Veterans Service Representative Authorizer

Summary

This position is located in the Veterans Benefits Administration, San Juan Regional Office.

VBA Regional Offices in the Southeast District are as follows: San Juan Regional Office (Guaynabo, PR).

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Overview

• Accepting applications

• Open & closing dates

06/19/2024 to 07/01/2024

• Salary

$72,553 - $94,317 per year

• Pay scale & grade

GS 11

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Location

2 vacancies in the following location:

• San Juan, PR

• 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

11

• 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

355-24-DM-12446056-BU

• Control number

796262400

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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 announcement is open ONLY to current, permanent VBA Regional Office employees in the Southeast District and CTAP eligibles. Current, permanent employees are eligible to apply ONLY to the Regional Office where they are currently employed.

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Duties

Major duties and responsibilities 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. 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: Full-time, Monday through Friday

Compressed/Flexible: Available

Telework: Yes per Agency guidelines

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Veterans Service Representative (Authorizer) / 02105A

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized

Bargaining Unit Position: Yes

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

• Designated and/or random drug testing may be required

• 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 must meet the time-in-grade requirements.

• GS-11 grade level you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-10 grade level.

You may qualify based on your experience:

Specialized Experience: Specialized Experience: You must have one (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

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; religious; 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 based on time spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate 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.

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

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

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. 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 who have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment. 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.

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 following competencies based on your application for this position:

• 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.

• Skill in written communication to inform claimants of decisions, the reason and bases 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.

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 are 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.