Transportation Assistant

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; St. Louis (MO); On-site; USD 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in St. Louis, MO seeks a Transportation Assistant to support TDY travel and related transportation services within the Accounting Section of FMS at Jefferson Barracks.

You will advise travelers on policies, coordinate travel arrangements, and maintain documentation through VA systems. The role involves navigating FTR, VA travel policies, and local procedures, with a focus on cost-effective travel solutions and accurate record-keeping.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of the Federal Travel Regulations (FTR) and VA travel policies.
• Experience coordinating TDY travel and documenting travel information.
• Ability to analyze travel options and select cost-effective solutions.
• Familiar with VA Financial Policy on Travel and local travel policies.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the point of contact for resolving TDY travel problems.
• Work with travelers to determine the most cost-effective travel means.
• Create and maintain supporting documentation for travel arrangements.
• Screen tickets, itineraries, and bills to ensure compliance and lowest fares.
• Resolve travel issues and ensure compliance with FTR and VA policies.
• Validate traveler expenses under FTR and VA policies.
• Establish employee files in the FMS payment system and input ETS profiles.
• Maintain and update the ETS system, including costing strings and approval chains.
• Process Travel Comp Time requests for supervisory certification.
• Adhere to a Monday–Friday schedule, 7:00–15:30.
• Note that this is not a virtual position.
• Position PD657-095860 details and relocation incentives are not authorized.

Skills

FTR knowledge

Travel coordination

Data analysis

Documentation skills

Tools

ETS system

Job description

Summary

Position announced is the medical center Transportation Assistant and is assigned to the Accounting Section of Financial Management Service (FMS) within Jefferson Barracks St. Louis - MO. Serves as the travel subject matter expert; advises travelers - the Travel and Tuition Committee - Executive Leadership - etc. - on the current practices and policies associated with all kinds of travel. Works with each traveler to determine the most cost-effective means for each episode.

Position announced is the medical center Transportation Assistant and is assigned to the Accounting Section of Financial Management Service (FMS) within Jefferson Barracks St. Louis - MO. Serves as the travel subject matter expert; advises travelers - the Travel and Tuition Committee - Executive Leadership - etc. - on the current practices and policies associated with all kinds of travel. Works with each traveler to determine the most cost-effective means for each episode.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position - applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement - 11/13/2026. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also 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. 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. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. Factor 1 - Knowledge Required by the Position Extensive working knowledge of the Federal Travel Regulations (FTR) - VA Travel Policies - and Local Travel policies governing educational travel and tuition - local travel - invitational travel - and all other guidance affecting the travel of government employees and interviewees in order to perform a wide variety of interrelated or nonstandard transportation support assignments and resolve a wide range of problems. Factor 2 - Supervisory Controls Once all travel is approved by Travel and Tuition Committee - the employee independently plans and carries out the successive steps to complete TDY travel and uses accepted practices to resolve problems and deviations. Incumbent is supervised by the Supervisory Accountant/Chief - Accounting Section. Incumbent's supervisor or others review completed work for technical soundness - appropriateness - and conformity to policy and requirements. The methods that the employee uses to complete the assignment are not usually reviewed in detail. Factor 3 - Guidelines Guidelines include volumes of transportation regulations - Agent Cashier Accountability Policy - Treasury Department Manual of Procedures and Instructions for Cashiers - Technical Bulletins - Decisions of Comptroller General - manuals - guides - directories - operating procedures - etc. Because of the number and similarity of guidelines or the diverse circumstances of individual actions - the employee must use sound judgment to identify and select the appropriate reference and procedure for each situation. Employee uses sound judgment to interpret guidelines - adapt procedure - decide approaches - and resolve specific problems. Employee is responsible for modifying station level policy regarding travel procedural changes as the need arises - re-writing local Medical Center Memorandums regarding employee travel - and for providing training to all travelers and approvers. Factor 4 - Complexity The Transportation Assistant duties involve performing one or more transportation support functions that require the use of different and unrelated procedures and methods. Travel support requires ability to analyze situations unique to individual stations and networks and adapting solutions accordingly. Assignments received are relatively broad and varied (e.g. - involve a full range of travel situations) - frequent changes occur - or treatment of individual actions vary according to the nature of the questions or problems involved. Financial transactions interrelate with VA's Electronic Travel System (ETS) and FMS systems and often require coordination with various personnel. Audits are conducted when the need arises or as a check and balance to ensure appropriateness of transactions Factor 5 - Scope and Effect The purpose of the work is to apply conventional practices and provide transportation/travel services from start to finish. The results of the reviews and analysis performed - and the reports prepared - affect the design and operation of the accounting system and various operating programs. Factor 6 - Personal Contacts Has daily contact with employees in the same agency (includes all levels of the medical center staff including the Executive Team) - and outside the immediate organization (e.g. - VA Central Office on procedural issues) engaged in a variety of different functions - missions - or kinds of work - or the contacts are with accounting - budget - and with members of the general public. The incumbent is also in contact with vendors - patients and family members - and the outside travel agency which oversees the current electronic travel system. The incumbent also confers with the Austin Finance Center Accountability Officer - auditors - and Inspector General staff. Factor 7 - Purpose of Contacts The purpose of contacts is to plan - coordinate and advise travelers on transportation entitlements - ensuring the timely and accurate receipt of travel documents - and making travel arrangements with carriers and the Travel Management Center's contacts. You may qualify based on your experience as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-5 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include - but are not limited to: performing transportation support duties such as coordinating connections/scheduling - documenting travel information; collecting - compiling - and tracking data on a daily basis; performing a basic analysis of data and generating a variety of reports; entering data into automated tracking databases; and planning and directing a program that provides support services. For more information on these qualification standards - please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. Physical Requirements: The work places no special demands on the employee other than some walking - standing - bending - and carrying of light objects. The work is performed in a locked secure cashier's office where the work area is typically lighted - heated - and ventilated.

Duties

• Serves as the point of contact for resolving problems related to TDY
• Works with each traveler to determine the most cost-effective means for each episode
• Conducts and records all research used to create supporting documentation and creates the necessary supporting documentation for the travel arrangements
• Screens tickets - itineraries - and bills involving rental cars - dates - travel periods - connections - etc. - to verify all is compatible with travel authorized and that the lowest contract fare(s) are selected
• Resolves conflicts or issues related to travel - analyzes information to document deficiencies of noncompliance to the Federal Travel Regulations - and makes recommendation(s) for corrective action
• validates all expenses submitted by the traveler to ensure compliance with the FTR - the VA Financial Policy on Travel - local policies - and approval limitations
• Establishes employee files in the FMS payment system and inputs profiles into ETS
• Responsible for all maintenance of the ETS system - to include creating/updating profiles - costing strings - approval chains - and access limitations
• Reviews and completes all submitted requests for Travel Comp Time - submits to the supervisory accountant for final certification
• Work Schedule: Monday-Friday - 7-1530
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Position Description/PD#: Transportation Assistant/PD657-095860 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized
• Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved
• Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not approved.