Pathways Recent Graduates Claims Examiner (Sickness/ Unemployment)

Railroad Retirement Board

Summary

This position is located in the Office of Programs, Railroad Retirement Board. The incumbent will be responsible for developing and adjudicating cases involving complex, developmental, or follow-up actions, as well as initial applications and claims for unemployment and sickness benefits under the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA).

This job announcement may be used to fill one or more vacancies.

This job is open to

Recent graduates

Individuals who have graduated from an accredited educational institute or certificate program within the last 2 years or 6 years for Veterans.

Duties

This is a bargaining unit position. This position is represented by the Council of AFGE Locals in the Board.

WHERE CAN I FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE PATHWAYS PROGRAM? For additional information regarding the Pathways Program, please refer to the following website: Students & Recent Graduates

The RRB Recent Graduates Program affords developmental experiences in the Federal Government intended to promote possible careers in the civil service to individuals who have recently graduated from qualifying educational institutions or programs. Successful applicants are placed in a dynamic, developmental program with the potential to lead to a civil service career in the Federal Government. Following the completion of program requirements, selectees may be considered for non-competitive conversion to a career-conditional or term appointment. All conversion requirements will be identified in the Participant Agreement. Program requirements include but are not limited to:

Successful completion of at least 1-year of continuous service
Completion of at least 40 hours of interactive training
Demonstration of successful job performance
Meet the qualification standards for the position to which the Recent Graduate may be converted
Conversion to the competitive service is not implied nor guaranteed.

As a Pathways Recent Graduates Claims Examiner (Sickness/ Unemployment), you will:

Examine and adjudicate supplemental medical statements to make determinations on continued entitlement to sickness benefits.
Determine the sufficiency, relevancy, and validity of evidence submitted in the adjudication of initial applications and claims for unemployment and/or sickness benefits.
Review cases referred to the section for possible recovery of erroneous payments and collection of debts from claimants.
Respond to inquiries via telephone, written replies, or electronic means from labor or railroad officials, government agencies, welfare organizations, claimants, attorneys, and others.
Access various computer systems to enter, view, route, retrieve, and print data/documents used in the adjudicative processes and process various miscellaneous work items.

Note: This posting is for the purpose of announcing a course of training leading to assignment to positions of Railroad Retirement Sickness and Unemployment Claims Examiner, GS-08, for successful applicants. These positions will be filled at the GS-05 level only. Upon successful completion of the 38-week training, selectees will be promoted to the GS-07 level. Selectees will be promoted to the GS-08 level after successfully completing one year at the GS-07 position.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

Must be a U.S. Citizen
Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered for Selective Service
Suitable for Federal employment, determined by a background investigation
May be required to successfully complete a probationary period
Complete the online assessment
All selectees must sign a Pathways Participant Agreement.
Selected candidates will participate in an intensive training program. Successful completion of the training and successful performance is required.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications for the GS-05 level:

A. One full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-04 grade level in the Federal service.

Specialized experience is defined as experience which involves analyzing, explaining, processing, or interpreting claims, benefits, laws, regulations, or detailed technical procedures.

-OR-

B. Four years of education above the high school level. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college or university.

-OR-

C. A combination of education and experience as listed above. 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 (30 semester hours) beyond the second year equals 6 months of specialized experience.

In addition to the above, you must have, within the previous 2 years*, completed all educational requirements for a qualifying associates, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying institution. Education requirements must be met by 6/30/2026.

*Veterans who, due to a military service obligation, were precluded from applying to a Recent Graduates Program during any portion of the 2 year eligibility period may have their eligibility period extended so that they receive the full 2 years of eligibility. The remaining 2-year eligibility period will begin upon his or her release or discharge from active duty. The veteran's eligibility period may not extend beyond 6 years from the date of completion of all requirements of an academic course of study.

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.

Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.

Documenting experience: IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Qualifications are based on breadth/level of experience. In addition to describing duties performed, applicants must provide the exact dates of each period of employment (from MM/YY to MM/YY) and the number of hours worked per week if part time. As qualification determinations cannot be made when resumes do not include the required information, failure to provide this information may result in disqualification. Applicants are encouraged to use the USAJOBS Resume Builder to develop their federal resume.

