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Initial Assistance Representative (Bilingual Spanish)

US Internal Revenue Service Guaynabo, Puerto Rico
assistance representative bilingual spanish equal employment opportunity (eeo)
June 21, 2022
US Internal Revenue Service
Guaynabo, Puerto Rico
FULL_TIME

Duties


WHAT IS THE WAGE AND INVESTMENT (W&I)DIVISION?

A description of the business units can be found at: https://www.jobs.irs.gov/about/who/business-divisions



Vacancies will be filled in the following specialty areas:

Wage and Investment Customer Assistance, Relationship and Education



The following are the duties of this position at the full working level. If this vacancy includes more than one grade and you are selected at a lower grade level, you will have the opportunity to learn to perform these duties and receive training to help you grow in this position.


  • Provides specialized clerical assistance to Tax Resolution Representatives (TRR's), Tax Specialists, and other support personnel by assessing taxpayer needs and directing them to the appropriate individual or area in addition to controlling walk-in area traffic flow and demands.

  • Identifies, analyzes, and makes suggestions for resolution or correction to reduce barriers impacting the effectiveness of operations and improve efficiency of the work area.

  • Controls reporting systems that track taxpayer utilization of IRS products and services.

  • Examines returns, supporting documents, and monetary receipts for completeness and discrepancies, as well as monitors and tracks information for sampling requirements prior to transmission to Submission Processing Centers.

  • Makes initial determinations on filing extensions, assigns Employer Identification Numbers, processes Power of Attorney requests, resolves and assists taxpayers with entry discrepancies at kiosk terminals and inquiries on basic tax law, forms, and IRS services such as W-2, W-7, obtaining an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, filing requirements, filing status, and VITA locations.


Requirements


Conditions of Employment


  • If you are in a telework eligible position, you may be directed to temporarily telework on a full-time basis due to COVID 19. Employees must be within a 200-mile radius of their official assigned post-of-duty (POD) while in a telework status. Once normal operations resume, employees may be directed back to the office to perform the duties of their position. Telework eligibility does not guarantee telework; employees must meet and sustain IRS telework eligibility requirements and supervisor's approval to participate in the IRS Telework Program. As a reminder - If you are selected for a position, you are responsible for reporting to your designated POD (location) on the negotiated start date or as directed by management.

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen or National and provide proof of U.S. Citizenship. (Birth certificate showing birth in the U.S; Unexpired U.S. Passport; Certificate of Citizenship or Naturalization; or Report of Birth Abroad of a U.S. Citizen (Form FS-240))

  • Undergo a review of prior performance/conduct and an income tax verification. Refer to "Get Your Tax Record" at http://www.irs.gov/(https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript) to check the status of your account, balance owed, payment history, make a payment, or review answers to tax questions. If you are not in compliance, you will be determined unsuitable for employment with IRS.

  • Must successfully complete a background investigation, including a FBI criminal history record check (fingerprint check).

  • Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency.

  • Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S. These documents must be unexpired original or certified copies.

Qualifications


Federal experience is not required. The experience may have been gained in the public sector, private sector or Volunteer Service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-timework is considered on a prorated basis. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week, on your resume.



You must meet the following requirements by the closing date of this announcement:



SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-04 level in the Federal Service. Examples of specialized experience include: Progressively responsible clerical, office, or other work that indicates ability to acquire the particular competencies needed to perform the duties of the position to be filled. This may be paid or non-paid experience. Examples of qualifying experience may include conducting basic research and applying information as necessary, interacting and communicating (orally and in writing) with customers, performing office duties.



OR

EDUCATION: Bachelor's degree or four years of education above high school in any field of study from an accredited college or university.



OR

COMBINATION OF EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION: You may qualify by a combination of experience and education. Options for qualifying based on a combination will be identified in the online questions.



AND



THIS IS A BILINGUAL POSITION: Applicants will be required to demonstrate proficiency in Spanish You must be able to speak, read and write the selected language in order to be considered proficient in that language. If you indicate language proficiency, you may be tested at some point in the hiring process to determine if you possess the required level of proficiency. If you are unable to demonstrate proficiency, you will not be qualified for these positions.



