Veterans' Services Officer

Waukesha County Human Resources; Waukesha (WI); On-site; USD 51,000 - 71,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health/dental/vision insurance

Life insurance

Paid time off

Pension plan with employer match

457 retirement plan

Job summary

Waukesha County Veterans Services is seeking a detail-oriented professional for the Veterans Service Officer role. This in-person position supports claims, counseling, and resource navigation for veterans, with a Monday–Friday schedule and occasional after-hours events.

The role emphasizes privacy, trauma-informed service, and collaboration across county departments, with opportunities for growth and accreditation within 18 months.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree preferred but not required.
• Two years of work experience providing social or financial guidance and counseling to clients.
• Obtain Veterans Affairs General Counsel Accreditation within eighteen months of hire.
• Any special requirements as set forth in the Wisconsin State Statutes.
• Valid Driver's License.

Responsibilities

• Establishes work priorities, service standards, workload expectations, and cross-training plans for division staff.
• Participates in staff recruitment, onboarding, coaching, professional development, performance management, and corrective action.
• Promotes a professional, respectful, trauma-informed, and customer-focused work environment.
• Coordinates preparation of claims, applications, decision-review requests, and appeals within the scope of accreditation and applicable law.
• Provides non-clinical benefits counseling, advocacy, service navigation, and referral assistance.
• Refers matters requiring legal representation or specialized services to qualified professionals.
• Assists clients in accessing resources related to behavioral health, housing, employment, and crisis services.
• Identifies and administers eligible grants and funding opportunities supporting veterans' programs.
• Maintains procedures to support consistent, timely, and equitable delivery of veterans' services.

Education

Bachelor's degree

Valid Driver's License

Job description

SALARY RANGE

$36.85 - $51.18

WORK ASSIGNMENT DETAILS

The following responsibilities supplement the existing Waukesha County Veterans Service Officer job description.

Leadership and Staff Oversight

• Establishes work priorities, service standards, workload expectations, and cross-training plans for division staff.
• Participates in staff recruitment, onboarding, coaching, professional development, performance management, and corrective action in accordance with County policy.
• Promotes a professional, respectful, trauma-informed, and customer-focused work environment.

Privacy, Records, and Information Security

• Protects confidential client and County information, including personally identifiable information, military records, benefit claims, financial information, and protected health information when applicable.
• Complies with applicable privacy, information-security, records-retention, and public-records requirements.
• Uses and accesses confidential information only as necessary to perform assigned duties.
• Maintains secure and accurate electronic and paper client records in accordance with County policy and applicable law.

Claims Assistance and Client Service

• Coordinates preparation of claims, applications, decision-review requests, and appeals within the scope of Veterans Affairs accreditation and applicable law.
• Provides non-clinical benefits counseling, advocacy, service navigation, and referral assistance.
• Refers matters requiring legal representation, clinical treatment, or specialized services to qualified attorneys, accredited representatives, VA providers, County departments, or community partners.
• Assists clients in accessing resources related to behavioral health, substance use, housing, financial stability, employment, transportation, caregiver support, legal needs, and crisis services.

Program Administration and Accountability

• Identifies and administers eligible grants and funding opportunities supporting veterans' programs and services.
• Develops and tracks performance measures, including claims activity, benefits awarded, client contacts, outreach activity, appointment access, referrals, grant compliance, and customer-service results.
• Maintains procedures to support consistent, timely, and equitable delivery of veterans' services.
• Coordinates with Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology, Communications, Corporation Counsel, Emergency Management, and other County departments as needed.

Continuity and Emergency Operations

• Maintains continuity-of-operations procedures for critical services, client records, claims assistance, staff communications, and public information during emergencies or service disruptions.
• Ensures staff are cross-trained and prepared to maintain essential services during absences, emergencies, or operational disruptions.

Technology and Professional Development

• Uses secure County-approved case-management, records-management, VA and Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs systems, databases, productivity applications, and virtual-meeting tools.
• Maintains current knowledge of veterans' benefits, claims procedures, federal and state law, privacy requirements, ethics, trauma-informed service practices, and County policies.
• Completes required County training and relevant continuing education.

This is an in-person position with a regular work schedule of Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The position may require occasional work outside normal business hours to attend veteran events, public meetings, trainings, emergency activations, or other operational needs.

Candidates who advance in the selection process must complete and achieve a passing score on a Civil Service examination, tentatively planned to take place before or on 11/20/2026.

A Bachelor's degree is preferred but not required.

CLASSIFICATION SPECIFICATION

To view the full classification specification for Veterans' Services Officer click here.

Minimum Training & Experience Requirements

1. Graduation from a recognized college or university with a bachelor's degree preferably with a major in business administration or the social sciences.
2. Two (2) years of work experience providing social or financial guidance and counseling to clients, or a closely related field.
3. Obtain Veterans Affairs General Counsel Accreditation within eighteen (18) months of hire.
4. Any special requirements as set forth in the Wisconsin State Statutes.
5. Valid Driver's License.

Waukesha County provides a comprehensive compensation and benefits package including excellent health/dental/vision, life insurance, generous paid time off (vacation, 10 holidays, 3 floating holidays, ample accrued sick time that rolls over each year), an exceptional pension plan with employer match and lifetime retirement payment plus an optional tax advantaged 457 retirement savings plan. Amongst many other benefits, employees are recognized and valued through a pay for performance system. Successful candidates will be eligible for performance-based merit increases and non-base performance awards.

Employee well-being is promoted through a balanced work-life culture and through an exceptional employee wellness program that offers a variety of programs and tools to help promote an employee's wellness and health, including an on-site health & wellness clinic.

About Us:

Waukesha County prides itself on operating in a business-like manner and is recognized as a leader delivering high quality services with competence and skill. With our vision of "Leading the Way", we value teamwork and collaboration, ethics and diversity, communication, efficiency and cost savings, innovation, and the wellbeing of our staff and the citizens we serve. Employees are provided professional development opportunities and encouragement to learn and practice continuous improvement and LEAN principles as we regularly ask ourselves "Is there a better way?"

Location:

Located in the City of Waukesha, our campus offers an on-site fitness center, free parking, and easy access to interstate highway systems. Waukesha County offers a perfect blend of urban and rural living where one can enjoy the benefits of quiet rural lake communities or opt for nearby attractions that the greater Milwaukee area offers including vast beach and park systems, public markets, performing arts, music festivals, and sports including the Milwaukee Admirals, Brewers, Bucks, Wave, Marquette University Golden Eagles and the UW-Milwaukee Panthers Basketball programs.

EEO:

Waukesha County is committed to equal opportunity and nondiscrimination in employment and adheres to all Federal, State and County Equal Employment Opportunity laws, policies, plans, rules, regulations and ordinances. The County recognizes and accepts its important leadership role in providing for equal employment/service opportunities. It is the express policy of Waukesha County to promote equal employment opportunity among all who are employed by Waukesha County and who seek employment with Waukesha County.

For further information visit: https://www.waukeshacounty.gov

The County does not sponsor applicants for work visas. Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis.