Support Services Specialist

Duties OIG's Office of Investigations (OI) investigates potential crimes and civil violations of law involving VA programs and operations committed by VA employees, contractors, beneficiaries, and other individuals.
These investigations focus on a wide range of matters including health care, procurement, benefits, education, construction, and other fraud; cybercrime and identity theft; bribery, embezzlement, and conflicts of interest; drug offenses; and violent crimes.
OI is staffed by special agents, forensic accountants, analysts, and other professional staff in headquarters divisions and regional field offices that use data analytics, cyber-tools, covert operations, and other strategies to detect and address conduct that poses a threat to or has harmed VA personnel, operations, and the veterans or other beneficiaries they service.
Through criminal prosecutions and civil monetary recoveries, OI's investigations promote integrity, patient safety, efficiency, and accountability within VA.
The following are the duties of this position at the GS-12.
If you are selected at a lower grade level, you will have the opportunity to learn to perform all these duties, and will receive training to help you grow in this position.
Perform comprehensive studies and projects on a range of functions and missions including case and file management, adherence to OI policies, and CIGIE investigative standards using a wide range of specialized methods and techniques to assess the productivity, effectiveness, and efficiency of overall OI regional office administrative and investigative operations.
Serve as an advisor to the SAC/RACs in formulating, justifying, revising, and executing the office's budget, to include developing budget plans and executing purchase of spend plan items in accordance with budget requirements, restraints, and Headquarters' guidance.
Formulate and project annual budget requirements for various expenditure categories, including equipment, supplies, local training, facilities maintenance and related expenses; prepare and submit monthly reconciliation reports reflecting actual expenses; and coordinate budget and fiscal matters with SAC/RACs and Headquarters Serve as a purchase card holder who executes purchasing of goods, services, and training from the approved budget; input expenditures into budget system; and reconcile monthly expenditures.
Evaluate field office and resident agency compliance with various OI administrative policies and procedures; make recommendations on administrative programs and procedures to office personnel; and research and assist in the implementation of administrative instructions and procedures for use across Regional/Field offices for resources and employee/administrative support.
Requirements Conditions of Employment This opportunity is also open to Status Candidates under Announcement 24-VAOIG-99.
Please refer to that announcement for details on open period, eligibility, and how to apply.
The experience may have been gained in either the public, private sector or volunteer service.
One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis.
To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/day/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week on your résumé.
Key Requirements: Click "Print Preview" to review the entire announcement before applying.
Must be a U.
S.
Citizen or U.
S.
National.
Qualifications You must meet the following requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
Specialized experience for the GS-11 is defined as one year of experience at the GS-9 level, or equivalent, that is directly related to the position and has equipped the candidate with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position.
Specialized experience for this position must include: - Administrative and Investigative support.
(examples might include coordinating travel arrangements; purchasing supplies; or tracking technical, office, and personal equipment; AND - Assisting in the preparation of project files and gathering relevant information.
OR Education: Ph.
D.
or equivalent doctoral degree in a Major study such as: public administration, business administration, industrial engineering, industrial management, or other administrative or management fields related to the position to be filled; OR 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree.
OR A combination of education and experience.
Only graduate level education in excess of 36 semester hours (54 quarter hours), may be used to combine education and experience.
Specialized experience for the GS-9 is defined as one year of experience at the GS-7 level, or equivalent, that is directly related to the position and has equipped the candidate with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position.
Specialized experience for this position must include: - Administrative support.
(examples might include coordinating travel arrangements; purchasing supplies; or tracking technical, office, and personal equipment for military, VA, other Government agencies or the private sector); AND - Assisting in the preparation of case files and gathering relevant information; AND - Accessing background information from various data bases.
OR Education: Master's or equivalent graduate degree in a Major study such as: public administration, business administration, industrial engineering, industrial management, or other administrative or management fields related to the position to be filled; OR 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree.
OR A combination of education and experience.
Only graduate level education in excess of 18 semester hours (27 quarter hours), may be used to combine education and experience.
Additional information Other information: - We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies.
Applicants who apply for this position may be considered for other positions within the Office of Inspector General that require the same knowledge, skills, and abilities.
- This is a non-bargaining unit position.
- A recruitment incentive may be offered.
- We offer opportunities for flexible work schedules.
- Office assignment may be at one of the locations listed on the announcement subject to availability and OIG management discretion.
Conditions of Employment (CONTINUED): - A one year probationary period may be required.
