Legal Administrative Specialist (Contact Representative) IRIS Department of Veterans Affairs Salt Lake City VBA Regional Office Overview Open & closing dates 11/08/2018 to 11/15/2018 Service Competitive Pay scale & grade GS 9 Salary $50,598 to $65,778 per year Appointment type Permanent Work schedule Full-Time Location 1 vacancy in the following location: Salt Lake City, UT 1 vacancy Relocation expenses reimbursed No Telework eligible Yes as determined by agency policy This job is open to Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL) Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee. Clarification from the agency CTAP - This vacancy is open to Department of Veteran Affairs applicants in the local Salt Lake City, UT commuting area who are eligible for priority consideration under the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) only. Share Announcement number 341-19-03-JBG-10354377-CTAP Control number 516380800 Videos Duties Duties Summary THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS OPEN TO CTAP ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS ONLY. PLEASE READ THE ENTIRE ANNOUNCEMENT BEFORE APPLYING TO THIS POSITION. The National Inquiry Response Center (NIRC) has been established to centralize VA's incoming email inquiry activity. Employees of the Inquiry Response Center (IRC) have written contacts with the public through an e-mail inquiry destination mailbox on the Internet. Responsibilities Counsel Veterans, their dependents, and their survivors via the Internet regarding the full array of benefits available through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), as well as non-VA benefits available through other Veterans organizations Explain the types of documents necessary to facilitate timely processing of claims and provide assistance in obtaining and completing such documents and forms in accordance with the type of claim being submitted Explain decisions and reasons for the decisions made by the VA and communicate the information in writing to the Veterans, and orally as needed Answer telephone inquiries received by the National Call Center (NCC), and may be assigned to assist the NCC during periods of high telephone inquiries Perform claim-related work such as change of address, direct deposits, dependency claims, etc. and other special projects or programs as assigned Work Schedule: Monday through Friday (actual times to be determined). Compressed/Flexible: Available Telework: Available Virtual: Not available Position Description Title/PD#: Legal Administrative Specialist (Contact Representative) IRIS/ 00329A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Travel Required Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position. Supervisory status No Promotion Potential 9 Job family (Series) Requirements Requirements Conditions of Employment 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 period Subject to background/security investigation Must be CTAP eligible to apply Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement: 11/15/2018. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience GS-09 LEVEL: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-GS-07) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized Experience is defined as: Applicants must have one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-07). Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Knowledge of VA benefit eligibility criteria; Experience counseling Veterans or their dependents on VA and non-VA benefits available to them. OR Education: Applicants may substitute education for the experience required for the GS-9 level with a Master's or equivalent graduate degree OR two full years of progressively higher level graduate education or a master's or equivalent graduate degree (such as LL.B. or J.D.) To be creditable, such education must demonstrate the competencies necessary to do the work; OR Combination: A combination of graduate education and experience as listed above. To compute, divide your total months of qualifying experience by 12. Then divide your semester hours of graduate education by 18. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100% to qualify. To be creditable, such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities (see "Competencies" in the Requirements section) necessary to do the work. 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. 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 indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Physical Requirements: This position is primarily sedentary with some walking, standing, bending, and/or carrying lightweight items. Grade Requirement: To receive CTAP selection priority, you must apply for a vacancy at or below your current grade level. This position may have no promotion potential greater than your current position. Education A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. PLEASE NOTE: Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications (particularly positions with a positive education requirement). Therefore, applicants must report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: . All education claimed by applicants will be verified by the appointing agency accordingly. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. Additional information VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. The Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provides eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 85 or more before any Veterans preference points) for this vacancy. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on . 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 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. If you are unable to apply online view the following link for information regarding an . For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the document. How You Will Be Evaluated You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above. APPLICANTS MUST BE DETERMINED TO BE WELL-QUALIFIED TO BE REFERRED AS CTAP ELIGIBLE. Well-qualified means the applicant has the knowledge, skills, and abilities and/or competencies which clearly exceed the minimum qualification requirements for the vacancy, including time in grade and quality level of experience. Applicants will be rated on the below competencies for this vacancy and must receive a score of at least 85 percent to be considered well-qualified. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. You will be rated on the following competencies based on your application for this position. Ability to communicate orally to facilitate positive interactions with persons of diverse backgrounds. Ability to communicate in writing to facilitate action needed. Knowledge of the principles, practices, techniques and tools used in the call center operations and inquiry management. Knowledge of analytical techniques sufficient to identify, evaluate, and recommend appropriate action for the person inquiring. Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview.Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment. Background checks and security clearance Security clearance Drug test required No Required Documents Required Documents To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes: Resume detailing specialized experience and competencies Your official notice from the VA to support your CTAP eligibility Copy of your most recent Annual Performance Appraisal Copy of your most recent SF-50 (do not submit an award SF-50) Transcripts if you are using education to qualify Please use this to make sure you have included other documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), documentation to support Veterans Preference claims, or ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees). You will not be contacted for additional information. Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit . If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements: Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from . Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating. Benefits Benefits A career with the U.S. Government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. . Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time, or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered. How to Apply How to Apply All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 11/15/2018 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click . To begin, click Apply Online to create a USA JOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package. NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date. To verify your application is complete, log into your USA JOBS account, , select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Application page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. To return to an incomplete application, log into your USA JOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USA JOBS account or your application will be incomplete. Agency contact information Jared Gibson Phone Email Address Salt Lake City Regional Benefit Office 550 Foothill Dr Salt Lake City, UT 84158 US Next steps Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made. You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the . Fair & Transparent Fair & Transparent The Federal hiring process is setup to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance. Equal Employment Opportunity Policy The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor. Reasonable Accommodation Policy Federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process should follow the instructions in the job opportunity announcement. For any part of the remaining hiring process, applicants should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. A reasonable accommodation is any change to a job, the work environment, or the way things are usually done that enables an individual with a disability to apply for a job, perform job duties or receive equal access to job benefits. Under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodations when: An applicant with a disability needs an accommodation to have an equal opportunity to apply for a job. An employee with a disability needs an accommodation to perform the essential job duties or to gain access to the workplace. An employee with a disability needs an accommodation to receive equal access to benefits, such as details, training, and office-sponsored events. You can request a reasonable accommodation at any time during the application or hiring process or while on the job. Requests are considered on a case-by-case basis. Learn more about or Legal and regulatory guidance This job originated on . For the full announcement and to apply, visit . Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at will be considered.