Duties

This position requires a wide breadth of knowledge regarding BVA policies and procedures including, but not limited to: appeals and appeal procedures; legal and administrative recourses available to Veterans; administrative procedures and associated processing times; and the rights, benefits, privileges or obligations under the body of law which governs the BVA's mission (38 USC 7101 (A)).

Duties include:

• Analyzes congressional inquiries and provides information relative to assigned responsibilities for response to Members of Congress, their staff, or others having interest in the mission and functions of the BVA. This information is provided through both verbal and written communication via telephone, e-mail and or written letters. Monitors congressional activities that could adversely affect BVA goals and objectives.
• Reviews cases in order to determine the priority in which they will be worked. Cases may be of a sensitive, volatile, or hardship nature, as well as long standing unresolved issues and cases with concern or potential concern of the media. Initiative is taken in resolving these cases prior to media involvement.
• May conduct conference calls with Congressional staff and constituents to explain all types of issues of concern to Veterans and their dependents.
• Performs necessary research to furnish management and staff in the Correspondence Unit, Customer Service Branch, Office of Litigation and Customer Support, Operations Division, with background materials needed for full development of satisfactory solutions to individual problems of a complex nature brought to the attention of the service, including those of a sensitive political nature.
• Gathering and presenting material regarding rights and benefits accruing to Veterans, their dependents and beneficiaries under various laws administered by the BVA and VA.
• Collaborates with attorneys, the Team Lead of Correspondence, and/or the Branch Chief of Customer Support in special or extremely difficult inquires, projects, and assignments.
• Responds to requests for information from Congressional members and committee staff on BVA policy and program issues, researches the subject matter of the request, and prepares the response.
• Prepares notification documents to specific Congressional members and staff.
• Prepares summaries and analysis of briefings and meetings for management.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 8:00am - 4:30pm
Telework: 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.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Program Specialist (Congressional Liaison)/PD82225A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
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
• 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

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/02/2023.

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. 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 as described below:

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-09 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:
  • Congressional experience with an understanding of veterans' law.
  • Ability to use a variety of personal computer software applications including word processing, spreadsheets, databases, and on-line research services.
  • Ability to deal effectively and tactfully with a wide variety of customers at all levels, on sensitive issues, to include: in person, telephonic conversations, and written correspondences.
• . OR,
• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a 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 OR,
• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

• Administrative Law
• Customer Service
• Database Administration
• Organizational Awareness
• Oral Communication
• Decision Making

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.

Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

Physical Requirements: Work is basically sedentary and requires no special physical demands. It may involve some walking, standing, bending or carrying of light items.

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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html .

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit or 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. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. 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.

Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/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/ .

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

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.