Veterans Service Representative

About the role

This position is located in the Veterans Benefits Administration. The Veterans Service Representative works in a Veterans Service Center, Pension Management Center, Benefits Eligibility Support Team, or Integrated Disability Evaluation System Program Division.

The position explains benefit programs and entitlement criteria, reviews claims, identifies issues, gathers evidence, conducts interviews, adjudicates claims, inputs award data, and prepares decision letters for Veterans.

What you will do

• The Veterans Service Representative (VSR) explains benefit programs and entitlement criteria, analyzes claims materials, identifies issues, gathers relevant evidence, conducts interviews, adjudicates claims, and inputs data necessary to generate the award and notification letter to the Veteran describing the decision and the reason for it.
• Specifically, the VSR will: Making determinations as to the eligibility for the type of benefit sought to include questions relating to adequacy of military service, medical evidence and the evaluation of evidence of income, employability, dependence and relationship Requesting examinations, re-examination or opinions to evaluate disabilities resulting from diseases or injuries Reviewing claims cases to assure all issues have been addressed, applies and interprets Veterans Affairs (VA) laws, including Veterans' case law, existing statutes and procedures, precedent rulings and state law in the adjudication process Conducting interviews in person or by phone with Veterans, representatives and advocates to explain the full range of VA benefits and related programs Preparing and releasing correspondences for use by other federal, state and local agencies Utilizing various electronic data processing systems to input data for processing claims and generating automated correspondence.
• Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met.
• Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.
• The grade progression for this position is GS-07/09/10.
• This announcement establishes a Standing Register to fill vacancies as they arise.
• The first cut-off is November 9, 2026, with additional cut-offs through the closing date.
• See Qualifications for details.
• Work Schedule: Full time, Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM Compressed/Flexible: 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 not a virtual position.
• Position Description Title/PD#: Veterans Service Representative/PD37300A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Bargaining Unit: No

Requirements

• As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year or 2-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 Subject to background/security investigation Required to attend an 8 week training session, which may require travel.
• 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.

Education

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to be credited towards qualifications.

Provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. All education claimed by applicants will be verified upon appointment. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript to receive credit.

Note: You may submit unofficial transcripts when applying. However, if you are selected for the position, you will be required to provide an official transcript or a statement from the institution (e.g., from the registrar, dean, or other appropriate official) or equivalent documentation prior to the start date.

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: *** 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.

How you will be evaluated

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC.

WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

Do not copy and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational application questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

Applicants will be referred in the order in which they were received. Referral listings will be created every 3-weeks. Final disposition will be completed once the position has been filled or the announcement reaches the end of the open period stated in the announcement.

See schedule below. First cut-off date: November 9, 2026 Second cut-off: November 30th, 2026 Close Date: December 21, 2026 THIS IS A DIRECT HIRE ANNOUNCEMENT. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Direct Hire Authority, authorized by 5 United States Code (U.S.C.), Section 3304 and 5 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 337, Subpart B.

Veterans' preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants do not apply to the Direct Hire process. Your application will be considered based on education, training, and quality of your experience. The USA Hire Assessments includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies.

You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered.

You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment. Applicants will be referred in the order in which they were received.

Your resume will be evaluated to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications required and on the extent; to which your application shows that you possess the competencies associated with this position.

To determine if you are qualified for the job, a review of your resume and supporting documentation may be made and compared against your responses to the vacancy questionnaire. USA Hire competencies based on your application for this position: Attention to Detail Decision Making Flexibility Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Reading Comprehension Reasoning Self-Management

Documents you must provide

• Resume (limited to 2 pages) You must provide a resume detailing your specialized experience and competencies relevant to the position.
• For qualifications determinations your resume must reflect hours worked per week, the inclusive dates of employment, and the level of your experience.
• If your resume does not reflect this information you will not receive credit for the experience.
• If you submit more than one copy of your resume, the most recent version will be reviewed.
• The latest timestamp will be used to determine which version of your resume is "most recent." It is your responsibility to check the status and timestamp of all documents you submit as part of your application.
• We would recommend that you not submit more than one version of your resume.
• If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, we will not use it to make eligibility and qualification determinations, and you may not be considered further for the vacancy.
• Accepted Documents: Cover Letter DD-214/ Statement of Service Disability Letter (Schedule A) Disability Letter (VA) ICTAP/CTAP Documentation PCS Orders Performance Appraisal Proof of Marriage Status Resume Separation Notice (RIF) SF-15 SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action Transcript Transcripts If you are basing all or some of your qualifications on education or if a degree is required for the position, a transcript must be included as part of your application package.
• An unofficial transcript may be submitted, however, it must reflect the name of the school, course names, levels, credits earned, grades received, and degree conferred if applicable.
• Your transcript (official of unofficial) must reflect the degree conferred date if you are substituting a degree for experience.
• A photocopy of your degree is not acceptable in lieu of a transcript.
• An official transcript will be required at a later date if you are selected for the position.
• Whenever possible it is preferable that you submit copies of official transcripts.
• Unofficial transcripts may lack essential information necessary for a full evaluation of your qualifications.
• Veterans' Preference: Since the Direct-Hire Recruitment Authority is being used, traditional Veterans' Preference rules do not apply.
• Qualified Veterans will, however, be given full consideration for this position.
• Applicants claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility must also submit: Certification of expected separation or reduction-in-force separation notice, your most recent performance evaluation, and an SF-50 demonstrating your separation or the position you will be separated from; or Worker's compensation separation (agency certification of inability to place employee and notification of separation or a separation SF-50; or Disability annuity termination (notification from OPM of disability annuity termination and separation SF-50 of the last position held); or Military reserve or National Guard technician special disability retirement annuity under 5 U.S.C.
• 8337(h) or 8456 (certification of special disability retirement annuity from a military department or National Guard bureau and separation SF-50 of the last position held).
• Failure to submit any of the above mentioned required documents may result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package.
• It is your responsibility to ensure that all required documents have been submitted by the cut-off date/and or of the announcement.
• You will not be contacted for additional information.

What to expect next

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.

Referred applicants may be contacted at any time during the hiring process. Please check all forms of communication (including email, voicemail, and spam folders), based on the contact information provided with your application, regularly to ensure you don't miss any updates.

Failure to respond to communications may result in you being disqualified from consideration.

You will receive a final notification of results once a 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 USAJobs Help Center.

Additional information

Applicants can only apply to one location. 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.

For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

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 the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

(*** ) The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies.

To be well-qualified, applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors if applicable, and must be proficient in most of the requirements of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website which can be found at ***

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service.

This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.