Transportation Assistant

Summary

The primary purpose of this position is to perform duties as a transportation assistant, the duties of which are to initiate and complete a wide variety of administrative and technical for the beneficiary travel program within the CTVHCS.

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Duties

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The incumbent will work within the Beneficiary Travel (BT) Program for the Central Texas Veterans Health Care System (CTVHCS) which has an annual budget of over $9 million. He/she is a TA in BT in Medical Administration Service (MAS). The BT program provides transportation at Government expense to beneficiaries and their attendants traveling to and from VA facilities and other places for the purpose of examination, treatment, or care. This employee bears the responsibility for independent performance of all duties inherent in this position. Obligates funds for travel fund control points, maintaining manual and electronic accounting records, performing regular reconciliation and adjusting account balances; prepares computerized/hard copy travel vouchers for payment to beneficiaries. Employee prepares daily reports itemizing all control point activities for each day. Incumbent contacts approval official to authorize obligations and requests for additions, deductions, and/or movement of funds and forwards to a designated Finance Service contact for final action. Corresponds with their supervisor and/or Finance Service as necessary for clarification of posting to fund control points. Determines travel eligibility, computes mileage/common carriers, and prepares electronic vouchers in Veterans Health Information Systems & Technology Architecture (VistA) through use of the BT Dashboard. Incumbent solicits use of Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) and explains EFT benefits to Veterans to include the following: streamlines the travel claim process, improves CTVHCS' ability to track the status of the travel request, and cuts down on long lines at the Agent Cashier. When necessary, the TA assists the Veteran with any questions pertaining to the vendorization process and ensures vendorization forms are in final format before submitting to Finance Service for processing. Incumbent must be able to navigate the Financial Management System (FMS) to determine if a Veteran has or has not been vendorized, which will determine how the Veteran will receive travel reimbursement. In the event of electronic network failure, the contingency plan must be implemented, which may include using hard-copy forms. Incumbent looks up Veteran's home address in VistA and calculates the mileage to and from appropriate facility (via BT Dashboard and Internet as outlined in VA regulations). Incumbent successfully moves back and forth between various computer software programs to accomplish duties in a timely manner. Receives Veterans making claims for reimbursement at the time of discharge from the medical center, domiciliary, nursing home care unit, or when on an outpatient visit. This includes claimants not in receipt of benefits who are required to certify annually their inability to defray travel expenses based on a declaration of certification orally and in writing. Utmost tact and diplomacy must be used to elicit information from the Veteran that is factual and complete.

Closely screens BT requests for determination of eligibility, the nearest VA facility to the Veteran's home address for the type of care received, etc. Incumbent uses extreme tact and respect in communicating with applicants who are not eligible to receive BT. Provides Veterans with VA Form 4107, "Your Rights to Appeal Our Decision" when they are denied Beneficiary Travel. Incumbent is able to explain the process to the Veteran in a way to reduce the need to escalate issues to the employee's supervisor.

Responsible for tracking deductible amounts when applicable and in accordance with established guidelines. Incumbent is responsible for ensuring that appropriate deductibles are accounted for and applied in accordance with current guidelines. Incumbent is responsible for reporting to his/her supervisor Veterans they suspect of committing fraudulent claims. Detects instances of possible fraud by verifying if mode of travel was initiated by VA shuttle service, checking if address of Veteran has been changed multiple times to increase the distance in location, looking for multiple Veterans with the same address, etc. Maintains appropriate computer records of each travel transaction, both cash reimbursement or special travel, and must be able to provide accurate statistics to supervisory and management personnel upon request. Compiles and submits monthly and/or quarterly reports, as requested.

Work Schedule: Mon-Fri 7:30AM-4:00PM or 8:00AM-4:30PM

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Transportation Assistant/ PD08040A

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

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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 is sedentary. Some work may require movement between offices, hospitals, warehouses, and similar areas for meetings and to conduct work. Work may also require walking/standing, in conjunctions with travel to and attendance at meetings and/or conferences away from the work site. Incumbent may carry and lift light items weighing less than 15 pounds.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 ( 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, 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, 07/15/2026.

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-4 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Maintaining manual and electronic accounting records; prepares daily reports; Provides on-the-job training to new employees; utilize a computer data terminal with accuracy i.e. computers (office PC), software applications, fax machines, scanners, etc.; Plan effectively, set priorities, coordinate activities, and have a high skill in oral and written communications; and Capacity to deal effectively with people at all levels of organization and education.. OR,
• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have four (4) years above high school (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED). OR,
• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond four years of high school. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED).

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at

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: 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:

NOTE : If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application.

NOTE : If your school was accredited by U.S. Department of Education at the time of graduation but is no longer listed on the DOE website, you must provide documentation of accreditation with your application packet.

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 for 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

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.