For more information on qualifications please refer to OPM's Qualifications Standards.

Education


For positions with an education requirement, or if you are qualifying for this position by substituting education or training for experience, submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent. An official transcript will be required if you are selected.


  • Note: If substituting Superior Academic Achievement (SAA) for experience at the GS-7 level, please note that grade-point averages are rounded to one decimal place. For example, 2.95 will round to 3.0 and 2.94 will round to 2.9. The Qualifications requirements above will reflect if SAA is accepted for this position and the online questionnaire will offer the option to select SAA as a qualifying response.




A college or university degree generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools which meet these criteria, please refer to Department of Education Accreditation page.



FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. Click here for Foreign Education Credentialing instructions.

Additional information


  • To ensure compliance with an applicable preliminary nationwide injunction, which may be supplemented, modified, or vacated, depending on the course of ongoing litigation, the Federal Government will take no action to implement/enforce the COVID-19 vaccination requirement pursuant to Executive Order 14043 on Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees. Federal agencies may request information regarding the vaccination status of selected applicants for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as protocols related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.

  • Subject to a 1-year probationary period (unless already completed).

  • Have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer.

  • If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so.

  • We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies. Additional jobs may be filled.

  • The salary range indicated in this announcement reflects the minimum locality pay up to maximum locality pay for all duty locations listed. The range will be adjusted for selected duty location. General Schedule locality pay tables may be found under Salaries & Wages.

  • This is a Bargaining unit position.

  • Tour of Duty: Monday-Friday, Day Shift, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm.

  • Alternative work schedule, staggered work hours or telework may be available.

  • Relocation expenses - No

  • A recruitment incentive may be offered.

  • If this position is designated as hard to fill and you were referred by an IRS employee, the employee may be eligible to receive a bonus for referring you under The Employee Referral Bonus Program (ERBP), recruiting strategy.

  • COLA is 2.99%




  • Benefits



    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.

    Review our 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.


How You Will Be Evaluated


You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.


Your application includes your resume, responses to the online questions, and required supporting documents. Please be sure that your resume includes detailed information to support your qualifications for this position; failure to provide sufficient evidence in your resume may result in a "not qualified" determination.



In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires a bilingual assessment to evaluate your language proficiency. The bilingual assessment will test your ability to read, write, and/or converse in Spanish. In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process and meet all qualifications. 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.



Rating: You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):


  • Decision Making

  • Oral Communication

  • Teamwork

  • Technical Competence

  • Workload Management




Category rating will be used to rank and select eligible candidates. If qualified, you will be assigned to one of two quality level categories, CAT A/B, CAT C depending on your responses to the online questions, regarding your experience, education, and training related to this position. Your rating may be lowered if your responses to the online questions are not supported by the education and/or experience described in your application.



Referral: If you are among the top qualified candidates, your application may be referred to a selecting official for consideration. Candidates, if required to participate in a selection interview (telephonic and/or in person at the discretion of the Selecting Official in accordance with hiring practices), will be interviewed in quality group order. We will not reimburse costs related to the interview such as travel to and from the interview site.



Veterans' preference is applied after applicants are assessed. Preference-eligibles will be listed at the top of their assigned quality group and considered before non-preference-eligibles in that quality group. Qualified preference-eligibles with a compensable service-connected disability of 10% or more will be listed at the top of the highest quality group for this position. For scientific and professional positions Qualified preference-eligibles with a compensable service-connected disability of 10% or more will be listed at the top of the highest category for this position, except at the GS-09 and above.



If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee (eligible for the Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP), you must receive a rating of category CAT A/B to be rated as "well qualified" to receive special selection priority.

  • Benefits



    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.

    Review our 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.


  • Required Documents


    As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.


    The following documents are required and must be provided with your application. All application materials, including transcripts, must be in English.


    • Resume - Your resume MUST contain dates of employment (i.e., month/year to month/year or to present). To ensure you receive full credit for relevant experience, include the hours worked per week. We recommend that your resume not exceed 5 pages, only the first 5 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. If including Federal service experience, provide pay plan, series and grade, i.e. GS-0301-09. Your resume must NOT include photographs, inappropriate content, or personal information such as age, gender, religion, social security number. If your resume does not contain the required information specified, or contains prohibited information as listed above, your application will be determined incomplete, and you will not receive consideration for this position. (Cover letters are optional.) Please view Resume Tips.

