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Summary

The Legal Administrative Specialist (LAS) serves in the Decision Review Operations Center (DROC) at the VBA Seattle Regional Office (RO). The incumbent provides in-depth information and comprehensive assistance to veterans their dependents and beneficiaries concerning any matter within the scope of VA benefits and related non-VA benefits.

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Duties

The Legal Administrative Specialist (LAS) serves as a member of the Public Contact Team, located in the Decision Review Operations Center (DROC). The incumbent provides in-depth information and comprehensive assistance to veterans their dependents and beneficiaries concerning any matter within the scope of VA benefits and related non-VA benefits.

Major Duties:

• Coordinates counseling sessions with Veterans, their dependents, and their beneficiaries face to face, regarding all benefits available through the VA, as well as non-VA benefits available through other agencies. This is accomplished through in-person or telephone interviews, and correspondence. or telephone VBA facilities and provides broad outreach services.
• Explains in detail, VBA rating decisions and provides explanations for the decisions using extensive knowledge of VA benefits and services, claim and appeal processing procedures and benefit determination information and all pertinent information available in system of record.
• Assists with programs include, but are not limited to, compensation and pension benefits, home loan eligibility, education, health care, life insurance, burial benefits, vocational rehabilitation services, general Social Security Administration benefit programs, other federal, state, and local domestic relations, and assistance programs.
• Prepares technical correspondence to veterans and their dependents providing benefit information, representation rights and response to miscellaneous inquiries.
• Explains pertinent legal provisions, regulations, and related administrative practices and their application to specific cases
• May serve as or with the Outreach Coordinator (such as the Women's Veterans Coordinator, Minority Veterans Coordinator, Homeless Veterans Coordinator, Aging Veterans Coordinator, Ex-Prisoners of War Coordinator or Military Services Coordinator).
• Initiates inquiries to resolve errors, delays, or other problems in obtaining benefits. Completes claim and appeal related work.

Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.

Work Schedule: Full-Time Monday-Friday 730AM-4PM

Compressed/Flexible: Available

Telework: Available

Virtual/Remote: This is NOT a virtual/remote position.

Position Description/PD#: Legal Administrative Specialist/02108A, 02109A, 40120A

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Bargaining Unit: This is a bargaining unit.

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Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• 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 probationary period
• Subject to background/security investigation
• 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, 01/16/2024.

Specialized Experience: You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

GS-07 grade level: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-05 grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is defined as:

• The ability to work with direct supervision or guidance when providing customer service, benefit counseling, and claim processing.
• The individual must possess knowledge of researching relevant subject matter.
• The experience should be significantly and directly derived from federal, military, or the private sector.

Examples of specialized experience include but are not limited to orating to persons from a wide variety of backgrounds regarding VA benefits programs; performing research of local, state, and Federal laws and regulations to determine Veterans' eligibility for benefits programs.

Education Substitution : Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education you must have:

GS-07: One (1) full year of graduate level education or a Bachelor's degree with Superior Academic Achievement (3.0 GPA or higher)

Superior Academic Achievement (SAA) is based on: 1) class standing, 2) grade point average or 3) honor society membership. For more information on calculating SAA please visit www.opm.gov

OR

Combination of Experience and Education: A combination of successfully completed post high school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements. To calculate, first identify your total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required; then determine your education as a percentage of the education required; then add the two percentages. The total of percentages must equal 100% to qualify.

GS-09 Level: Applicants must have one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-07). Specialized experience is defined as:

• The ability to work with minimum supervision or guidance when providing customer service, benefit counseling, and claim processing.
• The individual must possess moderate knowledge of researching relevant subject matter.
• The experience should be significantly and directly derived from federal, military, or the private sector.

Examples of specialized experience include but are not limited to orating to persons from a wide variety of backgrounds regarding VA benefits programs; performing research of local, state, and Federal laws and regulations to determine Veterans' eligibility for benefits programs.

OR

A Master's or equivalent graduate degree, 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, or LL.B. or J.D., if related fields of study. (You must provide transcripts)

O R

Equivalent combinations of Specialized Experience and Graduate-level education (To compute, divide your total months of qualifying experience by 12. Then divide your semester hours of graduate education by 18. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100% to qualify.) To be creditable, such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities (see "Competencies" in the Requirements section) necessary to do the work.

Note: Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be used to qualify applicants for positions at grades GS-9 and GS-10.

GS-10 Level: Applicants must have one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-09). Specialized experience is that which demonstrates competence in adjudicating Veterans' claims. Specialized experience is defined as:

• Experience that has demonstrated the capability of being a self-reliant decision-maker and possessing the ability to work independently when providing customer service benefits counseling and claims processing.
• The individual must possess in-depth knowledge of researching relevant subject matter.
• The experience should be significantly and directly derived from federal, military, or the private sector.

Examples of specialized experience include but are not limited to orating to persons from a wide variety of backgrounds regarding VA benefits programs; performing research of local, state, and Federal laws and regulations to determine Veterans' eligibility for benefits programs.

OR

Two and a half years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. To be creditable, such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities (see "Competencies" in the Requirements section) necessary to do the work.

Note: Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be used to qualify applicants for positions at grades GS-9 and GS-10. (i.e. The applicant's first year of graduate study is not qualifying for GS-9).

OR

Equivalent combinations of Specialized Experience and Graduate Education. (To compute, divide your total months of qualifying experience by 12. Then divide your semester hours of graduate education by 18. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100% to qualify).A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

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.

Note : _A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

_ 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

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Equivalent combinations of Specialized Experience and Graduate Education: Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be used to qualify applicants for positions at grades GS-9 and GS-10. To compute, divide your total months of qualifying experience by 12. Then divide your semester hours of graduate education by 18. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100% to qualify. Graduate level education must demonstrate the competencies necessary to do the work of the position.

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 here: 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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

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.

Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave : Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/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 ICTAP and 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.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members : Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

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 to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.

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Seattle Regional Benefit Office

915 2nd Avenue

Seattle, WA 98174

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