This position serves as Congressional Liaison communicates with congressional aides and other outside entities telephonically to resolve inquiries about difficult cases and questions about VBA benefits. The incumbent reviews all the Congressional, White House, Secretary and other special inquiries received by letter and telephone in order to determine the proper disposition of these inquiries. This review includes use of the computer systems and review of claims folders.

Duties

Specific duties include: Reviews all Congressional, White House, Secretary, and other special inquiries received by letter and telephone. Responds to all inquiries by telephone or in writing. Researches and analyzes inquiries to determine the correct course of action. Discusses with management to determine the correct course of action. Provides information pertaining to services and benefits available to Veterans. Provides training for congressional staffers. Provides training to new employees regarding communication with Congressional Offices and special inquiries. Provides feedback and training on trends and issues which are presented by the Congressional Staff. Develops and processes claims to assist in the completion of the inquiry. 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. The grade progression for this position is GS-9 / GS-11. Work Schedule: Full time, Monday through Friday / 8am - 4:30pm Compressed/Flexible: Available Telework: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Congressional Liaison; PD # 39707A, GS-09 / PD# 39706A, GS-11 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• You may be required to serve a probationary period
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
• Subject to background/security investigation

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement:03/13/2024. 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. For a GS-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07 level. For a GS-11 position you must have serviced 52 weeks at the GS-09 level 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. MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT: You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: GS-09 Grade Level: Specialized Experience: 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 experience in (1) explaining decision made by the VA and communicates the reasons to the claimant for these decisions. (2) prepares technical correspondence to veterans and their dependents providing benefit information, representation rights and response to miscellaneous inquiries (3) 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 stakeholders. Education Substitution: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a master's or equivalent graduate degree with a Major study in finance, business administration, economics, accounting, insurance, engineering, mathematics, banking and credit, law, real estate operations, statistics, or other fields related to the position, such as agriculture, agricultural economics, farm, livestock or ranch management, or rural sociology; or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree. GS-11 Grade Level: Specialized Experience: 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 experience in (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. (3) analyzing submitted claims and initiating action to obtain all required evidence to support the claim. Conducting comprehensive discharge briefing to large groups. Education Substitution: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a PH.D. or equivalent doctoral degree with a Major in finance, business administration, economics, accounting, insurance, engineering, mathematics, banking and credit, law, real estate operations, statistics, or other fields related to the position, such as agriculture, agricultural economics, farm, livestock or ranch management, or rural sociology; or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such as degree. Combining Education & Experience: If you do not fully meet the length of experience and education described for a specific grade level (e.g. have six months of experience and some coursework but not a degree), the two can be combined to total 100% of the requirement. Click here for more information. 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 primarily sedentary, with periods of standing, walking, and minimal lifting (under 20 pounds). 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

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to be credited towards qualifications. Provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

All education claimed by applicants will be verified upon appointment. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript to receive credit.

Contacts

• Address St Paul Regional Benefit Office 1 Federal Dr, Fort Snelling St Paul, MN 55111-4050 US
• Name: Michele Martin
• Phone: 303-236-6166
• Email: [email protected]