Summary

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) manages and/or provides oversight of eleven insurance programs, including the Servicemembers and Veterans Group Life Insurance programs, covering approximately 5.5 million Service members, Veterans, and their beneficiaries. The incumbent serves as Chief, Policy Maintenance Center in the Policyholders Services Division of the Philadelphia Insurance Service.

This job is open to

Internal to an agency

Current federal employees of the hiring agency that posted the job announcement.

Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)

Federal employees whose job, agency or department was eliminated and are eligible for priority over other applicants.

Clarification from the agency

This vacancy announcement is open ONLY to current, permanent Philadelphia Insurance and RO employees and current/former VA employees who are CTAP eligible.

Duties

As Section Chief the incumbent is responsible for advising the Division Chief on the daily operation of the section that includes but are not limited to the following activities in the Policy Maintenance center.

Ensure that the Section's quality and timeliness of service meet performance indicator goals.
Responsible for the cost-effective use of resources to accomplish the Section's assigned outcomes.
Direct and oversee daily operations of the Policy Maintenance Section, ensuring timely and accurate processing of insurance policy actions (changes, reinstatements, conversions, beneficiary updates).
Supervise, coach, and evaluate Direct staff performance; set productivity standards and ensure adherence to VA policies and procedures.
Ensure accurate maintenance of veteran insurance records, including policy updates, premium adjustments, and coverage changes.
Review and approve complex transactions such as reinstatements, waivers, or policy conversions.
Monitor compliance with federal regulations, VA directives, and insurance program guidelines.
Interpret and apply policy provisions to unique or sensitive veteran cases.
Implement quality control processes to ensure accuracy, timeliness, and regulatory compliance.
Conduct audits and reviews of completed work; identify trends and implement corrective actions.
Ensure adherence to privacy laws (e.g., HIPAA where applicable) and safeguarding of veteran data.
Support implementation of new insurance programs or legislative changes affecting VA insurance.
Participate in strategic planning initiatives and contribute to policy development.
Represent the section in meetings with leadership or external stakeholders.

Work Schedule: Full Time, Monday - Friday, 6:00AM - 6:00PM
Compressed/Flexible: Available
Telework: Ad-hoc telework may be authorized as determined by the agency policy
Virtual: This is not a virtual position
Position Description/PD#: Supervisory Insurance Specialist; PD4121870
Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required
Bargaining Unit: No
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Requirements

Conditions of employment

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 supervisory probationary period.
Subject to background/security investigation.
Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification may be required to complete pre-employment requirements I-9 Acceptable Documents.
Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification 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: 06/11/2026.

TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENT: Applicants who are current/former Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirements.

For a GS-13 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-12 level.

The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. A Standard Form 50 (SF-50) that shows your TIG eligibility must be submitted with your application materials.

Applicants must submit their most recent Notification of Personnel Action, SF-50:

Official SF-50 that shows you held the grade (or higher) for the full performance level of the position you are applying for, or
Official SF-50 that shows you held the next lower grade for at least one year for the position you are applying for. Multiple SF-50s may need to be submitted to show this.

Examples of appropriate SF-50s to include which show TIG requirements have been met include:

Within grade increases (WGI) at the highest grade held; or
Promotions with an effective date that occurred more than one year from the closing date of the job opportunity announcement; or
Most recent appointment

NOTE: Do not submit Award or General Adjustment SF-50s, as they do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted for the purpose of verifying TIG.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT: Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade(s) GS-12.

Specialized Experience is defined as:

Knowledge of laws, policies and procedures.
Knowledge of research, statistical and analytical methods which are necessary to design and conduct complex management studies.
Responsible for managing individuals performing duties that include but are not limited to answering policy maintenance inquiries.

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 is sedentary. Typically, the employee may sit comfortably to do the work. However, there may be some walking; standing; bending; carrying of light items such as papers, books, small parts; etc. No special physical demands are required to perform the work.

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

There is no education substitution at the GS-12 grade level.

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 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 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/docs/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 the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. (https://appsupport.usastaffing.gov/hc/en-us/sections/28980686389652-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.

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.

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.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.

You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

Conflict Management
Influencing/Negotiating
Manages Resources
Partnering
Planning and Evaluating

Decision Making: Makes sound, well informed, and objective decisions; perceives the impact and implications of decisions; commits to action, even in uncertain situations, to accomplish organizational goals; causes change.
Leadership: Influences, motivates, and challenges others; adapts leadership styles to a variety of situations.
Organizational Awareness: Knows the organization's mission and functions, and how its social, political, and technological systems work and operates effectively within them; this includes the programs, policies, procedures, rules, and regulations of the organization.
Oral Communication: Expresses ideas and facts to individuals or groups effectively; makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others; facilitates an open exchange of ideas.
Writing: Uses correct English grammar, punctuation, and spelling to communicate thoughts, ideas, information, and messages in writing.

