Lead Insurance Specialist

This announcement is being limited to the first 100 applications received. The announcement will close either on the published closing date at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) or on the day when the number of applications reaches 100 at 11:59 p.m. (EST), whichever comes first.

Major duties

Specific duties include: Monitors work progress, balances workload and makes adjustments to ensure effective team performance within the Insurance Call Center. Based on observation and review of work accomplished by the team provides input for performance ratings and award nominations. Responds to inquiries varying in complexity and counsels' callers on topics including dividends, premiums, non-medical and medical underwriting issues, matured endowments, cash surrenders, loans, death claim processing and tax issues relating to insurance benefits. Solves work problems and assists the team and/or individual members identifying the boundaries of a viable solution. Mentors team employees, addresses individual learning needs and effectively offers feedback to identify and correct deficient areas. Provides or arranges technical training necessary for the accomplishment of individual and team tasks. Advises the Supervisory Insurance Specialists and Section Chiefs on the daily operations of the teams, reports operational problems, including but not limited to attendance and behavioral problems, and needs that impact the Division's ability to achieve established goals and objectives. Relays to the Supervisory Staff the most cost-effective use of resources in order to accomplish assigned goals and objectives, by preparing reports and maintaining records of work. Assists Management with meeting quality and timeliness service performance indicator goals. Researches and interprets regulations governing life insurance policies in order to reply to inquiries from policyholders on the VA administered insurance programs. Makes all servicing and maintenance actions in responding to requests or inquiries from policyholders or their authorized representatives, including posting premiums, loan and dividend payments and refunds. Work Schedule: Full time, Monday through Friday Compressed/Flexible: Available (8:00am - 5:30pm) Virtual: This is a remote position Position Description/PD#: Lead Insurance Specialist; PD41635A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement:10/12/2026. TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENT: As a current/former Federal, GS employee you must meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09 level. 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. Examples of appropriate SF-50s to include which show TIG requirements have been met include: Within grade increases (WGI) at the highest grade held; or Promotions with an effective date that occurred more than one year from the closing date of the job opportunity announcement; or Most recent appointment. NOTE: Do not submit Award, Data Element, Change in Tenure, or General Adjustment SF-50s, as they do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted for the purpose of verifying TIG. MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT: You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: GS-11 Grade Level: Specialized Experience: You must have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-9) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is defined as: Communicating the complex series of laws, regulations and Federal legislation pertaining to the full range of Veterans' benefits; and Responsibility for examination, investigation or authorization of claims under programs such as life or health insurance, pension plan, disability retirement, income maintenance or other related programs. OR Education: Applicants may substitute education for the experience required for the GS-11 level. Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related. OR Combination of Specialized Experience and Education: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-11 level: Equivalent combinations of specialized experience and PH.D. graduate education. To compute, divide your total months of qualifying experience by 12. Then divide your semester hours of graduate education beyond two years by 18. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100% to qualify. Volunteer Experience: 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. Full vs. Part-Time Employment: Full-time employment is considered to be at least 35 hours per week. Part-time experience will be credited on a pro-rated basis; when including part-time employment in your resume you must specify the average hours worked per week. Physical Requirements: The work is mostly sedentary. The employee will be required to talk for long periods of time which occasionally puts a strain on the throat/vocal cords. There are no other special physical demands required to perform the work. Extensive use of a computer and a telephone with a headset is required. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at http://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://www.ed.gov/about/initiatives/international-affairs/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications. You may submit unofficial transcripts when applying. However, if you are selected for the position, you will be required to provide an official transcript or a statement from the institution (e.g., from the registrar, dean, or other appropriate official) or equivalent documentation prior to the start date.

Requirements

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will 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. Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Additional Conditions of Employment are as follows: 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 or trial period 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 I-9 Acceptable Documents. Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.