Veterans Service Representative (Aqrs)

Summary

This position is in a Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office (VARO), Veterans Service Center and/or Pension Management Center. The Authorization Quality Review Specialist is a vital part of the VSC and PMC's quality assurance programs, and as is a key technical adviser to the Veterans Service Representatives (VSRs), in the Regional Office. The position's purpose is to measure individual performance quality and identify training needs through the review and assessment of completed claims.

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Overview

• Accepting applications

• Open & closing dates

06/25/2024 to 07/02/2024

• Salary

$90,811 - $132,807 per year

• Pay scale & grade

GS 12

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Locations

• Newark, NJ many vacancies

• Buffalo, NY many vacancies

• Milwaukee, WI many vacancies

• 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

12

• Job family (Series)

0996 Veterans Claims Examining

• Supervisory status

No

• Security clearance

Other

• Drug test

No

• Position sensitivity and risk

Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

• Trust determination process

Suitability/Fitness

• Announcement number

101-24-MB-12447643-BU

• Control number

797063200

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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

Open to current, permanent career/career conditional employees of the Veterans Benefits Administration and displaced VBA employees currently residing in the local commuting area of which they are applying that are eligible under CTAP. *CTAP applicants must submit VBA issued displacement letter with their application.

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Duties

• Performs individual quality reviews to determine the authorization quality level of individual VSRs for purposes of individual performance standards in accordance with an established monthly schedule.

• Conducts focused "in-process reviews" for cases to determine the accuracy of claims action taken. (Such reviews are for station-level feedback and improvement only, not used for individual performance standard purposes.)

• Responsible for sharing authorization quality trend information with management on an ongoing basis and with the VSRs during training sessions.

• Reviews products or activities for quality of performance and enters the results into the on-line STAR checklists.

• Evaluates and identifies deficiencies of all elements of a claim from evidence development, income and dependency issues, to award processing and authorization. Provides an explanation of errors and includes comments where attention is warranted.

• Prepares STAR data reports and provides to personnel in the regional office who are authorized to request and receive such reports.

• Develops various quality assurance processes with emphasis on work procedures and techniques that address unique work conditions and practices.

• Ensures all program requirements imposed by Compensation Service and/or the Pension and Fiduciary Service and the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims are met or implemented.

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Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job

• Selectees are subject to a background/suitability investigation

• A probationary period may be required for employees and supervisors

Qualifications

Specialized Experience:

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

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.

The Office of Personnel Management's group coverage qualification standards, associated individual occupational requirements (IOR), and individual qualification standards covering white collar occupations in the Federal competitive service can be found here.

To qualify, applicants 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. Specialized experience is defined as work that involves (1) Conducting focused evaluations and reviews to determine authorization quality and accuracy. (2) Providing advisory services to management via preparation and presentation of quality trend information. (3) Developing training strategies and materials to address deficiencies and/or conducting training activities. (4) Analyzing performance deficiencies and quality trends to identify knowledge/skill gaps (5) Providing quality-review services, feedback, and guidance to staff in order to correct unsatisfactory performance.

Education

There is no educational substitution for the GS-12 level.

Additional information

Work Schedule: Regular office hours; Alternate work schedules are available

Title/PD#: Veterans Service Representative (AQRS) GS - 12; PD 37136A

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.

Time-in-grade: Applicants who are/were 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-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11 level. To support your claim of time in grade, you must submit your most recent appointment, promotion, or within grade increase SF-50 (not an award or general adjustment SF-50). Some applicants may have to submit more than one SF-50 to demonstrate their eligibility. See the required documents section for more information.

Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary. Typically, the employee may sit comfortably to do the work. However, there may be some walking; standing; bending; carrying of light items such as papers, books, small parts; driving an automobile, etc. No special physical demands are required to perform the work.

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.

Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or disabled Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Please contact the special placement coordinator or the human resources specialist listed on this vacancy for more information regarding applying for consideration under schedule A or as a 30% disabled Veteran.

The Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. A well-qualified candidate is defined as meeting all of the minimum qualification standards and eligibility requirements as well as possessing skills that clearly exceed the minimum qualifications requirements for this position. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility can be found here.

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.

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

If you are unable to apply online view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.

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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. Applicants who do not fully address the specialized experience needed for the position (as described above in the job announcement) in their resume or who do not possess the education to substitute for it will not be referred for consideration.

After you have met the minimum qualifications, you will be rated on the following competencies based on your application for this position:

• Research

• Read and interpret federal compensation and pension laws, regulations, policies, and procedures in order to analyze and evaluate the accuracy of claims decisions.

• Technical Competence

• Knowledge of veteran-based state and federal laws (dependency status, social services programs, Medicaid, special income-based programs), to include legal opinions from (1) the court of Appeals for Veterans' Claims (CAVC) and (2) state and federal courts having a relationship to VA programs.

• Education and Training

• Utilize training techniques and claims processing knowledge in order to provide authoritative consultation and troubleshooting services and carry out extremely complex and precedent setting raining administration.

• Attention to Detail

• Accurately reviews, compiles, and analyzes information and data.

• Oral Communication

• Communicates orally to conduct one-on-one training & feedback as well as group presentations and training sessions.

• Written Communication

• Communicates in writing to prepare correspondence and reports as well as convey feedback and other information to management and lower-graded employees.

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

Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

Notice to Applicants: It is the policy of the Government not to deny employment simply because an individual has been unemployed or has had financial difficulties that have arisen through no fault of the individual. Information about an individual's employment experience will be used only to determine the person's qualifications and to assess his or her relative level of knowledge, skills, and abilities. Although an individual's personal conduct may be relevant in any employment decision, including conduct during periods of unemployment or evidence of dishonesty in handling financial matters, financial difficulty that has arisen through no fault of the individual will generally not itself be the basis of an unfavorable suitability or fitness determination.