Clarification from the agency

ALL US CITIZENS DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority (VA 008) This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority (5 CFR 332.402) for this occupation.

Primary duties include but are not limited to the following:

• The National Contact Center (NCC) centralizes VBA's contact center activity in order to yield greater consistency and higher quality in the service provided by customer-facing employees.
• NCC employees may have contacts via telephone, email, video, or chat with the public for the purposes of (1) advising and providing information on benefits and rights; (2) explaining pertinent legal provisions, regulations, and related administrative practices and their application to specific cases; and (3) assisting individuals regarding how best to provide needed documents and evidence required, and/or (4) initiating inquiries to resolve errors, delays, or other problems in obtaining benefits. Employees will also complete claim and appeal related work.
• Assists the inquirer with determining the short-term and long-term circumstances that might influence a choice between various benefits. Programs include, but are not limited to, compensation and pension benefits, home loan eligibility, education, health care, life insurance, burial benefits, vocational rehabilitation services, fiduciary assistance, general Social Security Administration benefit programs, and other Federal, state, and local domestic relations and assistance programs.
• Explains the types of documents necessary to facilitate timely processing of claims and appeals and assists with obtaining and completing such documents and forms in accordance with the type of claim or appeal being submitted.
• Explains VBA rating decisions and provides explanations for the decisions using extensive knowledge of VA benefits and services, claim and appeal processing procedures, and all pertinent information available within the systems of record.
• Performs claim or appeal related work including, but not limited to, providing comprehensive claim or appeal status updates using mandatory scripting requirements, processing change of address requests, establishment of, or change to direct deposit banking information, burial allowance claims, dependency claim, etc.
• Appropriately responds to interactions where the customer wishes to speak/discuss to a "supervisor," by attempting to deescalate the interaction by immediately addressing the inquirer's needs prior to referral for a contact by a supervisor.
• Assists Veterans and their family/friends/significant others during periods of crises to include potential suicide, homelessness, or financial hardship. (A small percentage of calls are potential suicide and/or threat calls).

Work Schedule: Full time, varied work schedule to provide contact center coverage Monday through Friday, 8 am to 9 pm Eastern Standard Time (EST). Tour will be determined after final selections. Tour is subject to change based on program needs.
TELEWORK ELIGIBLE: The is a full time 100% remote position.
Where You'll Work: This is a 100% remote position. Selectees will work 100% of the time in a non-VA-owned space (usually personal residence) and report to a parent station at the locations listed in this announcement. The employee's workspace must be suitable for conducting business and as such, remote employees are expected to provide a secure, distraction-free home-based worksite with reliable high speed internet connectivity. Successful candidates should expect to work Monday through Friday as part of a distributed team that services 40,000 or more callers each day between the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Eastern.
How You'll Work: The employee will be required to travel to the closest VA Regional Office, VA Medical Center, or other VA facility for issuance of equipment, and as needed for technical support. Government furnished equipment includes a laptop computer, camera, docking station, monitor screens and headset. A secure VPN will be used to access Microsoft Office products and specific communications software including a soft phone to educate and connect Veterans with the benefits they have earned. Simply put, all new employee training, coaching, daily communications, and Veteran-focused operations will occur outside and away from the traditional office setting.
Position Description Title/PD#: Legal Administrative Specialist (Contact Representative)/PD43032A and PD23032A
Physical Requirements: The work normally involves mental rather than physical exertion.
Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.
Bargaining Unit Position: Yes

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job
• Subject to a background/suitability investigation
• May serve a probationary period
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• A complete application package; Resume, Transcripts, etc.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
• Bargaining Unit Position: Yes
• All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
• If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application.
• NOTE: The is a full time 100% remote position.

Qualifications

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

To qualify for this GS-05 grade level: Three years of general experience, one year of which was equivalent to the GS-04 grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization which may include:
1) Analyzing problems to identify factors, gather pertinent data, and
2) Recognize solutions; planning and organizing work; and communicating effectively both orally and in writing.

OR, Education Substitution: To qualify at the GS-05 level based on education you must have at least four years of study leading to a bachelor's degree.
OR, Applicants may qualify with a combination of specialized experience as described above under Specialized Experience and education as described above which totals at least one year. (To compute, divide your total months of qualifying experience by 36. Then divide your semester hours of education beyond two years by 60. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100% to qualify.)

To qualify for this GS-07 grade level: You must possess one year of specialized experience, equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the GS-05 level in the Federal service that includes: Counseling individuals about federal, state, or local benefits by explaining legal provisions, regulations, or decisions to a variety of audiences.
OR, One full year of graduate level education Or superior academic achievement at the bachelors level in a degree related fields of study. (You must provide transcripts);
OR, Applicants may qualify with a combination of the required experience and education for this grade level. To calculate, first identify the percentage of required education you have earned (when substituting, you cannot use the first 60 semester hours that you earned). Then identify the percentage of required experience you possess. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify at the GS-07. For example, an applicant who has 9 semester hours of graduate level education (i.e. 50% of graduate education required) and 6 months of creditable specialized experience (i.e. 50% of the required experience) would equal 100% of the required experience for the position A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

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 clearly indicate the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

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. Applicants will be referred in the order in which they were received.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your ICTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and have a final assessment score of 80 or better. You must provide proof of eligibility with your application. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of ICTAP eligibility or a copy of your separation personnel action form. Additional information about ICTAP eligibility, click here.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provides eligible surplus and displaced competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your CTAP eligibility, 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement, and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and have a final assessment score of 80 or better. You must provide a copy of your written notification of CTAP eligibility with your application. Additional information about CTAP eligibility, click here.