Summary
This position is located in the Fiduciary Hub at the Veterans Benefits Administration, Regional Office (VARO), in Salt Lake City, UT. The Veterans Service Representative/Fiduciary Accounting Representative (FAR) is responsible for making determinations involved in the administration of all types of beneficiary estates, the protection of their benefit rights, the routine handling of legal matters, and the identification of legal questions.
This job is open to
Clarification from the agency
ALL US CITIZENS
DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority (5 CFR 337.201) for this occupation.
Duties
- Initiate contacts, receives incoming calls, and communication with fiduciaries and beneficiaries under the supervision of the Fiduciary Program.
- Explain the full range of VA benefits and all related programs and entitlements, in addition to, federal, state, and local assistance programs.
- Advise fiduciaries, trust officers, banking officials, attorneys and court officials of regulations, necessary documentation and other factors which impact the VA fiduciary oversight of the beneficiary.
- Review records to ensure that all beneficiaries and dependents are accounted for in award actions (i.e. dependent parents, children living with other relatives, etc.).
- Identify and audits the records for possible fraud, embezzlements, misappropriations, or misuse by fiduciaries.
- Conduct in-depth analysis, quasi-legal examinations, investigations, and financial assessments of inquiries pertaining to allegations of misuse.
- Protect the VA beneficiary and their estate by initiating actions to generate payment suspensions, resumptions, or terminations for appropriate situations.
- Initiate the appropriate actions/steps (misuse allegation, request a field examination, complete the misuse investigation) and forward misuse determination for management concurrence
- Audit and review fiduciary's annual accounting or fund usage to include receipts or other documentation and works with the fiduciary to correct and clarify, in accordance with regulatory guidance, any expenditures that are questionable.
- Review surety bonds to determine their adequacy and informs the fiduciary when the bonds are found to be deficient or substantially greater that necessary so the appropriate increase or decrease can be accomplished.
- Refer information regarding misuse of funds to the appropriate agency to include the court of jurisdiction, Office of Inspector General (OIG) and/or District Counsel.
- Maintain system databases and records to include establishing and updating beneficiary and fiduciary profiles, changes of fiduciaries, changes of name, address, or direct deposit information.
Requirements
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.
- A probationary period may be required for employees and supervisors.
- A complete application package; Resume, Transcripts, etc.
- Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
Qualifications
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 06/28/2024.
The Office of Personnel Management's (OPM's) group qualification standards covering white collar occupations in the Federal competitive service can be found: Here
Specialized Experience:
GS-07: Applicants must have one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-05) in the federal service. Specialized experience is work experience that equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) to perform successfully the duties of the position. Specialized experience for this position is defined as: (1) using various computer systems for data entry and maintaining/monitoring case files; (2) reviewing documents submitted by others for completeness, accuracy, and validity; AND (3) communicating with customers of varying and diverse backgrounds.
OR
Applicants may substitute education for the experience required in order to qualify at the grade GS-7 level in the following ways:
Applicants may Qualify with Superior Academic Achievement (SAA) for grade GS-7. If you have been awarded a bachelor's degree (or equivalent undergraduate degree) in a curriculum that is qualifying for this position from an accredited college or university, AND that degree meets one of the following superior academic achievement provisions, you may qualify exclusively based on education:
a. Ranked in the upper 1/3 of your college class or major subdivision at the time you apply; OR
b. Earned election to a national scholastic honor society that meets the requirements of the Association of College Honor Societies other than freshman honor societies; OR
c. Earned a grade point average (GPA) of 2.95 or higher on a 4.0 scale based on all completed undergraduate courses or all undergraduate classes completed during the final two years (the final 60 semester hours or 90 quarter hours); or earned a GPA of 3.45 or higher on a 4.0 scale based on all completed undergraduate courses in your major, or all undergraduate courses in your major completed during the final two years.