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.

To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12973695

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or an interview.

Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

Required Documents

The following documents are required for all applicants:

Resume
SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete application package to include the documents detailed below. Your resume and supporting documentation will be verified; errors, omissions, or failure to submit the documents as specified will affect your rating or result in loss of consideration for employment.

Resume (limited to 2 pages): Applicants must provide a resume detailing their specialized experience and competencies relevant to the position.

Your resume may be submitted in any format, however we strongly recommend using USA Jobs resume builder as it contains all of the information required on federal resumes.
For each position in your resume, you must specify the start and end dates (month/year) and a description of duties. If the position was Federal, you must also indicate the grade level. Resumes containing a general summary of all positions held, not specifying start/end dates, and/or not including Federal grade level(s) are insufficient to determine basic qualifications.
If you submit more than one copy of your resume, only the most recent version will be reviewed. The latest timestamp will be used to determine which version of your resume is "most recent." It is your responsibility to check the status and timestamp of all documents you submit as part of your application.
If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations and you may not be considered for this vacancy.

Current/Former Federal Employees:

If you are applying using your status as a current federal employee you must submit your most recent appointment SF-50. This SF-50 should identify your appointing legal authority, position title, series, grade, step, salary, tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted).
To verify you meet TIG requirements, also submit an SF-50 reflecting when you entered your highest grade held (e.g. Within Grade Increase, Promotion, Appointment, etc.). Some applicants may have to submit more than one SF-50 in order to demonstrate their eligibility.
If you previously held a higher grade, you must also submit an SF-50 showing that grade.

Applicants claiming CTAP eligibility must also submit:

Certification of expected separation, reduction-in-force separation notice, and your most recent performance evaluation; and an SF-50 demonstrating your separation or the position you will be separated from.

Failure to submit any of the above required documents applicable to your submission may result in loss of consideration and a rating of ineligible due to an incomplete application package. It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that their application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. We will not contact applicants for additional documentation, nor will we accept late or missing documents after the close of the announcement.

In addition to the information listed above, please use this checklist to ensure you have included other documents required for your application.

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

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section.

The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. (EST) on 06/11/2026. It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.

The application process is as follows:

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.
If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
Set aside about 45 minutes to take the USA Hire Assessments. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.
Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.

Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us.

To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.

To view the announcement status or your application status: Visit https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/howto/application/status/. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.

Beginning September 27, 2025, Federal agencies will only accept resumes up to two pages in length to comply with the Merit Hiring Plan. Resumes longer than two pages will result in ineligibility for further consideration for the position. USAJOBS will not allow you to upload or build resumes longer than two pages, and you will need to update the resumes in your profile before applying for a job. Resumes should include information relevant to the knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies of the position to which you are applying. VA is unable to make assumptions about qualifications if not clearly listed.

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

Your resume must be 5MB or less. We recommend saving and uploading your resume as a PDF to maintain formatting and number of pages. We also accept GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, TXT, PDF, ODT or Word (DOC or DOCX). We do not accept PDF portfolio files. We recommend using a sans-serif font size like Lato, if available. Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open San 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. The resume builder can help you create a resume using these recommendations and uses the information in your USAJOBS profile to help you get started.

Helpful Hints for Creating a Two-Page Resume:

Prioritize most relevant and recent experience
Use concise, results focused language
Align language from the job announcement
Focus on demonstrating skills and competencies
Remove outdated or unrelated experience
Use the USAJOBS resume builder

Additional guidance on this new requirement and resume building tools can be found at:

USA Jobs Help Center - Resume Page Limit
Applicant Guidance on the Two-Page Resume Limit

Agency contact information

Janelle Phillips

Phone: (313) 471-3888
Email: janelle.phillips@va.gov

Address: Philadelphia VBA Regional Office
5000 Wissahickon Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19144
US

Next steps

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.

Referred applicants may be contacted at any time during the hiring process. Please check all forms of communication (including email, voicemail, and spam folders), based on the contact information provided with your application, regularly to ensure you don't miss any updates. Failure to respond to communications may result in you being disqualified from consideration. You will receive a final notification of results once a decision has been made.

You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center.

Supervisory Insurance Specialist Job in Philadelphia, PA