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Director of Veterans Service Agency 1 Jurisdiction: Schuyler County Jurisdictional Class: Non-Competitive Revised: April 4, 2005; Updated: April 16, 2012; Updated: April 30, 2024; Updated: June 26, 2024 DIRECTOR OF VETERANS SERVICES AGENCY DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF THE CLASS: The Director of Veterans Services is a department head position responsible for the planning, development, coordination, and direction of services, programs and activities offered through the County’s Veterans Service Agency including assisting veterans and their dependents in obtaining information, benefits, and services to which they are entitled by law. The incumbent’s work is performed under the administrative direction of the County Administrator and general direction of the County Legislature, with a high level of independent judgment allowed in planning and carrying out the details of the work. Does related work as required. TYPICAL WORK ACTIVITIES: Counsels, advises and assists veterans and their families regarding rights and benefits under Federal, State and local rules and regulations; Assists veterans, active service members and interested parties with the preparation and presentation of claims for benefits from the Veteran’s Administration, the armed forces and all Federal, State and County agencies; Contacts various State and Federal agencies regarding claims and benefits for veterans and their dependents; Develops and administers a department budget; Prepares press releases for local news agencies by reviewing, analyzing, and commenting on legislation and directives regarding veterans’ affairs; Monitors legislation, regulations and procedures concerning veterans’ affairs; Composes important correspondence and supervises the maintenance of all records of veterans' cases serviced; Secures burial flags, head stones and grave markers for veterans' graves; Transports veterans suffering from incapacitation or mental incompetency to hospitals and institutions; Maintains liaison with private and public welfare agencies to assist veterans and dependents; Makes reports on veterans' services and performs other administrative duties as needed. FULL PERFORMANCE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES AND PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS: Good knowledge of Federal, State and local laws, rules and regulations related to veterans' benefits and services; Good knowledge of the forms, methods, procedures, and records necessary for the processing of veterans' benefit claims; Good knowledge of governmental structure and resources on the Federal, State and local level; Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing; Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others; Ability to understand and empathize with the needs and concerns of others; Ability to operate a personal computer and utilize common office software programs; Physical condition commensurate with the demands of the position. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Either: A. Possession of a Bachelor’s degree and two years of full time work or its part-time equivalent, which must have involved one of the following: administering a human services program; counseling or social casework; financial, employment, or benefit claims processing; or significantly similar work*; experience administering a human services program; managing a business; assisting individuals in resolving financial, employment or benefit claims problems; or staff administration experience including budgeting and planning; one year of which must have been in a supervisory capacity; or ---PAGE BREAK--- Director of Veterans Service Agency 2 B. Possession of an Associate’s degree and four years of full time work or its part-time equivalent as described in and one year of which must have been in a supervisory capacity. *Preferred Qualifications: It is highly desired that the experience described above shall have directly involved the provision of services to veterans. Note: Your degree must have been awarded by a college or university accredited by a regional, national, or specialized agency recognized as an accrediting agency by the U.S. Department of Education/U.S. Secretary of Education. If your degree was awarded by an educational institution outside the United States and its territories, you must provide independent verification of equivalency. A list of acceptable companies who provide this service can be found on the Internet at http://www.cs.ny.gov/jobseeker/degrees.cfm. You must pay the required evaluation fee. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS AT TIME OF APPLICATION: 1. Possession of a valid New York State Operator's license at the time of appointment, and maintenance of such license throughout the tenure of employment in the position. 2. New York State Executive Law/New York State Veteran’s Services Law requires that an individual appointed as director of local veterans’ services be a veteran as defined by New York State Statute. A veteran is described as (Article 17, Section 350 Executive Law) "a person, male or female, resident of this state, who has served in the active military or naval service of the United States during a war in which the United States engaged and who has been released from such service otherwise than by dishonorable discharge, or who has been furloughed to the reserve." (Veterans' Services Law § 1[Effective: April 1, 2023]) ” a person who served on active duty in the uniformed services of the United States, or in the army national guard, air national guard, or service as a commissioned officer in the public health service, commissioned officer of the national oceanic and atmospheric administration or environmental sciences services administration, cadet at a United States armed forces service academy, and who has been released from such service under other than dishonorable conditions.” 3. Public Officers Law, § 3: This position is considered to be a public officer, and the incumbent must be a United States citizen and a resident of Schuyler County. Residency has been waived for recruitment but is required by law to maintain employment. SPECIAL REQUIREMENT DURING APPOINTMENT: Pursuant to NYS Executive Law §357 New York State Veterans' Services Law § 14(3)(b)( Effective: April 1, 2023), a successful candidate who is appointed shall take all steps necessary to be accredited as a veterans service organization (VSO) representative within eighteen months of such appointment. Accreditation shall mean the authority granted by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs to assist veterans and their family members in the preparation, presentation, and prosecution of claims for benefits pursuant to section 5902 of Title 38 U.S.C. and section 14.628 of Title 38 Code of Federal Regulations. Once an application for accreditation is approved by the General Counsel of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs and the applicant is notified of this action, the director of the county veterans service agency shall file a copy of the accreditation certificate from the appropriate veteran’s service organization with the director of the division. Such accreditation shall be maintained during the duration of his or her status as a director of such county veterans service agency. The director of the division may determine that a satisfactory completion of a course of instruction on veterans' benefits approved by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs and conducted by the division may fulfill the requirements of this subdivision.