This position is located in the Sioux City, Iowa Field Office located at 3555 Southern Hills Drive, Sioux City, IA 51006.
Additional selections may be made within six months from the closing date of this announcement.
This is a career-ladder position leading to the GS-11 grade level.
This position is located in the Sioux City, Iowa Field Office located at 3555 Southern Hills Drive, Sioux City, IA 51006.
Additional selections may be made within six months from the closing date of this announcement.
This is a career-ladder position leading to the GS-11 grade level.
Claims Specialists conduct interviews with the public to obtain, clarify, and verify information about initial and continuing eligibility for retirement, survivors, disability, health insurance benefits, and eligibility for supplemental security income including State supplements. In addition, they resolve discrepancies, clarify issues and make final decisions for initial and post-entitlement for benefits and payments; adjudicate and authorize entitlement or disallowance actions at all levels of difficulty and complexity under programs administered by SSA.
To be considered for selection, you must be eligible for the Recent Graduate program and meet the qualifications for this position.
RECENT GRADUATE PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY: To meet the Pathways Recent Graduates program requirements for this position, you must have graduated from a qualifying educational institution or program within two (2) years of the date you submit your application or will graduate no later than August 31, 2021. Note: See required documents to ensure you provide the correct documentation.
Preference-eligible veterans who, due to military service obligations, were precluded from applying to the Program during any portion of the 2-year eligibility period are entitled to a full 2-year period of eligibility upon release or discharge from active duty. In no event, however, may the eligibility period extend beyond 6 years from the date on which the preference eligible veteran completed the requirements of an academic course of study, when a qualifying degree or certificate was conferred.
AND
Proof of education must be submitted with your application package and received by the closing date of the announcement.
Candidates must meet the basic qualification requirements for the position being filled, including any positive education requirements and/or selective placement factors.
If you are using experience to qualify, you must meet the qualifications for this position by the closing date of this announcement, 08/26/2021you may qualify at the GS-05 grade level (starting salary $35,265) if you possess ALL the following:
Three years of general experience equivalent to the next lower grade level in the federal service that demonstrates the ability to 1) analyze problems, identify significant factors, gather pertinent data, and recognize solutions; 2) plan and organize work; 3) communicate effectively orally and in writing; and 4) use online technology and automation tools. Examples of qualifying experience include analyzing, explaining, applying or interpreting laws, rules, regulation or policies.
If you are using experience to qualify, you may qualify at the GS-07 grade level (starting salary $43,683) if you possess ALL the following:
Fifty-two weeks of specialized experience at the GS-5 grade level or equivalent in the federal service 1) assisting individuals in establishing their entitlement to receive benefits; 2) adjudicating, authorizing or reconsidering claims; 3) explaining benefit entitlements or requirements to the general public; 4) evaluating benefit program operations to assess the integrity and quality; or 5) interpreting benefit program requirements to formulate policies, procedures or guidelines.
Note: Part-time work is prorated in crediting experience (e.g., if you work 20 hours per week for a 12-month period), you will be credited with 6 months of experience.
SELECTIVE PLACEMENT FACTOR
COMPETENCY ASSESSMENT INTERVIEW PROCESS (CAIP) INTERVIEW - Applicants will be required to participate in a panel interview (after basic eligibility determination) to demonstrate an aptitude for meeting and dealing with the public. Applicants must pass this interview process in order to be found fully qualified for this position and receive further consideration for selection. This interview will cover typical situations, which might be encountered on the job, in person or over the telephone. Applicants must demonstrate qualities such as clarity of speech, ability to listen, ability to establish confidence and put others at ease and the ability to organize and express thoughts clearly. If you do not pass the CAIP interview, you will not qualify for the job. Panel interviews may be conducted via video conferencing software, if technically feasible.
NOTE: Previous Meet and Deal results may not be valid for this vacancy announcement; you will be required to complete the CAIP assessment.
SUBSTITUTING EDUCATION: If you are qualifying for this position based on completed education at an accredited U.S. college, university, or other educational institution, you must provide a copy of your transcripts or other proof of education prior to being appointed. NOTE: Education completed in a foreign institution must be deemed equivalent to that gained in conventional/accredited U.S. education programs. It is the applicant's responsibility to acquire U.S. Certification and provide it at the time of application. For a list of Credential Evaluation Services, log on to: Credential Evaluation Services.
GS-5: Completion of a full 4-year course of study in any field leading to a bachelor's degree OR a combination of post-high school education and the general experience described above. One year of study is defined as 30 earned semester hours or 45 earned quarter hours.
