This Field Examiner position is for the Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Benefits Administration, located in the Fiduciary Hub. The Field Examiner (FE) determines the payee (fiduciary), best suited to the needs and situation of VA beneficiaries, who are incompetent due to legal disability, mental disability, physical disability or minority. The Field Examiner ensures that beneficiaries receive all the benefits they are entitled to and takes necessary actions to protect their assets.

Duties

Performs visits to veterans and beneficiaries to evaluate physical and mental conditions or capacity; independently determine ability to handle or manage funds Conducts field examinations to determine who to appoint as fiduciaries for incompetent or minor beneficiaries Verify the welfare and adequate living conditions of veterans under fiduciary care and make arrangements for deficiencies Conduct background investigations on proposed fiduciaries Reviews and reports on fiduciary performance; conduct investigations involving the misuse of VA funds Explain laws and regulations governing fiduciary responsibilities to veteran, beneficiary and fiduciary Investigate and make determinations on identified misuse, complaints, allegations, contested claims for benefits, special apportionments, eligibility for VA compensation, etc. Work with representatives of other Federal, State, and local police, social and protective services agencies and courts regarding the safety, protection and living conditions of veterans Supervises veterans transitioning to financial independence under the direct pay program Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. Work Schedule: Full-time; 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday - Friday. Subject to change to meet the needs of the agency. Compressed/Flexible: Not available Telework: Available - subject to approved from the agency Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: GS -09: 36002-A ; GS-11: 38788-A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

• 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
• Bargaining Unit: Yes

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all of the below requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 08/01/2023 AND remain eligible through the selection process. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements with adequate proof by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. Applicants must demonstrate that they meet the Minimum Qualification requirements as noted below. Specialized Experience: GS-9 Level: One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 is defined as use of fact finding sources (i.e., conducting interviews, researching court records, etc.) to verify facts and obtain specific pieces of information; or, experience applying Federal, state and/or local laws and regulations to administer benefits programs or services; or, financial management experience for individuals or businesses. GS-11 Level: One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 is defined as experience conducting interviews in a state and/or Federal benefit/services program capacity to obtain essential information and assess an individual's competency to make valid decisions; or, expertise in personal financial management for individuals in exceptionally unique or complex financial situations. 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. Note: 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. Physical Requirements: The job requires driving in government owned automobiles, often very long distances requiring overnight lodging. Some walking and climbing of stairs is required since interviews with VA beneficiaries are conducted at the residences of the beneficiaries. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at http://://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at http://://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Education

Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for these grade levels you must have the following:

GS-9 Level: Education substitution of a master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in Social Work, Counseling Rehabilitation, Criminal Justice, or another degree specifically related to the duties of this position which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. NOTE: YOU MUST SUBMIT COPIES OF YOUR TRANSCRIPTS.

GS-11 Level: Education substitution of a PhD. or equivalent doctoral degree or three full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in Social Work, Counseling Rehabilitation, Criminal Justice, or another degree specifically related to the duties of this position which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work.
NOTE: YOU MUST SUBMIT COPIES OF YOUR TRANSCRIPTS.

OR

Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond graduate education. Only graduate level education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be used in combination with experience. For example, for grade GS-9, only graduate level education beyond the first year of study (18 semester hours or the equivalent) may be combined with experience to meet total qualifications.

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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address Columbia Regional Benefit Office 6437 Garners Ferry Rd Columbia, SC 29209 US
• Name: Laperia Shoto
• Email: [email protected]