Veterans Service Rep (FAR)
Veterans Benefits Administration - Department of Veterans Affairs
Specialized Experience: To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. 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. The Office of Personnel Management’s group coverage qualification standards, associated individual occupational requirements (IOR), and individual qualification standards covering white collar occupations in the Federal competitive service can be found here. GS-07:To qualify, applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-05) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is defined as work that involves (1) using various computer systems for data entry and maintaining/monitoring case files; (2) reviewing documents submitted by others for completeness, accuracy, and validity; (3) communicating with customers of varying and diverse backgrounds. Or applicants may substitute education for the experience required to qualify at the GS-07 level: Undergraduate Degree and Superior Academic Achievement. You have successfully completed a full 4-year course of study in any field leading to an undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university or you possess an undergraduate degree in any field from an accredited college or university, AND you meet one of the following Superior Academic Achievement provisions: a. Ranked in the upper 1/3 of your college class or major subdivision at the time you apply; OR b. Earned election to a national scholastic honor society that meets the requirements of the Association of College Honor Societies other than freshman honor societies; OR c. Earned a grade point average (GPA) of 2.95 or higher on a 4.0 scale based on all completed undergraduate courses, or all undergraduate classes completed during the final two years; or earned a GPA of 3.45 or higher on a 4.0 scale based on all completed undergraduate courses in your major, or all undergraduate courses in your major completed during the final two years. Regarding the Superior Academic Achievement provisions, if more than 10% of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) was taken on a pass/fail or similar basis, you can qualify only on the basis of your class standing or membership in an honor society. If you qualify based on your education, you must upload or fax a copy of your college transcript along with your application. If you are selected for the position, an official college transcript(s) will be required at your start date OR Graduate Education. You must have at least one full academic year of graduate level education that demonstrates you possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to satisfactorily perform the work. One year of full-time graduate education is normally determined by the school you attended. If that number cannot be determined, 18 semester hours should be considered equivalent to one academic year of graduate study. Part-time graduate education is creditable on a pro-rated basis. If you qualify based on your education, you must upload or fax a copy of your college transcript along with your application. If you are selected for the position, an official college transcript(s) will be required at your start date. GS-09:To qualify, applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-07) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is defined as work that involves (1) using various computer systems for data entry and maintaining/monitoring case files; (2) preparing various types of written correspondence; (3) gathering and analyzing evidence in order to make sound recommendations and/or referrals; (4) AND communicating with customers of varying and diverse backgrounds. OR Graduate Education. You must have at least master’s or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D., if related. One year of full-time graduate education is normally determined by the school you attended. If that number cannot be determined, 18 semester hours should be considered equivalent to one academic year of graduate study. Part-time graduate education is creditable on a pro-rated basis. If you qualify based on your education, you must upload or fax a copy of your college transcript along with your application. If you are selected for the position, an official college transcript(s) will be required at your start date. GS-10:To qualify, applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-09) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is defined as work that involves (1) using various computer systems for data entry and maintaining/monitoring case files; (2) preparing various types of written correspondence; (3) gathering and analyzing evidence in order to make sound recommendations and/or referrals; (4) AND, reviewing financial, benefit, or legal documents and statements to identify any misrepresentation, fraud or illegal activity. OR Graduate Education. You must have at least a PhD or equivalent doctoral degree or 2.5 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related. One year of full-time graduate education is normally determined by the school you attended. If that number cannot be determined, 18 semester hours should be considered equivalent to one academic year of graduate study. Part-time graduate education is creditable on a pro-rated basis. If you qualify based on your education, you must upload or fax a copy of your college transcript along with your application. If you are selected for the position, an official college transcript(s) will be required at your start date. Applicants can combine education and specialized experience to qualify for the position. If you have some, but not all, of the graduate education AND specialized experience described above, you may still qualify by combining the amount of creditable education and experience that you do have. To do so, first calculate the percentage of qualifying education you have as a percentage of the education required. Next, calculate the percentage of specialized experience you have as a percentage of the experience required. Then, add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100% for you to qualify for the position at the respective grade level. If you qualify based on a combination of graduate education and specialized experience, you must submit a copy of your official college transcript with your application.
This position is in the Veterans Benefits Administration, Regional Office (VARO), in one of the several Fiduciary Hubs. The Veterans Service Representative/Fiduciary Accounting Representative (FAR) is responsible for making determinations involved in the administration of all types of beneficiary estates, the protection of their benefit rights, the routine handling of legal matters, and the identification of legal questions.