Veterans Service Representative

Veterans Benefits Administration • Denver, CO

2d • Hybrid

About The Position

The incumbent serves as a Veterans Service Representative (Authorizer) at a VA Regional Office. The position adjudicates veterans’ claims, authorizes payments, and enters information needed to generate award and notification letters explaining decisions to claimants.

The Authorizer reviews work completed by other Veterans Service Representatives when a second signature is required, approving it for technical accuracy, clarity, thoroughness, and sensitive, understandable notification. The role makes or authorizes specified administrative decisions and special determinations, explains decisions and post-decision review options to veterans who express dissatisfaction, and uses electronic data processing systems to support claims adjudication, monitoring, processing, and correspondence. The representative also advocates for veterans and beneficiaries in dealings with VA elements and other organizations that affect their claims.

The position is full-time, Monday through Friday, with hours determined by the hiring office. Situational (ad hoc) telework may be approved case by case with supervisory approval; the employee must report to the official duty station each scheduled workday, and routine or recurring telework is not authorized. This is not a virtual position.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. citizen.
• Selective Service registration is required for males born after December 31, 1959.
• Must complete a one-year probationary period, subject to written certification that continued employment advances the public interest.
• Must undergo a background/security investigation and complete the online onboarding process and pre-employment I-9 requirements.
• For current or former federal employees subject to the time-in-grade rule, must have 52 weeks at GS-10 for a GS-11 position; qualifying documentation must be submitted.
• GS-11 specialized experience: experience demonstrating competence in adjudicating and authorizing veterans’ claims, such as substantive and relevant experience developing, examining, investigating, adjudicating, and authorizing disability compensation, disability pension, death compensation, death pension, life insurance, or similar claims.
• Qualifying specialized experience may have been gained through the practice of law or work with a federal or state agency, insurance company, retirement program, disability program, or insurance program.
• Applicants may substitute a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, or a related LL.M. for the GS-11 experience requirement; transcripts are required.
• A combination of education and experience may be used to meet the qualification requirement.
• Education used to qualify must be from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education; foreign education requires a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with transcripts.
• The position is mostly sedentary, with occasional walking, standing, bending, and carrying light items such as papers or books; no special physical demands are required.

Responsibilities

• Adjudicate veterans’ claims, authorize payments, and input data required to generate award and notification letters.
• Review work of other Veterans Service Representatives when a second signature is required.
• Approve work for technical accuracy, clarity, thoroughness, and sensitivity of notification.
• Ensure decision notices are complete, empathetic, and phrased in language claimants can understand.
• Remain familiar with rating procedures to ensure proper claimant notification.
• Make administrative decisions and special determinations concerning qualifying military service, character of discharge, domestic-relations contested claims, homicide, presumed death, line of duty, willful misconduct, corpus of estate, violations of the U.S. Penal Code, related attorney fees, administrative error, and fraud.
• Authorize administrative decisions made by other Veterans Service Representatives, including decisions involving character of discharge, line of duty, willful misconduct, corpus of estate, and apportionment.
• Explain a final decision and the post-decision review process to veterans who express dissatisfaction with a determination, in person, by telephone, or by mail.
• Use electronic data processing systems for claims adjudication, processing, monitoring, data entry, and correspondence preparation.
• Advocate for veterans and beneficiaries in dealings with VA elements and organizations that affect their claims.

Benefits

• Federal employee benefits package available to the employee and family.
• Annual leave accrual based on federal service, at a rate of 4, 6, or 8 hours per pay period.
• VA may grant newly appointed federal employees service credit for job-related non-federal experience or active-duty uniformed military service when determining annual leave accrual; this must be requested and approved before appointment and is not guaranteed.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree