Contact Representative

Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to U.S. Citizens or Nationals; Career Transition eligibles (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL); and individuals eligible under the Native American hiring path. Indian Preference applies to qualified Native applicants for Indian Affairs positions, including current Federal employees seeking transfer, reassignment, or promotion; submit Form BIA-4432 with your application (see Required Documents below).

Position Overview
This position helps people understand and manage their financial trust accounts. You will be part of a team that provides clear information, answers questions, and helps individuals access the money or records they need. Much of your day will involve talking with beneficiaries, listening closely to their concerns, and guiding them through steps or forms with patience and care.

You will review and process financial documents to make sure records are complete and accurate. This includes checking information, entering updates, and helping fix errors when they appear. You will also keep trust account files organized and protected so they remain complete and easy to use over time.

A key part of this job is working with others. You will regularly connect with Tribal offices, federal staff, and local partners to share information, solve problems, and support beneficiaries. You may help gather records, prepare requests, and assist with outreach activities in the community.

This work is important because it supports the long-term financial wellbeing of Tribal Nations and individual account holders. Whether you join at an entry level or at the full performance level, you will receive training and support to learn the processes, tools, and systems needed to grow in this role.

Some of the major duties you will perform include but are not limited to the following:

• Support beneficiaries by answering questions and gathering information. You will listen to concerns, identify what is needed, research account details, and provide clear explanations that help people understand their trust accounts.
• Process trust fund transactions with care and accuracy. This includes reviewing financial documents, checking information, entering updates, and taking steps to correct errors when they appear.
• Maintain organized and complete trust account records. You will create, update, and safeguard files; record account activity; and ensure records follow privacy and information-protection requirements.
• Review and verify account activity. You will compare balances, look into past and current information, identify issues, and help ensure deposits and payments are recorded correctly.
• Help beneficiaries complete forms and access their account information. You will guide them through required steps, explain processes in everyday language, and offer support when forms or procedures feel unfamiliar.
• Work closely with Tribal, Federal, State, Municipal, and local partners. You will share information, resolve issues, coordinate services, and participate in outreach efforts that support beneficiaries and Tribal communities.
• Prepare and manage record requests. You will help gather records, submit retrieval requests to the American Indian Records Repository, and complete transfer forms so records remain preserved and accessible.

Duties will be developmental in nature when filled below the full performance level.

Bargaining Unit Status
This position is covered by a Collective Bargaining Agreement. Applicants selected for this job will receive information about their bargaining unit rights during onboarding.

Mission Connection
This work directly supports the Bureau of Trust Funds Administration's commitment to provide trustworthy, accurate, and timely financial services to Tribal Nations and individual account holders. By helping beneficiaries understand their accounts, keeping records organized, and maintaining high standards of financial stewardship, you play an important role in upholding the Federal trust responsibility and supporting Tribal sovereignty and long-term financial wellbeing.

You will be assessed in the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics), for more details, see How You Will Be Evaluated section:

• Accountability
• Attention to Detail
• Customer Service
• Decision Making
• Flexibility
• Integrity/Honesty
• Interpersonal Skills
• Learning
• Reading Comprehension
• Reasoning
• Self-Management
• Stress Tolerance
• Teamwork

Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
• Direct Deposit participation required.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more, visit www.dhs.gov/EVerify/.
• Must have and maintain a valid driver's license throughout employment.
• You cannot hold an active real estate license, and you are prohibited from having any financial interest or owning stock in companies that have holdings or business interests involving federal lands.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a one-year probationary period or a two-year trial period (depending on selection eligibility) during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated.

Individuals appointed under Indian Preference in the excepted service (Schedule A, 5 CFR 213.3112(a)(7)) generally serve a two-year trial period (one year if veteran preference eligible).


This probationary or trial period is an extension of the appointment process and therefore requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest, meet the organization goals and mission of the agency, and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the service. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, the agency will 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.

Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary or trial period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized. In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period, such appointments are terminated.

Upon completion of your probationary or trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

You must show that you meet the minimum qualification requirements and your resume and application must clearly support your answers. We will not make assumptions about your experience. All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement - 09/30/2026.

To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience. Failure to adequately provide information needed to determine number of hours worked in each position may result in that time not being credited when evaluating qualifying experience. For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the full and/or part-time hours requirement as the service dates will be reflected.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE GS-05 CONTACT REPRESENTATIVE

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: In order to qualify for the GS-05 Contact Representative using specialized experience, you must possess at least one full year of experience comparable to the GS-04 level or equivalent performing all of the following duties:

• Assisting with preparing financial documents and account transactions using standardized procedures.
• Analyzing financial documents for accuracy and completeness.
• Entering and reviewing account holder information in an automated financial/accounting system.
• Comparing financial document balances with related data to identify discrepancies.

OR

EDUCATION SUBSTITUTION: In order to qualify for the GS-05 Contact Representative using education as a substitution for experience, you must have successfully completed four full academic years of study beyond high school in any field. These four years may be completed at an accredited college or university, or at an accredited business, secretarial, technical school, or junior college, as long as the program is equivalent to four full academic years of post-high-school study.

For qualification purposes, one year of full-time study is defined as 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours, or at least 20 hours of classroom instruction per week for approximately 36 weeks at an accredited business, secretarial, or technical school. Programs at business, secretarial, or technical schools qualify only when the curriculum includes the equivalent of four full academic years of study. You must submit official transcripts to receive credit for education.

OR

COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: In order to qualify for the GS-05 Contact Representative using this method, you must have an equivalent combination of specialized experience and education as described above that, when combined, equals 100% of the total requirement. Only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours (i.e., beyond the second year) is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirement. One full academic year of study (30 semester hours) beyond the second year is equivalent to 6 months of specialized experience. You must submit a copy of official transcripts in order to qualify.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE GS-06 CONTACT REPRESENTATIVE

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: In order to qualify for the GS-06 Contact Representative using specialized experience, you must possess at least one full year of experience comparable to the GS-05 level or equivalent performing all of the following duties:

• Researching financial account information to identify discrepancies, determine causes of errors, and assist with reconciliation and recommending corrections.
• Recognizing and applying the correct procedures, practices, and policies to a wide range of financial transactions, account code assignments, and disbursements.
• Responding to beneficiary inquiries and answering questions related to financial/account services.
• Classifying and coding financial transactions for input into automated financial/accounting systems.

No education substitution is available at this grade.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE GS-07 CONTACT REPRESENTATIVE

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: In order to qualify for the GS-07 Contact Representative using specialized experience, you must possess at least one full year of experience comparable to the GS-06 level or equivalent performing all of the following duties:

• Examining, verifying, and maintaining accounts and accounting data.
• Applying a variety of complex accounting procedures, practices, policies, and standardized bookkeeping practices to prepare financial account documents.
• Reconciling accounts, determining adjustments, and reconciling errors and account disbursements.
• Resolving complex transactions in an automated financial and accounting system.

No education substitution is available at this grade.

OTHER:

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; religious; 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.

POSITION DETAILS:

Physical Demands: The work is primarily sedentary with some carrying of IT equipment, computer reports, boxes, and ledgers.

Work Environment: The work is usually performed in an office setting involving everyday risks or discomforts. The position may require you to travel to remote locations by airlines or motor vehicle. While on travel, you may be exposed to inclement weather, varying
temperatures, and prolonged driving with limited access to rest facilities. While performing outreach or public relations duties, work may be performed outside under a variety of weather conditions.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g. resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of any additional assessment(s) required for this position.

Your resume must not exceed 2 pages. Only the document submitted as the "Resume" under the Documents section will be used to determine your qualifications/eligibility and for rating purposes. In the event you submit more than one resume, only the latest submission will be reviewed.

