Supervisory Veterans Claims Examiner

Summary

The VASRD Program Operations are responsible for providing special project expertise, project management, and data analytics to assist the VASRD Regulations and Implementation teams. Responsible for planning, programming, coordinating, and directing, and reviewing all activities assigned. Monitors programs and activities related to disability benefits and services provided to Veterans, their dependents, or beneficiaries. Works with other elements of VBA in relation to Veterans' benefits.

Duties

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Specific duties include: The incumbent is a second level supervisor:

• Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable laws.
• Plans and assigns work, sets priorities, advises employees on program goals and objectives, and makes decisions on work problems presented by subordinate supervisors.
• Sets performance standards and appraises work of employees. Identifies developmental and training needs of employees; provide and/or arrange for needed development and training.
• Hears and resolves employee complaints and refers more serious grievances to higher authority with recommendations for resolution. Counsels employees on work and management policies.
• Effects minor disciplinary actions such as reprimands and warnings, recommends other action in more serious cases. Initiates personnel action for recruitment, reassignment, promotion, reclassification, etc.
• Interviews and selects employees for vacant positions. Actively support special program such as EEO, safety, internal controls, etc.
• Serves as an advisor to the VASRD PMO assistant director and CS senior leadership on issues regarding technical, regulatory, procedural, and operational aspects of the CS programs. Studies program operations, economic studies, health outcome studies, new legislation, systems that facilitate automated benefits delivery, management initiatives, and the operation of interacting programs and organizations to assist in the development of new and modified policies and/or regulations. Formulates and recommends instructions, directives, guidelines, policies, plans or procedures to administer or carry out functions, which support delivery of benefits and services to Veterans. Participates in special projects devoted to supporting policy analysis and updates. Manages multiple projects or programs concurrently where effort involves coordination among multiple resources, other divisions, or agents outside of the organization. Undertakes long and short-term research. Studies program activities within CS to support the organization's business goals and objectives. Reviews, monitors, and oversees, the completion of additional assignments, to include but not limited to, special projects and preparation of recommendations for procedural or regulatory change.
• Oversees work products from the VASRD PMO to ensure delivery of accurate, clear, and comprehensible documents and emails, to include but not limited to white papers (options papers, position papers, etc.). Provides timely responses, in writing, to internal and external stakeholder inquiries in a comprehensive, accurate, clear, and comprehensible manner, while adhering to accepted standards of formatting and style, spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc. Prepares all necessary administrative materials, correspondences, and justifications detailing reasons for decisions.
• Deals with issues of both sensitive and high-profile nature (e.g., Traumatic Brain Injury, Military Sexual Trauma, Agent Orange, Gulf War, etc.) and advises leadership on the national and local impact of changes in process, protocol, or legal statutes, which may impact or shapes the future direction of the organization. Directs information distribution to internal and external stakeholders.
• Directs and trains others on application of regulations and processes of rulemaking, as well as rulemaking support functions (e.g., project management, data analysis, etc.). Manages and reviews the work products of the Program Operations staff for quality and consistency. Acts as VASRD PMO Assistant Director, as needed.
• Prepares and provides oral presentations to various audiences within CS, VBA senior leadership, department level executives, and outside agencies. Develops PowerPoint presentations covering highlights of new material and providing practical applications and examples. May represent the VASRD PMO Assistant Director at meetings and conferences.

Work Schedule: Full time, Monday through Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm.

Compressed/Flexible: Not available.

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.

Virtual: This is a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Supervisory Veterans Claims Examiner; PD415750

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized.

Financial Disclosure Report: Not required.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will 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
• Selectees are required to serve a one-year supervisory probationary period if not previously completed in a Federal position.
• Subject to background/security investigation
• 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.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement:11/03/2026.

TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENT: As a current Federal, GS employee you must meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

• For a GS-15 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-14 level.
• If you are a current VBA employee requesting reassignment or change to lower grade via this vacancy announcement, you must currently hold the GS- 15 or higher and the promotion potential of your current position must be at least GS-15.

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 as described below:

GS-15 Grade Level:

• Specialized Experience: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-14) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.
• Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position and is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled.
• The applicant must document knowledge of a complex field of laws, regulations and Federal legislation pertaining to the full range of veterans benefits and a comprehensive and thorough knowledge of state, federal and local benefit programs in order to be able to explain them, both orally and in writing, to individuals of all educational backgrounds.

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.

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/.

Supervisory Situational Judgement Test: Applicants will be required to complete a Supervisory Situational Judgment Test (SSJT) as part of the assessment process for this position. The SSJT evaluates judgment, decision-making, and leadership competencies associated with effective supervision in a Federal work environment. This is not a timed test, however, the assessment is expected to take approximately 45 minutes or less to complete. This assessment is required for all applicants. If you do not complete the assessment, it will result in an incomplete application and you will receive no further consideration.

Education

There is no education substitution for the GS-15 grade level.

Additional information

This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer (TJO). Please visit the Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP), https://www.va.gov/EMPLOYEE/documents/The-Fair-Chance-to-Compete-Act.pdf

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review: Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. (https://appsupport-usastaffing.opm.gov/hc/en-us/sections/[redacted]5-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information)

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

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Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

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A career with the