Program Support Assistant (TIMS Clerk)
What you'd do
The Program Support Assistant is assigned to the Education Benefits division, within Buffalo Regional Benefits Office. This position serves as the Clerk for the Image Management System (TIMS) and responsible for preparing all incoming mail to the Regional Processing Office for Education benefits and ensures its placed within TIMS in an efficient and timely manner.
Major duties
The Program Support Assistant is responsible for the following duties but are not limited to: Indexing incoming mail and documents into TIMS, reviewing full claims packages, assigning document types, and establishing required controls and records across multiple VA systems. Creating, updating, and managing claimant records, including establishing TIMSC files, validating identifiers, and ensuring proper dates of claim. Identifying, routing, and determining jurisdictions for all incoming mail, including unidentifiable or misrouted correspondence, and return incomplete forms when necessary. Scanning, batching, and performing quality review of paper documents converted to electronic format to ensure clarity and readiness for indexing. Researching and correcting errors in claimant information or misfiled documents, including deleting, merging, or transferring records across BDN, TIMS, and related systems. Supporting workflow management by preparing workload reports, managing folder transfers, maintaining logs/repositories, and generating folder prints as needed. Work Schedule: Full-time, Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm Compressed/Flexible: Not available Telework: This position is eligible for situational (ad hoc) telework only. The selectee is required to report to the official duty station each scheduled workday. Telework may be approved only on a case-by-case basis with supervisory approval. Routine or recurring telework is not authorized for this position. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Program Support Assistant (TIMS Clerk); PD42213A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized. Financial Disclosure Report: Not required.
What you need to qualify
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement:07/24/2026. 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- 6 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-5 level. If you are a current VBA employee outside of the commuting area seeking reassignment or change to lower grade via this vacancy announcement, you must currently hold the GS-6 (or higher) and the promotion potential of your current position must be at least None. 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 REQUIREMENT: You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: GS-6 Grade Level: Specialized Experience: To qualify, applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-05) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include but are not limited to: Providing administrative support to a team, including but not limited to timekeeping, receiving and responding to phone calls, emails, and other messages, using electronic filing systems, and ordering supplies. Using various Microsoft Office programs, online database programs, and office equipment. 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 generally sedentary. Typically, the employee sits comfortably to do the work. However, there may be some walking; standing; bending; or carrying of light items such as papers, books and files. Carts are utilized to carry large numbers of claims folders. This will require the employee to push or pull the cart from one area to another. 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/.
Before you apply
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