[Hiring] Veterans Service Representative @San Juan Regional Benefit Office

Role Description

This position is located in the Department of Veterans Affairs, San Juan Regional Office (RO), Military Sexual Trauma (MST) Operations Center, which is a remote Veterans Service Center. Due to high volume of applicants, the first 150 applicants will receive first consideration. Additional applicants, beyond the first 150, may be considered, upon management's request. Due to high volume of applicants, not all applicants will be considered.

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.

Specifically, the VSR will:

• Make determinations as to the eligibility for the type of benefit sought to include questions relating to adequacy of military service, medical evidence and the evaluation of evidence of income, employability, dependence and relationship.
• Request examinations, re-examination or opinions to evaluate disabilities resulting from diseases or injuries.
• Review claims cases to assure all issues have been addressed, applies and interprets VA laws, including veterans' case law, existing statutes and procedures, precedent rulings and state law in the adjudication process.
• May conduct interviews in person or by phone with veterans, representatives and advocates to explain the full range of VA benefits and related programs.
• Prepare and release correspondence for use by other federal, state and local agencies.
• Utilize various electronic data processing systems to input data for processing claims and generating automated correspondence.

Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. The grade progression for this position is GS-07/09/10.

Work Schedule: Full time. Regular office hours, Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM. Alternate work schedules may be available at management's discretion.

Compressed/Flexible: May be available, at management's discretion.

Telework: Not Applicable. This is a remote position.

Position Description/PD#: Veterans Service Representative, 37300A, 37301A, 37233A

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Bargaining Unit: Yes

Salary: The salary range indicated in this announcement reflects the 2026 "Rest of US" Pay table. The actual salary range will be based on the applicable locality pay for the actual duty location.

Qualifications

• To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement: 06/26/2026.
• 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-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05 level.
• For a GS-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07 level.
• For a GS-10 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09 level.
• If you are a current VBA employee requesting a 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-10.
• 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.

Requirements

• GS-07 Grade Level: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 level or higher. Specialized experience is defined as the interpretation or application of laws, regulations, or procedures to analyze evidence to make determinations and research routine issues to resolve discrepancies.
• Examples of experience include:
• Using various computer systems for data entry and maintaining/monitoring case files.
• Applies use of federal laws when processing compensation and benefit claims for a state or federal agency, insurance company, worker's compensation, disability, retirement or pension program.
• Determines basic employment qualifications and eligibility for benefit programs.
• OR Education Substitution: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education you must have:
• One (1) full year of graduate level education. Graduate level education must demonstrate the competencies necessary to do the work of the position.
• A Bachelor's degree with Superior Academic Achievement (3.0 GPA or higher).
• GS-09 Grade Level: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level or higher. Specialized experience is defined as experience which required the interpretation of legal and medical documentation to determine the claimant's eligibility for services and benefits programs.
• Examples of specialized experience include:
• Determining the eligibility for Federal or State-administered benefits, such as disability, education, housing, medical, and/or veterans' benefits.
• Interpreting and applying Federal and State laws, including case law, existing statutes and procedures, and precedent rulings, to process claims pertaining to a service program.
• Gathering and requesting evidence to build service program case files, respond to claimant inquiries, and identify errors, inconsistencies, or omissions.
• Explaining Federal or State claims decisions to claimants, special interest groups, dependents, and/or representatives in an effort to gain acceptance of the determination.
• OR Education Substitution: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education you must have:
• A master's or equivalent graduate degree in an accredited or pre-accredited college or university.
• 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree; or possession of an LL.B. or J.D degree, if related.
• GS-10 Grade Level: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level or higher. Specialized experience is that which demonstrates competence in adjudicating veterans' claims.
• OR Education Substitution: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education you must have:
• Two and a half years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree.
• Combining Education & Experience: If you do not fully meet the length of experience and education described for a specific grade level, 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 and other organizations.
• 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.
• 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.