Veterans Service Representative - Pathways Recent Graduate Program
Location: Lincoln, Nebraska
Description: Department Of Veterans Affairs is at present looking to employ Veterans Service Representative - Pathways Recent Graduate Program right now, this vacancy will be designated in Nebraska. More details about this vacancy opportunity kindly see the descriptions. Vacancy Identification Number (VIN) 995803
OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Li! ncolnÂ's promise - Â"To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphanÂ" - by serving and honoring the men and women who are AmericaÂ's Veterans. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate care to Veterans?
As a VA professional, your opportunities are endless. With many openings in the multiple functions of VA, you will have a wide range of opportunities and leadership positions at your fingertips. Not only is it the largest, most technologically advanced integrated health care system in the Nation, but we also provide many other services to Veterans through the Benefits Administration and National Cemeteries. VA professionals feel good about their careers and their ability to balance work and home life. VA offers generous paid time off and a variety of predictable and flexible scheduling opportunities.
For more information on the Department of Veterans Affairs, go to http://www.vacareers.va.gov/ !
TRAVEL REQUIRED
Not Required RELOCATION AUTHORIZE! D
No KEY REQUIREMENTS
U.S. citizen, non-citizen, national or legal permanent resident.
Subject to a background/suitability investigation.
A complete application package; Resume, Vet Pref (if applicable), etc.
A completed Occupational Questionnaire.
Proof of degree or certificate (i.e. transcripts, Registrar Letter...etc). DUTIES:
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) values the contributions made by recent graduates of all ages and backgrounds .
This announcement is for a position being filled under the Pathways Recent Graduate Program for individuals who have completed, within the previous two years, a qualifying associates, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution.
The Pathways Recent Graduate Program provides managers a ready source of developmental employees and potential permanent employees upon completion of the program requi! rements. It also provides the recent graduate with work experience directly related to their degree and career goals while offering eligibility for non-competitive conversion to permanent employment upon completion.
Here are some key provisions of the Recent Graduates Program .
• Recent graduates who have completed, within the previous two years, a qualifying associates, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution.
• Preference Eligible Veterans unable to apply, due to military service obligations, have up to six years after the completion of their degree and/or certificate to apply.
• An individual who completed his or her educational requirements between December 27, 2010 and the effective date of the Pathways regulations (July 10, 2012) has 2 years of eligibility from July 10, 2012 to apply to the Recent Graduates Program.
• Recent Graduates may be converted t! o a permanent position after successful completion of the 1-year Progra! m period or at the end of the 120-day approved extension, unless the agency has an approved longer program based on a rigorous training and development requirement; or, in some limited circumstances a term appointment lasting 1-4 years.
For more information on the Pathways for Students go to http://www.opm.gov/HiringReform/Pathways/
The Veterans Service Representative (VSR) works as a member of the Veteran Service Center, in the claims processing lanes (express, core, special operations and/or non-rating), in one of the following areas on the; appeals team, public contact team or in the intake processing center (IPC) for the Lincoln Regional Office, of the Veterans Benefits Administration located in Lincoln, NE.
As a Veterans Service Representative (VSR) you will work on veterans benefits claims and provide comprehensive services to America's Veterans and their families. The incumbent may be promoted to the full performance level (GS-10) without furthe! r competition after meeting time-in-grade and specialized experience requirements. Upon attaining the GS-10 grade level, the incumbent will be required to take the VSR Skills Certification test.
MAJOR DUTIES :
The VSR explains benefit programs and entitlement criteria, conducts interviews, identifies issues, gathers relevant evidence, adjudicates claims, and inputs data necessary to generate the award and notification letter to the veteran describing the decision and the reason for it. Specific duties are the following:
• Serves as a primary contact for the veteran and his/her representative or advocate and the decision-maker for compensation or pension claims.
• Explains the full range of VA benefits and all related programs.
• Makes determinations as to eligibility for the type of benefit sought and fully analyzes, develops, and requests required evidence for certain claims requiring a rating decision.
• Decides the necessity for an! d type of examinations, reexamination or opinions to determine the exis! tence of or to evaluate disabilities resulting from diseases or injuries.
• Develops comprehensive requests for these examinations/opinions to ensure appropriate evidence is received from which to adjudicate the claim.
• Prepares correspondence to members of Congress and special interest groups on case assignments and other Â"controlledÂ" correspondence.
• Reviews all correspondence to private attorneys; acknowledges and revokes designations for private attorneys.
• Utilizes various electronic data processing (EDP) systems for input data related to claims adjudication, processing, monitoring, and correspondence preparation.
• Acts as an advocate for veterans and their beneficiaries in their dealings with other VA elements and organizations that affect their claims.
• Individual(s) selected for this position must be available to attend a mandatory 8-week consecutive training session.
• This training may require official government travel aw! ay from the permanent duty station to a different city and/or state. Flexitour is not available during training.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS : This position is primarily sedentary with some walking, standing, bending, and carrying of lightweight items (i.e. folders, claims files). QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of the announcement.
