As a Veterans Service Representative (VSR) (Authorizer), the incumbent will play a vital role in ensuring that our Veterans receive the compassionate care and benefits they deserve. You will oversee complex benefit claims, explain benefit programs and entitlement criteria, and provide final decisions on compensation and pension claims. This position may be located in either the Veteran Service Center or the Benefit Eligibility Support Team, within the listed VBA Regional Offices.
Summary
As a Veterans Service Representative (VSR) (Authorizer), the incumbent will play a vital role in ensuring that our Veterans receive the compassionate care and benefits they deserve. You will oversee complex benefit claims, explain benefit programs and entitlement criteria, and provide final decisions on compensation and pension claims. This position may be located in either the Veteran Service Center or the Benefit Eligibility Support Team, within the listed VBA Regional Offices.
This vacancy is open ONLY to permanent VBA employees who are currently assigned to the Regional Office they are applying to. Eligible applicants must hold a career, career-conditional, VRA, or Schedule A appointment, or be eligible under VBA CTAP.
Selectees are subject to a background/suitability investigation.
Selective Service registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
This position includes a one-year probationary period. Continued employment beyond the probation period requires agency certification that your performance and conduct support conversion to a career appointment and serve the public interest.
A complete application package must be submitted: Resume, transcripts, etc.
Qualifications
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 04/20/2026.
Time-in-Grade:
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.
For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-10 grade level.
To support your claim of time in grade, you must submit your most recent appointment, promotion, or within grade increase SF-50. Some applicants may have to submit more than one SF-50 to demonstrate their eligibility. See the required documents section for more information.
Specialized Experience:
To qualify at the GS-11 grade level: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-10) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes experience that demonstrates competence in adjudicating and authorizing Veterans' claims. Specialized experience is typically gained in positions that have involved experience in the development, examination, investigation, adjudication, and authorization of claims for disability compensation, disability pension, death compensation, death pension benefits, life insurance benefits, etc. Such experience is to be substantive and relevant and may have been gained in the practice of law or working with a Federal or state agency, insurance company, retirement, disability, or insurance program.
OR
Applicants may substitute education for experience to qualify at the GS-11 grade level: Applicants must have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or three full years (54 semester hours or 81 quarter hours) of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M, if related. This graduate education (or completed degree) must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) to do the work for this position. Note: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.
OR
Applicants may combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-11 grade level: Applicants may combine specialized experience and education beyond two full years of graduate level education. If you have some, but not all, of the graduate education described above AND less than one full year of the specialized experience described above, you may qualify by combining the amount of creditable education and experience that you do have. Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be used to qualify applicants for positions at grade GS-11. To calculate, first identify the education you have earned beyond your first two years of study as a percentage of a total of three years of study. Then identify the number of months of specialized experience you have as a percentage of 12 months. Add the two percentages. The total must equal at least 100 percent in order to be qualifying. For example, an applicant who has 45 semester hours of graduate level education (i.e. 50% of graduate education required beyond the first two years) and who has 6 months of creditable specialized experience (i.e., 50% of the one year of specialized experience required) would meet 100% and thus be qualified for the position. Note: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.
Note: 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.
An unofficial or official copy of your transcripts must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education
Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/
Promotion Potential: This position is being recruited at the full performance level GS-11. Work Schedule: Full time, Monday through Friday: Hours to be determined by hiring office Compressed/Flexible: As determined by the hiring office Telework: Ad-hoc telework may be authorized as determined by the agency policy. Position Description/PD#: 02105A Bargaining Unit: This position is in the bargaining unit Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required
Physical Requirements: The work is mostly sedentary. Typically, the employee sits comfortably to do the work. However, there may be some walking, standing, bending, and carrying of light items such as papers or books. No special physical demands are required to perform the work.
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.
Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or disabled Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Please contact the special placement coordinator or the human resources specialist listed on this vacancy for more information regarding applying for consideration under schedule A or as a 30% disabled Veteran.
Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. A well-qualified candidate is defined as meeting all of the minimum qualification standards and eligibility requirements as well as possessing skills that clearly exceed the minimum qualifications requirements for this position. Information about CTAP eligibility can be found here.
VVA supports the use of ad-hoc telework. This position may be authorized for ad-hoc telework. Eligibility may be discussed during the interview process.
Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer (TJO). Please visit the Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP), va.gov/EMPLOYEE/docs/The-Fair-Chance-to-Compete-Act.pdf for more information.
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
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 who do not fully address in their resumes the specialized experience needed for the position (as described in the job opportunity announcement), or who do not possess the education to substitute for it, will not be referred for further consideration. After you have met the minimum qualifications, If you are referred for consideration you will be rated on the following the USA Hire competencies (KSAs) based on your application for this position:
Attention to Detail
Decision Making
Flexibility
Integrity/Honesty
Interpersonal Skills
Learning
Reading Comprehension
Reasoning
Self-Management
Stress Tolerance
Teamwork
If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job-related information, which may include, but is not limited to responses to the KSAs; completion of a work sample, and/or an interview. You will also be rated on the following agency-specific competencies (KSAs):
REASONING- Identifies rules, principles, or relationships that explain facts, data or other information; analyzes information and makes correct inferences or draws accurate conclusions.
