Field Office - Claims Specialist (Bilingual) (Spanish)

Summary

Positions under this announcement are being filled using a Direct Hire Authority (DHA)(SSA-001), open to all U.S. citizens. Selections made under this bulletin will be processed as new appointments to the civil service. Current civil service employees would be given new appointments to the civil service. Under the provisions of the DHA, Veterans Preference and the "Rule of Many" do not apply.

NOTE: Telework may be available in accordance with agency policy. This IS NOT a virtual position.

Learn more about this agency
This job is open to

The public
U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)
Federal employees whose job, agency or department was eliminated and are eligible for priority over other applicants.
Clarification from the agency

All U.S. Citizens
Duties

Once selected for the Claims Specialist position in SSA, you will contribute to the Agency's mission through direct and personal service to the public. This includes speaking with beneficiaries about their rights under the Social Security laws, gathering facts and evidence to establish eligibility for benefits, making critical decisions to determine the amount of benefits paid to individuals, and using state-of-the-art computer technology to access and update information about claims.

Claims Specialists conduct interviews with the public to obtain, clarify, and verify information about initial and continuing eligibility for retirement, survivors, disability, health insurance benefits, and eligibility for supplemental security income including State supplements. In addition, they resolve discrepancies, clarify issues and make final decisions for initial and post-entitlement for benefits and payments; adjudicate and authorize entitlement or disallowance actions at all levels of difficulty and complexity under programs administered by SSA.
Requirements

Conditions of employment
U.S. Citizenship required
Selective Service Registration, if applicable ()
Job offers are contingent on fingerprinting and background / security investigation results
Selectees may be required to serve a 1 year probationary period
Relocation expenses will not be paid
All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement
Must pass Competency Assessment Interview Process (CAIP) interview.
Selectees are required to complete an *****-week technical training class.
Selectees will be required to attend and successfully complete, formal technical training onsite at a designated SSA facility.
Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin.
Selectee must be fluent in both English and Spanish.
Qualifications

Resumes exceeding two pages in length will not be considered, please visit the new resume guidance for more information.

The closing date of this vacancy announcement is August 4, ****.

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement. If you are using experience to qualify, you must have:

GS-5: Three years of general experience equivalent to the next lower grade level in the federal service that demonstrates the ability to 1) review problems to identify significant factors, gather pertinent data, and recognize solutions; 2) plan and organize work; and 3) communicate effectively orally and in writing. An example of qualifying experience include reviewing, explaining, applying or interpreting rules, regulation or policies.

GS-7: One (1) year of specialized experience at the GS-5 level (or equivalent) that demonstrates the ability to (1) assist individuals in establishing their entitlement to receive benefits (e.g., retirement, disability, public aid, insurance, taxes, etc.); (2) adjudicate, authorize or reconsider claims; (3) explain benefit (e.g., retirement, disability, public aid, insurance, taxes, etc.) entitlements or requirements to the general public; (4) evaluate benefit (e.g., retirement, disability, public aid, insurance, taxes, etc.) program operations to assess the integrity and quality; or (5) interpret benefit (e.g., retirement, disability, public aid, insurance, taxes, etc.) program requirements to formulate policies, procedures or guidelines.

GS-9: Fifty-two weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7 grade level. Examples of specialized experience include assisting individuals in establishing their entitlement to receive benefits; adjudicating or investigating claims; or evaluating benefit programs to assess the integrity and quality of operations.

Note: Part-time work is prorated in crediting experience (e.g., if you work 20 hours per week for a 12-month period), you will be credited with 6 months of experience.

