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Summary This position serves as a Lead Transportation Assistant (OA) organizationally aligned within Business Service located in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA), at the San Francisco VA Healthcare System in the Business Office /Veterans Transportation Service. The San Francisco Veterans Affairs Health Care System (SFVAHCS) is a Level 1a facility and ranks among a complex system in the VA serving the VA Sierra Pacific Network (VISN 21). Responsibilities The Lead Transportation Assistant will lead a team of Transportation Assistant in the unit to accomplish goals and objectives based upon a full understanding of management objectives and knowledge of how the Service and Health Care System are organized. The incumbent is responsible for assisting the Supervisory Transportation Assistant in overseeing the daily activities of clerical staff who perform in a team-oriented, customer-driven, professional environment to develop new models of care that emphasize prevention, improve access and coordination of care; educate and empower patients and their families; enhance the customer experience with positive human interactions and therapeutic alliances; and promote the coordination, continuity and integration of care. The office staff determine Veteran eligibility for VA travel reimbursement and assist with arranging transportation for Veterans to and from medical appointments. They also provide explanation of benefits to Veterans and their families on all patients requesting care within the SFVAHCS. The Lead is responsible for performing general program support work such as travel eligibility interviews, collection, compilation, research and tracking of financial and demographic information to support VA programs. The Lead demonstrates flexibility, integrity and accountability with a work ethic that emphasizes excellence and quality; builds customer confidence by professional dress and demeanor. The Lead Transportation Assistant serves as customer service representative for all matters involving Beneficiary Travel, communicating, and interacting with patients in a manner appropriate to cognitive, emotional, and chronological maturation needs of the adult and/or geriatric patient. Assures that all appropriate VA forms are used correctly, and regulations followed. Major duties include but are not limited to: Responsible for ensuring the Beneficiary Travel office staff provide transportation at Government expense to beneficiaries and their attendants traveling to and from VA facilities and other places for examination, treatment, or care. Balance the workload among employees in accordance with established work flow or job specialization, assure timely accomplishment of the assigned workload. Direct oversight of the transportation assistants performing all office functions. Responsible for the processing of Veteran claims reimbursements utilizing BTSSS which provides a more veteran-focused experience for beneficiary travel reimbursements, allowing claimants to submit and track travel claims at their convenience. Responsible for the processing of Veteran claims reimbursements via paper submission and work towards increase efficiency and accuracy in claims processing, provide letters to noncompliant claims that include rejections codes. Responsible for forwarding all invoices certified for payment to Financial Resource Management Service(FRMS) for processing. Assists with the arrangement for all modes of transportation via air ambulance, commercial air, taxi, ambulance, bus, and/or contracted transport services. Prepares appropriate documentation and/or scheduling for traveler per government rates or substantial rates. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:30am - 4:00pm Position Description/PD#: Lead Transportation Assistant/PD027040 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized. Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Authorized. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): 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 Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/31/2025. 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-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS- 06. 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: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. 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-06 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 using VA laws, directives, guidelines, policies and procedures pertaining to the VA Beneficiary Travel Program. Resolve complaints from employees, referring group grievances and more serious complaints to a higher-level supervisor or manager. Assign work to subordinates based on priorities, consideration of the difficulty and requirements of the assignments, and the capabilities of the employees. Identify developmental and training needs of the employees, and provide for and arrange the needed training. Provide advice, counseling, or instruction to staff on work and administrative matters. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Customer Service Leadership Managing Human Resources Teaching Others 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. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Physical Requirements: The work requires no special physical demands, but will require some physical effort such as standing, walking, bending, or sitting. The work environment involves everyday risks or discomforts which require normal safety precautions typical of such places as offices, meeting and training rooms or libraries. The work area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. 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 Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. 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 (TJO). Please visit the Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP), va.gov/EMPLOYEE/docs/The-Fair-Chance-to-Compete-Act.pdf for more information.