Regarding the superior academic achievement provisions, if more than 10% of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) was taken on a pass/fail or similar basis, you can qualify only on the basis of your class standing or membership in an honor society. If an applicant is claiming to qualify based on superior academic achievement, it is the applicant's responsibility to submit all documentation with their application that is appropriate in relationship to providing proof that the SAA criteria is met (i.e., ALL unofficial or official college transcripts that include GPA, proof of honor society membership, proof of class standing).OR
Applicants may substitute Graduate Education to qualify for grade GS-7. Applicants may substitute education for experience with at least one full academic year (18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours) of graduate level education from an accredited college or university in a field that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. If you are claiming to qualify based on your education, your application must include an official or unofficial copy of graduate level transcripts that demonstrate this information. OR
Applicants may substitute a combination of graduate education and specialized experience to qualify for the position at the GS 7 grade level. 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. To calculate, first identify the percentage of qualifying education you have as a percentage of one year of study. Next, identify the percentage of specialized experience you have as a percentage of 12 months. Then, add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100% for you to qualify for the position at the grade GS-7 level. For example, an applicant who has 9 semester hours of graduate education (i.e., 50% of graduate education required) and 6 months of acceptable specialized experience (i.e., 50% of the experience required) would satisfy the qualification requirements for the position. If you are claiming to qualify based on your education, your application must include an official or unofficial copy of college transcripts that demonstrate this information.
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 that you document, including volunteer experience.
Education
An unofficial or official copy of your transcripts must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.
Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/
If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html
Benefits
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. Applicants will be referred in alphabetical order.
Required Documents
Resume
- Your resume may be submitted in any format, however, we strongly recommend using the USA Jobs resume builder because it fully addresses all of the information required on Federal resumes.
- 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 may not receive credit for the experience.
- If you submit more than one copy of your resume, we may review only the most recent version. 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. In general we would advise that you submit only one comprehensive version of your resume that you have determined best represents your qualifications.
- If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, we will not use it to make eligibility and qualification determinations, and as a result you may not be considered for this vacancy.
Accepted Documents:
- Cover Letter
- DD-214/ Statement of Service
- Disability Letter (Schedule A)
- Disability Letter (VA)
- CTAP/ICTAP documents, If applicable
- PCS Orders
- Performance Appraisal
- Proof of Marriage Status
- Resume
- Separation Notice (RIF)
- SF-15
- SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
- Transcript
Transcripts
- 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.
- An unofficial transcript may be submitted, however, it must reflect the course names, levels, credits earned, grades received, and degree conferred if you have completed your degree requirements.
- Your transcript must reflect the degree conferred date if you are substituting a degree for experience.
- If you are claiming superior academic achievement (SAA) you submit transcript(s) to demonstrate it. The requirements for superior academic achievement can be viewed here
- A photocopy of your degree is not acceptable in lieu of a transcript.
- An official transcript will be required at a later date if you are selected for the position.
- Whenever possible it is preferable that you submit copies of official transcripts. Unofficial transcripts may lack essential information necessary for a full evaluation of your qualifications.
Applicants claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility must also submit:
- Certification of expected separation, reduction-in-force separation notice, or notice of proposed removal; 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).
Failure to submit any of the above mentioned required documents may result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure that all required documents have been submitted by the closing date of the announcement. You will not be contacted for additional information.
Please review the above list(s) to ensure you have included all necessary documents required for your application. Not every applicant will require the same documents, therefore it is the applicants responsibility to ensure that their application package includes all necessary documents to determine qualifications and eligibility for appointment, such as a copy of your SF-50, transcript, ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees). You will not be contacted for additional information. Applicants will be deemed ineligible if supporting documentation is not submitted.
Veterans' Preference: Since the Direct-Hire Recruitment Authority is being used, traditional Veterans' Preference rules do not apply. Qualified veterans will, however, be given full consideration for this position.
Applications are accepted online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of 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
All applicants are encouraged to apply online.
To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 06/28/2024 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12409883.
1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
2. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.
NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date. To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
Next steps
After the vacancy announcement closes, applicants are evaluated 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.
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