Summary This position is located in the Veterans Service Center and reports to the Public Contact Team Coach. The incumbent independently analyzes correspondence and requests for Information, researches, expedites action, and responds or prepares written responses on behalf of the Regional Office Director. The incumbent evaluates problems and Issues for trends and recommends improvements to operations. Responsibilities Specific duties include but are not limited to: The Program Analyst is the liaison for all Divisions of the Regional Office, Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment, Loan Guaranty, Education, Veterans Service Center, and Support Services for all inquiries from veterans, beneficiaries, service organizations and congressional staff. The analyst monitors the Information Response and Inquiry System (IRIS) and responds to the Inquiries. Responses Involve extensive research In obtaining the facts and resolutions to the Issues. The analyst conducts public Interviews as a member of the Public Contact team. These Interviews are on a one-on-one basis with veterans and their beneficiaries to explain benefits and resolve Issues. The analyst analyzes Freedom of Information/Privacy act requests to determine appropriateness of the release of information, determines appropriate action for initiating and coordinating such actions. The incumbent may also be required to represent the VAR0 at outreach functions in the surrounding areas, such as service organization meetings, and reserve center functions. The Incumbent completes general correspondence such as disabled veteran license plate forms, commissary letters, award letters and civil service preference letters as requested through congressional Inquiries. The analyst Is the point of contact and liaison for White House, Secretary of VA, VACO and Congressional inquiries concerning status of claims. Incumbent researches each claim and provide accurate Information concerning the claim. The analyst works on behalf of the Director to expedite claim action. The incumbent must have sufficient knowledge and experience to interpret and apply laws, regulations and VA benefits regarding @type of service, classification of disease or injury, date and place of incurrence, personnel and medical records, lay and medical evidence, rating schedules, practices and procedures to be able to Interpret and apply them to ensure the proper translation of Rating Decision and authorization actions. Using this knowledge the Incumbent may request review or corrections of decision or actions. Work Schedule: Full time, Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m Compressed/Flexible: Not 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/PD#: Program Analyst; PD01064A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required Requirements Conditions of Employment As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-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 Selectees are required to service a one-year supervisory probationary period if not previously completed in a Federal position. 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 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. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement:08/24/2026. TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENT: As a current Federal, GS employee you must 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-9 level. 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. MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT: You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: To qualify for the GS-11 Grade Level: Specialized Experience: You qualify for the GS-11 grade level if you possess one year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal government, performing the following duties: 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 Substitution: Applicants may substitute education for the experience required to qualify at the GS-11 grade level. Education substitution of a Ph.D or equivalent doctoral degree (You must provide transcripts); OR Three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M, if related. (You must provide transcripts) Volunteer 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/. 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://www.ed.gov/about/initiatives/international-affairs/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications. 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. 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) 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 your 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 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/. 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. 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/documents/The-Fair-Chance-to-Compete-Act.pdf 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: Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. (https://appsupport-usastaffing.opm.gov/hc/en-us/sections/45063131363475-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information) For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.
