Veterans Service Representative (FSR).

Veterans Benefits Administration; Louisville (KY); On-site; USD 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Veterans Benefits Administration in Louisville, KY seeks a Fiduciary Service Representative to determine competency, authorize payments, and protect beneficiary estates. You will handle fiduciary actions, generate awards, and provide expert guidance across the Fiduciary Hub, while communicating complex benefit structures to beneficiaries.

The role requires knowledge of fiduciary and estate administration, and involves training colleagues and coordinating with VA stakeholders to safeguard

Qualifications

• Specialized experience requirements for GS-10/11 include applying laws related to benefit programs and conservatorship; evaluating eligibility and assets; knowledge of fiduciary programs.

Responsibilities

• Analyze and determine competency determinations for veterans and beneficiaries.
• Generate awards and authorize payments; ensure estate protection.
• Provide training and guidance on Fiduciary Program procedures.
• Prepare SOCs on Fiduciary Program appeals; communicate with beneficiaries and stakeholders.

Skills

Fiduciary knowledge

Estate administration

Legal interpretation

Communication

Education

Graduate education substitution

Tools

EDP systems

Job description

Duties

This position is located in the Department of Veterans Affairs, Louisville, KY Regional Office (VARO), Fiduciary Hub. The incumbent serves as the Fiduciary Service Representative (FSR) for the division. The FSR is responsible for making factual quasi-legal and subjective determinations involved in the administration of all types of beneficiary estates, the protection of their benefit rights, the routine handling of legal matters, and the identification of legal questions. The FSR also has knowledge of benefit programs and entitlement criteria, inputs data necessary to complete a final rating of competency, generates awards and authorizes payments.

Specific Duties Are As Follows

• Analyzes and makes the final determination of the competency of veterans and other VA beneficiaries and provides the final notification of the determination.
• Generates the award for the retroactive payment release, once a fiduciary is established, as well as other award actions needed by the Fiduciary Program.
• Authorizes, reviews and approves the pending award action for technical accuracy, clarity, and thoroughness.
• Insures that estate protection is in place, when appropriate, before releasing large retroactive payments and in other cases where the VA beneficiary's funds may not be adequately protected.
• Prepares Statements of the Case (SOC) on Fiduciary Program appeals.
• Provides training to other members of the Fiduciary Hub, VARO employees, service organization personnel, and other stakeholders, as needed. Serves as a Veterans Service Representative (VSR) and Legal Instruments Examiner (LIE) expert and provides technical guidance in regard to the rating, generation and authorization of Fiduciary Program awards.
• Utilizes various electronic data processing (EDP) systems for processing, monitoring, and correspondence preparation.
• Communicates directly with VA beneficiaries, eligible individuals, representatives, and advocates to explain the full range of VA benefits and all related programs.
• Gives final approval of accounts received from guardians, attorneys, legal custodians, or chief officers of state institutions except those showing a major account deficiency which cannot be remedied by correspondence. Approval is only given if the accounting is proper in every respect including commissions and/or fees within statutory or policy limits.
• Advises fiduciaries of regulations, necessary documentation and other factors which affect computation of income for VA purposes.
• Prepares reports for guardians in those cases in which VA is rendering legal services.
• Refers to the Office of the Inspector General (OIG), accounts in which there is a possible indication of fraud, embezzlement or other criminal offense.
• Performs other related duties as assigned

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.

Work Schedule

Full time, Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Compressed/Flexible

Available upon successful completion of training.

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 (Fiduciary Service Representative)39713A & 37530A

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives

Not Authorized

Financial Disclosure Report

Not required

Bargaining Unit

Yes

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 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;
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary 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
• Required to attend an 8 week training session, which may require travel.
• VSR Skill Certification required at the GS‑10 level
• 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:09/21/2026.

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‑9 level.
• For a GS‑11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS‑10 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 GS‑11.

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 Requirement include but are not limited to:

• GS‑10 Specialized Experience: One year of Specialized Experience which is equivalent to the GS‑09 level. Specialized experience is defined as experience
• Applying federal, state, and local laws regarding benefit programs;
• Conducting interviews to evaluate eligibility for benefits and services;
• Applying state laws pertaining to conservatorship and estate administration; and/or
• Knowledge of fiduciary and field examination programs sufficient to protect beneficiary's assets;
• OR

Education substitution of 2½ years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in degree in Business, Management, Economics, Finance, or another degree with coursework that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do this work of this position. Graduate level courses must demonstrate your education has provided you the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position (as described in the How You Will Be Evaluated section of this announcement).

• OR,

Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at the GS‑10 level. Only graduate education in excess of two full years can be used to combine with experience. The combination of experience and education must total at least one year. [To compute your combined total, divide your total months of qualifying experience by 12. Then divide your semester hours of graduate education by 45. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100% to qualify.

Specialized Experience Requirement Include But Are Not Limited To

GS-11 Specialized Experience

One year of Specialized Experience which is equivalent to the GS‑10 level. Specialized experience is defined as comprehensive experience:

• Applying federal, state, and local laws regarding benefit programs;
• Conducting interviews to evaluate eligibility for benefits and services;
• Evaluating supporting evidence to determine eligibility leading to entitlement of awarding of benefit;
• Applying state laws pertaining to conservatorship and estate administration and/or
• Knowledge of fiduciary and field examination programs sufficient to protect beneficiary's assets
• OR
• Education substitution of a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in Business, Management, Economics, Finance, or another degree with coursework that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do this work of this position; or an LL.M., if related. Graduate level courses must demonstrate your education has provided you the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position (as described in the How You Will Be Evaluated section of this announcement).
• OR,
• Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at the GS‑11 level. Only education beyond the first two and a half years hours of graduate study may be used to combine with experience. To compute, divide your total months of qualifying experience by 12. Then divide your semester hours of graduate education by 45. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100% to qualify.
• NOTE: All Education claimed by applicants must be verified by the appointing agency accordingly. Official or Unofficial transcripts must be submitted for all education claimed.
• 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.
• Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

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 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

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 Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced 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.

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.