Candidates will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures. These procedures place candidates with veterans' preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Veterans with a service-connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher.

Indian Preference is also applied for positions within Indian Affairs, including the Bureau of Trust Funds Administration. When Indian Preference applies, qualified applicants who submit a valid Form BIA-4432 are considered before non-Indian applicants, consistent with the Indian Reorganization Act and 25 CFR Part 5.

After the application of both Indian Preference and veterans' preference, candidates are evaluated and placed into the following categories:

• Best Qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position.

• Well Qualified - applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in most of the requirements of the job.

• Qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in some, but not all of the requirements of the job.

In addition to the application and minimum qualifications questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of the USA Hire Assessment, if required.

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.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

Current or former displaced Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, you must be well-qualified, score at least 85 (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements), and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry.

Providing false or misleading information on your resume or supporting documentation may result in removal from consideration or other action consistent with applicable federal hiring regulations. Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position.

The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 09/30/2026 - unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement:

1. Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, with dates in month-year format (include month/day/year format if needed for 52 weeks of experience), and indicate hours worked per week (or full-time). Your resume must clearly show how long you have held each grade/rank. Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages and resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted. The minimum font size is 10-point for all body text. All resumes must maintain a minimum 0.5-inch margins on all sides to ensure readability and prevent excessive content compression. Including supplemental pages or attachments disguised as resume extensions are prohibited and will not be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. Your 2-page resume must contain information sufficient to make a valid determination that you fully meet the specialized experience requirements. If you have federal experience, you should include series, and grade for each position held, and if experience is part of a career ladder position, you must clearly distinguish the job duties and length of time working for each grade level. More information on how to write a Federal Resume: https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include
2. Complete All Required Assessments.
3. All college transcript(s), if qualifying based on education. Please submit both undergraduate and graduate level transcripts, as applicable. Please submit official copies.
4. Veterans Preference Documentation, if applicable. Veterans must submit a copy of your latest Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, DD-214 (member 4 copy) or other Documentation of Service and Separation under Honorable Conditions, as listed on the SF15. If you are a Disabled Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient, or Parent or Spouse of a Disabled or Deceased Veteran, you must submit all additional proof required by the SF15, and if applicable, a completed SF15. You may request a copy of your Department of Veterans Affairs letter from www.va.gov/records/ or call 1-800-827-1000. If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge, you must submit signed documentation from the Armed Forces certifying: 1) your expected release/retirement from active duty, 2) under honorable conditions, 3) your pay grade/rank/rate at time of discharge, 4) dates of active-duty service, 5) any campaign or expeditionary medals received, & 6) dated within 120 days of your separation.
5. Interagency Career Transition (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP): You MUST submit proof of eligibility including 1) copy of the agency notice, e.g., RIF Separation Notice, Notice of Proposed Removal, etc.; 2) SF-50s (Notifications of Personnel Action) showing career/conditional tenure competitive status, promotion potential and duty location; and 3) your most recent performance appraisal. To exercise selection priority, displaced or surplus Federal employees must be well qualified. For more information visit: USAJOBS Help Center - Career Transition Programs (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL).
6. If you are claiming Indian Preference, you must submit a current and valid Form BIA-4432, Verification of Indian Preference for Employment. This form must be fully completed, signed, and issued by a federally recognized Tribal Nation or by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Indian Preference can only be applied when the required documentation is provided with your application. BTFA is part of Indian Affairs; positions in Indian Affairs are eligible to apply Indian Preference under the Indian Reorganization Act and 25 CFR Part 5.

Failure to submit any of the above-mentioned required documents will result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted.

Do not submit photographs or any image files (such as PNG, JPG, JPEG, GIF, or TIFF) with your application package. Documents containing images of any kind may not be viewed by hiring officials. You must remove your image from all documents before submitting your application.

Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents. Adobe portfolio documents are not viewable by our agency's staffing offices.

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