DutiesMajor duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
The Congressional Liaison communicates with congressional aides and other outside entities telephonically and via email to resolve inquiries about difficult cases and questions about VBA benefits. The incumbent reviews all the Congressional, White House, Secretary and other special inquiries received by letter and telephone in order to determine the proper disposition of these inquiries. This review includes use of the computer systems and review of claims folders. The Liaison responds to these inquiries by email, telephone or in writing. The Correspondence Analyst (Congressional Liaison) is responsible for responding to congressional inquiries and all other special correspondence as outlined in the M-27. The response is prepared for signature of the Regional Office Director, the response is written to provide a clear and concise response to the inquiry providing pertinent information regarding benefits, processing, and conclusion. Responses often involving research and analytical skills in deciding a course of action to respond to the inquiry. - Discussions are held with management to decide on a course of action that will be beneficial to all parties involved. Based upon the nature of some inquires, recommendations are made to improve process. Inquires can be answered in writing or verbally.
- The Congressional Liaison communicates with congressional aides and other outside entitles telephonically to resolve inquiries about difficult cases and questions about VBA benefits. Cases may require the Liaison to interact with one or more offices: The Office of the Direct or Fiduciary Hub, VSCM, team coaches, team members, and other division chiefs of the RO. The Liaison also speaks to groups of congressional constituents to explain benefits and services available.
- Conducts and participates in and training sessions for congressional staff members on VA benefits. The Liaison represents the Chief and Assistant Division Chief as guest speaker and panelist.
- The Liaison monitors work for timely and accurate responses and ensures that work is properly counted and controlled, making day-to-day adjustments in accordance with established priorities. Maintains records of completed work and does reports, as required. T
- The Liaison conducts conference calls with Congressional Aides and constituents to explain all types of issues to veterans and their dependents.
- The Congressional Liaison uses and applies a variety of sources and guidelines to answer inquires. References used are veteran benefits regulations and laws, freedom of information policies, and written protocol for congressional responses.
- The Liaison will provide ongoing feedback and training on trends and issues to management and employees which are presented by the Congressional staff and seen through the processing of their workload. The Liaison maintains a good working knowledge of VA relationship with U.S. Congress, VA benefits, and the VBA missions, procedures, policies, directives, etc.
- Ensures all program requirements imposed by Compensation and Pension Service and the Court of Veterans Appeals are met and implemented. He or she functions as an authoritative consultant on the technical aspects of claims processing. Periodic claims processing will be required to assist in the completion of pending development actions on veteran's claims. Congressional inquiries will be processed based on a review of the claims folder to determine the necessary course of action needed.
- The Congressional Liaison is responsible for notifying the responsible party once all corrective action has been taken and has officially closed the inquiry.
Work Schedule: Full-time, Monday through Friday Compressed/Flexible: Available as determined by station policy Remote: This is NOT a virtual/remote position Telework: Available as determined by station policy Position Description/PD#: Congressional Liaison Representative; 39706-A (GS-11) Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Bargaining Unit Position: Yes Financial Disclosure Report: Not required RequirementsConditions 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
- Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
QualificationsTo qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement 10/04/2024.
Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also 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-09. 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.
IMPORTANT: If your most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the current or 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. Please note that an SF-50 showing a Step higher than Step-1 does not always indicate a person has completed the required 52 weeks at that grade.
You may qualify based on your experience as described below:
GS-11 grade level: You must possess at least one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-09 level in the federal service) performing duties such as Analyzing evidence (medical, benefit and/or legal documents); developing case file records and reports to support claim decisions; and interpreting and applying laws, regulations and official guidance sufficient to evaluate the adequacy of collected information to determined claimant eligibility for benefits.
OR
Education: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree OR 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree OR LL.M., if related, demonstrating the competencies necessary to do the work of the position.
OR
Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level.
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; religious; 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 based on time spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.
Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary, with periods of standing, walking, and minimal lifting.
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/. EducationA transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.
Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. 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. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.
Additional informationVA 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) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 85 or more) for this vacancy. Information about CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.
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 who have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment. For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.
If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.
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/docs/The-Fair-Chance-to-Compete-Act.pdf 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. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits. 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.
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