Claims and Program Representative

Summary

This position is located in the Railroad Retirement Board's Field Service. The incumbent will be responsible for providing a full-range of client services regarding benefits available under the various programs administered by the RRB.

This job announcement may be used to fill one or more vacancies.

This is a bargaining unit position. This position is represented by the Council of AFGE Locals in the Board.

Learn more about this agency

Duties

Help

As a Claims and Program Representative, you will:

• Handle calls through the Nationwide Toll-Free Service (NTFS) which may come from any area within the network or from another network.
• Develop and maintain liaison with railroad employers, labor organizations, Congressional offices, Social Security Administration (SSA) offices, other Federal, State and local government agencies, private organizations, hospitals, nursing homes, etc., to promote understanding of the agency programs and services, encourage cooperation and provide training and foster positive public relations.
• Provide a full range of client services both within and outside the district office location regarding benefits available under the various programs administered by the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB).
• Conduct interviews to obtain information about an individual applicant's eligibility and entitlement to benefits under the retirement, survivor, disability, sickness and unemployment programs.
• Develop evidence necessary under the appropriate program regulations.
• Examine evidence and evaluates its validity and acceptability.
• Adjudicate claims for benefits and makes entitlement decisions.
• Compute and award payment of benefits.
• Conduct investigations, including sensitive and difficult interviews, to obtain additional information requested by headquarters or the district office.
• Answer questions and provides guidance on other programs such as Medicare, taxation of benefits, and Social Security entitlement.

Cut-Off Dates to receive applications will be used for this announcement.

First Cut-Off Date: August 5, 2026

Closing Date: August 26, 2026

Starting Salary:

Albany, NY $52,059-$82,787

Albuquerque, NM $51,007-$ 81,114

Baltimore, MD $57,736-$91,815

Billings, MT $50,460-$80,243

Boston, MA $57,150-$90,882

Buffalo, NY $52,766-$83,911

Charlotte, NC $51,585-$82,033

Des Moines, IA $50,869-$80,895

Detroit, MI $55,685-$88,510

Duluth, MN $50,460-$80,243

Harrisburg, PA $51,481-$81,686

Kansas City, MO $51,283-$81,553

Louisville, KY $50,460-$80,243

Milwaukee, WI $52,770-$83,918

Pittsburgh, PA $52,171-$82,965

Richmond, VA $52,710-$83,822

Salt Lake City, UT $50,460-$80,243

Seattle, WA $56,715-$90,190

Wichita, KS $50,460-$80,243

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen
• Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered for Selective Service
• Suitable for Federal employment, determined by a background investigation
• May be required to successfully complete a probationary period
• Complete the initial online assessment and USAHire Assessment, if required

Qualifications

Cut-Off Dates to receive applications will be used for this announcement.

First Cut-Off Date: August 5, 2026

Closing Date: August 26, 2026

Initial cut-off date will be used to begin applicant consideration. Applications received after the cut-off date will only be considered if needed.

Minimum Qualifications for GS-07:

A. Superior Academic Achievement: Completion of a 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree in a field of study that demonstrates the competencies required by this position with either (1) a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 based on a 4.0 scale; (2) a 3.5 GPA based on a 4.0 scale for all required courses completed in a qualifying major field of study at either the time of application or during the last two years of your undergraduate curriculum; (3) class standing of upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or a major subdivision of the college; or, (4) membership in a National Scholastic Honor Society certified by the Association of College Honor Societies, excluding freshman honor societies; If applying under this provision, copies of transcripts (from each school attended) for undergraduate courses must be submitted with your application, and originals must be provided prior to entering on duty.; OR

B. One full year of graduate level education in an accredited or pre-accredited college or university in any field; OR

C. One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service, that has (a) provided skill in conducting personal telephone contacts with a wide range of individuals which demonstrated (1) the ability to explain complex technical or regulatory information, (2) the ability to conduct interviews in a way that establishes good relations while obtaining or providing relevant information, and (3) the ability to recognize and overcome attitudes or emotions that hinder effective communications, or (b) technical, investigative, professional, or quasi-legal work providing a good working knowledge of laws, regulations and procedures governing appropriate programs.; OR

D. A combination of education and experience as listed above.

Minimum Qualifications for Grade GS-09:

A. One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in the Federal service that includes interviewing applicants for benefits and guiding them through the claims-taking process, including reviewing evidence, determining eligibility, and/or adjudication for federal, state, or local administered benefits, such as: disability, unemployment, sickness, survivor, retirement, Medicare, education, housing, medical and/or veterans benefits.; OR

B. Master's or equivalent graduate degree or two full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree from an accredited college or university. This course work must be in a discipline related to this position in one of the following: General Psychology (MGP), Sociology (MAS), Social Science (MSS), Education (Med), Social Work (MSW), Communications (MAC or MSC), English (MAE), and Leadership (MSL); OR

C. A combination of education and experience as listed above.

Ability to read and fluently speak Spanish is desirable, but this information will not be used in ranking candidates.

THE POSITION(S) WILL BE FILLED AT THE GRADE GS-07 and GS-09 LEVELS ONLY. THE SELECTED CANDIDATE(S) MAY ATTEND A TWO-TO-THREE-WEEK FORMAL TRAINING PROGRAM IN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

Time-in grade-restrictions: Applicants who are current or former Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements.

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, religious, 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.

Documenting experience: IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Qualifications are based on breadth/level of experience. In addition to describing duties performed, applicants must provide the exact dates of each period of employment (from MM/YY to MM/YY) and the number of hours worked per week if part time. As qualification determinations cannot be made when resumes do not include the required information, failure to provide this information may result in disqualification. Applicants are encouraged to use the USAJOBS Resume Builder to develop their federal resume.

Do not copy and paste the duties or specialized experience from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

Education

ARE YOU USING YOUR EDUCATION TO QUALIFY?

You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims.

Official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement. Official transcripts will be required if selected.

PASS/FAIL COURSES:

If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) was taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society.

GRADUATE EDUCATION:

One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours that your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.

FOREIGN EDUCATION:

If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, click here.

Additional information

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 here.

Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA): To be eligible for a VEOA appointment under Merit Promotion procedures, the veteran must be a preference eligible or a veteran separated after 3 years or more of continuous active service performed under honorable conditions.

Interagency Career Transition Plan (ICTAP) :

• ICTAP provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority for competitive service vacancies. You must be determined to be well-qualified for the vacancy to be eligible for special selection priority. After submission of an acceptable application which meets ICTAP eligibility, you will be determined to be well-qualified for a vacancy if your rating places you in the 85th percentile or higher in total possible points.
• ICTAP eligibles must submit proof of eligibility for special selection priority. Please see the Required Documents section below for more information. Click here for more information on ICTAP.

Noncompetitive Appointment Authorities: For more information on noncompetitive appointment authority eligibility requirements:

Special Hiring Authorities for Veterans

Special Hiring Authorities for Certain Military Spouses

Other Special Appointment Authorities

Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service. Click here for more information

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.

Help

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.

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.