Summary The Veterans Benefits Administration National Contact Center leverages a remote workspace to service more than six million individual Veteran inquiries per year. NCC personnel provide Veterans, their dependents, and survivors with information, advice and assistance regarding the availability and procurement of benefits under laws administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and other agencies. Responsibilities Primary duties include but are not limited to the following: The National Contact Center (NCC) centralizes VBA's contact center activities and provides greater consistency and higher quality service by customer-facing employees. NCC employees may have contacts via telephone, email, video, or chat with the public for the purposes of (1) advising and providing information on benefits and rights; (2) explaining pertinent legal provisions, regulations, and related administrative practices and their application to specific cases; (3) assisting individuals regarding how best to provide needed documents and evidence required, and/or (4) initiating inquiries to resolve errors, delays, or other problems in obtaining benefits. The employees will also assist with the completion of claim and appeal related work. Assists the inquirer with determining the short-term and long-term circumstances that might influence a choice between various benefits. Programs include, but are not limited to, compensation and pension benefits, home loan eligibility, education, health care, life insurance, burial benefits, vocational rehabilitation services, fiduciary assistance, general Social Security Administration benefit programs, and other Federal, state, and local domestic relations and assistance programs. Explains the types of documents necessary to facilitate timely processing of claims and appeals and assists with obtaining and completing such documents and forms in accordance with the type of claim or appeal being submitted. Explains VBA rating decisions and provides explanations for the decisions using extensive knowledge of VA benefits and services, claim and appeal processing procedures, and all pertinent information available within the systems of record. Performs claim or appeal related work including, but not limited to, providing comprehensive claim or appeal status updates using mandatory scripting requirements, processing change of address requests, establishment of, or change to direct deposit banking information, burial allowance claims, dependency claim, etc. Appropriately responds to interactions where the customer wishes to speak/discuss to a "supervisor," by attempting to deescalate the interaction by immediately addressing the inquirer's needs prior to referral for a contact by a supervisor Work Schedule: National Contact Operations are Monday through Friday, Office Operations Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Alternate 8 hours work schedules are available and will be determined upon offer/hire. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. This is a remote position. Where You'll Work: This is a 100% remote position. Selectees will work 100% of the time in a non-VA-owned space (usually personal residence) outside of the local commuting area of a parent station. Successful candidates should expect to work Monday through Friday as part of a distributed team that services up to 35,000 Veteran callers each day between operational hours 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. How You'll Work: The VBA will provide everything necessary to succeed remotely. The employee will be required to travel to the closest VA Regional Office, VA Medical Center, or other VA facility for issuance of equipment, and as needed for technical support. Government furnished equipment includes a computer/laptop, camera, monitor screens and headset. You will use a secure VPN to access Microsoft Office products and specific communications software including a soft phone to educate and connect Veterans with the benefits they have earned. Simply put, all new employee training, coaching, daily communications, and Veteran-focused operations will occur outside and away from the traditional office setting. 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. Work Schedule: National Contact Operations are Monday through Friday, Office Operations Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Alternate 8 hours work schedules are available and will be determined upon offer/hire. Telework: Not applicable, this is a remote position. Position Description/PD#: Legal Administrative Specialist (Contact Representation)/ GS05 - 43032A , GS07- 23032A and GS09 - 03032A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Bargaining Unit Position: Yes Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11/29/2024. GS-05 grade level: You qualify at the GS-05 level if you possess three (3) years of general experience, one (1) year of which was equivalent to at least the GS-04 level in the federal government, that equipped you with the skills needed to successfully perform the duties of the position. Experience must demonstrates the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, which may include:1) Analyzing problems to identify factors, gather pertinent data, and 2) Recognize solutions; planning and organizing work; and communicating effectively both orally and in writing. OR Education Substitution: Completion of four (4) year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree or possession of a bachelor's degree. Applicants may combine education and specialized experience to qualify at the GS-05. To compute, divide your total months of qualifying experience by 12. Then divide your total semester hours by 120. The total percentage must equal at least 100% to qualify. GS-07 grade level: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-05 grade level in the federal service. Experience must demonstrate the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, in the normal line of progression for the occupation which may include:1) Advising and providing information on benefits and rights; and 2) Explaining legal provisions, policy or regulations, and decisions to a variety of audiences. OR Education Substitution: One full year of graduate level education or Superior Academic Achievement at the bachelors level in a degree related fields of study. (You must provide transcripts). Superior Academic Achievement (SAA) is based on: 1) class standing, 2) grade point average or 3) honor society membership. For more information on calculating SAA please visit www.opm.gov. OR Applicants may combine education and specialized experience to qualify at the GS-07 level. To calculate, first identify the percentage of required education you have earned (when substituting, you cannot use the first 60 semester hours of undergraduate studies that you earned). Then identify the percentage of required experience you possess. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify at the GS-07. For example, an applicant who has 9 semester hours of graduate level education (i.e. 50% of graduate education required) and 6 months of creditable specialized experience (i.e. 50% of the required experience) would equal 100% of the required experience for the position. A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. 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. GS-09 grade level: One year of specialized experience, which is equivalent to at least the GS-07 level in the federal government, that equipped you with the skills needed to successfully perform the duties of the position. You must have experience performing the following duties: Gathering or analyzing information from various sources to provide assistance in immigration related case processing; Researching information from various databases to prepare reports related to immigration; Interacting with the public to gather or explain information related to immigration applications. OR You may substitute a Master's degree or two (2) full years of graduate education leading to such a degree in any field, or a J.D. or L.L.B. degree for experience required at the GS-09 grade level. Such education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. Check with your school to determine how many credit hours comprise two years of graduate education. If that information is not available, use 36 semester or 54 quarter hours. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must clearly indicate the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Physical Requirements: The work is mostly sedentary. The employee will be required to talk for long periods of time which occasionally puts a strain on the throat/vocal cords. 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, claims folders, and files from one desk to another or for returning to storage. Extensive use of a computer and a telephone with a headset is required. Education If you are claiming education as any part of your qualifications for this position, you must submit an official transcript, unofficial transcript, or a list including courses, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. Special Instructions for Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. Failure to provide such documentation with your application will result in lost consideration. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. 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/. Additional Information Salary: The salary range indicated in this announcement will be adjusted to include locality payment for selected duty location. General Schedule locality pay tables may be found under Salaries & Wages. Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. If you are unable to apply online please contact timothy.guise@va.gov.