The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) manages six insurance programs covering approximately 3 million policies that provide life, disability, mortgage and annuity benefits to its' policyholders. VA is also responsible for the supervision of the Servicemembers and Veterans Group Life Insurance programs that cover approximately 6 million active-duty personnel, reservists, veterans, and family members.
Summary
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) manages six insurance programs covering approximately 3 million policies that provide life, disability, mortgage and annuity benefits to its' policyholders. VA is also responsible for the supervision of the Servicemembers and Veterans Group Life Insurance programs that cover approximately 6 million active-duty personnel, reservists, veterans, and family members.
This vacancy announcement is open ONLY to current, permanent Philadelphia Insurance and RO employees and current/former VA employees who are CTAP eligible.
Reviews Congressional, White House, Secretary, and other special inquires received by letter and telephone in order to determine the proper disposition of these inquiries. Responsible for providing timely responses to Congressional, White House, and other special inquiries concerning VA benefits for veterans and other claimants.
Discusses problem cases and insurance benefits with congressional aides and other callers referred by the Office of Director, Deputy Assistant Director for Insurance or other Insurance program officials, and VIPS Insurance Specialists.
Prepares responses to inquiries from the public, other agency staff, government organizations, and veterans interests groups on various aspects of insurance programs. Responsible for the research and development of information into missing government checks initiated by the Department of Veterans Affairs Insurance program regarding inquiries to the Treasury Department. The incumbent will initiate status of the check through the system, determine the status of funds available, and refund the available funds. If funds are determined to be unavailable, the incumbent will determine whether fraudulent activity or an incorrect payee was involved. This will be done through research, contacts, and interaction with the Veteran and the Check Claims Department of the Treasury. If an incorrect payee is involved, the incumbent will initiate recovery of funds.
Monitors and reports any situations determined to be fraud by the Department of the Treasury.
The incumbent is responsible for ensuring that the Section's quality and timeliness of service meets performance indicator goals. The incumbent is also responsible for the cost-effective use of resources to accomplish the Section's assigned outcomes.
Ensures that training is given a high priority to assure that employees have the competencies required to provide the best service to their customers. This includes training to keep abreast of changes in technology, changes to VA rules and regulations, and training in support of team development.
Work Schedule: Full Time, Monday - Friday, 6:00AM - 6:00PM Compressed/Flexible: Available Telework: Ad-hoc telework may be authorized as determined by the agency policy Virtual: This is not a virtual position Position Description/PD#: Supervisory Insurance Specialist; PD41820A Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required Bargaining Unit: No Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
You may be required to serve a supervisory probationary period
Subject to background/security investigation
Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification may be required to complete pre-employment requirements 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.
Qualifications
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement: 06/11/2026.
TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENT: Applicants who are current/former Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirements.
For a GS-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11 level.
The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. A Standard Form 50 (SF-50) that shows your TIG eligibility must be submitted with your application materials.
Applicants must submit their most recent Notification of Personnel Action, SF-50:
Official SF-50 that shows you held the grade (or higher) for the full performance level of the position you are applying for, or
Official SF-50 that shows you held the next lower grade for at least one year for the position you are applying for. Multiple SF-50s may need to be submitted to show this.
Examples of appropriate SF-50s to include which show TIG requirements have been met include:
Within grade increases (WGI) at the highest grade held; or
Promotions with an effective date that occurred more than one year from the closing date of the job opportunity announcement; or
Most recent appointment.
NOTE: Do not submit Award or General Adjustment SF-50s, as they do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted for the purpose of verifying TIG.
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT: Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade(s) GS-11.
Specialized Experience is defined as:
Managing a diverse program where laws, rules, regulations, policies and procedures are followed.
Planning, organizing, directing, controlling, reviewing, and applying judgment to tasks.
Compiling and analyzing technical and legal information from available sources to make decisions and resolve problems.
Providing information to various stakeholder groups orally or written.
Volunteer Experience: 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.
Full vs. Part-Time Employment: Full-time employment is considered to be at least 35 hours per week. Part-time experience will be credited on a pro-rated basis; when including part-time employment in your resume you must specify the average hours worked per week.
Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary. Typically, the employee may sit comfortably to do the work. However, there may be some walking; standing; bending; carrying of light items such as papers, books, small parts; etc. No special physical demands are required to perform the work.
There is no education substitution at the GS-12 grade level.
Additional information
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.
The Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 85 or more) for this vacancy. Information about CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.
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.
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), https://www.va.gov/EMPLOYEE/docs/The-Fair-Chance-to-Compete-Act.pdf
Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. (https://appsupport.usastaffing.gov/hc/en-us/sections/28980686389652-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information)
If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.
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. You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.
You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):
Conflict Management
Influencing/Negotiating
Manages Resources
Partnering
Planning and Evaluating
Technical Competence: Understands and appropriately applies procedures, requirements, regulations, and policies related to specialized expertise (for example, engineering, physical science, law, or accounting); maintains credibility with others on technical matters.
