This position is located in the Treasury, Education, and External Relations Division of the VA Debt Management Center located in Fort Snelling, Minnesota. The employee is under the supervision of the Assistant Chief. The positions primary responsibility is to conduct Administrative Wage Garnishment (AWG) Hearings which arise from VA debts referred to the Department of the Treasury for collection.

Duties

Conducting Administrative Wage Garnishment (AWG) hearings to determine whether to continue or terminate collection in accordance with applicable laws, statutes, and policy. Weighing all relevant facts gathered and pertinent laws and regulations to render decisions. Explaining the evidence considered and how the evidence was weighed either in favor of the applicant or the VA. Communicating ideas clearly, both orally and in writing, to present findings and show justifications for decisions rendered. Must be able to write in a formal business style. Ensuring quality control for processing correspondence of any account having been referred to the Department of the Treasury. Working cooperatively and effectively with other DMC employees, other Federal agencies, and delinquent debtors and their representatives. Exercising expert judgment, skills, and initiative in applying laws, policies, regulations, and guidelines in processing each hearing. Analyzing all applicable laws and regulations. Work Schedule: Hours for this position will be established between 6:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. CST Alternate work schedules may be available Telework Available: Yes (Up to and including remote work eligible within 50 miles) Duty Location Status: Fort Snelling, MN. Can work remotely from home after initial training, but must live within local commuting area (50 miles) of Agency Worksite. Title/PD#: Hearing Officer GS - 9/11; PD 04041A, PD 04040A Promotion Potential: GS-11 Time-in-grade: Applicants who are/were federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements. For a GS-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07 level. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09 level. To support your claim of time in grade, you must submit your most recent appointment, promotion, or within grade increase SF-50 (not an award or general adjustment SF-50). Some applicants may have to submit more than one SF-50 to demonstrate their eligibility. See the required documents section for more information. Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary and may require sitting, walking, standing, bending and carrying light items such as books, papers and files. 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. 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. Please contact the special placement coordinator or the human resources specialist listed on this vacancy for more information regarding applying for consideration under schedule A or as a 30% disabled Veteran.

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job.
• Selectees are subject to a background/suitability investigation.
• A complete application package; Resume, and other documents particular to your application needs (i.e., Transcript, SF-50 etc.).
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• A probationary period may be required for employees and supervisors.

Qualifications

Specialized Experience: To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 08/23/2023. 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. To qualify for the 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: (1) Researching and applying applicable laws and legislation necessary to properly adjudicate claims; (2) Serving as the contact liaison to ensure receipt of hearing decisions and responding to inquires; AND (3) Working with other divisions to ensure quality control for processing correspondence. OR Applicants may substitute education for experience at grade GS-09. Applicants may substitute education for experience with an awarded master's or equivalent graduate degree (such as an LL. B or J.D.) from an accredited college or university, or two full years (36 semester hours or 54 quarter hours) of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree. This graduate degree or education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities to do the work of this position. If you are claiming to qualify based on your education, your application must include an official or unofficial copy of graduate level transcripts that demonstrate this information. OR Applicants may combine education and experience to qualify for grade GS-09. Applicants may substitute a combination of graduate education and specialized experience to qualify for grade GS-9. If you have some, but not all, of the graduate education described above AND less than one full year of the specialized experience described above, you may qualify by combining the amount of creditable education and experience that you do have. 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-9. To calculate, first identify the education you have earned beyond your first year of study as a percentage of a total of two years of study. Then identify the number of months of specialized experience you have as a percentage of 12 months. Add the two percentages. The total must equal at least 100 percent in order to be qualifying. For example, an applicant who has 27 semester hours of graduate level education (i.e, 50% of graduate education required beyond the first 18 credit hours earned) and who has 6 months of creditable specialized experience (i.e., 50% of the one year of specialized experience required) would meet 100% and thus be qualified for the position. To qualify for the GS-11 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: (1) Researching and applying applicable laws and legislation necessary to properly adjudicate claims; (2) Serving as the contact liaison to ensure receipt of hearing decisions and responding to inquires; (3) Working with other divisions to ensure quality control for processing correspondence; (4) Gathering and presenting material regarding rights and benefits accruing to customers, their dependents, and beneficiaries; (5) Explaining the evidence considered and how the evidence was weighed either in favor of the applicant or the organization; AND (6) Carrying out the assignments, determining the scope, and the requirements needed to resolve each individual hearing. OR Applicants may substitute education for experience at grade GS-11: Applicants may substitute education for experience with an awarded Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree (such as an LL.M.) from an accredited college or university, or three full years (54 semester hours or 81 quarter hours) of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a doctoral degree. This graduate degree or education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities to do the work of this position. If you are claiming to qualify based on your education, your application must include an official or unofficial copy of graduate level transcripts that demonstrate this information. OR Applicants may combine education and experience to qualify for grade GS-11. Applicants may substitute a combination of graduate education and specialized experience to qualify for grade GS-11. If you have some, but not all, of the graduate education described above AND less than one full year of the specialized experience described above, you may qualify by combining the amount of creditable education and experience that you do have. 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-11. To calculate, first identify the education you have earned beyond your first two years of study as a percentage of a total of three years of study. Then identify the number of months of specialized experience you have as a percentage of 12 months. Add the two percentages. The total must equal at least 100 percent in order to be qualifying. For example, an applicant who has 45 semester hours of graduate level education (i.e, 50% of graduate education required beyond the first two years) and who has 6 months of creditable specialized experience (i.e., 50% of the one year of specialized experience required) would meet 100% and thus be qualified for the position. Note: 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 you document, to include volunteer experience.

Education

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: Here

All education claimed by applicants will be verified by the appointing agency accordingly. 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: Here

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 accredited 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/

Contacts

• Address VA Debt Management Center 1 Federal Dr, Fort Snelling St Paul, MN 55111-4050 US
• Name: Stephen Todd
• Phone: (313) 596-7228
• Email: [email protected]