SELECTIVE PLACEMENT FACTORS

COMPETENCY ASSESSMENT INTERVIEW PROCESS (CAIP) INTERVIEW: Applicants will be required to participate in a panel interview (after basic eligibility determination) to demonstrate an aptitude for meeting and dealing with the public. Applicants must pass this interview process in order to be found fully qualified for this position and receive further consideration for selection. This interview will cover typical situations, which might be encountered on the job, in person or over the telephone. Applicants must demonstrate qualities such as clarity of speech, ability to listen, ability to establish confidence and put others at ease and the ability to organize and express thoughts clearly. If you do not pass the CAIP interview, you will not qualify for the job. Panel interviews may be conducted via video conferencing software, if technically feasible.

BILINGUAL CERTIFICATION INTERVIEW: Applicants must have the ability to fluently speak and understand both English and Spanish. Applicants will be required to pass an interview designed to assess possession of this ability.

Education

SUBSTITUTING EDUCATION: If you are qualifying for this position based on completed education at an accredited U.S. college, university, or other educational institution, you must provide a copy of your transcripts or other proof of education prior to being appointed. NOTE: Education completed in a foreign institution must be deemed equivalent to that gained in conventional/accredited U.S. education programs. It is the applicant's responsibility to acquire U.S. Certification and provide it at the time of application. For a list of Credential Evaluation Services, log on to: Credential Evaluation Services.

GS-5: Completion of a full 4-year course of study in any field leading to a bachelor's degree OR a combination of post-high school education and the general experience described above. One year of study is defined as 30 earned semester hours or 45 earned quarter hours.

GS-7: One full year of graduate level education in any field. One year of full-time graduate education is defined as 18 earned semester hours or 27 earned quarter hours. A combination of graduate level education and the specialized experience as described above OR a Bachelor's degree and superior academic achievement in any field can be applied as a substitution. Superior academic achievement is based on:

Graduated in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision; OR
Graduated with a cumulative 3.0 GPA or higher out of 4.0 based on 4 years of education, or based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; OR
Graduated with a 3.5 GPA or higher based on the average of all the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; OR
Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society that meets the minimum requirements of the Association of College Honor Societies (except for freshman honor societies).
GS-9: Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B or J.D. If you are selected for the position, you must provide your official college transcripts prior to being appointed.

COMBINING EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: Experience and education as described above may be combined to meet the minimum qualification requirements.

GS-5: Experience and education as described above may be combined to meet the minimum qualification requirements.

GS-7: Experience and graduate level education as described above may be combined to meet the minimum qualification requirements.

GS-9: Experience and higher-level graduate education as described above may be combined to meet the minimum qualification requirements.

Experience and education will be computed as percentages of the overall requirements and must equal to 100 percent when combined.

For information on providing proof of education or substituting education for experience, visit General Schedule Qualification Standards (opm.gov)

Additional information

This position is located in the Arecibo, PR Field Office at 880 Isaac Cruz Stgo Street, Arecibo, PR *****.

This is a career-ladder position offering the opportunity for annual promotion based on performance leading up to the GS-11 grade level.

This is a bargaining unit position represented by the American Federation of Government Employees.

LOCALITY PAY: Salary will be set in accordance with locality pay provisions. Refer to Salaries & Wages for locality pay tables.

Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, ****, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See .

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:
- your performance and conduct;
- the needs and interests of the agency;
- whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
- whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

For an overview of SSA Benefits, please visit the following YouTube link - .

This announcement serves as public notice. Applications submitted will be placed into a pool and will remain on file for selection as positions become available.

Vacancies may be filled for up to 6 months after the closing date of this announcement. Applicants may not receive notifications of referral status until the full 6-month eligibility period has elapsed.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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.

Please make sure you answer all questions and follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your evaluation. The questionnaire takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. To preview the questions, click the following link:
Required Documents

You must also submit ALL supporting documentation by the closing date of the vacancy announcement to claim certain types of preference.

Resumes exceeding two pages will not be considered per OPM's new resume guidance. To be considered, your resume must:

Clearly demonstrate your qualifications for the position
Include your contact information

We recommend using a clear, easy-to-read format and focusing on information most relevant to the job announcement.

