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
U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
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 make 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 provide 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
- 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
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 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.
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.
Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.
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.
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.
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.
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.
INTERAGENCY CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE 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.
If you are a male applicant who was born after 12/31/59 you are required to register under the Military Selective Service Act; the Defense Authorization Act of 1986 requires that you be registered or you are not eligible for appointment in this agency.
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.
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.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.
You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):
-
Attention to Detail
-
Customer Service
-
Flexibility
-
Integrity/Honesty
-
Interpersonal Skills
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Reading Comprehension
-
Self-Management
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Stress Tolerance
-
Teamwork
Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.
Category rating procedures will be used to rank eligible candidates. Qualified candidates will be assigned to the following categories: Best Qualified, Qualified, and Minimally Qualified. Within each quality category, veterans' preference eligibles will receive selection priority over non-veterans.
The Category Rating Process does not add veterans' preference points or apply the "rule of three" but protects the rights of Veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each quality category. Veterans' preference eligibles who meet the minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent will be listed in the highest quality category (except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-09 level or higher).
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
- Resume showing work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment, and duties performed. Resume must not exceed 2 pages. Applicants will be removed from consideration if their resume is longer than 2 pages. Please see "How to Apply" for additional information regarding the limit
- Transcripts: If you are eligible based upon education or consideration under the Superior Academic Achievement Provision, copies of all college courses must be submitted. Original transcripts will be required if selected.
- Veterans' Documentation: If you are a veteran, you must provide a copy of your Record of Military Service (DD-214), and proof of your veterans' preference, if applicable. Veterans with a service connected disability must also submit a completed claim form SF-15 (click here for form) along with the required proofs. Go to FedsHireVets-Veterans Preference for more information.
- Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) documentation: If you are eligible under ICTAP, you must submit all required materials verifying your eligibility. These materials include:
- Proof of eligibility: You must submit documentation such as a separation notice or other required material; and
- SF-50: You must submit a copy of a recent Notification of Personnel Action, SF-50 that shows career or career-conditional competitive service status (Blocks #24 and #34 must be completed); and
- Performance Appraisal: You must submit your most recent performance appraisal, which must be rated at least fully successful or equivalent. (This is not required if you are eligible for ICTAP due to compensable injury or disability retirement.) The performance appraisal may also be used as part of the ranking process and/or to verify your responses to the questionnaire.
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Cut-Off Dates to receive applications will be used for this announcement.
First Cut-Off Date: August 5, 2026
Closing Date: August 26, 2026
In accordance with the Merit Hiring Plan, only resumes up to a total of two pages will be accepted. Applicants with resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration.
Resumes must be legible so they can be reviewed for eligibility, minimum qualifications and other position requirements listed in the job announcement.
We recommend using a sans-serif font size like Lato, if available. Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open Sans, Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans. Make your page margins 0.5 inches. Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text in your resume.
For additional guidance on what to include in your resume, please see USAJOBS Help.
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:
- Click the Apply Online button.
- Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
- Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
- If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
- Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
- Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
- Set aside about two (2) hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.
- Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.
Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us.
To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click
Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
To view the announcement status or your application status: Click on this: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.
RRB Human Resources
Phone
(312) 751-4580
Email
Address
Railroad Retirement Board
844 N Rush St
Chicago, IL 60611
US
If selected for an interview, you will be expected to report in person to a Railroad Retirement Board office.
The Claims and Program Representative (CPR) Training is an approved Veteran Affairs (VA) On-the-Job Training (OJT) Program which allows eligible veterans the ability to receive Post 9/11 GI Bill education benefits from VA while working to achieve the full CPR performance level (i.e. GS-11), or for the first 18 months of employment, whichever occurs first. Individual benefit eligibility and amounts are determined, managed, and paid by the VA. The RRB VA OJT Program Coordinator is available to answer program specific questions upon an employee's first day.
Additional VA OJT Program details can be found on the VA website at this link: https://www.va.gov/education/about-gi-bill-benefits/how-to-use-benefits/on-the-job-training-apprenticeships/
Accepting applications
Posted this week · Apply by 08/26/26
Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on August 26, 2026
Location
many vacancies in the following locations:
No matching locations found.
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy. THIS IS NOT A REMOTE POSITION, and the incumbent must physically report to the office for work. See the duties section for more detail.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$43,106 - $68,549 per year
The salary range indicated in this announcement will be adjusted to include locality payment for selected duty location.
Pay scale & grade
GS 7 - 9
Learn more about pay scale and grade
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
- 0993 Railroad Retirement Claims Examining
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
Yes
Security clearance
Not Required
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
- Credentialing
- Suitability/Fitness
Financial disclosure required
No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
260036DE-13001020-YA
