The Veterans Claims Examiner (VCE) serves as the primary contact and subject matter expert for the veteran and/or the claimant and/or their representative and/or advocate and is the main decision-maker for the full range of education claims. The VCE works as a member of a particular team in the Education Division. These teams may include but are not limited to, Chapter 33, Non­ Chapter 33, Chapter 35, Out-of-Systems, Veteran Contact or Upstream.

Duties

VCE explains and understands various benefit programs, entitlement criteria, identifies issues, and develops/gathers relevant evidence from multiple sources to adjudicate education claims. VCE independently adjudicates claims and authorizes payments and inputs data as necessary to generate award and notification letters to veterans and claimants describing their decision. VCE works proficiently to manage their workload in a timely manner and must master the consistent application of laws, regulations, and policies to make accurate adjudicative determinations. VCE must evaluate and analyze numerous types of documents and determine the validity of such evidence in the adjudication of a claim. VCE is required to accurately and efficiently review and control incoming and/or assigned claims and evidence in connection with local protocol for control and is responsible for the timeliness of claims under their control. VCE will identify claims which can be immediately adjudicated and those which need further development, initiating the development, to adjudicate a complete application package in a timely manner. VCE will conduct interviews in person, via phone or electronically with Veterans, claimants, dependents, School Certifying Officials (SCO), Veteran Service Officers (VSO) and/or other stakeholders. VCE must always work as a member of a team while exercising good judgement and professional is with co-workers, Veterans, and all stakeholders even in stressful situations. VCE must hold reasonable computer skills and can effectively navigate various programs such but not limited to Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Word. VCE must quickly master the ability to effectively multitask between various types of computer programs and digital platforms that are unique to the VA. VCE must possess the ability to independently read, research and apply new laws, policies, regulations, and procedural advisories in the absence of formal training.

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.
• This is not a virtual/remote position.
• Those selected for the position will attend training in the Buffalo Regional Office.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. 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. Specialized Experience GS-07: To Qualify at grade level GS-07: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-5 level or higher. Specialized experience is defined as: (1) Experience interpreting and applying policy, laws and regulations (some examples: financial aid counselor, bank employee, retail employee, etc. who follow an organization's policies) (2) Perform research for routine issues to resolve discrepancies as discovered. (3) Maintain and store pertinent files/documents electronically associated with a process, in compliance with regulations. Time-in-grade: Applicants who are/were 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-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05 level. To support your claim of time in grade, you must submit your most recent appointment, promotion, or within grade increase SF-50 (not an award or general adjustment SF-50). Some applicants may have to submit more than one SF-50 to demonstrate their eligibility. See the required documents section for more information Or applicants may substitute education for the experience required to qualify at the GS-07 level: Undergraduate Degree and Superior Academic Achievement. You have successfully completed a full 4-year course of study in any field leading to an undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university or you possess an undergraduate degree in any field from an accredited college or university, AND you meet one of the following Superior Academic Achievement provisions: a. Ranked in the upper 1/3 of your college class or major subdivision at the time you apply; OR b. Earned election to a national scholastic honor society that meets the requirements of the Association of College Honor Societies other than freshman honor societies; OR c. Earned a grade point average (GPA) of 2.95 or higher on a 4.0 scale based on all completed undergraduate courses, or all undergraduate classes completed during the final two years; or earned a GPA of 3.45 or higher on a 4.0 scale based on all completed undergraduate courses in your major, or all undergraduate courses in your major completed during the final two years. Regarding the Superior Academic Achievement provisions, if more than 10% of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) was taken on a pass/fail or similar basis, you can qualify only on the basis of your class standing or membership in an honor society. If you qualify based on your education, you must upload or fax a copy of your college transcript along with your application. If you are selected for the position, an official college transcript(s) will be required at your start date. OR Graduate Education. You must have at least one full academic year of graduate level education that demonstrates you possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to satisfactorily perform the work. One year of full-time graduate education is normally determined by the school you attended. If that number cannot be determined, 18 semester hours should be considered equivalent to one academic year of graduate study. Part-time graduate education is creditable on a pro-rated basis. If you qualify based on your education, you must upload or fax a copy of your college transcript along with your application. If you are selected for the position, an official college transcript(s) will be required at your start date. OR Applicants can combine education and specialized experience to qualify for the position. If you have some, but not all, of the graduate education AND specialized experience described above, you may still qualify by combining the amount of creditable education and experience that you do have. To do so, first calculate the percentage of qualifying education you have as a percentage of the education required. Next, calculate the percentage of specialized experience you have as a percentage of the experience required. Then, add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100% for you to qualify for the position at the GS-7 grade level. For example, an applicant who has 9 semester hours of graduate education (i.e., 50% of graduate education required) and 6 months of acceptable specialized experience (i.e., 50% of the experience required) would satisfy the qualification requirements for the position. If you qualify based on a combination of graduate education and specialized experience, you must submit a copy of your official college transcript with your application.

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 Buffalo Regional Benefit Office 130 S. Elmwood Ave. Buffalo, NY 14202 US
• Name: Masheena King
• Phone: (313) 596-7226
• Email: [email protected]