Veterans Service Representative (AQRS)

Summary

The position is in a Department of Veterans Affairs, Buffalo Regional Benefit Office, Veterans Service Center (VSC). The Authorization Quality Review Specialist is an integral part of the VSC quality assurance program and is a key technical adviser to the Veterans Service Representatives (VSRs) in the Regional Office. The purpose of this position is to measure individual performance quality and identify training needs through review and assessment of completed compensation and pension claims.

Duties

Duties include, but are not limited to: Performs individual quality reviews to determine the authorization quality level of individual VSRs for purposes of individual performance standards in accordance with an established monthly schedule. Conducts focused "in-process reviews" for cases to determine the accuracy of claims action taken. Reviews are used for station-level feedback and improvement. Reports authorization quality trend information with management on an ongoing basis and with the VSRs during training sessions. Reviews products or activities for quality of performance and enters the results into the on-line STAR checklists. Evaluates and identifies deficiencies of all elements of a claim from evidence development, income, and dependency issues, to award processing and authorization. Provides an explanation of errors and includes comments where attention is warranted. Prepares STAR data reports and provides to personnel in the regional office who are authorized to request and receive such reports. Ensures all program requirements imposed by Compensation Service and/or the Pension and Fiduciary Service and the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims are met or implemented. 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. The grade progression for this position is GS-11, GS-12. Work Schedule: Full-time, Monday- Friday, 08:00am to 04:30pm Compressed/Flexible: May be available at supervisor's discretion. 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#: Veterans Service Representative AQRS, 37136A (GS12),41680A (GS11) Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Bargaining Unit: Yes

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement:10/01/2026. 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. For a GS-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11 level. If you are a current VBA employee requesting reassignment or change to lower grade via this vacancy announcement, you must currently hold the GS-11 or higher and the promotion potential of your current position must be at least GS-10 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: GS-11 Grade Level: Specialized Experience: Applicants must have one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-10 grade level or higher in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is defined as comprehensive work experience related to the disability compensation and/or pension claims management process. Qualifying specialized experience may include, but is not limited to, activities such as 1) Developing, examining, investigating, adjudicating, or authorizing claims for disability compensation and/or pension claims, 2) Advising management on trends identified in the claims process, 3) Mentoring and training others on compensation and/or pension claims while identifying deficiencies. OR Education Substitution for GS-11: 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 Combine Education and Experience to qualify for GS-11: 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. Click here for more information. GS-12 Grade Level: Specialized Experience: One (1) year of Specialized Experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level GS-11. Specialized experience is defined as work that involves functioning in either capacity performing training, analyst or information systems duties of disability claims and pension management process. Examples include but are not limited to: 1) Conducting focused evaluations and reviews to determine authorization quality and accuracy for disability claims, 2) Providing advisory services to management via preparation and presentation of quality trend information, 3) Developing training strategies and materials to address compensation and/or pension claims deficiencies and/or conducting compensation/pension training activities, 4) Analyzing performance deficiencies and quality trends related to disability compensation and/or identify knowledge/skill gaps, 5) Providing quality-review services on compensation and pension claims providing feedback, and guidance to staff in order to correct unsatisfactory performance. There is no educational substitution at this grade level. 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; ph