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.

Duties

Specific duties are as follows: Initiates contacts and receives incoming calls and communication with fiduciaries and beneficiaries under the supervision of the Fiduciary Program, to explain the full range of VA benefits and all related programs and entitlements, in addition to, federal, state, and local assistance programs. Advises fiduciaries, trust officers, banking officials, attorneys and court officials of regulations, necessary documentation and other factors which impact the VA fiduciary oversight of the beneficiary. Reviews records to ensure that all beneficiaries and dependents are accounted for in award actions (i.e. dependent parents, children living with other relatives, etc.). Identifies and audits the records for possible fraud, embezzlements, misappropriations, or misuse by fiduciaries. Conducts in-depth analysis, quasi-legal examinations, investigations, and financial assessments of inquiries pertaining to allegations of misuse. Protects the VA beneficiary and their estate by initiating actions to generate payment suspensions, resumptions, or terminations for appropriate situations (successor fiduciary appointment, failure of fiduciary to account, unauthorized expenditures, death, alleged misuse or whereabouts unknown). Initiates the appropriate actions/steps (misuse allegation, request a field examination, complete the misuse investigation) and forward misuse determination for management concurrence. Audits and reviews fiduciary's annual accounting or fund usage to include receipts or other documentation and works with the fiduciary to correct and clarify, in accordance with regulatory guidance, any expenditures that are questionable. Reviews surety bonds to determine their adequacy and informs the fiduciary when the bonds are found to be deficient or substantially greater that necessary so the appropriate increase or decrease can be accomplished. Refers information regarding misuse of funds to the appropriate agency to include the court of jurisdiction, Office of Inspector General (OIG) and/or District Counsel. Maintains system databases and records to include establishing and updating beneficiary and fiduciary profiles, changes of fiduciaries, changes of name, address, or direct deposit information. Work Schedule: Full time, Monday through Friday TELEWORK ELIGIBLE: Yes per Agency guidelines. This is not a Remote Work Position Position Description Title/PD#: Veterans Service Representative (FAR)/39715A, 39714A, 39713A Physical Requirements: The work normally involves mental rather than physical exertion. 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.

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job
• Subject to a background/suitability investigation
• May serve a probationary period
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• A complete application package; Resume, Transcripts, etc.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
• Bargaining Unit Position: Yes
• If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application.
• All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
• Applicants will be prevented from updating an application after submission.
• Applicants will be prevented from updating assessment responses after application submission.

Qualifications

Salary: The salary range indicated in this announcement will be adjusted to include locality payment for selected duty location. General Schedule locality pay tables may be found under Salaries & Wages. To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. - 11/09/2023. To qualify for this GS-0996-07 grade level: You must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 grade level in the federal service using various computer systems for data entry; OR maintaining/monitoring case files; OR reviewing documents submitted by others for completeness, accuracy, and validity; OR communicating with customers of varying and diverse backgrounds. OR Education Substitution: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience for the GS-07 level. To qualify based on education you must have: One full year of graduate level education Or superior academic achievement at the bachelors level in a degree related to or other related fields of study. (You must provide transcripts); OR a combination of the required experience and education for this grade level. Note: To compute the percentage, divide your total months of qualifying experience by 12. Then divide your semester hours of graduate education by 18 then add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must provide supporting transcripts.) To qualify for this GS-0996-09 grade level: You must possess at least have at least one year of specialized experience, equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service using various computer systems for data entry; maintaining/monitoring case files; preparing various types of written correspondence; gathering and analyzing evidence to make sound recommendations and/or referrals; AND communicating with customers of varying and diverse backgrounds. OR Education Substitution: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience for the GS-09 level. To qualify based on education you must have: A Master's or equivalent graduate degree, 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, or LL.B. or J.D., if related fields of study. (You must provide transcripts); OR a combination of the required experience and education for this grade level. Note: To compute the percentage, divide your total months of qualifying experience by 12. Then divide your semester hours of graduate education beyond one year by 18 then add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. (You must provide supporting transcripts.) To calculate, first identify the percentage of required education you have earned (when substituting, you cannot use the first 60 semester hours that you earned). Then identify the percentage of required experience you possess. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify at the GS-07. For example, an applicant who has 9 semester hours of graduate level education (i.e. 50% of graduate education required) and 6 months of creditable specialized experience (i.e. 50% of the required experience) would equal 100% of the required experience for the position A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

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.

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 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

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/.

Contacts

• Address Veterans Benefits Administration 1800 G Street, NW Washington, DC 20006 US
• Name: Mid-Atlantic Service Branch
• Email: [email protected]