As a Correspondence Analyst (Congressional Liaison), you will act as the Indianapolis Regional Office liaison, communicating with correspondence offices. The incumbent is one of the primary representatives of the Director in correspondence matters. The incumbent is responsible for all written and telephonic contact with claimants and acts as a point of contact with external offices related to cases involving Veterans and other benefit claimants.

Duties

The incumbent independently analyzes correspondence and requests for information, researches, expedites action, and responds or prepares written responses on behalf of the Regional Office Director. The incumbent evaluates problems and issues for trends and recommends improvements to operations. The Congressional Liaison reviews all Congressional, White House, Secretary, and other special inquiries received by letter, fax, email, and telephone to determine the proper disposition of these inquiries. This review includes use of the Corporate Record system and review of the claim folders. The incumbent responds to these inquiries by telephone, email, or in writing. The incumbent manages their workload for timely and accurate responses and ensures that the workload is properly documented and controlled, making day-to-day adjustments in accordance with established priorities. He or she maintains records of completed workload and prepares reports, as required. The incumbent keeps controls to ensure the timeliness standards are met. The Congressional Liaison discusses inquiries and VBA benefits with congressional aides as well as inquiries received from the Office of the Director, Veterans Service Center (VSC), and other Division Managers of the Regional Office (RO). The incumbent also communicates with congressional constituents to explain benefits and services available. The incumbent participates in briefings and training sessions for congressional staff members on VBA benefits. The incumbent represents the Regional Office at outreach events and may serve as a guest speaker and panelist. The Congressional Liaison reviews inquiries to determine the priority in which they will be addressed. These includes cases which are of sensitive, volatile, or hardship nature, as well as long standing unresolved issues and cases with concern or potential concern of the media. The incumbent takes initiative to resolve these cases prior to media involvement.

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job.
• Selectees are subject to a background/suitability investigation.
• Selective Service registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• A probationary period may be required for employees and supervisors.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
• Work Schedule: Regular office hours (8:00am-4:30pm); Alternate work schedules may be available.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/30/2023. Time-in-Grade Requirements: Applicants who are/were federal employees and have held a GS grade at any time in the past 52 weeks must meet the time-in-grade requirements. For a GS-11 position, you must have served at least 52 weeks at the GS-09 level. NOTE: 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. Applicants must demonstrate that they meet the Minimum Qualification requirements as noted below. Specialized Experience (GS-11): To qualify, applicants must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-09) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is defined as work that involves (1) counseling customers and/or veterans, their dependents, and their beneficiaries regarding their benefits, (2) serving as a liaison between government personnel (inside and outside the organization), representatives of business and industry, trade and professional associations, the media, or the public, and (3) analyzing submitted claims and initiating action to obtain all required evidence to support the claim. Conducting comprehensive discharge briefing to large groups. ~OR~ Education: Applicants may substitute education for the experience required to qualify at the GS-11 level: Successful completion of a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree (such as an LL.M.) from an accredited college or university, or three full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a doctoral degree. (You must submit an official or unofficial copy of graduate level transcripts). Such education must demonstrate you possess the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to satisfactorily perform the work of this position. If you are selected for the position, an official college transcript(s) will be required at your start date. ~OR~ Combination: Applicants can combine education and specialized experience to qualify for this position. A combination of less than the full year of specialized experience described above and less than the full amount of education described above, however, combined my experience and education equals 100% of the required qualification. (You must submit an official or unofficial copy of graduate level transcripts). Such education must demonstrate you possess the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to satisfactorily perform the work of this position. If you are selected for the position, an official college transcript(s) will be required at your start date. 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, 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. 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

If you are claiming education as any part of your qualifications for this position, you must submit an official transcript(s), unofficial transcript(s), or a list including college/university name, courses, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned with your completed application package.

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.

Contacts

• Address Indianapolis Regional Benefit Office 575 N Pennsylvania St Indianapolis, IN 46204 US
• Name: Dorothy Stalling
• Phone: 317-916-3639
• Email: [email protected]