Veterans Benefits Administration
Veterans Service Representative
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Summary
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the cut-off date/and or of this announcement. To qualify for the GS-0996-07 position you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 level or higher in the federal, state and/or private setting. Specialized experience is defined as the interpretation or application of laws, regulations, or procedures to analyze evidence to make determinations and research routine issues to resolve discrepancies. Examples of experience include: Interpreting and applying applicable laws, regulations, and policies for processing compensation and benefits claims across agency programs, including dependency status, health insurance, workers' compensation, disability, retirement, pension systems, social service, Medicaid or special income based programs administered through private, local, state or federal agencies. Determining basic employment qualifications and eligibility for benefit programs Providing written communication to inform claimants of decisions, the reason and bases for decisions, appeal rights, and evidence requirements. Utilizing a variety of electronic data processing (EDP) systems and applications related to claims processing, monitoring, and correspondence preparation. OR Education Substitution: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education you must have: One full year of graduate level education. Graduate level education must demonstrate the competencies necessary to do the work of the position; OR A Bachelor's degree with Superior Academic Achievement (2.95 GPA or higher) as recorded on their official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum. Superior Academic Achievement (SAA) is based on: 1.) class standing, 2.) grade point average or 3.) honor society membership. OR Combining Education & Experience: If you do not fully meet the length of experience and education described for a specific grade level (e.g. have six months of experience and some coursework but not a degree), the two can be combined to total 100% of the requirement. Click here for more information. 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. Physical Requirements: The work normally involves mental rather than physical exertion. The work is mostly sedentary; however, there may be some walking, standing, and carrying of light items. 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/.
Major Duties
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. 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.
Required Documents
Required Documents: 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.
How to Apply
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 12/21/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13091263.The application process is as follows: Click the Apply Online button. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. Set aside about two (2) hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link. Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused. This announcement does not permit updates, edits, or modifications to your application documents or questions related to your application once your initial application package has been submitted. Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us To view the announcement status or your application status: Visit https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application. Beginning September 27, 2025, Federal agencies will only accept resumes up to two pages in length to comply with the Merit Hiring Plan. Resumes longer than two pages will result in ineligibility for further consideration for the position. USAJOBS will not allow you to upload or build resumes longer than two pages, and you will need to update the resumes in your profile before applying for a job. Resumes should include information relevant to the knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies of the position to which you are applying. VA is unable to make assumptions about qualifications if not clearly listed. Resumes must be legible so they can be reviewed for eligibility, minimum qualifications and other position requirements listed in the job announcement. Your resume must be 5MB or less. We recommend saving and uploading your resume as a PDF to maintain formatting and number of pages. We also accept GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, TXT, PDF, ODT or Word (DOC or DOCX). We do not accept PDF portfolio files. We recommend using a sans-serif font size like Lato, if available. Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open San Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans. Make your page margins 0.5 inches. Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text in your resume. The resume builder can help you create a resume using these recommendations and uses the information in your USAJOBS profile to help you get started. Helpful Hints for Creating a Two-Page Resume: Prioritize most relevant and recent experience Use concise, results focused language Align language from the job announcement Focus on demonstrating skills and competencies Remove outdated or unrelated experience Use the USAJOBS resume builder Additional guidance on this new requirement and resume building tools can be found at: USA Jobs Help Center - Resume Page Limit Applicant Guidance on the Two-Page Resume Limit