Analysis and Problem Solving: Applies the process of discovery that involves the diagnosis of a problem or issue, identification and gathering of relevant information, formulation and evaluation of alternative solutions or courses of action, and selection or recommendation of the preferred solution or course of action.
Critical Thinking: Objectively analyzes and evaluates an issue in order to form an opinion/judgment/conclusion; Uses logic and reasoning to research, interpret and apply information such as regulatory and/or procedural guidance; Identifies the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems; Integrates information into development of a resolution.
Organizational Awareness: Knows the organizations mission and functions, and how its social, political, and technological systems work and operates effectively within them; this includes the programs, policies, procedures, rules, and regulations of the organization.
Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.
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 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.
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
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete application package to include the documents detailed below. Your resume and supporting documentation will be verified; errors, omissions, or failure to submit the documents as specified will affect your rating or result in loss of consideration for employment.
Resume (limited to 2 pages): Applicants must provide a resume detailing their specialized experience and competencies relevant to the position.
Your resume may be submitted in any format, however we strongly recommend using USA Jobs resume builder as it contains all of the information required on federal resumes.
For each position in your resume, you must specify the start and end dates (month/year) and a description of duties. If the position was Federal, you must also indicate the grade level. Resumes containing a general summary of all positions held, not specifying start/end dates, and/or not including Federal grade level(s) are insufficient to determine basic qualifications.
If you submit more than one copy of your resume, only 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.
If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations and you may not be considered for this vacancy.
Current/Former Federal Employees:
If you are applying using your status as a current federal employee you must submit your most recent appointment SF-50. This SF-50 should identify your appointing legal authority, position title, series, grade, step, salary, tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted).
To verify you meet TIG requirements, also submit an SF-50 reflecting when you entered your highest grade held (e.g. Within Grade Increase, Promotion, Appointment, etc.). 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.
Applicants claiming CTAP eligibility must also submit:
Certification of expected separation, 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.
Failure to submit any of the above required documents applicable to your submission may result in loss of consideration and a rating of ineligible due to an incomplete application package. It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that their application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. We will not contact applicants for additional documentation, nor will we accept late or missing documents after the close of the announcement.
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.
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. (EST) on 06/11/2026. It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
The application process is as follows:
Click the Apply Online button.
Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
Set aside about 45 minutes to take the USA Hire Assessments. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.
Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.
To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
To view the announcement status or your application status: Visit https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/howto/application/status/. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.
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 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 knowledge, skills, abilities, 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 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:
Philadelphia VBA Regional Office
5000 Wissahickon Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19144
US
Next steps
Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email. 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.
Referred applicants may be contacted at any time during the hiring process. Please check all forms of communication (including email, voicemail, and spam folders), based on the contact information provided with your application, regularly to ensure you don't miss any updates. Failure to respond to communications may result in you being disqualified from consideration. You will receive a final notification of results once a decision has been made.
You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center.
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
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete application package to include the documents detailed below. Your resume and supporting documentation will be verified; errors, omissions, or failure to submit the documents as specified will affect your rating or result in loss of consideration for employment.
Resume (limited to 2 pages): Applicants must provide a resume detailing their specialized experience and competencies relevant to the position.
Your resume may be submitted in any format, however we strongly recommend using USA Jobs resume builder as it contains all of the information required on federal resumes.
For each position in your resume, you must specify the start and end dates (month/year) and a description of duties. If the position was Federal, you must also indicate the grade level. Resumes containing a general summary of all positions held, not specifying start/end dates, and/or not including Federal grade level(s) are insufficient to determine basic qualifications.
If you submit more than one copy of your resume, only 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.
If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations and you may not be considered for this vacancy.
Current/Former Federal Employees:
If you are applying using your status as a current federal employee you must submit your most recent appointment SF-50. This SF-50 should identify your appointing legal authority, position title, series, grade, step, salary, tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted).
To verify you meet TIG requirements, also submit an SF-50 reflecting when you entered your highest grade held (e.g. Within Grade Increase, Promotion, Appointment, etc.). 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.
Applicants claiming CTAP eligibility must also submit:
Certification of expected separation, 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.
Failure to submit any of the above required documents applicable to your submission may result in loss of consideration and a rating of ineligible due to an incomplete application package. It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that their application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. We will not contact applicants for additional documentation, nor will we accept late or missing documents after the close of the announcement.
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.
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. (EST) on 06/11/2026. It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
The application process is as follows:
Click the Apply Online button.
Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
Set aside about 45 minutes to take the USA Hire Assessments. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.
Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.
To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
To view the announcement status or your application status: Visit https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/howto/application/status/. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.
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 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 knowledge, skills, abilities, 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 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:
Philadelphia VBA Regional Office
5000 Wissahickon Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19144
US
Next steps
Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email. 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.
Referred applicants may be contacted at any time during the hiring process. Please check all forms of communication (including email, voicemail, and spam folders), based on the contact information provided with your application, regularly to ensure you don't miss any updates. Failure to respond to communications may result in you being disqualified from consideration. You will receive a final notification of results once a decision has been made.
You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
