Internal Revenue Service

Contact Representative

JOB SUMMARY: WHY IS THE IRS A GREAT PLACE TO WORK? We employ talented people in a wide variety of professional career fields. You will receive first class paid tax law training, your professional skills will be kept sharp and up-to-date with specialized training delivered by some of the best instructors. You will be working in a professional, diverse work environment. The positions offer varied challenges and tremendous advancement potential. It all adds up. WHAT IS THE IRS? The IRS is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury and one of the world's most efficient tax administrators. Yearly, the IRS collects more than $2 trillion in revenue and processes over 200 million tax returns. The IRS Mission is to provide the United States taxpayers top quality service by helping them understand and meet their tax responsibilities and by applying the tax law with integrity and fairness to all. WHAT IS THE WAGE&INVESTMENT (W&I) DIVISION? The Wage & Investment Division (W&I) serves about 122 million taxpayers who file upwards of 94 million returns each year. Key W&I objectives are to provide high-quality taxpayer assistance, and to enable taxpayers to transact and communicate electronically to file their returns, make payments and receive assistance. W&I partners with private organizations to provide assistance to such disadvantaged groups as elderly and low-income taxpayers. Positions are located in Oakland, CA. The anticipated start date is June 2010. The first 360 applicants will be invited to complete the JSAP and additional candidates will be invited as needed. HOW DO I APPLY? "It is really easy. Just click on the "How to Apply" tab above." WHERE CAN I FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OTHER IRS CAREERS If you want to find out more about IRS careers, visit us on the web at www.jobs.irs.gov KEY REQUIREMENTS: You must be a citizen of the United States. Male born after 12/31/59-Selective Service Registration required. Back to top Duties Additional Duty Location Info: Oakland, CA As a Contact Representative you will: ~ Provide technical assistance to individuals and/or businesses primarily through telephone interaction in a dynamic call center environment, and/or face-to-face contact; ~ Address wide range of issues/problems that require unique solutions; ~ Apply the tax code to assist taxpayers in understanding and meeting their tax responsibilities; ~ Secure, analyze and protect sensitive personal and financial information; ~ Make determinations and use sound judgment to resolve taxpayer disputes and delinquency issues; And ~ Develop, analyze and evaluate information involving the research of computerized records by accessing multiple online/database systems. Back to top Qualifications and Evaluations QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED: Minimum Qualifications GS-5 To qualify for this position at the grade 5 level you must meet one of the following basic requirements: Have one year (12 months), or more of specialized experience: Specialized means experience that is in or related to this position and provided you with the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position. Specialized experience may have been gained in work with records, documents or financial accounts which involved applying established rules and procedures. Experience may also have been gained through work in customer service positions that involved frequent contact with the public, and may have involved researching and/or adjusting customer accounts. To be creditable, this experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-04 grade level in the federal service. The following are examples of specialized experience that may be qualifying. Please note that these are just examples and this list is not all inclusive: Applying laws, rules or regulations and written guidelines; Communicating orally in order to provide information, assistance, or instructions to members of the general public or their representatives; Negotiating with others to resolve issues; Performing administrative and technical procedures using a computer to locate and review records and reconcile discrepancies; Writing correspondence in response to inquiries and drafting a variety of other written products. OR You must have completed at least 4 years of education above the high school level (120 semester hours, 180 quarter hours or 2880 formal classroom hours) or a Bachelors or higher degree. OR You may qualify based on a combination of education and qualifying specialized experience as described above. Only education in excess of 60 semester hours or 90-quarter hours is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirement for the GS-5 level. For example, one full year of academic study (30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours, or 720 formal classroom hours) beyond the second year is equal to 6 months of specialized experience. *You must be a citizen of the United States. Verification of citizenship will be required. (Permanent Registered Aliens are not eligible to apply.) *If you are a High School student you must be within nine months of graduation. *Active Duty Military personnel