This position is in the Madison, Wisconsin Field Office located at 6011 Odana Road, Madison, WI 53719. NOTE: This position is being filled on a full-time, permanent basis. Additional selections may be made within six months from the closing date of this announcement. This is a career-ladder position leading to the GS-11 grade level.

Duties

Once selected for the Claims Specialist position in SSA, you will contribute to the Agency's mission through direct and personal service to the public. This includes speaking with beneficiaries about their rights under the Social Security laws, gathering facts and evidence to establish eligibility for benefits, making critical decisions to determine the amount of benefits paid to individuals, and using state-of-the-art computer technology to access and update information about claims. Claims Specialists conduct interviews with the public to obtain, clarify, and verify information about initial and continuing eligibility for retirement, survivors, disability, health insurance benefits, and eligibility for supplemental security income including State supplements. In addition, they resolve discrepancies, clarify issues and make final decisions for initial and post-entitlement for benefits and payments; adjudicate and authorize entitlement or disallowance actions at all levels of difficulty and complexity under programs administered by SSA; and use state of-the-art technology to access and update claims information.

Requirements

• U.S. Citizenship required
• Selective Service Registration, if applicable (www.sss.gov)
• Fingerprinting and background and/or security investigation required
• Job offers are contingent on fingerprinting and background / security investigation results
• Selectees are required to serve a 1-year probationary period
• Relocation expenses will not be paid
• All qualifications requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement
• Candidates are required to participate in the Competency Assessment Interview Process (CAIP)

Qualifications

GS-9: Fifty-two weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level in the federal service in 1) assisting individuals in establishing their entitlement to receive benefits; 2) adjudicating or investigating claims; or 3) evaluating benefit programs to assess the integrity and quality of operations. Note: Part-time work is prorated in crediting experience (e.g., if you work 20 hours per week for a 12 month period, you will be credited with 6 months of experience). COMPETENCY ASSESSMENT INTERVIEW PROCESS (CAIP) INTERVIEW - Applicants will be required to participate in a panel interview (after basic eligibility determination) to demonstrate an aptitude for meeting and dealing with the public. Applicants must pass this interview process in order to be found fully qualified for this position and receive further consideration for selection. This interview will cover typical situations, which might be encountered on the job, in person or over the telephone. Applicants must demonstrate qualities such as clarity of speech, ability to listen, ability to establish confidence and put others at ease and the ability to organize and express thoughts clearly. If you do not pass the CAIP interview, you will not qualify for the job. Panel interviews may be conducted via video conferencing software, if technically feasible. NOTE: Previous Meet and Deal results are not valid for this vacancy announcement; you will be required to complete the CAIP assessment.

Education

SUBSTITUTING EDUCATION: If you are qualifying for this position based on completed education at an accredited U.S. college, university, or other educational institution, you must provide a copy of your transcripts or other proof of education prior to being appointed. NOTE: Education completed in a foreign institution must be deemed equivalent to that gained in conventional/accredited U.S. education programs. It is the applicant's responsibility to acquire U.S. Certification and provide it at the time of application. For a list of Credential Evaluation Services, log on to: Credential Evaluation Services.

GS-9: Master's or equivalent graduate degree, or successful completion of two academic years of progressively higher graduate education, or LL.B. or J.D.

Combining Education and Experience:

GS-9: Experience and graduate level education beyond the first year may be combined to meet the minimum qualification requirement.

Note: One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school you attended has determined to represent one year of study. If this information is not provided, we will consider 18 semester/27 quarter hours to be equal to one year of full-time graduate study.

If selected, you may be required to provide your official college transcripts prior to the effective date of the personnel action placing you into the new position. Experience and education will be computed as percentages of the overall requirements and must equal to 100 percent when combined.

For information on substituting education for experience, visit http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/standards/group-stds/gs-cler.asp.

Contacts

• Address Region V Area 2 2810 Crossroads Dr Suite 3200 Madison, WI 53718 US
• Name: Cynthia Brushaber
• Phone: (312) 575-6952
• Email: [email protected]