GS-7: One full year of graduate level education in any field. One year of full-time graduate education is defined as 18 earned semester hours or 27 earned quarter hours. A combination of graduate level education and the specialized experience as described above OR a Bachelor's degree and superior academic achievement in any field can be applied as a substitution.
Superior academic achievement is based on:
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
The evaluation you receive is based on your responses to the questionnaire. Your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses to the occupational questionnaire, which is designed to capture the desired competencies for this position.
Please make sure you answer all questions and follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your evaluation. The questionnaire takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. To preview the questions, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11208963
Numerical scores will be assigned on a scale of 100. Each applicant who meets the qualification requirements for the position will be assigned a rating of 70 or more and will be eligible for appointment. Preference eligible veterans scoring 70 or more will receive additional points for veterans' preference.
You must submit all supporting documentation by the closing date of the vacancy announcement to qualify for the Recent Graduates Program and claim certain types of preference.
RESUME: Your resume must provide specific details as to how your experience meets the qualifications for this position. When describing your experience in your resume, please be specific. We will not make assumptions regarding your experience. Please ensure that your resume includes the grade (if you are a current or previous federal employee) and month, day and year that you began and ended each position held. Without this information, the experience gained while in that position may not be credited toward meeting the qualifications requirements. The resume should indicate if the work is full-time or part-time. Part-time work is prorated (e.g., if you work 20 hours per week for a 12-month period, you will be credited with 6 months of experience).
Experience statements (i.e., duties, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire) copied from this announcement and pasted into your resume will not be considered as a demonstration of your qualifications for this position. You resume must provide context and sufficient detail of your experience. Failure to provide details will result in an ineligible rating.
Your resume must also support your responses to the online questionnaire. Failure to provide support may result in a lower rating and/or you may be excluded from consideration.
TRANSCRIPTS: Unofficial transcripts from an accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to verify that you meet the basic education requirement are acceptable. You must submit a legible copy of transcripts or list of college courses with your name, school name, credit or semester hours, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking. Official transcripts are required upon selection. Copies of degrees, certificates, and diplomas are not considered acceptable documents to determine Recent Graduate Program eligibility.
NOTE: Your transcripts must show the date the degree was conferred. If you have recently graduated or will soon graduate and the date the degree is conferred is not yet on your transcript, a letter from your educational institution (e.g., a letter from the Registrar, Student Counselor, Dean of College, etc.) verifying your degree completion and the date of completion (in addition to transcripts) is acceptable. Failure to provide transcripts with proper documentation may result in non-consideration for this position. If selected, you may be required to provide your official college transcripts prior to the effective date of the appointment.
VETERANS' PREFERENCE: If you wish to receive consideration for veteran's preference you must submit a copy of your veteran's documentation including a DD-214 (member 4 copy preferred, however, the documentation provided must contain dates and character of service) along with a VA letter, SF-15, etc., if applicable. If you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference based on a service-connected disability, you must also submit an Application for 10-Point Veterans' Preference (SF 15) and the required documentation specified on the reverse of the SF-15. Applicants claiming derived preference must submit the SF-15 and the required documentation specified on the reverse of the SF 15. Preference will be granted based on the documents received.
Note: If you are a current active duty military member who does not have a DD-214 and are claiming preference under the Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) Act, you must submit certification from the Armed Forces indicating that you will be discharged or released under honorable conditions from active duty within 120 days of the date on the certification. Certifications must be on letterhead from the appropriate military branch and include the following information: military dates of service and expected discharge or release date, the character of service, military rank, type of discharge, and date when terminal leave will begin. Certifications must be signed by, or by the direction of military members' military personnel offices, unit commanders or higher headquarters.
For more information, visit the Vet Guide.
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. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
The complete Application Package must be submitted before midnight (ET) on 08/26/2021.
To begin the process, click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the occupational questionnaire. Please ensure you click the Submit My Answers button at the end of the process.
If you use assistive software or an adaptive device, or you are experiencing some other type of technical difficulty and/or otherwise require assistance with the application process, please contact Ryan Pinkas-Hernandez at Ryan.Pinkas-Hernandez@ssa.gov or (816) 936-5857.
Individuals with disabilities may also call us via Federal Relay using the (voice) contact telephone provided.
Due to our security procedures, our office will not accept any applications submitted via email or standard mail. The email address is listed only for inquiries about the position or the How to Apply process.
To check the status of your application or return to a previous or incomplete application, log in to your USAJOBS account.
Once you have successfully submitted your application materials, you can expect to receive a least two or more of the following email notifications concerning your application status: (1) Receipt of application; (2) Qualifications status and whether your application has been Referred/Not Referred to the selecting official; and (3) Selection status for the position.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