must be within 120 days of discharge or retirement. *Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must certify at the time of appointment that they have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under Selective Service Law. For verification, applicants may contact the Selective Service website: http://www.sss.gov CONTACT REPRESENTATIVE During the pre-employment process you will be: * Required to be fingerprinted * Required to provide information to complete a thorough background investigation. * Subject to the requirement of the U.S. Department of Treasury to undergo an income tax verification. HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED: If you are eligible and qualified for this position based upon your responses to the application questions, you will receive an electronic message with information directing you to the assessment process. This information will include directions for accessing the assessment website and a user log-in. You will be required to complete the online Job Simulation Assessment Program (JSAP). The JSAP is a series of online assessments and a job simulation designed to assess the following Contact Representative competencies: Applies Technology to Tasks, Customer Service, Conflict Management, Decision Making, Interpersonal Skills, Listening, Managing and Controlling Calls, Problem Solving, Speaking, and Writing. The JSAP takes about one hour to complete. Instructions for completing the assessments will be sent to you electronically once your qualifications have been determined. You will be assigned to one of three category groups (A, B, or C) based upon your results on the on-line assessments. If you fail any one of the assessments, you will be considered not qualified for the position. Each category group represents a quality level. Candidates will be considered in category group order with one exception. Qualified veterans who claim preference based on a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more (CPS), and those with a compensable service-connected disability of 10% or more but less that 30% (CP) will be moved from their assigned category group to the top of the highest category group (A). CP and CPS veterans will be given absolute preference over non-preference candidates. All other preference eligibles (XP and TP) will be given absolute preference over non-preference candidates within their assigned category group. To pass over any preference eligible(s) to select a non-preference candidate requires approval under formal objection procedures. We administer a Telephone Assessment Program (TAP) to evaluate competence as part of the Collections Representative selection process. If you are referred for selection consideration, you MAY be scheduled to complete the TAP. Not all candidates referred will be scheduled. However, completing the TAP is a requirement for selection. NOTE: Candidates claiming veterans' preference are required to submit appropriate documentation as described in the REQUIRED DOCUMENTS section of this announcement. NOTE: Your assessments scores are good for an indefinite period of time. You will only be allowed to take the on-line assessments once in a 12-month period. If you choose to retake the assessments after 12 months, your most current score will be used even if it's lower than your previous score. Job-Related Questions: As part of the online application process, you will need to respond to a series of questions designed to assess your possession of the following Contact Representative competencies: Applies Technology to Tasks: Selects and understands procedures, machines, or tools that will produce the desired results; identifies or solves problems in machines, computers, or other technologies as they are related to performing tasks. Customer Service: Works and communicates with clients and customers to satisfy their expectations. Committed to quality services. Conflict Management: Manages and resolves conflicts, grievances, confrontations, or disagreements in a constructive manner to minimize negative personal impact. Decision Making: Specifies goals and obstacles to achieving those goals, generates alternatives, considers risks, and evaluates and chooses the best alternative in order to make a determination, draw conclusions or solve a problem. Interpersonal Skills: Shows understanding, friendliness, courtesy, tact, empathy, cooperation, concern, and politeness to others; relates well to different people from varied backgrounds and different situations. Listening: Receives, attends to, interprets, and responds to verbal messages and other cues such as body language in ways that are appropriate to listeners and situations. Managing and Controlling Calls: Balances covering all points on the call with the need to keep call times low and clear call queues. Tactfully brings call "back on track" as necessary. Problem Solving: Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations. Speaking: Uses correct English grammar to organize and communicate ideas in words that are appropriate to listeners and situations; uses body language appropriately. Writing: Uses correct English grammar, punctuation, and spelling to communicate thoughts, ideas, information, and