Correspondence Analyst (Congressional Liaison)

Summary
The Congressional Liaison communicates with congressional aides and other outside entities telephonically to resolve inquiries regarding difficult cases and questions about VBA benefits.
This job is open to

• Internal to an agency
  Current federal employees of this agency.

Clarification from the agency
This vacancy announcement is open ONLY to current, permanent Houston, TX VBA Regional Office employees and current/former VA employees who are CTAP eligible. For the purpose of this job announcement, Fiduciary Hub bargaining unit employees in the commuting area are considered facility employees.
Duties
The incumbent independently reviews Congressional, White House, Secretary and other special inquiries received by letter and telephone in order to determine the proper disposition of these inquiries. Reviews include analyzing correspondence and requests for information, researching, expediting actions, and responding and preparing written responses. Duties include, but are not limited to the following:

• Review all Congressional, White House, Secretary, Office of the Director, Veterans Service Center, and other special inquires received by letter, fax, email, and/or telephone.
• Respond to all inquiries by telephone or in writing on behalf of the Director of the Regional Office.
• Research and analyze inquires to determine the correct course of action and priority.
• Communicate with congressional constituents to provide information pertaining to services and benefits available to Veterans.
• Conduct briefings and training sessions for congressional staff on VBA benefits.
• Represent the Regional Office at events and may serve as guest speaker/panelist.
• Ensure properly documented, controlled, and timely workload.
• Prepare reports in accordance with established priorities.

Promotion Potential: This position is being announced at the full performance level.
Work Schedule: Standard 5 day, 8 hours, full time (40 hours a week) 7:30am to 4:00pm; Hours may vary to effectively carry out the mission.
Telework: Per Agency Policy
Compressed/Flexible: Available, per station policy
Virtual: This is NOT a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Correspondence Analyst (Congressional Liaison)/Pd #39706A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required
Requirements
Conditions of Employment

• 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 period
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process

Qualifications
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement: 11/27/2023.
TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENT: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-11 position, you must have at least 52 weeks (one year) at the GS-09 grade level, or higher, by the closing date of this announcement (unless you are eligible for a non-competitive hiring authority such as VRA or Schedule A)

• For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09 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.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:
Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level or higher. Specialized experience is defined as:
(1) Counseling customers and/or Veterans, their dependents and their beneficiaries regarding their benefits.
(2) Serving as a liaison between government personnel (inside and outside the organization), representatives of business and industry, trade and professional associations, the media, or the public.
(3) Analyzing submitted claims and initiating action to obtain all required evidence to support the claim. Conducting comprehensive discharge briefings to large groups.
OR
Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree
OR
3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree OR LL.M., if related, demonstrating the competencies necessary to do the work of the position.
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. Click here for more information
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.
Education
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to be credited towards qualifications. Provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
All education claimed by applicants will be verified upon appointment. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript to receive credit.
Additional information
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.
Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provides 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 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 http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.
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.
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.
This is a bargaining unit position.
For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.
If you are unable to apply online view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.

• Benefits
  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. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
  Review our benefits
  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.

How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.
You will be rated on the following competencies based on your application for this position:
1. Organizational Awareness- Knows the organization's mission and functions, and how its social, political, and technological systems work and operates effectively within them; this includes the programs, policies, procedures, rules, and regulations of the organization.
2. Customer Service - Works with clients and customers (that is, any individuals who use or receive the services or products that your work unit produces, including the general public, individuals who work in the agency, other agencies, or organizations outside the Government) to assess their needs, provide information or assistance, resolve their problems, or satisfy their expectations; knows about available products and services; is committed to providing quality products and services.
3. Writing - Recognizes or uses correct English grammar, punctuation, and spelling; communicates information (for example, facts, ideas, or messages) in a succinct and organized manner; produces written information, which may include technical material, that is appropriate for the intended audience.
4. Oral Communication - Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, considering the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.
Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or an interview.

• Benefits
  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. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
  Review our benefits
  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.
• Required Documents
  As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.
  To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package to include the documents detailed below. Your resume and supporting documentation will be verified. Failure to submit the documents as specified may result in loss of consideration for this job announcement.
  
  • Resume detailing specialized experience and competencies as they relate to this position.
    
    • For each position in your resume, you must specify the start and end dates (month/year) and a description of duties. If the position was Federal, you should also indicate the grade level. Resumes containing a general summary of all positions held, not specifying start/end dates, and/or not including documentation supporting Federal grade level(s) are insufficient to determine basic qualifications.
  • Your most recent NON-AWARD SF-50. The SF-50 must indicate proof of status and should identify your position title, series, grade, step, salary, tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted).
  • Your SF-50 reflecting when you entered your highest grade (e.g. Promotion, Appointment, etc.) in order to verify time-in-grade requirements.
  • Transcript - If you are using education to qualify, a legible transcript must be submitted:
    
    • Your transcript must show coursework and the total number of credits earned to include graduation date and degree. A diploma is NOT sufficient to determine qualifications.
  
  Additional Documents accepted:
  
  • Most recent Performance Appraisal (VA Form 0750)
  • Documentation to be considered under non-competitive eligibility (if applicable) such as a member-4 DD-214, civil service preference letter, or Schedule A letter.
  • CTAP documentation - RIF notice, SF-50 showing VA employee, and performance appraisal
  
  Please use this checklist to make sure you have included all documents required for your application. You will not be contacted for additional information.
• How to Apply
  All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 11/27/2023 to receive consideration. It is your responsibility to ensure your respons...