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Rating Veteran Service Representative

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Benefits Administration
Seattle Veterans Affairs Regional Office
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is being filled under the Pathways Recent Graduate Program. It is designed to allow recent graduates to enter VA in career positions that emphasize long-term training and development. Successful applicants are placed in a dynamic developmental program with potential to lead to a civil service career in the Federal Government. You can find more information about specific opportunities with the Pathways Recent Graduates Program on USAJOBS.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open date: 07/09/2018
Closed date: 07/17/2018
Location
30 vacancies in the following location:
Work site options
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$54,869 - $71,331 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 9
Promotion potential
12
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-Time
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for meetings and/or training. Applicants selected will be required to attend Challenge training which is an 8 consecutive week training class at a location within the US.
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Service
Security clearance
Other
Announcement number
346-18-036-CG-10254476-BU
Control number
504417000

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

The Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) is looking for dynamic individuals to join our team. At VBA, you can excel in your career while assisting America's Veterans. For students looking for a fulfilling career that will enable them to support a great mission, VBA wants YOU! This is a great opportunity to help serve the people who have served and protected our country. At the Department of Veteran Affairs, we invest in our employees and encourage employees to take ownership of their careers.

Duties

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This position is located at the Seatac, WA location at 17930 Pacific Highway S, Seattle, WA 98188

The Rating Veterans Service Representative (RVSR) works as a member of the Decision Review Operations Center (DROC). The incumbent serves as a decision maker for claims involving rating decisions. The incumbent determines service-connection, percentage of disability, permanent and total disability, entitlement to compensation, pension, vocational training, medical and dental treatment, automobiles, or other conveyances, insurance, specially adapted housing, dependent education allowances, and other ancillary benefits. Specifically, the RVSR will:

  • Analyze claims to determine if diseases and injuries were incurred in or aggravated by the military service in the line of duty for purposes of compensation, hospital treatment, prosthetic appliances, and related employment and compensation benefits.
  • Determine a need for examinations or re-examinations for observations of Veterans and their dependents and the character of such examinations.
  • Determine the permanent incapacity and/or the competency of Veterans and their dependents.
  • Apply VA's Schedule for Rating Disabilities (Rating Schedule) and prepare rating decisions informing the Veterans Service Representative and/or claimant of the decision and reasons and basis for it.
  • As dictated by the circumstances of the claims case, may directly communicate and interact with Veterans and their representatives/advocates.

Requirements

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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
  • Accepted for/currently enrolled in a qualifying educational institution
  • Mandatory 8 consecutive week training session
  • Occasional evening and weekend work may be required
  • RVSR Skill Certification required at the GS-12 level
  • Trial Period: The entire period served under the Recent Graduates Program is a trial period. Upon conversion to the competitive service the employee is not required to serve a probationary period in accordance with 5 CFR 315.802.

Qualifications

Tenure: Recent Graduate appointment are designed to last 1 year unless an extended program or extension is approved. Time spent serving as a Pathways Participant counts towards career tenure when the individual is noncompetitively converted to a permanent position in the competitive service upon completion of the Program, with or without an intervening term appointment, and without a break in service of one day. Though Pathways Participants are eligible for noncompetitive conversions to the competitive service upon successful completion of their Program and any other applicable conversion requirements, service in a Pathways Program confer no right to further employment in either the competitive or excepted service. Facilities wishing to convert Pathways Participants must execute the required action to do so.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 07/17/2018 .

To qualify, you must meet Recent Graduate Eligibility and Minimum Qualifications:

Recent Graduate Program Eligibility Requirements:

A Recent Graduate is an individual who obtained qualifying associates, bachelors, master's, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from an accredited, qualifying educational institution, with the previous 2 years or other applicable period. An individual must meet one of the following criteria to receive consideration for eligibility requirements:

(1) An individual may apply for a position in the Recent Graduates Program only if the individual's application is received not later than 2 years after the date the individual completed all requirements of an academic course of study leading to qualifying associates, bachelor's, master's, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from an accredited, qualifying educational institution.
(2) A Veteran, who, due to a military service obligation, was precluded from applying to the Recent Graduates Program during any portion of the 2-year eligibility period shall have a full 2-year period of eligibility upon his or her release or discharge from active duty. In no event, may the individual's eligibility period extend beyond 6 years from the date on which the individual completed the requirements of an academic course of study.

Upon completion of the Pathways Program, the selectee may be converted to a permanent competitive service position contingent upon meeting program requirements and the needs of the agency.