Do not copy and paste the duties or specialized experience from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

Education

ARE YOU USING YOUR EDUCATION TO QUALIFY?
You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims.
Official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement. Official transcripts will be required if selected.
PASS/FAIL COURSES:
If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) was taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society.
GRADUATE EDUCATION:
One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours that your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.
FOREIGN EDUCATION:
If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, click here.

Additional information

An employee selected for this training program will not be released to another bureau or office during the 10-month training period and for a period of 6 months after completion of training unless a promotion is involved or the releasing official determines that the action is in the best interest of the RRB.

A trainee hired from outside the RRB with no current or prior federal service, or who has such service but has not completed a probationary period, who fails to successfully complete the training class may be separated from the RRB.

Trainees (internal or external to the RRB) who have completed their federal probation and do not successfully complete the training program will be removed from the program and placed in an RRB position-at headquarters or in the field service-at the grade of their last federal job, if available. Trainees who took a voluntary downgrade to enter the program may be returned to their previously held position. If no position at that grade is available, a lower-grade role in headquarters or the field service will be offered. Relocation expenses will not be paid. Any employee reassigned must meet the minimum qualifications of the position.

If you are a male applicant who was born after 12/31/59 you are required to register under the Military Selective Service Act; the Defense Authorization Act of 1986 requires that you be registered or you are not eligible for appointment in this agency.

Reasonable Accommodation 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 reasonable accommodation in your online application. Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations 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. 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 Reasonable Accommodation, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How you will be evaluated

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

Category rating procedures will be used to rank eligible candidates. The rating you receive is based on your responses to the questionnaire, and is a measure of the degree to which your background matches the competencies required for this position. Thus, your application should contain information about specific work performed that relates to this position. If, after reviewing your resume and or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. You may view the questionnaire here:https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12980425

The Category Rating Process does not add veterans' preference points or apply the "rule of three" but protects the rights of Veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each quality category. Veterans' preference eligibles who meet the minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent will be listed in the highest quality category (except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-09 level or higher).

Qualified candidates will be assigned to the following categories: Best Qualified, Qualified, and Minimally Qualified. Within each quality category, veterans' preference eligibles will receive selection priority over non-veterans.

Applicants will be rated on the following competencies:

Customer Service
Flexibility
Integrity/ Honesty
Interpersonal Skills
Teamwork
Decision Making
Reading Comprehension
Reasoning

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

Resume showing work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment and duties performed. Resume must not exceed 2 pages. Applicants will be removed from consideration if their resume is longer than 2 pages. Please see "How to Apply" for additional information regarding the limit.
Transcripts: Copies of all college courses must be submitted. Original transcripts will be required if selected.
Veterans' Documentation: If you are a veteran, you must provide a copy of your Record of Military Service (DD-214), and proof of your veterans' preference, if applicable. Veterans with a service connected disability must also submit a completed claim form SF-15 (click here for form) along with the required proofs. Go to FedsHireVets-Veterans Preference for more information.
Reasonable Accommodation: If you are requesting a reasonable accommodation to the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, submit documentation to support your request, including the Reasonable Accommodation Request Form found here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

In accordance with the Merit Hiring Plan, only resumes up to a total of two pages will be accepted. Applicants with resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration.

Resumes must be legible so they can be reviewed for eligibility, minimum qualifications and other position requirements listed in the job announcement.

We recommend using a sans-serif font size like Lato, if available. Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open Sans, 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.
For additional guidance on what to include in your resume, please see USAJOBS Help.

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:

To begin the application process, 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.

To update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account (https://usajobs.gov). There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.

To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account at https://www.usajobs.gov. On the Home page, scroll down and locate your job application. Once the job has been located, click the "Track this application" link on the right under the application date. The page will refresh to display the Agency's Application Information page where you can scroll down and review any notifications the agency has sent you. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.

Agency contact information

RRB Human Resources

Phone: (312) 751-4580
Email: recruit@rrb.gov

Address: Railroad Retirement Board
844 N Rush St
Chicago, IL 60611
US

Next steps

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. After a review of your complete application is made, you will be notified of your rating and possible referral to the hiring official. If further evaluation or interviews are required you will be contacted.

Pathways Recent Graduates Claims Examiner (Sickness/ Unemployment) Job in Chicago, IL