Veterans Service Representative (Aqrs)

Summary

Department of Veterans Affairs, Regional Office (VARO), Veterans Service Center (VSC) and (BEST). The Veterans Service Rep (AQRS) is an integral part of the VSC's quality assurance program and is a key technical adviser to the Veterans Service Representatives. The purpose of this position is to measure individual performance quality, identify training needs through the review and assessment of completed compensation/pension claims involving development, award processing, and authorization.

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Overview

• Accepting applications

• Open & closing dates

05/29/2024 to 06/12/2024

• Salary

$86,962 - $113,047 per year

• Pay scale & grade

GS 12

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Locations

17 vacancies in the following locations:

• Montgomery, AL

• Little Rock, AR

• Saint Petersburg, FL

• Winston-Salem, NC

• Show more locations (1)

• Nashville, TN

• 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

None

• Job family (Series)

0996 Veterans Claims Examining

• Supervisory status

No

• Security clearance

Other

• Drug test

No

• Position sensitivity and risk

Moderate Risk (MR)

• Trust determination process

Suitability/Fitness

• Announcement number

318-24-AF-12419065-BU

• Control number

793344600

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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.

• Individuals with disabilities

Clarification from the agency

This vacancy announcement is open ONLY to CURRENT, permanent employees of Winston Salem, North Carolina , Montgomery, Alabama, Little Rock, Arkansas, Saint Petersburg, Florida, Nashville, TN VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION (VBA) Regional Office and Veterans Affairs (VA) who are CTAP eligible, Schedule A (Disabled/Schedule A) . For the purpose of this job announcement, Fiduciary Hub bargaining unit employees in the commuting area are considered facility employees.

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Duties

Major Duties, but are not limited to :

• 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

• 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.

Promotion Potential: None

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00 am-4:30 pm

Compressed/Flexible: Not Available

Telework: Yes- as determined by the agency policy.

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Veterans Service Representative (AQRS) / PD# 37136A

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, 06/12/2024.

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 by 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.

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.

Provide a copy of your current or most recent SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action" to indicate your current federal 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. A General Adjustment SF-50 does NOT show time in grade.

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:

• Conducting focused evaluations and reviews to determine authorization quality and accuracy.

• Providing advisory services to management via preparation and presentation of quality trend information.

• Developing training strategies and materials to address deficiencies and/or conducting training activities.

• Analyzing performance deficiencies and quality trends to identify knowledge/skill gaps.

• Providing quality-review services, feedback, and guidance to staff in order to correct unsatisfactory performance.

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.

Physical Requirements: The work normally involves mental rather than physical exertion. 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 area 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

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

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

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 Federal/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. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

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.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

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 or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, 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.

You will be rated on the appearance of your application package and the following competencies as described in your resume:

• 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.

• 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 training 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.

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 contact for 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.