You may qualify based on education and/or experience as described below:

  • Specialized Experience: To qualify for the GS-09, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-07) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.
  • Specialized Experience Requirement: Demonstrated experience analyzing evidence (medical, benefit and/or legal documents), interpreting and applying laws, regulations and official guidance sufficient to evaluate the adequacy of collected information to determine claimant eligibility for benefits and services.
  • Examples of specialized experience would typically include:
    • The ability to interpret and apply laws, regulations and policies in the management and processing of medical and benefit service claims.
    • Ability to review and analyze medical and legal evidence to make determinations as to the entitlement and/or eligibility for benefits and services.
    • Experience developing case file records and reports to support claim decisions.
    • Reviewing and examining evidence and making determinations as to the entitlement and/or eligibility of claimants for benefits and services involving compensation and pensions.
    • Performing assessments on claims associated with medical/surgical issues
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.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at http://www.opm.gov/qualifications.

Education

Transcripts are required. A copy of your transcript must be submitted with your application package. Official transcripts are required upon selection/appointment.

  • Education: Applicants may substitute education for the experience required.
    • To qualify based on education for the GS-09, you must have successfully completed a master's or equivalent graduate degree or successfully completed two (2) full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D., if related. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work.
OR
  • Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education.
    • Combining Education and Experience: Combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements for the grade levels specified in the table, and may be computed by first determining the applicant's total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level; then determining the applicant's education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level; and then adding the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for that grade level. Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be used to qualify applicants for positions at grades GS-9. (When crediting education that requires specific course work, prorate the number of hours of related courses required as a proportion of the total education to be used.)
PLEASE NOTE: Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications (particularly positions with a positive education requirement). Therefore, applicants must report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html. All education claimed by applicants will be verified by the appointing agency accordingly. 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.

OTHER INFORMATION:

Promotion Potential: The incumbent may be promoted to the full performance level (GS-12) without further competition after meeting time-in-grade and specialized experience requirements. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. The grade progression for this position is: GS-09/10/11/12.

Physical Requirements: The work is mostly sedentary and involves mental rather than physical exertion. Work is performed under common business office conditions at the Regional Office and/or alternate work site. The work environment involves everyday risks or discomforts that require normal safety precautions typical of such places as offices, meeting and training rooms, libraries, or commercial vehicles. The work area is adequately lit, heated, and ventilated.


Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00 am- 4:30 pm; Recent Graduate positions are full-time positions.
Compressed/Flexible: May be available
Telework: May be available upon successful performance at the full performance level.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Rating Veterans Service Representative (RVSR)/ 32104A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Additional information

NOTE: Applicants within 9 months of completing qualifying education may apply, but must successfully complete academic requirements prior to the appointment.

You are excluded from health benefits coverage if you are expected to work less than 130 hours per month for at least 90 days.

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.

Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

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 view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.

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, skill and ability. 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 in and of itself be the basis of an unfavorable suitability or fitness determination.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Your application will be evaluated using a category rating method based on your responses to the assessment questions and the documents you submit. If you meet the basic requirements for the position, your application will be evaluated and placed into one of four categories: Highly Qualified Group, Best Qualified Group, Well Qualified Group, or Qualified Group.

If you are referred for further consideration you will be rated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills and abilities) based on your application for this position:

COMPETENCY 1: 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.
COMPETENCY 2: 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.
COMPETENCY 3: SELF-MANAGEMENT: Displays a high level of initiative, effort and commitment towards completing claims and other 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.
COMPETENCY 4: WRITTEN COMMUNICATION: Recognizes and uses correct English grammar, punctuation, and spelling; communicates information in brief, clear, and organized manner; produces written information, which may include technical material, that is appropriate for the intended audience.
COMPETENCY 5: ORAL COMMUNICATION: Express information to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information; listens to others; asks questions and gains or shares information.
COMPETENCY 6: PROBLEM SOLVING: Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations.

You may also be asked to submit additional job-related information, which may include responses to the identified areas of knowledge, skill and ability; and/or 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 further consideration for employment.

After the vacancy announcement has closed we will review applications to ensure that qualification and eligibility requirements are met. During our review, if your resume and application package does not support your questionnaire answers, we may adjust your rating accordingly.

Note: Candidates eligible for veterans' preference will be placed ahead of other candidates in the appropriate category for which they have been rated. Additionally, preference eligibles who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent and who meet the minimum qualification requirements will automatically be placed in the best qualified category.

Veterans Benefits Administration

OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincoln's promise "To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan" - by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate care to Veterans?

Agency contact information

Suzanne Graul
Phone
(303) 2366168
Email
suzanne.graul@va.gov
Address
Seattle Regional Benefit Office
915 2nd Avenue
Seattle, WA 98174
US

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http://www.va.gov/jobs

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