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Contact Representative

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
Veterans Health Administration
This job announcement has closed

Summary

These positions are located at Fort Riley, Kansas; Topeka, Kansas; Hot Springs, South Dakota and Waco, Texas.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
07/03/2025 to 07/10/2025
Salary
$40,332 to - $66,012 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 5 - 7
Locations
32 vacancies in the following locations:
Fort Riley, KS
Topeka, KS
Hot Springs, SD
Waco, TX
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
7
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
Yes
Announcement number
CARZ-12755970-25-GRE
Control number
840023300

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Duties

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***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION***

NOTE: This position involves a multi-grade career ladder. The major duties listed below, represent the full performance level of GS-07. At the GS-05 grade level, you will perform assignments of a more limited scope and with less independence. You will progressively acquire the background necessary to perform at the full performance level of GS-07. Promotion is at the discretion of the supervisor and is contingent upon satisfactory performance and availability of higher level work. This position is organizationally assigned to the Enrollment Case Management Office of the VA Health Eligibility Center. The primary purpose of this position is to enroll Veterans into VA health benefits, respond to questions and resolve issues pertaining to Veterans' health eligibility and benefits, appointment scheduling, and other related services to veterans, veteran family members and/or representatives, the public, and VA employees.

  • Receives telephone calls from and/or generates telephone calls to veterans, their family members and/or legal representatives concerning eligibility issues and responds to their questions and concerns.
  • Receives telephone calls from and provides information to the public about VA and related non-VA benefits available to veterans and their dependents and beneficiaries.
  • Reviews, updates and edits master record information contained within Health Eligibility Center Management System. Explains in detail the process of filing a claim for benefits, eligibility requirements, and evidence/documentation that must be submitted, and other relevant information.
  • Receives correspondence from and responds to Veterans, their family members and/or legal representatives concerning eligibility inquiries by responding to their questions and concerns and resolving administrative issues. Inquiries involve multiple modalities, including phone calls, eGAIN Chats, e-mails, the VA Inquiry and Routing Information System (IRIS), etc. and a broad range of topics, benefits, systems and processes, including employment services, and the Virtual Lifetime Electronic Records (VLER) system, etc.
  • Answers incoming calls from Veterans related to their use of the VA for Vets website to assess the callers' request and needs and refers Veterans to the appropriate point of contact for those requesting services other than those provided by the Health Eligibility Center.
  • Places outbound calls to newly enrolled Veterans whose eligibility has been verified and priority group assigned by the Health Eligibility Center to notify them that they have been enrolled and they will be receiving a personalized handbook.
  • Provides information about the Affordable Care Act, standard medical benefits package, VA Dental Insurance Program, eBenefits, and My HealtheVet, and encourages Veterans to schedule a first-time appointment with their preferred VA facility.
  • Places outbound calls to Veterans with a Pending Enrollment Status to resolve issues preventing the Veteran's enrollment package from being adjudicated/approved.
  • Serves as back up to other call center program areas as qualified and needed.
  • Performs other related duties as assigned.
Training: Initial training will be for approximately 6 weeks, Monday-Friday, 8:00 am-4:30 pm (CST).

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, to be scheduled between the hours of 6:45am to 7:30pm (CST). Specific tour of duty to be determined by supervisor.
Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized
Telework: This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
  • To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
  • Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
  • Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required.
  • You may be required to serve a probationary period
  • 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) - See "Required Documents" below for details.

Qualifications

GS-5 Specialized Experience: MUST possess one (1) full year of specialized experience equipped with the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the Contact Representative position. To be creditable, this experience must have been equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-04) in Federal Service. Specialized experience includes: Research and apply knowledge on regulations, policies, and/or procedures. Prepare oral/written responses to internal and external customers. Perform data entry in various computer systems. Provide customer service to customers/patients. The ability to provide instructions to customers/patients. (This experience must be documented in your resume.)

OR

Education: MUST
possess four (4) years of successfully completed education above the high school level in any field for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college or university. (Transcripts Required)

OR

Combination of Education and Experience: MUST
equivalent combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience, as described above, and may be used to meet total experience requirements. (Transcripts Required)

GS-6 Specialized Experience: MUST possess one (1) full year of specialized experience equipped with the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the Contact Representative position. To be creditable, this experience must have been equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-05) in Federal Service. Specialized experience includes: Update patient/customer benefits information in an electronic database. Utilize federal regulations related to healthcare benefits. Conduct a high volume of phone calls. Prepare written correspondence to request information from customers. Research past transactions in electronic files. (This experience must be documented in your resume.)

GS-7 Specialized Experience: MUST possess one (1) full year of specialized experience equipped with the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the Contact Representative position. To be creditable, this experience must have been equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-06) in Federal Service. Specialized experience includes: Provides guidance on regulations related to healthcare benefits*Utilize a computerized call distribution system. Update patient/customer benefits information in an electronic database. Conduct calls in a call center environment. Prepare written adjudication or justification documents for case files. Develop financial assessments for income-based benefits. (This experience must be documented in your resume.)

You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position:

  • Computer Skills
  • Manages and Organizes Information
  • Oral Communication
  • Organizational Awareness
  • Writing


IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. 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 indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

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; religious; 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.

Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary with no special physical demands. The employee is often required to talk, type, and navigate computer systems for long periods of time.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript 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 here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

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. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

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):

  • Computer Skills
  • Manages and Organizes Information
  • Oral Communication
  • Organizational Awareness
  • Writing


Your experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. 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 indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

Candidates who apply under "All U.S. Citizens" announcements will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures. Qualified candidates will be assigned to a quality category. The categories are defined as follows:
  • Best qualified - Applicants possessing the type and quality of experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications
  • Very Highly Qualified - Applicants possessing the type and quality of experience that exceeds, to a very considerable extent, the minimum qualifications
  • Highly Qualified - Applicants possessing the type and quality of experience that exceeds, to a considerable extent, the minimum qualifications
  • Well qualified - Applicants possessing the type and quality of experience that marginally exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and who demonstrate average proficiency in most of the critical competencies
  • Qualified - Applicants possessing the type and quality of experience that meets the minimum qualifications
Application of Veterans' Preference: Category rating and selection procedures place those with veteran's preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Preference eligible applicants that meet the eligibility and qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category (except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher).

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.

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