DECISION MAKING- Specifies goals and obstacles to achieving those goals, generates alternatives, considers risks, and evaluates and chooses the best alternative in order to make a determination, draw conclusions or solve a problem.
WRITTEN COMMUNICATION- Expresses facts and ideas in writing in a succinct and organized manner.
ORAL COMMUNICATION- Expresses ideas and facts to individuals or groups effectively; makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others; facilitates an open exchange of ideas.
COMPUTER SKILLS- Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
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.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
The following documents are required for all applicants:
Resume
SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
Resume (limited to 2 pages):
You must provide a resume detailing your specialized experience and competencies relevant to the position.
For qualifications determinations your resume must reflect hours worked per week, the inclusive dates of employment, and the level of your experience. If your resume does not reflect this information, you will not receive credit for the experience.
If you submit more than one copy of your resume, the most recent version will be reviewed. The latest timestamp will be used to determine which version of your resume is "most recent." It is your responsibility to check the status and timestamp of all documents you submit as part of your application. We would recommend that you do not submit more than one version of your resume.
If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, we will not use it to make eligibility and qualification determinations, and you may not be considered further for the vacancy.
SF-50:
To support your claim that you have the required time-in-grade, you must submit your most recent promotion, within-grade increase, or appointment SF-50 (not an award or general adjustment SF-50). Some applicants may have to submit more than one SF-50 in order to demonstrate their eligibility.
If you previously held a higher grade, you must also submit an SF-50 showing that grade.
Accepted Documents:
Cover Letter
DD-214/ Statement of Service
Disability Letter (Schedule A)
Disability Letter (VA)
CTAP Documents
Other (2)
PCS Orders
Performance Appraisal
Professional Certification
Proof of Marriage Status
Resume
Separation Notice (RIF)
SF-15
SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
Transcript
Transcripts
If you are basing all or some of your qualifications on education or if a degree is required for the position, a transcript must be included as part of your application package.
Unofficial transcript(s) may be submitted, however it must contain the course names, levels, credits earned, and grades received.
Your transcript must contain the degree conferred date if you are substituting a degree for experience.
A photocopy of your degree is not acceptable in place of a transcript.
An official transcript will be required at a later date if you are selected for the position.
Applicants claiming CTAPeligibility must also submit:
Certification of expected separation or reduction-in-force separation notice and your most recent performance evaluation; and an SF-50 demonstrating your separation or the position you will be separated from. Or
Worker's compensation separation: agency certification of inability to place employee and notification of separation or a separation SF-50. Or
Disability annuity termination: Notification from OPM of disability annuity termination and separation SF-50 of the last position held. Or
Military reserve or National Guard technician special disability retirement annuity under 5 U.S.C. 8337(h) or 8456: Certification of special disability retirement annuity from a military department or National Guard bureau and separation SF-50 of the last position held.
Failure to submit any of the above mentioned required documents may result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted. You will not be contacted for additional information. In addition to the information listed above, please use this checklist to ensure you have included other documents required for your application.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
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.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date 04/20/2026 to receive consideration. 1. To begin, click apply online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and to complete the occupational questionnaire. 2. Click submit my answers to submit your application package.
Beginning September 27, 2025, Federal agencies will only accept resumes up to two pages in length to comply with the Merit Hiring Plan.
Resumes longer than two (2) pages will result in ineligibility for further consideration for the position.
USAJOBS will not allow you to upload or build resumes longer than two pages, and you will need to update the resumes in your profile before applying for a job.
Resumes should include information relevant to the KSAs and competencies of the position to which you are applying.
VA is unable to make assumptions about qualifications if not clearly listed.
Resumes must be legible so they can be reviewed for eligibility, minimum qualifications and other position requirements listed in the job opportunity announcement.
Your resume must be 5MB or less.
We recommend saving and uploading your resume as a PDF to maintain formatting and number of pages.
We also accept GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, TXT, PDF, ODT or Word (DOC or DOCX).
We do not accept PDF portfolio files.
We recommend using a sans-serif font size like Lato, if available. Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open San Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans. Make your page margins 0.5 inches.
Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text in your resume.
The resume builder can help you create a resume using these recommendations and uses the information in your USAJOBS profile to help you get started.
Helpful Hints for Creating a Two-Page Resume:
Prioritize most relevant and recent experience
Use concise, results focused language
Align language from the job announcement
Focus on demonstrating skills and competencies
Remove outdated or unrelated experience
Use the USAJOBS resume builder
Additional guidance on this new requirement and resume building tools can be found at:
Note: It is your responsibility to ensure that your response and any appropriate documentation is submitted by the cut-off date and/or closing date of the announcement. To verify that your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, select the application status link, and then select the more information link for this position. The details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to your application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS accountand click update application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
Additional Information Notice to Applicants: Itis 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, skills, and abilities. 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 itself be the basis of an unfavorable suitability or fitness determination.
If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in the job opportunity announcement.
