Legal Administrative Specialist

Summary

The Legal Administrative Specialist (LAS) serves as a member of the Public Contact Team, located in the Veterans Service Center. The incumbent provides in-depth information and comprehensive assistance to veterans their dependents and beneficiaries concerning any matter within the scope of VA benefits and related non-VA benefits.

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Overview

• Accepting applications

• Open & closing dates

06/24/2024 to 07/01/2024

• Salary

$49,025 - $77,955 per year

• Pay scale & grade

GS 7 - 9

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Location

1 vacancy in the following location:

• El Paso, TX

• Remote job

No

• Telework eligible

Yes-as determined by the agency policy.

• Travel Required

Occasional travel

• You may be expected to travel for this position.

• Relocation expenses reimbursed

No

• Appointment type

Permanent

• Work schedule

Full-time

• Service

Competitive

• Promotion potential

9

• Job family (Series)

0901 General Legal And Kindred Administration

• Supervisory status

No

• Security clearance

Other

• Drug test

No

• Position sensitivity and risk

Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk

• Trust determination process

Suitability/Fitness

• Announcement number

101-24-MW-12454611-BU

• Control number

796925600

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This job is open to

• Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)

Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee.

• Internal to an agency

Current federal employees of this agency.

Clarification from the agency

This vacancy is open ONLY to current, permanent employees of the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) and Veterans Affairs (VA) CTAP eligible.

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Duties

Specific duties include:

• Counsel veterans, their dependents, and beneficiaries regarding all benefits available through the Department of Veterans Affairs, as well as non-VA benefits available through other organizations concerned with veterans.

• Discuss with the claimant the immediate and long-term factors that may influence the decision between different benefits.

• Acts as an advocate for veterans and ·their beneficiaries in their dealings with other VA elements and organizations that affect their claims.

• Describes the types of documentation needed to expedite claim processing, as well as how to find, fill out, and submit the paperwork needed for the particular type of claim being submitted.

• Collects the required data and finish a claim with the veteran and/or a family member present.

• Explains the VA's judgments to the claimant and provides verbal or written justification for those decisions.

• Occasionally, along with a senior specialist, may represent the Department of Veterans Affairs at various outreach events such seminars, committee meetings, service organization meetings, home visits, and other veteran-related activities.

• Determines the needs of those looking for social services and refers them to the proper government or nonprofit groups that provide those services.

• Analyzes and interprets laws, rules, and protocols where precedent and guidelines may not be clear, the incumbent must exercise discretion and judgment.

• Ability to interpret and apply laws, guidelines, regulations, and precedent opinions to provide accurate entitlement determinations and benefit payment information.

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-07 to the GS-09.

Work Schedule: Full time, Monday through Friday 8:00 am

• 4:00 pm

Compressed/Flexible: Not available

Telework: Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Legal Administrative Specialist; 40120A, 02109A

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required

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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

• You may be required to serve a probationary period

• Subject to background/security investigation

• 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: 07/01/2024

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-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05.

• For a GS-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT: You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

GS-07 Grade Level:

• Specialized Experience: You must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 grade level in the federal service performing the following duties:

• Working under direct supervision or guidance when providing customer service, benefit counseling, or claim processing; and

• Orating to persons from a wide variety of backgrounds regarding federal, military, state, or private sector benefit programs.

• Education Substitution: 1 full year of graduate level education or superior academic achievement.

GS-09 Grade Level:

• Specialized Experience: You must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 grade level in the federal service performing the following duties:

• Providing customer service, benefit counseling, or claim processing services to persons from a wide variety of backgrounds; and

• Referring people to other agencies when potential eligibility is indicated; advocating for an applicant when they are obtaining benefits for federal, military, state, or private sector programs.

• Education Substitution: master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D., if related.

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: No special physical demands are required. The work is mostly sedentary. However, there may be some

walking, standing, and carrying of light items such as papers, books, claims folders, and files from one desk to another or for returning to storage. Carts are utilized to carry large number of claims folders. This will require the incumbent to push or pull the cart from one are to another.

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

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to be credited towards qualifications. Provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

All education claimed by applicants will be verified upon appointment. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript to receive credit.

Additional information

VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.

The 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 (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.

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.

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• 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 window

Learn 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.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

Competencies Required:

• Reasoning: Identifies rules, principles, or relationships that explain facts, data, or other information; analyzes information and makes correct inferences or draws accurate conclusions.

• Problem Solving: Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives and to make recommendations.

• Customer Service: Works with clients and customers (that is, any individuals who use or receive the services or products that your work unit produces, including the general public, individuals who work in the agency, other agencies, or organizations outside the Government) to assess their needs, provide information or assistance, resolve their problems, or satisfy their expectations; knows about available products and services; is committed to providing quality products and services.

• Reading: Understands and interprets written material, including technical materials, rules, regulations, instructions, reports, charts, graphs, or tables; applies what is learned from written material to specific situations.

• Computer Skills: Uses computers, software applications, databases, and automated systems to accomplish work.

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or an interview.