Veterans Service Representative (Authorizer)
What you'd do
The Veterans Service Representative (VSR) works as an employee in the Veterans Service Center (VSC) or Pension Management Center (PMC). The VSR explains benefit programs and entitlement criteria, analyzes claims materials, identifies issues, gathers relevant evidence, conducts interviews, adjudicates claims, and inputs data necessary to generate the award and notification letter to the veteran describing the decision and the reason for it.
Major duties
Incumbent will serve as a Veterans Service Representative (Authorizer) within the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), Office of Compensation Service. The incumbent of this position will adjudicate claims, authorize payments, and input data necessary to generate the award and notification letter to the veteran describing the decision and the reason for it. Specific duties are as follows: 1.Serves as an Authorizer reviewing all required work of other Veterans Service Representatives when a second signature is required. 2. Reviews and approves work for technical accuracy, clarity, thoroughness, and sensitivity of notification. 3. Ensures that notices of decisions are prepared with an empathetic tone and are complete and phrased in terms that the claimant can understand. The VSR (Authorizer) must be familiar with rating procedures to ensure proper notification to the claimant. 4. Makes administrative decisions and special determinations relating to qualifying military service, character of discharge, domestic relations contested claims, homicide, presumed death, line of duty, or willful misconduct, corpus of estate, and violations of U.S. Penal Code, related attorney fees, administrative error, and fraud. 5. Authorizes administrative decisions made by other Veterans Service Representatives including character of discharge, line of duty, or willful misconduct, corpus of estate, and apportionment decisions. 6. Explains a final decision if a veteran expresses an indication of dissatisfaction with a determination (filed in person, by telephone, or by mail). The VSR (Authorizer) will explain the decision in question in an effort to gain acceptance of the determination, and also explain the post-decision review process. 7. Uses electronic data processing (EDP) systems for inputting data related to claims adjudication, processing, monitoring, and correspondence preparation. 8. Acts as an advocate for veterans and their beneficiaries in their dealings with other VA elements and organizations that affect their claims. Work Schedule: Full time, Monday through Friday Hours: 7:30 am - 4:00 pm Compressed/Flexible: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Veterans Service Representative (Authorizer), 02105A Bargaining Unit Position: Yes Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Physical Requirements: The work normally involves mental rather than physical exertion. Salary: The salary range indicated in this announcement reflects the 2026 "Rest of US" Pay table. The actual salary range will be based on the applicable locality pay for the actual duty location. View the OPM 2026 Locality Pay Tables for more information.
What you need to qualify
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 07/07/2026. TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENT: As a current Federal, GS employee you must meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-10 level. You must have one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-10). Specialized experience is defined as at least three of the following: Comprehensive experience applying federal, state, and local laws regarding benefit programs; Conducting interviews to evaluate eligibility for benefits and services; Evaluating supporting evidence to determine eligibility leading to entitlement of awarding of benefit; Applying state laws pertaining to conservator ship and estate administration and /or; Knowledge of fiduciary and field examination programs sufficient to protect beneficiary asset. Note: 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. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: GS-11 Grade Level: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-10 level or higher. Specialized experience is defined as asking questions relating to military service or medical evidence to make determinations as to the eligibility for programs; Reviewing claims or cases to assure all laws have been laws addressed in the adjudication process; AND Informing claimants of all evidence requirements needed to further process a claim for benefits and/or services. OR Education Substitution: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education you must have: Two and a half years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. Graduate-level education must demonstrate the competencies necessary to do the work of the position. Combining Education & Experience: If you do not fully meet the length of experience and education described for a specific grade level (e.g. have six months of experience and some coursework but not a degree), the two can be combined to total 100% of the requirement. Click here for more information. 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 normally involves mental rather than physical exertion. The work is mostly sedentary; however, there may be some walking, standing, and carrying of light items. 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/.
Before you apply
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