Summary
This full time position is located in the Central Processing Center in the Birmingham Social Security Center at 1200 Reverend Abraham Woods Jr. Blvd, Birmingham, AL 35285.
This position is being filled on a permanent basis.
The full performance level of this position is GS-12.
This job is open to
Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)
Federal employees whose job, agency or department was eliminated and are eligible for priority over other applicants.
Duties
Technical expert responsible for developing and adjudicating the most complex, non-routine Title II and/or Title XVI cases and on public fraud issues in specific claims and post-entitlement cases. Provides lead role in technical training and mentoring other employees.
Requirements
Conditions of employment
- Proof of ICTAP/VEOA/Military Spouse eligibility required
- U.S. Citizenship required
- Selective Service Registration, if applicable (www.sss.gov)
- Background and/or security investigation required
- Job offers are contingent on background / security investigation results
- All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement
- Must pass Competency Assessment Interview Process (CAIP) Interview
- Selectees are required to serve a 1-year probationary period/trial period
- Relocation expenses will not be paid
Qualifications
Resumes exceeding two pages in length will not be considered, please visit the new resume guidance for more information.
Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience at the GS-11 level, or equivalent, which is in or related to the work of the position to be filled and has equipped applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Examples of specialized experience include functioning as a lead worker or performing quality control functions in reviewing caseloads (e.g., income maintenance, benefits, pension plans, health insurance, etc.); adjudicating, authorizing, investigating or reconsidering claims; and evaluating benefit programs to assess the integrity and quality of operations.
The following time-in-grade requirement must be met by the closing date of this announcement:
Applicant must have 52 weeks at the GS-11 or higher.
SELECTIVE PLACEMENT FACTOR:
COMPETENCY ASSESSMENT INTERVIEW PROCESS (CAIP) INTERVIEW - Applicants will be required to participate in a panel interview (after basic eligibility determination) to demonstrate an aptitude for meeting and dealing with the public. Applicants must pass this interview process in order to be found fully qualified for this position and receive further consideration for selection. This interview will cover typical situations, which might be encountered on the job, in person or over the telephone. Applicants must demonstrate qualities such as clarity of speech, ability to listen, ability to establish confidence and put others at ease and the ability to organize and express thoughts clearly. If you do not pass the CAIP interview, you will not qualify for the job.
Qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
Time in grade requirement (ICTAP Eligibles Only) must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
Applicants for promotion must have 52 weeks at the GS-11 or higher.
In addition to the minimum qualifications, applicants must be eligible under ICTAP, Certain Military Spouse or VEOA
Education
There is no substitution of education for experience at this grade level.
Additional information
In addition to the minimum qualifications, applicants must be eligible under the following category:
- Displaced or surplus Federal employees eligible under the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP). who have held a GS-12 or above, and in the commuting area of the listed duty locations.
- Veterans who are eligible for preference OR who have been separated from the armed forces under honorable conditions after 3 or more years of continuous service, including veterans who were separated shortly before completing the required 3-year period, are eligible for consideration under the Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA). See Required Documents section for instructions on submitting proof.
- Certain Military Spouse. See Required Documents section for instructions on submitting proof.
In addition to meeting the basic eligibility criteria, ICTAP applicants must be well qualified for the position. Well-qualified is defined as having knowledge, skills, and abilities that clearly exceed the minimum qualification requirements for the position. Under numeric rating procedures, qualified ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of
85 or higher to be eligible for selection.
Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See
www.sss.gov.
Additional selections may be made for this vacancy six months from the closing date of this announcement.
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.
Review our 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.
Please make sure you answer all questions and follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your evaluation. The questionnaire takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. To preview the questions, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12932354
Required Documents
Resumes exceeding two pages will not be considered.
You must submit supporting documentation by the closing date of the vacancy announcement to claim certain types of preference.
INTERAGENCY CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (ICTAP): ICTAP provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority for competitive service vacancies. To receive selection priority, candidates must meet the requirements for the Well Qualified category as described in the vacancy announcement. Candidates must also provide:
- proof of eligibility with your application. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of ICTAP eligibility or a copy of your separation Notice of Personnel Action, (SF-50); and
- proof of your most recent performance rating of at least "fully successful" (Level III) or equivalent.
For more information visit
http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp.
IMPORTANT NOTICE TO VETERANS: The Office of Personnel Management has published the end date for Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) as August 31, 2010. To receive veterans' preference for service during the Enduring Freedom/Iraqi Freedom era, you must have served for more than 180 days between September 11, 2001 and August 31, 2010 OR be in receipt of a campaign badge or expeditionary medal. The updated CFR language is available
here. Other qualifying eligibility for preference (e.g., disability) remains unchanged.
Military Spouse Appointing Authority. You may be eligible for an appointment under the Military Spouse Appointing Authority if you are a spouse of: 1) an active duty member of the armed forces; 2) a service member who is 100% disabled due to a service-connected injury; or 3) a deceased service member of the armed forces. Each of these categories has different eligibility criteria that must be met. Individuals applying for consideration under this authority MUST provide the applicable supporting documentation (e.g., documentation verifying marriage, copy of your spouse's active military orders, DD-214, copy of a statement from the Department of Veterans Affairs or a branch of the military certifying the service member's service-connected disability rating, DD-1300, etc.). You are no longer eligible if you remarry.
VETERANS EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES ACT (VEOA): Applicants applying under the Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA) must submit a copy of their DD-214's. Applicants must be preference eligible OR have been separated from the armed forces under honorable conditions after 3 years or more of continuous service may apply. This includes veterans who were separated a few days before the full 3-year period. Applicants must be separated from the armed forces as of the closing date of this announcement. For more information visit the
Vet Guide.
How to Apply
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
1. Your Resume. We recommend you use USA Jobs resume builder for submitting a resume to ensure you include dates of employment for each job listed (month/year) as well as average number of hours (e.g., 40 hours, 20 hours) worked per week. Note: You can copy and paste your existing resume into resume builder. Please review the Tips for Applying for additional guidance.
2. Proof of ICTAP/Military Spouse/VEOA eligibility
3. Additional Required Documents (e.g., ICTAP notice, SF-50 Notification of Personnel Action. See Required Documents section).
To begin the process, click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the occupational questionnaire. Please ensure you click the Submit My Answers button at the end of the process.
The complete Application Package must be submitted before midnight (EST) on 04/17/2026.
If you use assistive software or an adaptive device, or you are experiencing some other type of technical difficulty and/or otherwise require assistance with the application process, please contact Careers at SSA at Careers@ssa.gov .
Individuals with hearing or speech disabilities may use the listed email or 7-1-1 for TTY-based Telecommunications Relay Services to call the listed phone number. Additional Telecommunications Relay Services options are available in each state: https://www.fcc.gov/general/trs-state-and-territories
Individuals with disabilities may also call us via Federal Relay using the (voice) contact telephone provided.
Due to our security procedures, our office will not accept any applications submitted via email or standard mail. The email address is listed only for inquiries about the position or the How to Apply process.
To check the status of your application or return to a previous or incomplete application, log in to your USAJOBS account.
Next steps
Once you have successfully submitted your application materials, you can expect to receive at least two or more of the following email notifications concerning your application status: (1) Receipt of application; (2) Qualifications status and whether your application has been Referred/Not Referred to the selecting official; and (3) Selection status for the position.