The incumbent serves as a Senior Veterans Claims Examiner in the Education Division. In this capacity, the incumbent works semi-independently with GS-7 and GS-9 Veterans Claims Examiners (VCE) in processing benefits, providing the final approval on claims requiring secondary review. The (VCE) serves as the primary contact and subject matter expert for the veteran and/or the claimant and/or his/her representative or advocate and is the main decision-maker for the full range of education claims.

Duties

Reviews and authorizes unusually complex or difficult Chapter 35 education claims. Assures consistent application of laws, regulations and policies are applied. Develops and provides training, technical guidance and mentors GS-7 and GS-9 employees independently based on their experience. Determines what evidence is sufficient to support, and adjudicate actions by referencing laws, regulations, policies and procedures. Ensures that education benefits and awards are properly established and is fully accountable for the analysis, development and adjudication of the claim. Effectively communicates in person, via phone, or electronically with employees, supervisors, claimants and stakeholders. Resolves issues independently.

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:07/26/2024. 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-11 position you must have served 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: Preferred Experience: One year of experience processing Chapter 35 claims is preferred. Specialized Experience: To qualify at grade level GS-11, applicants must have one year equivalent to at least the GS-9; Specialized experience is defined as that experience which equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level of GS-09 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Education Substitution: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M Combination of Education and Specialized Experience: To compute the percentage, divide your total months of qualifying experience by 12. Then divide your semester hours of graduate education beyond two years by 18. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. 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 with occasional walking and bending. Work requires lengthy periods viewing video display terminals and extensive use of computer keyboarding. 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.

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/. 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. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address Buffalo Regional Benefit Office 130 S. Elmwood Ave. Buffalo, NY 14202 US
• Name: Santria Gray
• Phone: (313) 471-3883
• Email: [email protected]