisions made by other Veterans Service Representatives including character of discharge, line of duty, or willful misconduct, corpus of estate, and apportionment decisions.
- Explains a final decision if a veteran expresses an indication of dissatisfaction with a determination (filed in person, by telephone, or by mail). The VSR (Authorizer) will explain the decision in question in an effort to gain acceptance of the determination, and also explain the post-decision review process.
- Uses electronic data processing (EDP) systems for inputting data related to claims adjudication, processing, monitoring, and correspondence preparation.
- Acts as an advocate for veterans and their beneficiaries in their dealings with other VA elements and organizations that affect their claims.
Work Schedule: Monday through Friday 8:00am to 4:30pm
Virtual: No - Telework eligible as determined by the agency policy.
Position Description/PD#: Veteran Service Representative (Authorizer) / 02105A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required
Promotion Potential: No, atthe full performance level
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
- Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
- Subject to background/security investigation.
- You may be required to serve a Supervisory/Managerial probationary period.
- Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
Qualifications
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement: 06/06/2024.
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. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-10 level. The grade may have been in any occupation but must have been held in the Federal service.
NOTE: A SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. A copy of your most
current SF 50 is requiredto verify your status. You must also submit additional SF-50(s) to clearly demonstrate one year time-in-grade as required in the announcement. If the most recent non-award SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate that you possess one year time-in-grade. In this instance, you must provide an additional non-award SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one year time-in-grade. If you previously held a higher grade, you must also submit any SF-50 showing that grade.
Applicants must demonstrate that they meet the Minimum Qualification requirements as noted below.
You may qualify based on your experience as described below:
Specialized Experience: You must have o
ne (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-10). Specialized experience is defined as at least three of the following:
(1) comprehensive experience applying federal, state, and local laws regarding benefit programs;
(2) Conducting interviews to evaluate eligibility for benefits and services;
(3) Evaluating supporting evidence to determine eligibility leading to entitlement of awarding of benefit;
(4) applying state laws pertaining to conservator ship and estate administration and /or;
(5) knowledge of fiduciary and field examination programs sufficient to protect beneficiary asset
OR
Education:
- GS-11: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education OR hold a Ph.D. or equivalent Doctoral Degree, or have a LL.M.
OR,
- Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education totaling 100% of the requirements for this position at either grade level to qualify.
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.
Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. 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.
To qualify for this position, you must meet the experience and/or education as described below by the 06/06/2024 of this announcement.
Physical Requirements: This work normally involves mental rather than physical exertion. This position is primarily sedentary with some walking, standing, bending, stooping and carrying of lightweight items (i.e. folders, claims files).
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.
Only education beyond the first two and a half years hours of graduate study may be used to combine with experience.
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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.
Additional information
Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provides 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 (have a final rating of 85 or more) for this vacancy. Information about 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.
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.
For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.
If you are unable to apply online view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.
Benefits
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.
How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.
- Knowledge of federal laws pertaining to compensation and pension and VA regulations and procedures which implement these laws including M21-1, 38 Code of Federal Regulations, etc., to accurately adjudicate claims and develop for rating issues;
- Knowledge of state laws, involving dependency status, social services programs, Medicaid, special income-based local, state, and federal programs; Confidential Information Safeguard
- Skill in written communication to inform claimants of decisions, the reason and basis for decisions, appellate rights, and evidence requirements.
- Skill in interpreting and applying laws, regulations, and procedures to promulgate rating decisions, adjudicate cases and/or authorize claims; AND
- Knowledge of medical terms to include anatomy and physiology sufficient to assure that all issues have been addressed to promulgate rating decisions and/or authorize claims.
Required Documents
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package to include the documents detailed below.
Your resume and supporting documentation will be verified. Failure to submit the documents as specified may result in loss of consideration for this job announcement.
1. Resume detailing specialized experience and competencies as they relate to this position.
- For each position in your resume, you must specify the start and end dates (month/year) and a description of duties. If the position was Federal, you must also indicate the grade level. Resumes containing a general summary of all positions held, not specifying start/end dates, full time/part time, and/or not including Federal grade level(s) are insufficient to determine basic qualifications.
2. Your most recent NON-AWARD SF-50**. The SF-50 must indicate proof of status and should identify your position title, series, grade, step, salary, tenure, and type of service (Competitive or Excepted).
- To verify you meet Time-in-Grade requirements, also submit a SF-50 reflecting when you entered your highest grade held (e.g. Promotion, Appointment, etc.).
- If you are seeking a reassignment/change to lower grade, you must submit a copy of your most recent SF-50 (non-award) AND the SF-50 placing you into your current position.
NOTE: A SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. A copy of your most
current SF 50 is required to verify your status. Additional SF 50's should be provided to verify that you have 52 weeks' time- in -Grade. A General Adjustment Pay SF-50 will NOT be used to show time-in-grade.
3. Are you claiming special priority selection rights under the Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP/CTAP)? If so, submit:
- A copy of your RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for failure to relocate, notice of disability annuity termination, or certification from the National Guard Bureau or Military Department that you are eligible for disability retirement;
- A copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action'', documenting your RIF separation, noting your positions, grade level, and duty location, and/or Agency certification of inability to place you through RPL, etc.;
- A copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and
- Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential.
Please review the above list(s) to ensure you have included all necessary documents required for your application. Not every applicant will require the same documents, therefore it is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that their application package includes all necessary documents to determine qualifications and eligibility for appointment, such as a copy of your SF-50, transcript, ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees). You will not be contacted for additional information. Applicants will be deemed ineligible if supporting documentation is not submitted along with application.
Applications are accepted online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application.
Your resume and any documents submitted will be retained for 90 days and may be used at any time during this period.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
How to Apply
All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 06/06/2024 to receive consideration. It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
- To begin, click Apply Online to create a USA JOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
- Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.
NOTE: It is
your responsibilityto ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date. To preview the questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12422976.To verify your application is complete, log into your USA JOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position.
Agency contact information
Laperia Shoto
laperia.shoto@va.gov
Address
Veterans Benefits Administration1800 G Street, NW
Washington, DC 20006
US
Learn more about this agency
Next steps
Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued, and applicants will be notified of their status by email. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.
You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center.
