The Legal Administrative Specialist GS-10 position is located with the Veterans Benefits Administration, San Juan, PR, Regional Office in Guaynabo, PR. The Legal Administrative Specialist (LAS) serves as a member of the Public Contact Team, located in the Veterans Service Center. The incumbent provides in-depth information and comprehensive assistance to veterans their dependents and beneficiaries concerning any matter within the scope of VA benefits and related non-VA benefits.

Duties

Major duties include but are not limited to: Counsels Veterans, their dependents, and their beneficiaries regarding all benefits available through the Department of Veterans Affairs, as well as non-VA benefits available through other agencies. Explains the types of documents necessary to facility timely processing of claims and provides assistance in obtaining and completing such document and forms as required by the type of claim being submitted or services requested. Serves as facility Point of Contact (POC) and advocate for veterans and their beneficiaries in their dealings with other VA elements and organizations that may affect their claims. Explains decisions made by the VA and communicates the reasons to the claimant for these decisions, orally and in writing. Advises on the right of appeals and assists claimants in making appeals. Develops a network relationship with the state and private Veteran's organizations to broaden the scope of outreach and increase the community awareness of the role VA plays in being a resource to the community. Provides community outreach counseling and in-home counseling to those who are geographically isolated or physically unable to go to a VA facility due to physical or mental incapacity. Participates in large scale outreach activities (claims clinics, tribal events, etc.), to support claims intake and benefits counseling. Analyzes inquiries, researches issues involved, consults with other federal, state and local agencies as necessary and prepares written replies or furnishes replies by telephone or other medium to congressional or White House staff members. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday 8:00am to 4:30pm Compressed/Flexible: Not available Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position Position Description/PD#: Legal Administrative Specialist (LAS) / 02108A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Promotion Potential: No, atthe full performance level

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
• 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.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement: 11/24/2023. TIME IN GRADE:: 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 by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-10 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-9. 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. NOTE: A SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. A copy of your most current SF 50 is required to verify your status. You must also submit additional SF-50(s) to clearly demonstrate one year time-in-grade as required in the announcement. If the most recent non-award SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate that you possess one year time-in-grade. In this instance, you must provide an additional non-award SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one year time-in-grade. If you previously held a higher grade, you must also submit any SF-50 showing that grade. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You 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. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: experience that has demonstrated the capability of being a self-reliant decision-maker and possessing the ability to work independently when providing customer service benefits counseling and claims processing. The individual must possess in-depth knowledge of researching relevant subject matter. The experience should be significantly and directly derived from federal, military, or the private sector. Examples of specialized experience include but are not limited to orating to persons from a wide variety of backgrounds regarding VA benefits programs; performing research of local, state, and Federal laws and regulations to determine Veterans' eligibility for benefits programs. OR Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have two and a half years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. Graduate level education must demonstrate the competencies necessary to do the work of the position. To qualify for this position, you must meet the experience and/or education as described below by the closing date of this announcement. Volunteer Experience: 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. Full vs. Part-Time Employment: Full-time employment is considered to be at least 35 hours per week. Part-time experience will be credited on a pro-rated basis; when including part-time employment in your resume you must specify the average hours worked per week. Physical Requirements: The work is mostly sedentary. The incumbent will be required to talk for long periods of time which occasionally puts a strain on the throat/vocal cords. There are no other special physical demands required to perform the work. There may be some walking, standing, and carrying of light items such as papers, books, and files from one location to another. Extensive use of a computer and a telephone is required and may often involve high levels of stress and pressures. 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

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

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 San Juan Regional Benefit Office 50 Carr 165 Guaynabo, PR 00968-8024 US
• Name: Davida Macon
• Phone: 601-364-7264
• Email: [email protected]