- Public Trust - Background Investigation will be required.
- If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so.
- Have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer.
- Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9.
Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.
S.
- Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency.
- Obtain and use a Government-issued purchase card for business-related travel.
Our comprehensive benefits are very generous.
Our benefits package includes: - Challenging work, opportunities for advancement, competitive salaries, bonuses and incentive awards.
- Eleven paid holidays, 13 days of sick leave, and 13 to 26 days of vacation time each year.
- Access to insurance programs that may be continued after you retire.
- A wide choice of health insurance plans, coverage for pre-existing conditions, and no waiting periods.
We pay a substantial amount (up to 75%) of the health insurance premiums.
- A retirement program which includes employer-matching contributions.
- Learn more about Federal benefits programs at: https://help.
usajobs.
gov/index.
php/Pay_and_Benefits REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION REQUESTS: If you believe you have a disability (i.
e.
, physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a reasonable accommodation in your online application.
Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments.
Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis.
If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments.
You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement.
To determine if you need a Reasonable Accommodation, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://help.
usastaffing.
gov/Apply/index.
php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire 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.
You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement.
Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.
g.
, résumé, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the online assessments required for this position.
Please be sure that your résumé includes detailed information to support your qualifications for this position; failure to provide sufficient evidence in your résumé may result in a "not qualified" determination.
In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process.
In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment.
The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
The assessment includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies.
You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered.
You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.
Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration.
Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.
Rating: Your application will be evaluated in the following areas: Attention to Detail Clerical Communication Customer Service Decision Making Flexibility Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Problem Solving Reading Comprehension Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork Technical Category rating will be used to rank and select eligible candidates.
If qualified, you will be assigned to one of three quality level categories, A-Exceptionally Qualified, B-Highly Qualified, or C-Qualified, depending on your responses to the online questions, regarding your experience, education, and training related to this position.
Your rating may be lowered if your responses to the online questions are not supported by the education and/or experience described in your application.
Veterans' preference is applied after applicants are assessed.
Preference-eligibles will be listed at the top of their assigned category and considered before non-preference-eligibles in that category.
Qualified preference-eligibles with a compensable service-connected disability of 10% or more will be listed at the top of the highest category.
Referral: If you are among the top qualified candidates, your application may be referred to a selecting official for consideration.
You may be required to participate in a selection interview and/or a writing assessment.
Applicants who are selected for an interview may ask questions about the evaluation process at the time they are contacted for an interview.
If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee (eligible for the Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP)) you must be assigned the middle category or better to be rated as "well qualified" to receive special selection priority.
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.
A complete application includes 1.
A résumé, 2.
Vacancy question responses, 3.
Submission of any required documents, and 4.
Completion of your USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if applicable.
Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, you may not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible).
It is anticipated that there will be significant interest in the announcement.
As a result, the announcement will close at 11:59 p.
m.
ET on the date of receipt of the 200th application or at 11:59 p.
m.
ET on date of closure; whichever occurs first.
Any required documents should be submitted at the time that you apply as documents will not be accepted after the vacancy closes.
All applicants are required to submit a résumé either by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one of their own choosing.
(Cover letters are optional.
) To receive full credit for relevant experience, please list the month/date/year and number of hours worked for experience listed on your résumé.
We suggest that you preview the online questions, as you may need to customize your résumé to ensure that it supports your responses to these questions.
Please view résumé tips.
VETERANS' PREFERENCE DOCUMENTATION: If you are claiming veterans preference, please see applicant guide for required documentation.
In order to be considered for veterans preference, you must submit all required documentation as outlined in the applicant guide.
CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (CTAP) OR INTERAGENCY CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (ICTAP) DOCUMENTATION: If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee, click CTAP/ICTAP for eligibility and a detailed list of required documents.
EDUCATION DOCUMENTATION: For positions with an education requirement, or if you are qualifying for this position by substituting education or training for experience, submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent.
An official transcript will be required if you are selected.
A college or university degree generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.
S.
Department of Education.
For a list of schools which meet these criteria, please refer to Department of Education Accreditation page.
If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency.
Refer to the OPM instructions.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements: Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.
S.
Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications.
Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.
S.
Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
How to Apply VAOIG has partnered with the Treasury's Bureau of the Fiscal Service to provide certain personnel services to its organization.
Fiscal Service's responsibilities include advertising vacancies, accepting and handling applications, and extending job offers.
