About this role
Job SummaryThe Veterans Service Representative (Authorizer) works as an employee in the Veterans Service Center (VSC) or Pension Management Center (PMC). The incumbent explains benefit programs and entitlement criteria, conducts interviews, identifies issues, gathers relevant evidence, adjudicates claims, authorizes payments, and inputs data necessary to generate the award and notification letter to the Veteran describing the decision and the reason for it.
QualificationsTo qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement: 10/15/2026. TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENT: As a current/former Federal, GS employee you must meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-10 level. If you are a current VBA employee requesting a reassignment or change to lower grade via this vacancy announcement, you must currently hold the GS-11 (or higher) and the promotion potential of your current position must be at least GS-11. 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. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT: You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: GS-11 Grade Level: Specialized Experience: To qualify, applicants must have one year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-10) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is typically gained in positions that have involved experience in the development, examination, investigation, adjudication, and authorization of claims for disability compensation, disability pension, death compensation, death pension benefits, life insurance benefits, etc. Such experience is to be substantive and relevant and may have been gained in the practice of law or working with a Federal or state agency, insurance company, retirement, disability, or insurance program. OR Education Substitution: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education you must have: A Ph.D or equivalent doctoral degree in an accredited college or university OR 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree; OR possession of an LL.M. degree, if related. Graduate-level education must demonstrate the competencies necessary to do the work of the position. OR 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. Typically, the employee sits comfortably to do the work. However, there may be some walking, standing, bending, and carrying of light items such as papers or books. No special physical demands are required to perform the work. 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/.
Major DutiesSpecific duties include, but are not limited to: Authorizes administrative decisions made by other Veterans Service Representatives (VSR) including character of discharge, line of duty, or willful misconduct, corpus of estate, and apportionment decisions. Serves as the primary point of contact for all promulgating VSRs, reviews and finalize authorization of awards, terminates, authorize or disallows benefits pay on unusually complex claims. Reviews and approves work for technical accuracy, clarity, thoroughness, and sensitivity of notification. Ensures that notices of decisions are prepared with an empathetic tone and are complete and phrased in terms that the claimant can understand. Uses electronic data processing (EDP) systems for inputting data related to claims adjudication, processing, monitoring, and correspondence preparation. Prepares correspondence request to Members of Congress and special interest groups. Assists in the development and mentoring of VSR trainees. Performs other duties as assigned. Promotion Potential: This position is being selected at the full performance level. Work Schedule: Full time, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday. Hours to be determined by hiring office. Compressed/Flexible: Hours to be determined by hiring office. Telework: This position is eligible for situational (ad hoc) telework only. The selectee is required to report to the official duty station each scheduled workday. Telework may be approved only on a case-by-case basis with supervisory approval. Routine or recurring telework is not authorized for this position. Remote/Virtual: This is not a remote/virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Veterans Service Representative (Authorizer); PD02105A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not RequiredRequirementsAs a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the Agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the Agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Additional Conditions of Employment are as follows: 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 or trial period. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements I-9 Acceptable Documents. Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. A complete application package must be submitted: Resume, transcripts, and any other required documents. You will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application.