Veteran Services Officer

Description

Boulder County Community Services Department is seeking to hire a Veteran Services Officer. Veterans Service Officers (VSO) advise and advocate for veterans and their dependents on state and federal entitlements that include pensions, compensation, Veteran Administration law, insurance, health care, education. The primary role of the VSO is the preparation and processing of Veteran Benefits Administration claims. Additional areas of focus include fostering partnerships, community outreach, and education. Veteran Services staff serve as leaders on veteran issues in Boulder County and support veteran initiatives throughout Colorado.
The Veteran Services program is on the Business Results Team at the Boulder County Area Agency on Aging; this position is supervised by the Strategic and Business Operations Manager.
This is afull-time, benefited position. This position will work Monday - Friday8:30am - 5:00pm.This position will work remotely and out of the St. Vrain Community Hub located at515 Coffman St.,Longmont, Colorado. Under Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) guidelines, this position is exempt.
Boulder County requires its employees to reside in the state of Colorado as of the first day of work.
Hiring Salary Range: $63,840.00 - $77,892.00Annually
Tentative Hiring Timeline:

• Phone Screening: week of March 18th
• First Round Interviews: week of March 18th
• Second Round Interviews: week of March 25th
• Reference Check: week of March 25th

Examples of Duties

• Meet with veterans and dependents to gather pertinent information about eligibility and need
• Research federal statutes, laws, and regulations pertaining to benefits and claims by military veterans and dependents
• Coordinate, facilitate, and monitor Veteran Benefits Administration (VBA) claims submissions
• Develop strategies, legal precedents, and opinions using guidance from various federal sources to give direction and provide advocacy in post-decisional hearings and appeals processes
• Participate in ongoing professional development to maintain knowledge of federal regulations
• Collaborate with other county departments and divisions to advance veterans initiatives
• Maintain VBA accreditation
• Maintain knowledge of local veteran resources
• Conduct community outreach, provide information and education to the public.
• Perform related duties as required, which may include disaster response activities
• May be reassigned during emergency situations

Required Qualifications

PLEASE NOTE: When completing your application describe all relevant education and experience, as applications are assessed based on the required qualifications listed. Resumes and other attachments are not accepted in lieu of completed applications and will not be reviewed in the initial screening process. Any personally identifiable information (PII) such as name and address will be redacted from applications that meet the minimum screening requirements and are forwarded to the hiring manager. If the hiring manager selects you to advance in the hiring process, your attachments will then be shared with the hiring team.
EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:
Boulder County is looking for well qualified candidates to fill our positions. Any combination of relevant education and experience is encouraged. In this position, we are looking for a minimum ofeight yearsofcombined experience and education.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Applicants must be an honorably discharged veteran from the military forces of the United States
• Applicants must attach a copy of DD214 with application

• A job offer is contingent on passing a background investigation

Supplemental Information

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience and relevant skills for working with Veterans: Experience working directly with Veterans and/or the Veteran Benefit Administration. Ability to stay calm under pressure and de-escalate tense situations. Knowledge and/or experience with veteran culture and benefits systems. Knowledge of local community resources for veterans. Skills in interviewing, counseling, and administration.
• Resourcefulness: Marshals resources (people, funding, material, and support) to get things done; orchestrates multiple activities simultaneously to accomplish a goal; gets the most out of limited resources; applies knowledge of internal structures, processes, and culture to resourcing efforts.
• Ensures Accountability: Follows through on commitments and makes sure others do the same. Acts with a clear sense of ownership. Takes personal responsibility for decisions, actions, and failures. Establishes clear responsibilities and processes for monitoring work and measuring results.
• Collaborates: Works cooperatively with others across the organization to achieve shared objectives. Partners with others to get work done. Gains trust and support of others.

• Ability to be thorough and accurate.
• Ability to maintain accurate records and comply with local, state, and federal regulations and requirements.
• Ability to work effectively with other employees, agencies, and the public
• Ability to stay calm under pressure and de-escalate tense situations
• Knowledge of and/or experience with veteran culture and benefits systems
• Knowledge of local community resources for veterans
• Skills in solution-focused problem solving
• Skills in interviewing, counseling, and administration
• Skills in attention to detail and communication (both written and verbal)
• Strong computer skills, including but not limited to: Excel, Word, Outlook, Web-based systems

• Resourcefulness: Marshals resources (people, funding, material, and support) to get things done; orchestrates multiple activities simultaneously to accomplish a goal; gets the most out of limited resources; applies knowledge of internal structures, processes, and culture to resourcing efforts.
  
• Ensures Accountability: Follows through on commitments and makes sure others do the same. Acts with a clear sense of ownership. Takes personal responsibility for decisions, actions, and failures. Establishes clear responsibilities and processes for monitoring work and measuring results.
  
• Communicates effectively: Is effective in a variety of communication settings - one-on-one, small and large groups, or among diverse styles and position levels; attentively listens to others; adjusts to fit the audience and the message; provides timely and helpful information to others across the organization; encourages the open expression of diverse ideas and opinions.
  
• Collaborates: Works cooperatively with others across the organization to achieve shared objectives. Partners with others to get work done. Gains trust and support of others.

• Outstanding options of comprehensive health plans that include vision and dental coverage. Information can be found HERE. (Download PDF reader)
• Additional Benefits can be found HERE. (Download PDF reader)
  • Including:
    • Family-forming benefits- infertility treatment, adoption and surrogacy reimbursements
    • 12 weeks Paid Caregiver leave
    • Breast feeding friendly-work environment
    • Sick child care, an infants-at-work policy
    • Access to LifeMart discount hub, including discounts on childcare centers, event tickets, travel and more!
    • Access to a nationally-recognized wellness program
    • Employee Assistance Program
    • PERA 401k
    • Social Security retirement plans
    • Additional Life and Disability Insurance
    • Critical Illness and Accidental Insurance
    • County-paid tuition assistance
    • Eligible for PSLF- Public Service Loan Forgiveness
    • Free EcoPass
    • Hospital Indemnity
    • ID Theft Protection
    • Pet Insurance
    • 8 Hours of Paid Public Service Leave
• Generous paid time off
  • Holidays
    • New Year's Day January 1
    • Martin Luther King's Birthday January
    • Presidents' Day February
    • Memorial Day May
    • Juneteenth June 19
    • Independence Day July 4
    • Labor Day September
    • Indigenous People's Day
    • General Election Day November (first Tuesday after the first Monday, even years)
    • Veterans' Day November 11
    • Thanksgiving Day November
    • Friday after Thanksgiving*
    • Christmas Eve- ½ day (full day off depends on day of the week)
    • Christmas Day December 25
    • New Year’s Eve- ½ day (full day off depends on day of the week)
  • Vacation**
    • 80-hour bank of vacation at the time of hire
    • Eight hours of vacation per month for the first year of continuous service, then accrue twelve hours of vacation per month after the first year of continuous service.
  • Medical**
    • Eight hours of medical leave for each month employed.
• PERA- The County and all employees pay into both Social Security and PERA
  • Employer contribution to Social Security: 7.65% of salary
  • Employer contribution to PERA (Local Government Division- most county employees: 14.76%

• The District Attorney’s Office observe Francis Xavier Cabrini Day on the first Monday in October and omit the Friday after Thanksgiving