messages in writing. To preview questions please click here. Back to top Benefits and Other Info BENEFITS: IRS offers outstanding benefits for family leave, generous holiday, vacation, and sick leave. In addition, the IRS offers a tax deferred retirement savings and investment plan, with employer matching contributions. Health and life insurance benefits will be offered to employees when their hiring managers have certified that the employee is expected to work at least 6 months each year. More benefit information can be found at http://www.opm.gov/insure and http://www.tsp.gov OTHER INFORMATION: Applicants must be in compliance with the tax laws. Your income tax returns will be verified for the past three years to determine if you have filed according to the tax laws. Decisions on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. NO MOVING OR RELOCATION EXPENSES WILL BE PAID. CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT Citizenship: Under Executive Order 11935, only United States citizens and national (residents of American Samoa and Swains Island) may compete for civil service jobs. Agencies are permitted to hire non-citizens only in very limited circumstances where there are no qualified citizens available for the position. Applicants must be a U.S. citizen and a minimum of 16 years of age. Federal law requires all employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States. We participate in E-Verify (Employment Verification). We will provide the Social Security Administration (SSA) and, if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with information from your Form I-9 to confirm work authorization. If we cannot confirm that you are authorized to work, we will provide you written instructions and an opportunity to contact SSA and/or DHS before taking adverse action against you, including terminating your employment. Selections for employment depend upon several conditions such as the number of vacancies, assessment score, shift availability and work history. In addition, applicants are subject to a FBI name and fingerprint check, employment checks, and any other information relevant to selection for employment. Applicant fingerprint results must be received from the FBI. Not all eligible applicants are selected for employment. If selected for employment, applicants will be notified and given a commitment letter. All appointments are made subject to an investigation. Any arrests, discharges from employment, or other information not shown on the application could affect an employee's selection and/or retention in the service. Probationary Period: The 1st year of service of an employee who is given a career or career-conditional appointment is probationary when the employee is appointed from a competitive list of eligibles. Reinstatement applicants will be required to serve the one (1) year probationary period unless the probationary period has been previously completed. Employees appointed under the Veterans Recruitment Authority will require a 2-year trial period. Agency Contact: For additional information about this position, please contact: Ogden Employment at 801-620-3589,e-mail to Cindy.A.Lowder@IRS.GOV, TTY NUMBER 801-620-3557 or if applicable contact the Selective Placement Coordinator at 801-620-3589. Vacancies for a tour other than the ones listed above may also be filled from this announcement. Identification of promotion potential in this position does not constitute a commitment or an obligation on the part of management to promote the employee selected at some future date. Promotion will depend upon administrative approval and the continuing need for an actual assignment and performance of higher-level duties. NOTICE TO APPLICANTS: The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) has oversight and investigative responsibilities throughout IRS. TIGTA has authority to initiate investigations to identify IRS employees who have violated or are violating laws, rules or regulations related to the performance of their duties. TIGTA does this in part through computer matching programs. TIGTA computerized matches include information from Personnel records, taxpayer account records, records of computerized accesses to IRS information, employee tax records and records of employee computer usage (i.e. the Internet and other research tools). APPLICANTS WILL BE REQUIRED TO GO THROUGH A PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) PROCESS THAT REQUIRES TWO FORMS OF IDENTIFICATION FROM THE FORM I-9; ONE MUST BE A VALID STATE OR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT- SSUED PICTURE IDENTIFICATION. ELIGIBILITY FOR A PIV CREDENTIAL IS REQUIRED. FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THE PIV PROCESS AND IF UNABLE TO VERIFY THE APPLICANT'S IDENTITY, MAY RESULT IN THE LOSS OF CONSIDERATION FOR EMPLOYMENT. TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR PIV CREDENTIAL APPLICANTS MUST HAVE A SUCCESSFULLY ADJUDICATED FBI CRIMINAL HISTORY RECORD CHECK (FINGERPRINT CHECK) AND A NACI OR EQUIVALENT BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION INITIATED. THE INCUMBENT MUST MAINTAIN PIV CREDENTIAL ELIGIBILITY DURING THEIR SERVICE WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY: THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER. SELECTION FOR THIS POSITION WILL BE BASED SOLELY ON MERIT WITHOUT REGARD TO RACE, COLOR, RELIGION, AGE, SEX, NATIONAL ORIGIN, POLITICAL AFFILIATION, DISABILITY, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, MARITAL OR FAMILY STATUS, MEMBERSHIP IN AN EMPLOYEE ORGANIZATION OR OTHER NON MERIT FACTORS. THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE IS COMMITTED TO ENSURING THAT ALL EMPLOYEES PERFORM IN A MANNER WARRANTING THE HIGHEST DEGREE OF PUBLIC CONFIDENCE AND DEMONSTRATES THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF ETHICS AND INTEGRITY. Back to top How To Apply HOW TO APPLY: Individuals applying for this announcement are required to complete and submit an on-line application through the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) USAJOBS website. This involves becoming a My USAJOBS member and creating a resume. The information you provide through your My USAJOBS membership profile and resume is required of all Federal job applicants. When you apply for this vacancy announcement, the information you entered in your profile and resume are transmitted to CareerConnector as part of your application and are used to create a CareerConnector registration. In addition to CareerConnector registration questions, the online application includes questions that: -determine basic eligibility; -assess required competencies for successful job performance; and -provide information for survey purposes. To apply for this announcement you will need to answer approximately 60 questions. The total number of questions will depend on the grade you select and your responses to each question. To apply, you must select the APPLY ONLINE button that appears at the bottom of each announcement tab on USAJOBS. This will start the application process and take you to CareerConnector to complete your application. Your application is NOT complete until you have answered all mandatory questions and have SUBMITTED the online application. You can respond to some or all questions without submitting. Your answers can be saved and you can update or submit your application as long as the announcement is open. However, you MUST respond to all mandatory questions and SUBMIT your application by the closing date to be considered. If applying on-line poses a hardship, please contact us at the telephone number listed in this announcement. YOU MUST CONTACT US PRIOR TO THE CLOSING DATE to speak to someone who can provide assistance for on-line submission. Requests for extensions will not be granted. Please note that we use e-mail to communicate with applicants throughout the hiring process. We understand that this may not be the best way to contact all applicants. To ensure that we can contact you quickly, you will be asked several questions about your communication preferences in the application process. There are several parts of the application process that will affect your overall evaluation: 1. Your on-line resume (See Step 1 below); 2. Your responses to the eligibility questions; 3. Your responses to the vacancy assessment questions; and 4. Submission of supporting documentation (See instructions under the Required Documentation" section of this posting). You have until 11:59 PM Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement to complete the following four-step application process. STEP 1: To apply, you must first create a My USAJOBS membership account and resume at www.usajobs.gov. You can build up to 5 resumes in your My USAJOBS account and will need to select one of these resumes as part of your application for this vacancy announcement. Once you have created your My USAJOBS account and built a resume, thoroughly review this vacancy announcement, select the "Apply Online" button, and follow the instructions provided. Note: We recommend that you use the preview questions option provided at the bottom of the Qualifications and Evaluations tab of this announcement to review and print a copy of the qualification questions before you select the "Apply Online" button. STEP 2: After selecting a resume to submit for your application package, you will be taken to CareerConnector to answer registration questions and specific questions for this vacancy announcement. The answers to the registration questions will determine what types of jobs you are eligible to apply for based on your Federal experience and other factors. Note: If you have previously registered in CareerConnector, you will not be required to re-register. STEP 3: Next, you will answer a series of vacancy specific questions to evaluate your qualifications for this announcement. When completed and submitted, this information with your CareerConnector registration, My USAJOBS account profile, and your resume becomes your application. Once you submit your completed application by answering all mandatory questions and selecting "Finished", you will see a summary of your application which we recommend that you print for future reference. If you do NOT see this summary, you have NOT successfully submitted your application. A complete application must be received by 11:59 PM ET on the closing date of this announcement in order