GS - 07: One (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service.
Specialized experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) 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. Specialized Experience includes but is not limited to: 1) gathering and completing documents, applications, and oth! er information in order to process and evaluate a variety of claims app! lications; 2) determining the applicability of law, regulations, and procedures to evaluate eligibility and claims; 3) using automated software and systems to enter, edit, verify, and retrieve data in order to evaluate claims; AND 4) developing, adjudicating, authorizing, or reconsidering claims for benefits. Such experience is to be substantive and relevant and is 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 the experience required.
GS-07: Successful completion of one (1) full (credit hours) year of graduate level education in an accredited college or university which demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work.
OR
Applicants may possess an Undergraduate Degree with Superior Academic Achievement .
Completion of a full four-year (120 credit hours) course of study leading to a bache! lor's degree from an accredited college or university in a field related to the position and meet one of the following under the Superior Academic Achievement provisions: Superior Academic Achievement (S.A.A.) is a means of qualifying on the basis of education, if you are within the area of consideration as stated in the Â"Who May Be ConsideredÂ" section of this announcement (first page). S.A.A. is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average, or (3) honor society membership.
Class standing--Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses.
Grade-point average (G.P.A.)--Applicants must have a grade-point average of: a. 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ('B' or better) as recorded on their official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses compl! eted during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or b. 3.5 or higher ou! t of a possible 4.0 ('B+' or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum. Grade-point averages are to be rounded to one decimal place. For example, 2.95 will round to 3.0 and 2.94 will round to 2.9.
Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society--Applicants can be considered eligible based on membership in one of the national scholastic honor societies.
Applicants cannot claim credit based on their overall G.P.A. if more than 10 percent of their total credit was based on pass/fail. It is the applicant's responsibility to provide documentation or proof that he or she has met the applicable educational requirements for substitution. Applications submitted without the required supporting documents will not be accepted. An unofficial transcript; statement from the institution's registrar, dean, or other appropriate official! ; or equivalent documentation is acceptable at the time of application. Education submitted must be appropriately accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education. For additional information, refer to the U.S. Department of Education web site at http://www.ed.gov/ .
OR
Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify. To calculate, first identify the percentage of graduate education required that you have earned. (Bachelor's Degree education cannot be used for combination.)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.!
You will be rated on the following Knowledge, Skills, Abilities an! d Other characteristics (KSAOs) as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position. This training and/or experience MUST be reflected by descriptions of your experience in your resume.
Knowledge of correct English grammar, punctuation, and spelling. This includes the ability to communicate information in a succint and organized manner.
Skill in being thorough when performing work and strong attention to detail.
Skill in identifying problems, determining accuracy, and relevance of information.
Ability to work with customers to assess needs, provide assistance, resolve problems, and satisfy expectations.
Ability to interact with co-workers to accomplish goals.
Ability to operate computer and other office machines in performing assigned duties.
If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit OPM's web site at http://www.op! m.gov/qualifications/standards/indexes/alph-ndx.asp
IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume/application does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s). HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:
After the vacancy announcement closes, applicants are evaluated against the questionnaire responses and placed in one of the three quality categories; Best-qualified, Well-qualified, or Qualified. Qualifying Veterans with a service-connected disability of 10% or more will be placed at the top of the best qualified group. All other qualified veterans will be placed at the top of the appropriate quality group, based on responses to the questionnaire.
VeteranÂ's Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), or 10pt (CP/CPS, XPP, XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP), on the Oc! cupational Questionnaire in the section(s) provided. A legible copy of ! your DD214(s) and/or other documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), or dates of impending separation. Documentation is required to award preference. (See "Required Documents" section)
Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veterans Preference" with required proof as listed on page two (2) of the form. For more information, please review the information for disabled Veterans in the application checklist or visit http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx BENEFITS:
Working for the Department of Veterans Affairs offers a comprehensive benefits package. This link provides an overview of the benefits currently offered. For more information please visit us at http://www.va.gov/jobs/job_benefits/benefits.asp . OTHER INFORMATIO! N:
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. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employees credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. 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.
Relocation Expenses: Relocation expenses [ are ] OR [ are not ] authorized for this position.
{Optional} The Department of Veterans Affairs offers Permanent Change of Station (PCS) relocation services. Permanent Change of Station is the relocation of a household due to government convenience in connection with a transfer between duty stations or facilities. For more information go to http://vaww.f! scdirect.fsc.va.gov/pcs.asp .
This job opportunity announcemen! t may be used to fill additional vacancies.
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If you were eligible to this vacancy, please give us your resume, with salary requirements and a resume to Department Of Veterans Affairs.
Interested on this vacancy, just click on the Apply button, you will be redirected to the official website
This vacancy starts available on: Fri, 22 Nov 2013 21:30:34 GMT
Apply Veterans Service Representative - Pathways Recent Graduate Program Here