Decision Review Officer

Veterans Benefits Administration; SeaTac (WA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

The Seattle Regional Office Disability Rating Activity Site (DRAS) division seeks a qualified reviewer to handle notifications of dissatisfaction from veterans and advocates. The DRO reviews decisions made by VSR or RVSR, considering the facts and evidence, and can uphold or overturn decisions in compliance with laws, regulations, and policies.

Applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date, including time-in-grade rules for GS-13.

Qualifications

• GS-13: Specialized Experience in claims management or related training/analyst/IS duties.
• Examples: development, examination, investigation and decision making for complex disability compensation claims.
• Examples: exercising independent judgment in applying claims determinations.
• Examples: evaluating the claims development process and operations.
• Examples: preparing or conducting training activities.
• Volunteer experience creditable including National Service programs and other organizations.
• Full-time is at least 35 hours per week; part-time pro-rated.
• Physical requirements: work is mostly sedentary.
• For more information visit OPM guidelines at the link provided.

Responsibilities

• Receive notifications of dissatisfaction from veterans and advocates.
• Review decisions made by the VSR or RVSR, including the facts and evidence submitted, and uphold or overturn as appropriate.
• Ensure that all decisions comply with applicable laws, regulations, and policies.

Job description

This position is in the Seattle Regional Office (RO) Disability Rating Activity Site (DRAS) division. The primary purpose of the position is to receive notifications of dissatisfaction from veterans and advocates. The DRO is authorized to review the decision made by the VSR or RVSR, including the facts and evidence submitted in support of the claim, and is empowered to uphold or overturn those decisions as well as ensures that all decisions comply with applicable laws, regulations, and policies.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement:11/13/2026. 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-13 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-12 level.

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 as described below: GS-13 Grade Level: Specialized Experience: Specialized Experienceis experience that has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Specialized Experience should be substantive and relevant and may have been gained in the federal, military, or private sector, functioning in either a capacity performing training, analyst or information systems duties of a claims management process.

Examples of specialized experience include:

• Development, examination, investigation and decision making for complex claims for disability compensation
• Exercising independent judgment in applying claims determinations
• Evaluating the claims development process and operations to determine the effectiveness in meeting established goals and objectives
• Preparing or conducting training activities

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 physical exertion. The work is mostly sedentary.

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/.