Legal Administrative Specialist (Contact Representation).

Veterans Benefits Administration; Sioux Falls (SD); On-site; USD 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Veterans Benefits Administration in Sioux Falls, SD, is seeking a Legal Administrative Specialist (Contact Representation) to support veteran claimants and their families. You will counsel on all VA benefits, guide applicants through the claims process, and coordinate communications with VA components and affiliated organizations to ensure accurate, timely processing of benefits.

The role involves conducting interviews at VA facilities and outreach events, reviewing claims, and preparing

Responsibilities

• Counsel Veterans, their dependents, and beneficiaries regarding all benefits available through the Department of Veterans Affairs, as well as non-VA benefits offered by other organizations concerned with Veterans and serve as the facility Point of Contact and advocate in dealings with VA elements and external organizations affecting their claims.
• Conduct interviews at various VA facilities and outreach events to initiate claims, explain VA benefits, and provide assistance in obtaining and completing necessary documents and forms based on the type of claim being submitted.
• Review claims for Veterans, submit appropriate requests to relevant sections for action, and use discretion and judgement when analyzing and interpreting laws, regulations, and procedures, especially where guidelines or precedents may not be clear.
• Explain the types of documents necessary to facilitate timely processing of claims, communicate VA decisions and their reasons to claimants, and prepare technical correspondence to Veterans and their dependents providing benefit information, representation rights, and responses to miscellaneous inquiries.
• Provide counseling and support throughout the claims process, assisting with documentation, clarifying benefit eligibility, and representing Veterans' interests while ensuring accurate and timely processing of all paperwork and inquiries.

Job description

Duties

• Counsel Veterans, their dependents, and beneficiaries regarding all benefits available through the Department of Veterans Affairs, as well as non-VA benefits offered by other organizations concerned with Veterans and serve as the facility Point of Contact and advocate in dealings with VA elements and external organizations affecting their claims.
• Conduct interviews at various VA facilities and outreach events to initiate claims, explain VA benefits, and provide assistance in obtaining and completing necessary documents and forms based on the type of claim being submitted.
• Review claims for Veterans, submit appropriate requests to relevant sections for action, and use discretion and judgement when analyzing and interpreting laws, regulations, and procedures, especially where guidelines or precedents may not be clear.
• Explain the types of documents necessary to facilitate timely processing of claims, communicate VA decisions and their reasons to claimants, and prepare technical correspondence to Veterans and their dependents providing benefit information, representation rights, and responses to miscellaneous inquiries.
• Provide counseling and support throughout the claims process, assisting with documentation, clarifying benefit eligibility, and representing Veterans' interests while ensuring accurate and timely processing of all paperwork and inquiries.

Specific Duties Include

• Counsel Veterans, their dependents, and beneficiaries regarding all benefits available through the Department of Veterans Affairs, as well as non-VA benefits offered by other organizations concerned with Veterans and serve as the facility Point of Contact and advocate in dealings with VA elements and external organizations affecting their claims.
• Conduct interviews at various VA facilities and outreach events to initiate claims, explain VA benefits, and provide assistance in obtaining and completing necessary documents and forms based on the type of claim being submitted.
• Review claims for Veterans, submit appropriate requests to relevant sections for action, and use discretion and judgement when analyzing and interpreting laws, regulations, and procedures, especially where guidelines or precedents may not be clear.
• Explain the types of documents necessary to facilitate timely processing of claims, communicate VA decisions and their reasons to claimants, and prepare technical correspondence to Veterans and their dependents providing benefit information, representation rights, and responses to miscellaneous inquiries.
• Provide counseling and support throughout the claims process, assisting with documentation, clarifying benefit eligibility, and representing Veterans' interests while ensuring accurate and timely processing of all paperwork and inquiries.

Work Schedule

Full-time, Monday through Friday, (hours to be determined by hiring office)

Compressed/Flexible

May be available as determined by the hiring office

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#

Legal Administrative Specialist (Contact Representation); PD02108A

Relocation / Recruitment Incentives

Not Authorized

Financial Disclosure Report

Not Required

Requirements

Conditions of employment

Required

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period, 1-year trial period, or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the Agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the Agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period or trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Additional Conditions of Employment are as follows:

• 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 or trial period
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements
• Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement:11/06/2026.

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-10 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09 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- 10 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-10 Grade Level

• Specialized Experience: For a GS-10 grade, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level or higher. Specialized experience is defined as communicating with individuals from diverse backgrounds about VA benefits programs and researching local, state, and Federal laws and regulations to determine Veterans' eligibility for these programs.
• Education Substitution: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must possess 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.

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 mostly sedentary. The incumbent will be required to talk for long periods of time which occasionally puts a strain on the throat/vocal cords. There are no other special physical demands required to perform the work. There may be some walking, standing, and carrying of light items such as papers, books, and files from one location to another. Extensive use of a computer and a telephone is required and may often involve high levels of stress and pressures.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at

Education

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

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:

You may submit unofficial transcripts when applying. However, if you are selected for the position, you will be required to provide an official transcript or a statement from the institution (e.g., from the registrar, dean, or other appropriate official) or equivalent documentation prior to the start date.

Additional information

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 your 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

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

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer (TJO). Please visit the Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP),

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement.

To determine if you need a RA, please review:

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding.

Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator.

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.

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full‑time, part‑time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.