Veterans Service Representative (Authorizer)

Veterans Benefits Administration; Guaynabo (PR); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

The Veterans Benefits Administration is seeking a Veterans Service Representative to assist veterans in the Veterans Service Center or Pension Management Center. You will explain benefit programs, analyze claims, gather evidence, conduct interviews, adjudicate eligibility, and prepare award letters with clear reasons for decisions.

Applicants should be prepared to meet qualification requirements and participate in assessments as part of the hiring process.

Qualifications

• One year of specialized experience at the GS-10 level or higher.
• Experience conducting interviews to evaluate eligibility for benefits.
• Ability to evaluate supporting evidence to determine eligibility and entitlement.
• Knowledge of fiduciary and field examination programs.
• Education substitution allowed for relevant advanced degrees.

Responsibilities

• Explain benefit programs and entitlement criteria to veterans.
• Analyze claims materials, identify issues, and gather evidence.
• Conduct interviews and adjudicate claims based on evidence.
• Input data to generate the award and notification letter with reasons.

Skills

Benefit programs knowledge

Interviewing for eligibility

Evidence evaluation

Conservatorship laws

Fiduciary knowledge

Education

Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree

Three years of progressively higher graduate education

Job description

The Veterans Service Representative (VSR) works as an employee in the Veterans Service Center (VSC) or Pension Management Center (PMC). The VSR explains benefit programs and entitlement criteria, analyzes claims materials, identifies issues, gathers relevant evidence, conducts interviews, adjudicates claims, and inputs data necessary to generate the award and notification letter to the veteran describing the decision and the reason for it.

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 the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. (https://appsupport-usastaffing.opm.gov/hc/en-us/sections/45063131363475-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information)

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement:08/28/2026.

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.

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

Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-10 level or higher.

Specialized experience is defined as at least three of the following:

• (1) comprehensive experience applying federal, state, and local laws regarding benefit programs;
• (2) Conducting interviews to evaluate eligibility for benefits and services;
• (3) Evaluating supporting evidence to determine eligibility leading to entitlement of awarding of benefit;
• (4) applying state laws pertaining to conservator ship and /or;
• (5) knowledge of fiduciary and field examination programs sufficient to protect beneficiary asset.

OR

Education Substitution

Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education you must have:

• Three years of a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related. 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. Click here for more information.

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 than physical exertion. The work is mostly sedentary; however, there may be some walking, standing, and carrying of light items.

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/.