    • Online Application - Questionnaire

    • Education - See Education Section above

    • Registration/License (if applicable) - active, current registration/license

    • Veterans' Preference (if applicable) - You MUST submit a copy of your DD-214 (Member 4 copy), or other official documentation from a branch of the Armed Forces or the Department of Veterans Affairs showing dates of service and type of discharge. If you are serving under active duty, provide certification from the Armed Forces that you will be discharged or released within 120 days from the date of certification. The certification must indicate your dates of service, rank and that you will be separated under honorable conditions. Submit an Application for 10-point Veteran Preference, SF-15, along with the required documentation listed on the back of the SF-15 form if you are a 10-point preference eligible. For more information on veterans' preference view FedsHireVets.

    • Military Spouses (if applicable) - You MUST submit verification of the marriage to the service member (i.e., a marriage license or other legal documentation verifying marriage) AND:

    • a copy of your spouse's active military orders; OR

    • verification of your spouse's 100% service-connected disability (e.g., VA Letter and/or DD-214); OR

    • verification of the service member's death while on active duty (DD-1300/Death Certificate). You are not eligible if you were not married to the veteran at the time of death or have since remarried.

    • Current and Former Federal Employees Documentation (if applicable) - It is recommended that you submit a copy of your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) or equivalent personnel action form which shows your current grade and competitive service status (Position Occupied/Block 34 should reflect "1" and Tenure/Block 24 should reflect "1" or "2").

    • Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) (if applicable) - You MUST submit the required documentation as outlined at: Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP). If you are an IRS CTAP eligible, you can apply for jobs within and outside the commuting area. If you are a Treasury CTAP eligible can apply for jobs within the commuting area.

    • Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) (if applicable) - If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee, click CTAP/ICTAP for eligibility and a detailed list of required documents.

    Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, you will not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible).
  • How to Apply


    The following instructions outline our application process. You must complete this application process and submit any required documents by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on 06/21/2022 and/or cut-off dates in this announcement. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. ET, Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, please contact us by noon ET on 06/21/2022.



    To preview the Application Questionnaire, please click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11511363


    • To begin the application process, click the "Apply Online" button.

    • You will be re-directed to USA STAFFING to complete your application process; answer the online questions and submit all required documents. (To submit supporting documents, import documents from USAJOBS to the appropriate document types. If the document you need was not imported from USAJOBS, you may upload it directly into this application. To protect your privacy, we suggest you first remove your SSN).

    • To complete, you must click the "Submit Application" button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on 06/21/2022.

    • After submitting an online application, you will be notified via email whether or not you are required to complete additional online or telephone assessments from ALTA Language Services and will be provided any necessary instructions at that time. The email may be routed to your "Spam" or "Junk" folder.

    • Current IRS employees who permanently occupy a bilingual position and achieved a "Fully Successful/Met" or above rating on their most current performance appraisal may not be required to take additional assessments.

    • If you are asked to take the ALTA Bilingual Assessment, you will be presented with a unique link to the online portal (online tests) and/or phone number, access code, and PIN (telephone-based tests).
      • The Reading Test and Business Writing Test are taken online and require internet access in order to complete these two tests, which may be completed from your home, at your local library, or any other location where internet access is available.

      • The Oral (Speaking and Listening) Test requires access to a telephone.

    To update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login). There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Update Application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.



    To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account: https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login . All of your applications will appear on the Welcome page. The application record in your USAJOBS account provides an Additional Application Information page that provides information regarding the documentation you submitted and any correspondence we have sent related to this application. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.

    Agency contact information


    (ERC) Employee Resource Center

    Phone

    866-743-5748

    Email

    [email protected]

    Website

    https://irssource.web.irs.gov/Lists/General%20News/DispItemForm.aspx?ID=624

    Address

    Wage and Investment Customer Assistance, Relationship and Education

    1111 Constitution Ave NW

    Washington, DC 20224

    US

    Next steps


    Treasury believes in a working environment that supports inclusion; please view our reasonable accommodation policies and procedures at https://www.jobs.irs.gov/midcareer/reasonable-accommodation.html. We will provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; please contact us if you require this for any part of the application and hiring process.



