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Summary The Mobility Transportation Specialist functions as a subject matter expert in all matters of beneficiary travel and modes of veteran transport for the facility. The primary purpose of this position is to assist the Chief, Transportation Section in management all VTS and BT Program activities, including patient transport, Special Mode Travel (SMT), mileage reimbursement claims, transportation contracts, 911 ambulance claims, inter-facility transfers, and common carrier transportation. Responsibilities Major Duties include, but are not limited to: Assists in management of the VTP Program at the facility. Aides in ensuring VTS Drivers/Motor Vehicle Operators provide safe and reliable transportation to Veterans who require assistance traveling to and from VA health care facilities and authorized non-VA health care appointments within the Medical Center's catchment area. Manages demand against available resources to increase access to medical care through the Medical Centers organic transportation resources. Collaborates with service providers in local communities to serve Veterans' transportation needs. May be required to provide additional coverage in absence of or in addition to the Transportation Coordinator position in times of need. Assists the Mobility Manager with development, analysis, evaluation, advisement, and/or improvement of the effectiveness of work methods and procedures, organizations, manpower utilization, distribution of work assignments, delegation of authority, and information and documentation systems. Assists the Mobility Manager in providing consistent and effective outreach to community transit authorities and assists in development of Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) for collaborative relationships with local/regional recipients of the Veterans Transportation Community Living Initiative (VTCLI) grants managed by the Federal Transportation Agency. Adjudicates mileage, lodging, meals, common carrier, SMT reimbursement requests, determines eligibility and processes payments for eligible Veterans in support of costs incurred while traveling to and from VA health care facilities. Responsible for coordinating work operation, assigning tasks, providing coverage and assuring that the work is completed in a timely manner. Oversees the processes for determining eligibility for beneficiary travel, processing requests for reimbursement for travel, maintaining fund control points within the travel office, coordinating and arranging transportation for eligible Veterans and the Patient Funds Program. Documents and prepares account synopsis for contracting officials quarterly to justify yearly ambulance contractual compliance. Answers telephone inquiries regarding inquiries regarding mileage, eligibility for travel reimbursement and amount of reimbursement from other VA facilities, social worker and medical staff. Maintains control of all folders and correspondence properly referred to and/or associated with activity until resolution of issues; ensures clerical correctness of invoices and supporting papers; obtains required missing information, signatures, and supporting documents as necessary to complete file and corrects mistakes. Manages the Patient Funds Program and ensures that the preparation and completion of all forms associated with patients who deposit funds and/or withdrawal funds to/from their patient funds account. Provides budget analysis support to the Mobility Manager for the transportation budget, analyzes organization budgets, and provides advice and recommendations to the Mobility Manager as appropriate. Serves as the first-level point of contact for escalated veterans concerns for resolution before referring to the Mobility Manager. May serve as Acting Mobility Manager in their absence. All other duties as assigned, pertaining to this occupation, to meet the needs of the Agency, Department, Facility, and/or Service. Work Schedule: Full-Time, Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Mobility Transportation Specialist/PD200010 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 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, 11/07/2025. 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-9 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7. 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 and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-7 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: knowledge of fleet management and/or common carrier transportation; conducting administrative activities related to transportation; prioritizing program resource when conflicts arise; analyzing and evaluating information pertinent to the efficient and effective operation of a transportation program. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed a 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 related, with a major study in accounting, business administration, business or commercial law, commerce, economics, engineering, finance, industrial management, statistics, traffic management, transportation, motor mechanics, or other fields related to Mobility Transportation Specialist position. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have completed graduate level education (beyond the second year) and specialized experience, as described above, to meet total experience requirements for this grade level. The education portion must include graduate courses that demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do to the work of the position such as accounting, business administration, business or commercial law, commerce, economics, engineering, finance, industrial management, statistics, traffic management, transportation, motor mechanics, or other fields related to the Mobility Transportation Specialist position. 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 A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. 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. 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. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. 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. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and 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/. Whole Health is an approach to health care that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their life to the fullest. The VA is committed to Whole Health and values Veteran and Employee health and wellbeing. As a VA employee, you will practice Whole Health in an environment that supports personalized and proactive care.