Transportation Assistant

Veterans Health Administration•Portland, OR

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Transportation Assistant works in the Veterans Transportation Program/Beneficiary Travel department at the VA Portland Health Care System. The department administers beneficiary travel benefits for Veterans who meet eligibility criteria. The role determines and verifies eligibility and reimbursement amounts, reviews transportation requests, arranges travel, and supports related customer service and administrative functions. This is an open-continuous announcement, with applications considered at recurring cutoff dates as positions become available. The position has promotion potential to the full performance level when regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met; selection at a lower grade does not guarantee promotion. The work schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Pacific Time. Telework and virtual work are not authorized. Relocation, recruitment incentives, and permanent change of station are not authorized. Applicants must meet the applicable time-in-grade and experience or education qualifications for the GS-4, GS-5, or GS-6 level. The position requires U.S. citizenship, completion of an online assessment and onboarding, a background/security investigation, and participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program. A one-year probationary period or two-year trial period applies. The job does not inherently require physical demands that cannot be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment.

Requirements

U.S. citizenship.
Meet applicable time-in-grade requirements for the grade level sought.
For GS-4, one year of general experience, or two years of education above high school, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
For GS-5, one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-4, or four years of education above high school, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
For GS-6, one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-5; education cannot substitute at this grade level.
Submit transcripts if qualifying based wholly or partly on education.
Complete all required application steps, including an online assessment.
Complete a background/security investigation and online onboarding.
Meet identification requirements for pre-employment processing.
Participate in the VA seasonal influenza vaccination program.
Serve a one-year probationary period or two-year trial period, as applicable.
Current or former federal employees applying at applicable grades must meet time-in-grade requirements and submit supporting SF-50 documentation.

Responsibilities

Use software applications to determine or verify Veteran eligibility and travel reimbursement amounts under applicable rules and procedures.
Assist Veterans with waiver applications related to major income changes or financial hardship.
Review clinical requests for VA-funded transportation using CPRS and select an appropriate mode based on cost effectiveness and medical needs.
Arrange transportation through Veterans Transportation Service, air ambulance, commercial air, taxi, ambulance, bus, or independent transportation.
Coordinate with hospital staff, travelers or their representatives, and vendors to identify dependable and economical transportation.
Prepare required travel documentation and scheduling based on government transportation availability and rates or substantial rates.
Review travel reimbursement claims for regulatory compliance, completeness, accuracy, internal consistency, and agreement with authorization.
Provide information and services to Veterans, their families and representatives, and facility staff; address customer conflicts and problems constructively.
Collect, organize, track, and count beneficiary travel reimbursement forms from locations throughout the facility.
Order office supplies and track and organize orders.
Post employee time cards as instructed by the supervisor, help reconcile discrepancies, and serve as a point of contact for time-card questions and actions.
Perform other related duties as assigned.