Summary This position is located in the Fiduciary Hub at the Veterans Benefits Administration, Regional Office (VARO), in Salt Lake City, UT. The Veterans Service Representative/Fiduciary Accounting Representative (FAR) is responsible for making 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. Responsibilities Initiate contacts, receives incoming calls, and communication with fiduciaries and beneficiaries under the supervision of the Fiduciary Program. Explain the full range of VA benefits and all related programs and entitlements, in addition to, federal, state, and local assistance programs. Advise fiduciaries, trust officers, banking officials, attorneys and court officials of regulations, necessary documentation and other factors which impact the VA fiduciary oversight of the beneficiary. Review records to ensure that all beneficiaries and dependents are accounted for in award actions (i.e. dependent parents, children living with other relatives, etc.). Identify and audits the records for possible fraud, embezzlements, misappropriations, or misuse by fiduciaries. Conduct in-depth analysis, quasi-legal examinations, investigations, and financial assessments of inquiries pertaining to allegations of misuse. Protect the VA beneficiary and their estate by initiating actions to generate payment suspensions, resumptions, or terminations for appropriate situations. Initiate the appropriate actions/steps (misuse allegation, request a field examination, complete the misuse investigation) and forward misuse determination for management concurrence Audit and review fiduciary's annual accounting or fund usage to include receipts or other documentation and works with the fiduciary to correct and clarify, in accordance with regulatory guidance, any expenditures that are questionable. Review surety bonds to determine their adequacy and informs the fiduciary when the bonds are found to be deficient or substantially greater that necessary so the appropriate increase or decrease can be accomplished. Refer information regarding misuse of funds to the appropriate agency to include the court of jurisdiction, Office of Inspector General (OIG) and/or District Counsel. Maintain system databases and records to include establishing and updating beneficiary and fiduciary profiles, changes of fiduciaries, changes of name, address, or direct deposit information. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 06/28/2024. The Office of Personnel Management's (OPM's) group qualification standards covering white collar occupations in the Federal competitive service can be found: Here Specialized Experience: GS-07: Applicants must have one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-05) in the federal service. Specialized experience is work experience that equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) to perform successfully the duties of the position. Specialized experience for this position is defined as: (1) using various computer systems for data entry and maintaining/monitoring case files; (2) reviewing documents submitted by others for completeness, accuracy, and validity; AND (3) communicating with customers of varying and diverse backgrounds. OR Applicants may substitute education for the experience required in order to qualify at the grade GS-7 level in the following ways: Applicants may Qualify with Superior Academic Achievement (SAA) for grade GS-7. If you have been awarded a bachelor's degree (or equivalent undergraduate degree) in a curriculum that is qualifying for this position from an accredited college or university, AND that degree meets one of the following superior academic achievement provisions, you may qualify exclusively based on education: a. Ranked in the upper 1/3 of your college class or major subdivision at the time you apply; OR b. Earned election to a national scholastic honor society that meets the requirements of the Association of College Honor Societies other than freshman honor societies; OR c. Earned a grade point average (GPA) of 2.95 or higher on a 4.0 scale based on all completed undergraduate courses or all undergraduate classes completed during the final two years (the final 60 semester hours or 90 quarter hours); or earned a GPA of 3.45 or higher on a 4.0 scale based on all completed undergraduate courses in your major, or all undergraduate courses in your major completed during the final two years. Regarding the superior academic achievement provisions, if more than 10% of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) was taken on a pass/fail or similar basis, you can qualify only on the basis of your class standing or membership in an honor society. If an applicant is claiming to qualify based on superior academic achievement, it is the applicant's responsibility to submit all documentation with their application that is appropriate in relationship to providing proof that the SAA criteria is met (i.e., ALL unofficial or official college transcripts that include GPA, proof of honor society membership, proof of class standing).OR Applicants may substitute Graduate Education to qualify for grade GS-7. Applicants may substitute education for experience with at least one full academic year (18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours) of graduate level education from an accredited college or university in a field that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. If you are claiming to qualify based on your education, your application must include an official or unofficial copy of graduate level transcripts that demonstrate this information. OR Applicants may substitute a combination of graduate education and specialized experience to qualify for the position at the GS 7 grade level. If you have some, but not all, of the graduate education described above AND less than one full year of the specialized experience described above, you may qualify by combining the amount of creditable education and experience that you do have. To calculate, first identify the percentage of qualifying education you have as a percentage of one year of study. Next, identify the percentage of specialized experience you have as a percentage of 12 months. Then, add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100% for you to qualify for the position at the grade GS-7 level. For example, an applicant who has 9 semester hours of graduate education (i.e., 50% of graduate education required) and 6 months of acceptable specialized experience (i.e., 50% of the experience required) would satisfy the qualification requirements for the position. If you are claiming to qualify based on your education, your application must include an official or unofficial copy of college transcripts that demonstrate this information. Note: 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 that you document, including volunteer experience. Education An unofficial or official copy of your transcripts 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: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/ If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html Additional Information This is not a Virtual/Remote Position. Work Schedule: Regular office hours, Monday -Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM. Alternate work schedules may be available. Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary. 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 full performance level of this position is grade GS-10. VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility may be discussed during the interview process. Telework is subject to approval by individual supervisors and managers, is considered a privilege not a right, is subject to approval based on performance and other varying factors, and is not guaranteed. Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. 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. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.