The following instructions outline our application process.
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application.
To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include the initial online assessment and submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration.
We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00 a.
m.
- 5:00 p.
m.
ET, Monday - Friday).
The application process is as follows: The application process is as follows: To begin the application process, click the Apply Online button.
Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
After submitting an online application, you will be notified whether or not you are required to take additional online assessments through the USA Hire Competency Based Assessment system.
This message will be delivered to you via email notification.
The email may be routed to your "Spam" or "Junk" folder.
If you are asked to take the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be presented with a unique URL to access the USA Hire system.
Access to USA Hire is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
Be sure to review all instructions prior to beginning your USA Hire Assessments.
Click here for Computer System Requirements Note, set aside at least 3 hours to take these assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time.
If you need to stop the assessments and continue at a later time, you can re-use the URL sent to you via email and also found on the Additional Application Information page that can be located in the application record in your USAJOBS account.
To update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account ( https://usajobs.
gov).
There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Edit my application.
This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account at https://www.
usajobs.
gov.
On the Home page, scroll down and locate your job application.
Once the job has been located, click the "Track this application" link on the right under the application date.
The page will refresh to display the Agency's Application Information page where you can scroll down and review any notifications the agency has sent you.
The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated.
For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.
usajobs.
gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
Please notify us if your contact information changes after the closing date of the announcement.
Also, note that if you provide an email address that is inaccurate or if your mailbox is full or blocked (e.
g.
, spam-blocker), you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.
For additional information on how to apply, please visit the Partnership for Public Service's Go Government website.
To preview the application questionnaire:https://apply.
usastaffing.
gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12303807 Agency contact information Applicant Call Center Phone 304-480-7300 Email VAOIGInquiries@fiscal.
treasury.
gov Address Office of Investigations Administrative Resource Center Parkersburg, WV 26101 US Next steps Based on your application and your responses to the application questionnaire, you may be presented with instructions on how to access the USA Hire system to complete the online assessments.
The online assessments must be completed within 48 hours following the close of this announcement.
You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation for the assessment should you have a disability covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Your assessment results will be kept on record for one year and used toward future positions for which you might apply that require the same assessments.
To be considered for the position, you must meet all qualifications, including meeting or exceeding the cut score on the required assessments.
We will review your résumé and transcript(s) (if appropriate) to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements.
We will evaluate each applicant who meets the basic qualifications on the information provided and may interview the best-qualified applicants.
After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct any required suitability and/or security background investigation.
Fair and Transparent The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent.
Please read the following guidance.
Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy Reasonable accommodation policy Financial suitability Selective Service New employee probationary period Signature and false statements Privacy Act Social security number request Required Documents A complete application includes 1.
A résumé, 2.
Vacancy question responses, 3.
Submission of any required documents, and 4.
Completion of your USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if applicable.
Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, you may not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible).
It is anticipated that there will be significant interest in the announcement.
As a result, the announcement will close at 11:59 p.
m.
ET on the date of receipt of the 200th application or at 11:59 p.
m.
ET on date of closure; whichever occurs first.
Any required documents should be submitted at the time that you apply as documents will not be accepted after the vacancy closes.
All applicants are required to submit a résumé either by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one of their own choosing.
(Cover letters are optional.
) To receive full credit for relevant experience, please list the month/date/year and number of hours worked for experience listed on your résumé.
We suggest that you preview the online questions, as you may need to customize your résumé to ensure that it supports your responses to these questions.
Please view résumé tips.
VETERANS' PREFERENCE DOCUMENTATION: If you are claiming veterans preference, please see applicant guide for required documentation.
In order to be considered for veterans preference, you must submit all required documentation as outlined in the applicant guide.
CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (CTAP) OR INTERAGENCY CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (ICTAP) DOCUMENTATION: If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee, click CTAP/ICTAP for eligibility and a detailed list of required documents.
EDUCATION DOCUMENTATION: For positions with an education requirement, or if you are qualifying for this position by substituting education or training for experience, submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent.
An official transcript will be required if you are selected.
A college or university degree generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.
S.
Department of Education.
For a list of schools which meet these criteria, please refer to Department of Education Accreditation page.
If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency.
Refer to the OPM instructions.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements: Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.
S.
Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications.
Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.
S.
Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Help This job is open to The public U.
S.
Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.
S.
Clarification from the agency Open to all US citizens or US nationals; no prior federal experience is required