Summary This position serves as a Legal Administrative Specialist (Contact Representation) for the Health Eligibility Center's Income Verification Division. The Income Verification Division has the primary responsibility for implementing and operating the National VA Income Verification Program, benefits determination and enrollment process functions. Responsibilities As a Legal Administrative Specialist (Contact Representative), the incumbent identifies problems, studies and analyzes the efficiency and productivity of the adjudication process for verifying Veteran's eligibility. Reports to the supervisor in the form of observations and recommendations to make the income verification process more efficient, based on knowledge of the program. The purpose of the work is to provide accurate information in the process of verifying Veteran's gross household income for VA health care benefits. Duties include, but are not limited to: Gathers evidence related to the income verification process necessary to correctly adjudicate cases. Analyzes all documentation and verifies its authenticity, as well as whether the documentation meets legal requirements to be accepted as evidence. Provides data and training suggestions to HEC training staff and assists them with developing training for HEC and/or the field. This training may be in the form of power point presentations, TMS training modules, the HEC Academy or other formal training programs. Presentations may be face to face, virtual, on line, or telephonic. . Responds to telephonic, written, and face-to face inquiries regarding enrollment, eligibility, income, and health benefits to a wide variety of non-VA and VA agency representatives, and public officials. Prepares, composes, and reviews correspondence for the purpose of obtaining or supplying information to internal as well as external customers. Uses knowledge of basic legal principles and concepts to interpret, apply, and explain to others, the application of laws, regulations, precedents, and practices in the process of adjudicating cases for income verification purposes. Demonstrates knowledge of the rules of evidence and skills necessary to evaluate the adequacy and/or admissibility of evidence to request additional data or further investigation in the income verification process. Performs second level quality reviews on all income verification appeal cases, when additional evidence is received. Reviews actions taken, researches all regulations to review the circumstances that could substantiate, enhance, or restore healthcare benefits. 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. Work Schedule: Full-time, 40 hours per week, Monday through Friday, 8 hour shift between 9:00am - 5:30pm. Position Description/PD#: Legal Administrative Specialist (Contact Representation)/PD07596A and PD07595A Telework: This position may be authorized for Telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Remote: This position is not authorized for Remote work. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized. Financial Disclosure Report: Not required. Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required. 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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial 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. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 04/03/2026. 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-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05. For a GS-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07.. 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. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education s described below: GS-07 Grade Level: Specialized experience: Examples of specialized experience would typically include but are not limited to: 1. Analyzing all documentation and verifying its authenticity, as well as whether the documentation meets legal requirements to be accepted as evidence. 2. Experience with Microsoft word, PowerPoint, excel. 3. Ensuring timely and appropriate measures are taken throughout data collection, and data entry process. 4. Communicates with management in regard to escalated problems and feedback on process improvements. 5. Prepares, composes, and reviews correspondence for the purpose of obtaining or supplying information to internal as well as external customers. ~OR~ Education (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED): Do you possess 1 full year of graduate level education or Superior Academic Achievement (SAA) at the baccalaureate level, if related? Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. Superior Academic Achievement at the GS-7 level: SAA at the baccalaureate level in the coursework detailed below is fully qualifying. Applicants who wish to apply under this provision must submit proof from their educational institution that they meet one of the criteria listed below. To qualify for SAA, applicants must have completed all the requirements for a bachelor's degree in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled and meet one of the following: (1) Rank in the upper one-third of your class in the college, university or major subdivision. (2) A grade-point average of "B" (a GPA of 2.95 or higher out of a possible 4.0) for all completed undergraduate courses, or those completed in the last two years of undergraduate study. (3) A grade point average of "B+" (a GPA of 3.45 or higher out of a possible 4.0) for all courses in your major field of study, or those courses in your major completed in the last two years of undergraduate study. (4) Membership in a national honor society (other than freshman honor societies) recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies. ~OR~ Combination of Education and Experience (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED): Do you possess equivalent combination of successfully completed graduate education and specialized experience directly related to the work of a Legal Administrative Specialist (Contact Representation) position, which may be substituted to meet the experience requirements for GS-07 position? GS-09 Grade Level: Specialized experience: Examples of specialized experience would typically include but are not limited to: 1. Ensuring validation of Social Security information received by veterans, spouses and/or dependents prior to processing income matching. 2. Researching past transactions, cases or events, or research alternative sources of information involving conflicts or inconsistencies. 3. Ensuring timely and appropriate measures are taken throughout data collection, and data entry process. 4. Providing data and training suggestions to training staff and assists them with developing training for the department and/or the field. 5. Demonstrating knowledge of the rules of evidence and skills necessary to evaluate the adequacy and/or admissibility of evidence to request additional data or further investigation in the income verification process. ~OR~ Education (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED): Do you possess a master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D., if related? Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work ~OR~ Combination of Education and Experience (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED): Do you possess equivalent combination of successfully completed graduate education and specialized experience directly related to the work of a Legal Administrative Specialist (Contact Representation), which may be substituted to meet the experience requirements for GS-09 position? For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. Education A 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information 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. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. 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 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 for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and 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/.
