Veterans Claims Examiner (Training/Quality Specialist)

This position is located in the Department of Veterans Affairs, Buffalo Regional Office (VARO), Education Division. The Quality/Training Specialist is an integral part of the Education Quality Assurance Program and is a key technical advisor to the Veterans Claims Examiners (VCEs) and Senior Veterans Claims Examiners (SVCEs), in the Regional Office. To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement:06/27/2026.

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-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11 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 as described below: GS-12

Grade Level:

Specialized Experience:

You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 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:

(1) Reviewing and evaluating claim decisions for accuracy, completeness, and compliance with VA policies (2) Identifying and correcting errors or inconsistencies (3) Providing feedback to examiners to improve claim processing quality (4) Participating in audits, compliance checks, or process improvement initiatives

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 :

Most work is generally performed under common business office conditions at a Regional Office, other approved site. The work environment involves everyday risks or discomforts that require normal safety precautions typical of such places as offices, meeting and training rooms, libraries, or commercial vehicles. The work area is adequately lit, heated, and ventilated. Work is typically performed under common business office conditions at the regional processing office. Position may require occasional travel to attend training sessions, conferences, and meetings. 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 will be discussed during the interview process. 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/ .