Legal Administrative Specialist (Contact Rep)

Summary

The Legal Administrative Specialist (LAS) serves as a member of the Public Contact Team, located in the Veterans Service Center. The incumbent provides in-depth information and comprehensive assistance to veterans their dependents and beneficiaries concerning any matter within the scope of VA benefits and related non-VA benefits.

This job is open to

Duties

Major duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Coordinates counseling sessions with Veterans, their dependents, and their beneficiaries face to face, regarding all benefits available through the VA, as well as non-VA benefits available through other agencies. This is accomplished through in-person or telephone interviews, and correspondence. or telephone VBA facilities and provides broad outreach services.

Explains in detail, VBA rating decisions and provides explanations for the decisions using extensive knowledge of VA benefits and services, claim and appeal processing procedures and benefit determination information and all pertinent information available in system of record.

Assists with programs include, but are not limited to, compensation and pension benefits, home loan eligibility, education, health care, life insurance, burial benefits, vocational rehabilitation services, general Social Security Administration benefit programs, other federal, state, and local domestic relations, and assistance programs.

Prepares technical correspondence to veterans and their dependents providing benefit information, representation rights and response to miscellaneous inquiries.

Explains pertinent legal provisions, regulations, and related administrative practices and their application to specific cases

May serve as or with the Outreach Coordinator (such as the Women's Veterans Coordinator, Minority Veterans Coordinator, Homeless Veterans Coordinator, Aging Veterans Coordinator, Ex-Prisoners of War Coordinator or Military Services Coordinator).

Initiates inquiries to resolve errors, delays, or other problems in obtaining benefits. Completes claim and appeal related work.

Work Schedule: Full-time, Monday through Friday

Compressed/Flexible: Available

Remote: This is not remote position

Telework: Yes, as determined by the Agency policy

Position Description/PD#: Legal Administrative Specialist; PD# 02108A

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized

Bargaining Unit Position: Yes

Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job

Designated and/or random drug testing may be required

Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959

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

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement 06/28/2024.

Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees must meet the time-in-grade requirements.

GS-10 grade level you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09 grade level. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

GS-10 grade level: You must possess at least one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-09grade level in the federal service).

Education Substitution at the GS-10 grade level:

Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have two and a half years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. Graduate level education must demonstrate the competencies necessary to do the work of the position. (Must submit transcripts). OR,

Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education beyond two years of progressively higher level graduate education.

GS-10 grade level: You must possess at least one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-09 level in the Federal service).

Specialized Experience is defined as (1) experience that has demonstrated the capability of being a self-reliant decision-maker and possessing the ability to work independently when providing customer service benefits counseling and claims processing. (2) The individual must possess in-depth knowledge of researching relevant subject matter. (3) The experience should be significantly and directly derived from federal, military, or the private sector. Specialized Experience is defined as experience that has equipped the applicant to perform at the journeyman level of this position with little to no training or supervision.

OR

Education Substitution at the GS-10 grade level: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience for the GS-10 level. To qualify based on education you must have two and a half years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. (You must provide supporting transcripts)

OR

Experience and Education Substitution at the GS-10 grade level: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level.

Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education beyond two years of progressively higher level graduate education. (You must provide supporting transcripts)

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.

Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited based on time spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

Physical Requirements: The work normally involves mental rather than physical exertion.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at .

Education

If you are claiming education as any part of your qualifications for this position, you must submit an official transcript, unofficial transcript, or a list including courses, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned.

Equivalent combinations of Specialized Experience and Graduate Education: 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-10. Graduate-level education must demonstrate the competencies necessary to do the work of the position. 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.

Special Instructions for Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. Failure to provide such documentation with your application will result in lost consideration. For further information, visit .

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: . 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 .

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.

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. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator.

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 ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at .

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 who have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment. For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the document. If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an .

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

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 rated on the following competencies based on your application for this position:

REASONING: Identifies rules, principles, or relationships that explain facts, data, or other information; analyzes information and makes correct inferences or draws accurate conclusions.

PROBLEM SOLVING: Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations.

CUSTOMER SERVICE: Works with clients and customers (that is, any individuals who use or receive the services or products that your work unit produces, including the general public, individuals who work in the agency, other agencies, or organizations outside the Government) to assess their needs, provide information or assistance, resolve their problems, or satisfy their expectations; knows about available products and services; is committed to providing quality products and services.

READING: Understands and interprets written material, including technical materials, rules, regulations, instructions, reports, charts, graphs, or tables; applies what is learned from written material to specific situations.

COMPUTER SKILLS: Uses computers, software applications, databases, and automated systems to accomplish work.

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 are not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills, and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

Required Documents

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. Failure to submit the documents as specified may result in lack of consideration for this job announcement. You will not be contacted for additional information.

Resume: Detailing specialized experience and competencies as they relate to this position. 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 should also indicate the grade level. Resumes containing a general summary of all positions held, not specifying start/end dates, and/or not including documentation supporting Federal grade level(s) are insufficient to determine basic qualifications. Your experience must be clearly stated in your resume. We cannot make assumptions on your experience based on your current, or former, position titles on your resume. Failure to clearly demonstrate your qualifying experience in your resume may result in disqualification for this position and your rating will be adjusted as necessary.

SF50: A copy of your most recent SF-50 (not award or general adjustment).The SF-50 must indicate proof of status and should identify your position title, series, grade, step, salary, tenure, and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). To verify you meet Time-in-Grade requirements, also submit an SF-50 reflecting when you entered your highest grade held (e.g., Promotion, Appointment, etc.)

CTAP: For displaced Federal/VA employees. SF-50 showing Career or Career-Conditional status; AND Reduction-In-Force (RIF) Notice or certification of expected separation (not a resignation letter); AND Most recent performance appraisal. The following documents are accepted and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please use this to make sure you have included other documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), documentation to support Veterans Preference claims, or ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees). You will not be contacted for additional information.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from .

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.