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Summary This position is located in the Beneficiary Travel Program within the Business Office of the James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY. Responsibilities Duties may include but are not limited to: Determining method of payment for authorized and unauthorized ambulance claims submitted for consideration; Receives invoices for payment of transportation services; Responsible for forwarding all invoices certified for payment to Fiscal Service for processing; Acts as liaison between vendors and Fiscal Service for invoices pending payment; Writes or selects appropriate letters explaining disposition of unauthorized travel claims; Responsible for balancing, reconciling, and adjusting invoices for payment; Assisting the Supervisor and Chief, Business Office with preparing documents and monthly account synopsis for contracting officials; Arranging all modes of transportation via air ambulance, commercial air, taxi, ambulance, bus and/or independent transports; Corresponds with physician, traveler, and vendor to determine the most dependable and economical mode or transportation; Prepares appropriate documentation and/or scheduling for traveler according to government rates or substantial rates; Makes special arrangements per physician documentation according to traveler's medical condition and/or preference; Secures reservations and tickets from carriers; Maintains communications with receiving facilities regarding beneficiaries return travel arrangements; Reviews requests for reimbursement of travel costs for the purpose of assuring compliance with regulations and procedures, completeness, accuracy, internal consistency, and agreement with basic authorization; Reconciles vouchers against authorizations for accuracy prior to preparing certifications for payment; Communicating and interacting with patients in a manner which is appropriate; and Regular and recurring contact with personnel external to the agency for the obtainment of services, sharing of information and authorization. clarification or denial of payment. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Travel Benefit Assistant (Transportation Assistant OA)/PD55691A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 Physical Requirements: The work requires no special physical demands, but will require some physical effort such as standing, walking, bending or sitting. The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required. Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial 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. Upon completion of your probationary period period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/20/2025. 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-06 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05. 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. Note: Note: Failure to provide an SF-50 that demonstrates one-year time-in-grade will result in disqualification from being considered. You may qualify based on your experience as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Experience in office automation to include software applications such as word processing, spreadsheet and other electronic equipment to perform data entry when processing reimbursement claims; Managing multiple fund control points, including tracking funds, keeping accurate records, reconciling accounts, and making balance adjustments; Setting up and maintaining organized filing or record systems; and identifying key details in assignments to solve problems, follow travel policies, and respond to customer issues such as delays, losses, or complaints. NOTE: Such experience MUST be well represented in resume. Failure to do so will results in a Non-Qualification Determination. TYPING PROFICIENCY REQUIREMENT: 40 words per minute typing speed. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. Education There is no educational substitution at this grade level. Additional Information Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA 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, based on your adjudication decision. 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 RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. The Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide 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 for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. 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/.