Travel Benefit Assistant (Transportation Assistant OA)

Full Job Description

This position is located in the Beneficiary Travel Program within the Business Office of the James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 02/20/2026.

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-06 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05. 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.

Note: Note: Failure to provide an SF-50 that demonstrates one-year time-in-grade will result in disqualification from being considered.

You may qualify based on your experience as described below: Specialized Experience: Applicants must possess at least one (1) year of specialized experience that equipped them with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position, and that is typically in or related to the work of this position.

To be creditable, this experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-5 level in the Federal service.

Specialized experience includes: collecting, compiling, tracking and analyzing data and statistical information in support of transportation; contacting customers to determine transportation needs and requirements; managing schedules for daily activities; entering information into an automated tracking system; and communicating and treating customers in a courteous, tactful and respectful manner.

NOTE: Such experience MUST be well represented in resume. Failure to do so will results in a Non-Qualification Determination. TYPING PROFICIENCY REQUIREMENT: 40 words per minute typing speed.

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/.

Major Duties:

Duties may include but are not limited to: Determining method of payment for authorized and unauthorized ambulance claims submitted for consideration; Receives invoices for payment of transportation services; Responsible for forwarding all invoices certified for payment to Fiscal Service for processing; Acts as liaison between vendors and Fiscal Service for invoices pending payment; Writes or selects appropriate letters explaining disposition of unauthorized travel claims; Responsible for balancing, reconciling, and adjusting invoices for payment; Assisting the Supervisor and Chief, Business Office with preparing documents and monthly account synopsis for contracting officials; Arranging all modes of transportation via air ambulance, commercial air, taxi, ambulance, bus and/or independent transports; Corresponds with physician, traveler, and vendor to determine the most dependable and economical mode or transportation; Prepares appropriate documentation and/or scheduling for traveler according to government rates or substantial rates; Makes special arrangements per physician documentation according to traveler's medical condition and/or preference; Secures reservations and tickets from carriers; Maintains communications with receiving facilities regarding beneficiaries return travel arrangements; Reviews requests for reimbursement of travel costs for the purpose of assuring compliance with regulations and procedures, completeness, accuracy, internal consistency, and agreement with basic authorization; Reconciles vouchers against authorizations for accuracy prior to preparing certifications for payment; Communicating and interacting with patients in a manner which is appropriate; and Regular and recurring contact with personnel external to the agency for the obtainment of services, sharing of information and authorization.

clarification or denial of payment. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Travel Benefit Assistant (Transportation Assistant OA)/PD55691A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: No Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized