Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to Washington DC, Medical Center and CTAP applicants. This includes: Career/Career Conditional or Excepted Service. This does not include temporary, term or temporary intermittent. To verify eligibility, you must submit your most recent SF-50 and/or RIF separation notice or a Proposed Removal notice to include your latest performance rating (if the notice does not have this information included, you must submit a copy of your most recent performance appraisal).

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Duties include, but may not be limited to the following:

Program Management and Administrative Oversight (45%)

• Develops written operating procedures and schedules to guide employees in their work and ensures that employees within the section are aware of the importance of processing health benefits applications and travel claims in a timely manner.
• Conducts special projects or studies to analyze, evaluate, and provide recommendations related to administrative programs or operational issues affecting the section or Business Office programs.
• Analyzes the necessary human resources, equipment, and space required to effectively support Medical Center and VISN fiscal goals.

• Effectively utilizes strong oral and written communication skills when interacting with all aspects of patient care operations.
• Establishes and maintains relationships with individuals at all organizational levels in order to communicate and disseminate information that supports an understanding of the agency's mission and goals.

• Oversees and may occasionally assist with the authorization and coordination of various services for patients to assure delivery of good health care.
• Serves as a liaison between the medical facility and patients for consulting, advising, and intermittently assisting on patient benefits and enrollment matters.
• Provides oversight regarding enrollment processes, eligibility questions, and other benefits-related services within the Patient Benefits Section.

• The incumbent is responsible for providing daily directions and supervision to the staff of the Patient Benefits Section and supervises a group of employees performing work at lower levels.
• Establish guidelines and performance expectations for staff which are clearly articulated and measurable through the formal employee performance management system.
• Responsible for furthering the goals of equal employment opportunity by taking positive steps to assure the accomplishment of nondiscriminatory employment practices.
• Manages employee/labor relations matters and actively supports the Equal Employment Opportunity program.
• Serves as Chief of Patient Benefits when required.

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
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 04/02/2026.

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-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. 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. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade.

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 at least the next lower grade GS-07 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Knowledge of healthcare eligibility and enrollment processes, including application of priority groups, verification of veteran status, and hardship determinations in accordance with VHA policy. Experience managing or supporting beneficiary travel programs, including trip coordination, vendor oversight, use of transportation systems (e.g., VetRide, BTSSS), and ensuring compliance with travel eligibility and reimbursement guidelines. Knowledge of patient funds procedures, including handling, safeguarding, reconciliation, and accountability of funds in accordance with financial management policies and internal controls. Skill in utilizing healthcare information systems such as VistA, CPRS, BTSSS, and other automated data systems to track, analyze, and manage program operations. Ability to apply analytical and evaluative methods to assess program performance, identify operational issues, and implement process improvements across multiple administrative functions. Experience conducting reviews, audits, or oversight activities to ensure compliance with policies, internal controls, and regulatory requirements. Skill in supervising or leading staff, including assigning work, monitoring performance, providing guidance, and ensuring timely and accurate completion of program responsibilities. Ability to communicate effectively with internal and external stakeholders, including veterans, clinical staff, leadership, and vendors, to resolve issues and support program operations. Experience preparing reports, briefings, or data summaries to support leadership decision-making.

• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or aLL.B. or J.D., if related.

• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. If you qualify by a combination, your experience must be detailed in your resume and transcripts are required. NOTE: 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 and GS-11.

• Working knowledge of Eligibility, Beneficiary Travel, and/or Patient Funds programs, including understanding of enrollment, eligibility determinations, travel reimbursement processes, transportation coordination (e.g., BTSSS, VetRide), and patient funds accountability.
• Experience reviewing and analyzing data to monitor program performance, identify trends, and implement process improvements (e.g., workload metrics, timeliness, missed trips, claim processing, and patient funds reconciliation).
• Demonstrated ability to supervise or lead staff, including assigning work, monitoring performance, coaching employees, and ensuring accountability in a fast-paced operational environment.
• Strong customer service and service recovery skills, with experience handling escalated concerns and working directly with internal and external stakeholders, including veterans, clinical staff, leadership, and vendors.
• Experience coordinating across multiple service areas, demonstrating the ability to collaborate with clinical teams, administrative staff, and external partners to ensure continuity of care and access to services.
• Knowledge of operational workflows and process improvement, including identifying inefficiencies and implementing practical solutions to improve timeliness, accuracy, and service delivery.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, including preparing reports, providing briefings, and clearly conveying policies, expectations, and procedural changes.

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.

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 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.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

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.

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.