    Once your application package and online questionnaire is received you will receive an acknowledgement email. You are responsible for checking status updates and notifications in USAJOBS. Hard copy notifications will not be sent to you. You may check the status of your application for this position at any time by logging onto the USAJOBS "My Account" tab and clicking on "Application Status." For a more detailed update of your application status, you may click on "more information." Please notify us if your contact information changes after the closing date of the announcement. If your email mailbox is full or blocked (SPAM) you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.


  • Fair and Transparent


    The Federal hiring process is setup to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

    • Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
    • Reasonable accommodation policy
    • Financial suitability
    • Selective Service
    • New employee probationary period
    • Signature and false statements
    • Privacy Act
    • Social security number request

Required Documents


The following documents are required and must be provided with your application. All application materials, including transcripts, must be in English.


  • Resume - Your resume MUST contain dates of employment (i.e., month/year to month/year or to present). To ensure you receive full credit for relevant experience, include the hours worked per week. We recommend that your resume not exceed 5 pages, only the first 5 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. If including Federal service experience, provide pay plan, series and grade, i.e. GS-0301-09. Your resume must NOT include photographs, inappropriate content, or personal information such as age, gender, religion, social security number. If your resume does not contain the required information specified, or contains prohibited information as listed above, your application will be determined incomplete, and you will not receive consideration for this position. (Cover letters are optional.) Please view Resume Tips.

  • Online Application - Questionnaire

  • Education - See Education Section above

  • Registration/License (if applicable) - active, current registration/license

  • Veterans' Preference (if applicable) - You MUST submit a copy of your DD-214 (Member 4 copy), or other official documentation from a branch of the Armed Forces or the Department of Veterans Affairs showing dates of service and type of discharge. If you are serving under active duty, provide certification from the Armed Forces that you will be discharged or released within 120 days from the date of certification. The certification must indicate your dates of service, rank and that you will be separated under honorable conditions. Submit an Application for 10-point Veteran Preference, SF-15, along with the required documentation listed on the back of the SF-15 form if you are a 10-point preference eligible. For more information on veterans' preference view FedsHireVets.

  • Military Spouses (if applicable) - You MUST submit verification of the marriage to the service member (i.e., a marriage license or other legal documentation verifying marriage) AND:

  • a copy of your spouse's active military orders; OR

  • verification of your spouse's 100% service-connected disability (e.g., VA Letter and/or DD-214); OR

  • verification of the service member's death while on active duty (DD-1300/Death Certificate). You are not eligible if you were not married to the veteran at the time of death or have since remarried.

  • Current and Former Federal Employees Documentation (if applicable) - It is recommended that you submit a copy of your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) or equivalent personnel action form which shows your current grade and competitive service status (Position Occupied/Block 34 should reflect "1" and Tenure/Block 24 should reflect "1" or "2").

  • Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) (if applicable) - You MUST submit the required documentation as outlined at: Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP). If you are an IRS CTAP eligible, you can apply for jobs within and outside the commuting area. If you are a Treasury CTAP eligible can apply for jobs within the commuting area.

  • Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) (if applicable) - If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee, click CTAP/ICTAP for eligibility and a detailed list of required documents.

Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, you will not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible).



Help

This job is open to


  • Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)


    Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee.


  • Federal employees - Competitive service


    Current or former competitive service federal employees.


  • Federal employees - Excepted service


    Current excepted service federal employees.


  • Individuals with disabilities


  • Military spouses


  • National Guard & reserves


    Current members, those who want to join or transitioning military members.


  • Native Americans


    Native Americans or Alaskan Natives with a tribal affiliation.


  • Peace Corps & AmeriCorps Vista


  • Recent graduates


    Individuals who have graduated from an accredited educational institute or certificate program within the last 2 years or 6 years for Veterans.


  • The public


    U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.


  • Veterans


Clarification from the agency


Open to U.S. Citizens/Nationals


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