Clarification from the agency

VSR WARTAC Candidates - This vacancy is being used to fill Veterans Service Representative positions using the WARTAC hire initiative at VBA

• Make determinations as to the eligibility for the type of benefit sought to include questions relating to adequacy of military service, medical evidence and the evaluation of evidence of income, employability, dependence and relationship;
• Request examinations, re-examination or opinions to evaluate disabilities resulting from diseases or injuries;
• Review claims cases to assure all issues have been addressed, applies and interprets VA laws, including veterans? case law, existing statutes and procedures, precedent rulings and state law in the adjudication process;
• May conduct interviews in person or by phone with veterans, representatives and advocates to explain the full range of VA benefits and related programs;
• Prepare and release correspondence for use by other federal, state and local agencies;
• Utilize various electronic data processing (EDP) systems to input data for processing claims and generating automated correspondence;

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.
• Physical Requirements: This position is primarily sedentary with some walking, standing, bending, and/or carrying lightweight items.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online on-boarding process.
• Must be eligible for the WARTAC program.
• Must be available to participate in the WARTAC training session that meets 6/6/2018 - 8/30/2018.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 05/04/2018.

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-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05 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. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:
Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-5 level or higher. Specialized experience is defined as interpretation or application of laws, regulations, or procedures to analyze evidence to make determinations and research routine issues to resolve discrepancies.
Examples of experience include, but are not limited to:

• Technical assignments related to claims or benefits processing or eligibility determinations;
• Quality assurance or auditor functions;
• Compiling income and legal documentation to determine basic eligibility for benefits or programs;
• Claims processing for: A state or federal agency, Insurance company, Worker's Compensation, Disability Retirement or Pension Program;
• Human Resource positions which involved determining employment qualifications, job classification, or determining eligibility for benefits;
• Positions involved in assisting veterans with claims applications

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 following competencies based on your application for this position:

• REASONING: Identifies regulations, laws, rules, principles, or relationships that explain facts, data, or other information; analyzes information and makes correct inferences or draws accurate conclusions.;
• CUSTOMER SERVICE: Works with customers 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;
• DECISION MAKING: Makes sound, well-informed and objective decisions; perceives the impact and implications of decisions; commits to action even in uncertain situations in order to assist customers and meet organizational goals;
• SELF MANAGEMENT: Displays a high level of initiative, effort and commitment towards completing assignments in a timely manner; works independently with minimal supervision; is motivated to achieve; sets well-defined and realistic goals that are in alignment with organizational goals and objectives;
• ORAL COMMUNICATION: Expresses information (facts, decisions, and ideas) to individuals or groups clearly and concise, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); listens to others; asks questions and gains or shares information related to the claims review process;
• COMPUTER SKILLS: Uses computers, software applications, databases, and automated systems to accomplish work. This includes tasks such as entering, sorting and retrieving data; analyzing data; researching information; monitoring work; and preparing correspondence and reports;
• WRITTEN COMMUNICATION: Prepares written correspondence to customers and co-workers via email, letters, reports, etc. using correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style; communicates information in a succinct and organized manner; provides information that is appropriate for the purpose and the intended audience.