VBA Human Resources Center - Central Office
810 Vermont Ave NW
Washington, DC 20420
US
Next steps
After the review is complete, a referral certificate will be issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email (if provided). Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.
You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USAJOBS account: Here
For a more detailed update of your status, click on "more information." Information regarding applicant process can be found: Here
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
The following documents are required for all applicants:
Resume
SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
Resume (limited to 2 pages):
You must provide a resume detailing your specialized experience and competencies relevant to the position.
For qualifications determinations your resume must reflect hours worked per week, the inclusive dates of employment, and the level of your experience. If your resume does not reflect this information, you will not receive credit for the experience.
If you submit more than one copy of your resume, the most recent version will be reviewed. The latest timestamp will be used to determine which version of your resume is "most recent." It is your responsibility to check the status and timestamp of all documents you submit as part of your application. We would recommend that you do not submit more than one version of your resume.
If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, we will not use it to make eligibility and qualification determinations, and you may not be considered further for the vacancy.
SF-50:
To support your claim that you have the required time-in-grade, you must submit your most recent promotion, within-grade increase, or appointment SF-50 (not an award or general adjustment SF-50). Some applicants may have to submit more than one SF-50 in order to demonstrate their eligibility.
If you previously held a higher grade, you must also submit an SF-50 showing that grade.
Accepted Documents:
Cover Letter
DD-214/ Statement of Service
Disability Letter (Schedule A)
Disability Letter (VA)
CTAP Documents
Other (2)
PCS Orders
Performance Appraisal
Professional Certification
Proof of Marriage Status
Resume
Separation Notice (RIF)
SF-15
SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
Transcript
Transcripts
If you are basing all or some of your qualifications on education or if a degree is required for the position, a transcript must be included as part of your application package.
Unofficial transcript(s) may be submitted, however it must contain the course names, levels, credits earned, and grades received.
Your transcript must contain the degree conferred date if you are substituting a degree for experience.
A photocopy of your degree is not acceptable in place of a transcript.
An official transcript will be required at a later date if you are selected for the position.
Applicants claiming CTAPeligibility must also submit:
Certification of expected separation or reduction-in-force separation notice and your most recent performance evaluation; and an SF-50 demonstrating your separation or the position you will be separated from. Or
Worker's compensation separation: agency certification of inability to place employee and notification of separation or a separation SF-50. Or
Disability annuity termination: Notification from OPM of disability annuity termination and separation SF-50 of the last position held. Or
Military reserve or National Guard technician special disability retirement annuity under 5 U.S.C. 8337(h) or 8456: Certification of special disability retirement annuity from a military department or National Guard bureau and separation SF-50 of the last position held.
Failure to submit any of the above mentioned required documents may result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted. You will not be contacted for additional information. In addition to the information listed above, please use this checklist to ensure you have included other documents required for your application.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
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.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date 04/20/2026 to receive consideration. 1. To begin, click apply online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and to complete the occupational questionnaire. 2. Click submit my answers to submit your application package.
Beginning September 27, 2025, Federal agencies will only accept resumes up to two pages in length to comply with the Merit Hiring Plan.
Resumes longer than two (2) pages will result in ineligibility for further consideration for the position.
USAJOBS will not allow you to upload or build resumes longer than two pages, and you will need to update the resumes in your profile before applying for a job.
Resumes should include information relevant to the KSAs and competencies of the position to which you are applying.
VA is unable to make assumptions about qualifications if not clearly listed.
Resumes must be legible so they can be reviewed for eligibility, minimum qualifications and other position requirements listed in the job opportunity announcement.
Your resume must be 5MB or less.
We recommend saving and uploading your resume as a PDF to maintain formatting and number of pages.
We also accept GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, TXT, PDF, ODT or Word (DOC or DOCX).
We do not accept PDF portfolio files.
We recommend using a sans-serif font size like Lato, if available. Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open San Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans. Make your page margins 0.5 inches.
Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text in your resume.
The resume builder can help you create a resume using these recommendations and uses the information in your USAJOBS profile to help you get started.
Helpful Hints for Creating a Two-Page Resume:
Prioritize most relevant and recent experience
Use concise, results focused language
Align language from the job announcement
Focus on demonstrating skills and competencies
Remove outdated or unrelated experience
Use the USAJOBS resume builder
Additional guidance on this new requirement and resume building tools can be found at:
Note: It is your responsibility to ensure that your response and any appropriate documentation is submitted by the cut-off date and/or closing date of the announcement. To verify that your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, select the application status link, and then select the more information link for this position. The details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to your application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS accountand click update application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
Additional Information Notice to Applicants: Itis 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, skills, and abilities. 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 itself be the basis of an unfavorable suitability or fitness determination.
If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in the job opportunity announcement.
VBA Human Resources Center - Central Office
810 Vermont Ave NW
Washington, DC 20420
US
Next steps
After the review is complete, a referral certificate will be issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email (if provided). Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.
You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USAJOBS account: Here
For a more detailed update of your status, click on "more information." Information regarding applicant process can be found: Here
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
