Clarification from the agency

This vacancy is open ONLY to permanent VBA employees who are currently assigned to the Military Sexual Trauma Division with in the San Juan, PR Regional Office. Eligible applicants must hold a career, career-conditional, VRA, or Schedule A appointment, or be eligible under VBA CTAP.

• Serve as the primary authorizer for unusually complex claims, including terminations and disallowed benefits.
• Provide second-signature approval on high-level administrative decisions to ensure technical accuracy and completeness.
• Analyze and decide on complex military service claims - such as character of discharge, presumed death, line-of-duty determinations, and fraud.
• Review decisions prepared by Veterans Service Representatives (VSRs), ensuring clarity, thoroughness, and empathetic wording.
• Clearly explain final complex decisions to Veterans via mail, phone, or in-person.
• Draft Statements of the Case (SOC) for authorization appeals and guide Veterans through post-decision processes.
• Accurately enter adjudication data in electronic systems, generate award notifications, and issue benefits payment decisions.
• Review incoming case documentation, perform routing or take action as appropriate on mail evidence.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job.
• Selectees are subject to a background/suitability investigation.
• Selective Service registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• This position includes a one-year probationary period. Continued employment beyond the probation period requires agency certification that your performance and conduct support conversion to a career appointment and serve the public interest.
• A complete application package must be submitted: Resume, transcripts, etc.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 04/21/2026.

Time-in-Grade:
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.

For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-10 grade level.

To support your claim of time in grade, you must submit your most recent appointment, promotion, or within grade increase SF-50. Some applicants may have to submit more than one SF-50 to demonstrate their eligibility. See the required documents section for more information.

Specialized Experience:

To qualify at the GS-11 grade level: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-10) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes experience that demonstrates competence in adjudicating and authorizing Veterans' claims. Specialized experience is typically gained in positions that have involved experience in the development, examination, investigation, adjudication, and authorization of claims for disability compensation, disability pension, death compensation, death pension benefits, life insurance benefits, etc. Such experience is to be substantive and relevant and may have been gained in the practice of law or working with a Federal or state agency, insurance company, retirement, disability, or insurance program.

OR

Applicants may substitute education for experience to qualify at the GS-11 grade level: Applicants must have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or three full years (54 semester hours or 81 quarter hours) of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M, if related. This graduate education (or completed degree) must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) to do the work for this position. Note: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

OR

Applicants may combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-11 grade level: Applicants may combine specialized experience and education beyond two full years of graduate level education. If you have some, but not all, of the graduate education described above AND less than one full year of the specialized experience described above, you may qualify by combining the amount of creditable education and experience that you do have. Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be used to qualify applicants for positions at grade GS-11. To calculate, first identify the education you have earned beyond your first two years of study as a percentage of a total of three years of study. Then identify the number of months of specialized experience you have as a percentage of 12 months. Add the two percentages. The total must equal at least 100 percent in order to be qualifying. For example, an applicant who has 45 semester hours of graduate level education (i.e. 50% of graduate education required beyond the first two years) and who has 6 months of creditable specialized experience (i.e., 50% of the one year of specialized experience required) would meet 100% and thus be qualified for the position. Note: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: 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.

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/

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.

Applicants who do not fully address in their resumes the specialized experience needed for the position (as described in the job opportunity announcement), or who do not possess the education to substitute for it, will not be referred for further consideration. After you have met the minimum qualifications, If you are referred for consideration you will be rated on the following the USA Hire competencies (KSAs) based on your application for this position:

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

• REASONING- Identifies rules, principles, or relationships that explain facts, data or other information; analyzes information and makes correct inferences or draws accurate conclusions.
• DECISION MAKING- Specifies goals and obstacles to achieving those goals, generates alternatives, considers risks, and evaluates and chooses the best alternative in order to make a determination, draw conclusions or solve a problem.
• WRITTEN COMMUNICATION- Expresses facts and ideas in writing in a succinct and organized manner.
• 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.
• COMPUTER SKILLS- Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

The following documents are required for all applicants:

• Resume
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action

• You must provide a resume detailing your specialized experience and competencies relevant to the position.
• For qualifications determinations your resume must reflect hours worked per week, the inclusive dates of employment, and the level of your experience. If your resume does not reflect this information, you will not receive credit for the experience.
• If you submit more than one copy of your resume, 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. We would recommend that you do not submit more than one version of your resume.
• If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, we will not use it to make eligibility and qualification determinations, and you may not be considered further for the vacancy.

• To support your claim that you have the required time-in-grade, you must submit your most recent promotion, within-grade increase, or appointment SF-50 (not an award or general adjustment SF-50). 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.

• Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (Schedule A)
• Disability Letter (VA)
• CTAP Documentation
• Other (2)
• PCS Orders
• Performance Appraisal
• Professional Certification
• Proof of Marriage Status
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

• If you are basing all or some of your qualifications on education or if a degree is required for the position, a transcript must be included as part of your application package.
• Unofficial transcript(s) may be submitted, however it must contain the course names, levels, credits earned, and grades received.
• Your transcript must contain the degree conferred date if you are substituting a degree for experience.
• A photocopy of your degree is not acceptable in place of a transcript.
• An official transcript will be required at a later date if you are selected for the position.

• Certification of expected separation or 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. Or
• Worker's compensation separation: agency certification of inability to place employee and notification of separation or a separation SF-50. Or
• Disability annuity termination: Notification from OPM of disability annuity termination and separation SF-50 of the last position held. Or
• Military reserve or National Guard technician special disability retirement annuity under 5 U.S.C. 8337(h) or 8456: Certification of special disability retirement annuity from a military department or National Guard bureau and separation SF-50 of the last position held.

Next steps