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

Specific duties include: 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 aids 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, research 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. Promotion Potential: None, GS-10 is the full performance level. Work Schedule: Full time, Monday through Friday, 8am to 4:30pm Compressed/Flexible: Not available Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Legal Administrative Specialist (Contact Representation); 02108A 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
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement:06/03/2024. 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 (unless if in the commuting area and eligible for a non-competitive hiring authority such as Schedule A, VRA, or 30% or more disabled Veterans). For a GS-10 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09 level. If you are a current VBA employee outside of the commuting area seeking reassignment or change to lower grade via this vacancy announcement, you must currently hold the 10 (or higher). 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. These requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement and those applying for a Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT: You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: GS-10 Grade Level: Specialized Experience: Experience independently making decisions and orating to persons from a wide variety of backgrounds when providing benefits counseling and claims processing and (2) Experience researching local, state, and Federal laws and regulations to determine Veterans' eligibility for benefits programs. Education Substitution: 2½ years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree specifically related to the duties of this position which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. (Transcripts Required) 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 mostly, sedentary. The incumbent will be required to talk for long periods of time which occasionally puts a strain on throat/vocal chords. 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 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.
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 Lincoln Regional Benefit Office 3800 Village Dr Lincoln, NE 68516 US
• Name: Devin Searcey
• Phone: (303) 236-6189
• Email: [email protected]