Summary

This position is located in our Williamsport field office at 240 WEST 3RD ST, SUITE 100 WILLIAMSPORT PA 17701

Promotion Potential: The GS-11 is the full performance level. This is a temporary position not to exceed 1 year, may extended, will not be made permanent

This job is open to

• Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)
  
  Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee.

Clarification from the agency

APPLICATIONS WILL ONLY BE ACCEPTED FROM those eligible for the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) in the commuting area of the locations listed in the vacancy announcement.

Duties

The Social Insurance Specialist (Claims Specialist) reviews and authorizes claims and other complex determinations for benefits under Titles II, XVI and/or XVIII of the Social Security Act. 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; and use state of-the-art technology to access and update claims information. Adjudicates and authorizes entitlement or disallowance actions at all levels of difficulty and complexity under programs administered by SSA. Develops, investigates, and resolves claims and post-entitlement actions that may involve suspension, resumption, adjustment, or termination of eligibility, or payments.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Proof of ICTAP required
• U.S. Citizenship required
• Selective Service Registration, if applicable (www.sss.gov)
• Fingerprinting and Background and/or security investigation required
• Job offers are contingent on fingerprinting and background / security investigation results.
• Must pass the Competency Assessment Interview Process (CAIP).

Qualifications

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.

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.

If you are using experience to qualify, you must have:

GS-11: Fifty-two weeks of specialized experience at least equivalent to the GS-9 level. Examples of specialized experience include developing, examining, investigating or authorizing of claims under a program for SSA benefits, health insurance, pension plan, income maintenance or related programs.

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).

Education

Substituting Education

For information on substituting education for experience, visit http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/standards/group-stds/gs-cler.asp

GS-11: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or successful completion of three full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent degree, or LL.M.

Combining Education and Experience:

GS-11: Experience and graduate level education beyond the second year may be combined to meet the minimum qualification requirement.

Note: One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school you attended has determined to represent one year of study. If this information is not provided, we will consider 18 semester/27 quarter hours to be equal to one year of full-time graduate study.

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

Additional information

In addition to the minimum qualifications, applicants must be eligible under one of the following categories:Displaced or surplus Federal employees eligible under the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP).

In addition to meeting the basic eligibility criteria, ICTAP applicants must be well qualified for the position. Well-qualified is defined as having knowledge, skills, and abilities that clearly exceed the minimum qualification requirements for the position. Under numeric rating procedures, qualified ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of 85 or higher to be eligible for selection.

Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, 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 www.sss.gov.

Additional selections may be made for this vacancy six months from the closing date of this announcement.

• Benefits
  
  Review our benefits

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

The evaluation you receive is based on your responses to the questionnaire. Your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses to the occupational questionnaire, which is designed to capture the desired competencies for this position. These competencies include:

• Knowledge of SSA mission, principles, objectives, policies, procedures, and entitlement programs.
• Ability to research, interpret and apply standards, directives, policies and legislation.
• Ability to communicate orally.
• Ability to communicate in writing.
• Skill in using online technology and automation tools.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and balance workloads.

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: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12435495~

• Benefits
  
  Review our benefits
• 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.
  
  You must submit supporting documentation by the closing date of the vacancy announcement to claim certain types of preference or qualify on the basis of education.
  
  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 category as described in the vacancy announcement. 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 http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp.
  
  PROOF OF EDUCATION: If you are qualifying on the basis of education or satisfying an educational requirement, submit a copy of your transcripts with the course title, number of credits, grade, and date of completion. To qualify, the degree must be from an accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Education completed in a foreign institution must be certified as equivalent to coursework completed at a U.S. college or university. Certification of equivalency must be submitted at the time of application. For a list of Credential Evaluation Services, log on to: Credential Evaluation Services.
• How to Apply
  
  To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
  
  1. Your Resume
  
  2. The Occupational Questionnaire
  
  3. Additional Required Documents, if applicable (see Required Documents section)
  
  The complete Application Package must be submitted before midnight (EST) on 06/07/2024.
  
  To begin the process, click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the occupational questionnaire. Please ensure you click the Submit My Answers button at the end of the process.
  
  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 Megan Robertson at Megan.Robertson@ssa.gov or (215) 597-8938.
  
  Individuals with disabilities may also call us via Federal Relay using the (voice) contact telephone provided.
  
  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.
  
  To check the status of your application or return to a previous or incomplete application, log in to your USAJOBS account.
  
  Agency contact information
  
  
  
  Megan Robertson
  
  Phone
  
  (215) 597-8938
  
  Email
  
  Megan.Robertson@ssa.gov
  
  Address
  
  Region III Area 4
  
  100 Market Street
  
  Suite 300
  
  Harrisburg, PA 17101
  
  US
  
  Next steps
  
  Once you have successfully submitted your application materials, you can expect to receive at least two or more of the following email notifications concerning your application status: (1) Receipt of application; (2) Qualifications status and whether your application has been Referred/Not Referred to the selecting official; and (3) Selection status for the position.
  
  Selection interviews may be conducted with one or more of the candidates, but there is no requirement that interviews be conducted. The hiring office will contact candidates directly for interviews. Interviews may be conducted via video conferencing software, if technically feasible. Applicants referred for consideration will receive a final disposition notice after selections have been made.
• 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
  • Criminal history inquiries
  • Reasonable accommodation policy
  • Financial suitability
  • Selective Service
  • New employee probationary period
  • Signature and false statements
  • Privacy Act
  • Social security number request

Required Documents

You must submit supporting documentation by the closing date of the vacancy announcement to claim certain types of preference or qualify on the basis of education.

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 category as described in the vacancy announcement. 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 http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp.

PROOF OF EDUCATION: If you are qualifying on the basis of education or satisfying an educational requirement, submit a copy of your transcripts with the course title, number of credits, grade, and date of completion. To qualify, the degree must be from an accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Education completed in a foreign institution must be certified as equivalent to coursework completed at a U.S. college or university. Certification of equivalency must be submitted at the time of application. For a list of Credential Evaluation Services, log on to: Credential Evaluation Services.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

1. Your Resume

2. The Occupational Questionnaire

3. Additional Required Documents, if applicable (see Required Documents section)

The complete Application Package must be submitted before midnight (EST) on 06/07/2024.

To begin the process, click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the occupational questionnaire. Please ensure you click the Submit My Answers button at the end of the process.

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 Megan Robertson at Megan.Robertson@ssa.gov or (215) 597-8938.

Individuals with disabilities may also call us via Federal Relay using the (voice) contact telephone provided.

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.

To check the status of your application or return to a previous or incomplete application, log in to your USAJOBS account.

Agency contact information



Megan Robertson

Phone

(215) 597-8938

Email

Megan.Robertson@ssa.gov

Address

Region III Area 4

100 Market Street

Suite 300

Harrisburg, PA 17101

US

Next steps

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

Selection interviews may be conducted with one or more of the candidates, but there is no requirement that interviews be conducted. The hiring office will contact candidates directly for interviews. Interviews may be conducted via video conferencing software, if technically feasible. Applicants referred for consideration will receive a final disposition notice after selections have been made.

Fair & 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
• Criminal history inquiries
• Financial suitability
• Selective Service
• New employee probationary period
• Signature and false statements
• Privacy Act
• Social security number request