RESUME: You must meet the basic qualification requirements for the position being filled, including any positive education requirements and/or selective placement factors. All applicants must submit a resume showing work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment, and duties performed. Your resume must provide specific details as to how your experience meets the qualifications for the posted position(s). When describing your experience in your resume, please be specific; we will not make assumptions regarding your experience. Ensure that your resume includes the grade (if you are a current or previous federal employee) and month, day, and year that you began and ended each position held. Without this information, the experience gained while in that position may not be credited toward meeting the qualifications requirements. The resume should indicate if the work is full-time or part-time. Part-time work is prorated (e.g., if you work 20 hours per week for a 12-month period, you will be credited with 6 months of experience).

For additional information see: What to include in your resume

Experience statements (i.e., duties, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire) copied from this announcement and pasted into your resume will not be considered as a demonstration of your qualifications for this position. You resume must provide context and sufficient detail of your experience. Failure to provide details will result in an ineligible rating.

PROOF OF EDUCATION: If you are qualifying on the basis of education or satisfying an educational requirement, submit a copy of your transcripts that includes your name, the name of the educational institution, course title(s), number of credits, grade, and date of completion. Unofficial transcripts or screenshots of electronic/web transcripts with the required information will be accepted at the time of application. You must submit your transcripts according to the application submission details of this announcement. Documents will not be accepted via email or regular mail. If selected, you may be required to provide your official college transcripts prior to the effective date of the personnel action placing you into the new position.

INTERAGENCY CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (ICTAP): ICTAP provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority for competitive service vacancies. To receive selection priority, candidates must meet the requirements for the Well Qualified. Well-qualified is defined as having knowledge, skills, and abilities that clearly exceed the minimum qualification requirements for the position. Candidates must also provide:
proof of eligibility with your application. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of ICTAP eligibility or a copy of your separation Notice of Personnel Action, (SF-50); and
proof of your most recent performance rating of at least "fully successful" (Level III) or equivalent.
For more information visit .

Veteran's preference does not apply under this Direct Hire Authority.

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

The closing date of this vacancy announcement is August 4, ****.

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 submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. 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 (see Required Documents section).
Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.

You may update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period by returning to your USAJOBS account. There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Update 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. All of your applications will appear on the Welcome page. The application record in your USAJOBS account provides an Additional Application Information page that provides information regarding the documentation you submitted and any correspondence we have sent related to this application. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit /.

If you use assistive software or an adaptive device, or you are experiencing some other type of technical difficulty and/or otherwise require assistance with the application process, please contact ******.

Individuals with hearing or speech disabilities may use the listed email or 7-1-1 for TTY-based Telecommunications Relay Services to call the listed phone number. Additional Telecommunications Relay Services options are available in each state:

Due to our security procedures, our office will not accept any applications submitted via email or standard mail. The email address is listed only for inquiries about the position or the How to Apply process.

Agency contact information
Careers at SSA
Email
******
Address
Field Operations
**** Security Blvd
**** Annex
Baltimore, MD *****
US
Next steps

Once you have successfully submitted all of the required application materials and assessments, you can expect to receive at least two or more of the following email notifications concerning your application status: (1) Receipt of application; (2) Whether your application has been Referred/Not Referred to the selecting official; and (3) Selection status for the position.

The hiring office will contact candidates directly for interviews. Interviews may be conducted via video conferencing software, if technically feasible.

To check the status of your application or return to a previous or incomplete application, log in to your USAJOBS account, select Application Status, and click on the more information link under the application status for this position.
Overview

Accepting applications
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Arecibo, PR
No matching locations found.
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$40,736 - $80,243 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 5 - 9
Promotion potential
11
Learn more about pay scale and grade
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
Not required
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
**** Social Insurance Administration
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
Yes
Drug test
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Position sensitivity and risk
Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Suitability/Fitness
Financial disclosure required
No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
SSA-********-DHA-26-FO
Control number
*********