to receive consideration. Note: At the bottom of your application summary, you should select "Finished" again. This will return you to USAJOBS where you will see confirmation that your resume was sent to this vacancy announcement. You will then be able to track the status of your application through your My USAJOBS account. STEP 4: Submit Supporting Documentation: Please see the "Required Documents" section below for additional information on supporting documentation. IMPORTANT INFORMATION: If your contact information changes after the closing date of this vacancy announcement (March 30, 2010)send your updated information to OgdenIRSRecruiting@IRS.GOV Phone: 801-620-3589 Fax: 801-620-7198 to ensure you can be contacted throughout the selection process. REQUIRED DOCUMENTS: In addition, you may need to submit supporting documentation. If you are qualifying for this position in whole or part based on education, you must submit college transcripts for all courses completed. If you are claiming veteran's preference or eligibility for special priority consideration, you must submit the documents described under "VETERAN'S PREFERENCE" and IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR SURPLUS OR DISPLACED FEDERAL EMPLOYEES" below. All supporting documentation must be submitted by March 30, 2010. Failure to provide supporting documentation within the prescribed period will result in disqualification or ineligibility for preference/priority consideration. Note: Although a copy of your transcripts is acceptable for application processing, an official transcript will be required for selection. - To submit documents at a later time (must be submitted by the date specified in this announcement): 1. Log into My USAJOBS at https://my.usajobs.gov with your user name and password. 2. Click on 'My Applications'. 3. Click on the vacancy number and select "Apply Online". 4. Click "Enter" through to the end of your application to move to the Vacancy Documents page. 5. Select Upload, USAJOBS, or Fax for each document to be submitted. - Upload Documents (.doc, .pdf, .jpg, .gif, .rtf, or .png files only): 1. Click the Upload link under "Action" for each document to be uploaded. 2. Fill in the description field. 3. Enter the location of the document to be uploaded or lick "Browse" to locate the document. 4. Click "Upload Document." Fax Documents: 1. Click the Fax link under "Action" for each document to be faxed. 2. Click "Generate Coversheet" and print the coversheet. 3. Fax each set (cover sheet and document named in the cover sheet)to the fax number listed on the cover sheet. You must dial the fax number each time a different set is faxed. If you fax from an IRS-owned fax machine, you must obtain an outside line before dialing the fax number on the cover sheet. Download documents from USAJOBS: 1. Click the USAJOBS link under "Action" for each document to be downloaded. 2. Select any required document you have stored in "My Portfolio" of your USAJOBS account. After your documents have been submitted, review your complete application for confirmation of the documents and click "Finished" to return to USAJOBS. For help with submitting supporting documents, you may click the HELP link located on the left of the screen. Please do not use a postage paid government envelope to submit materials for this announcement. In accordance with 39 U.S.C. Section 415, application materials will not be accepted if mailed in postage paid government envelope. REQUIRED DOCUMENTS: In addition to the online application (resume and responses to vacancy questions), the following forms may be required: * DD-214 if claiming Veterans' Preference. * Standard Form 15, Application for 10-Point Veterans' Preference and supporting documents (if applicable). * Official College Transcripts (copies will be accepted initially, however, prior to selection eligible applicants must submit official transcripts to the hiring personnel office). * Equivalency Evaluation from an accredited private organization of foreign education if applicable. * SF-50 - If you are or have been a Federal employee, please submit: ** copy of your last Notification of Personnel Action, Form SF-50; and ** copy of your most recent or last performance appraisal. Note: If you need to request a copy of your SF-50, please write to the FEDERAL RECORDS CENTER, National Archives and Records Administration, 111 Winnebago Street, St. Louis, Missouri, 63118. You must provide your name, social security number and date of birth with your request. FAILURE TO PROVIDE A COMPLETE APPLICATION PACKAGE WILL RESULT IN NOT RECEIVING CONSIDERATION FOR THIS POSITION. Note: Your application package will not be returned. Do NOT submit original documents that you may need in the future. VETERANS' PREFERENCE: If you have served on active duty in the United States military and were separated under honorable conditions, you may be eligible for veteran's preference. To claim veterans' preference, you must submit: * Form DD214 covering the period of military service for which preference is claimed; and * If applicable, a Standard Form 15, Application for 10-Point Veterans' Preference with supporting documents as outlined on the form. This form can be found at www.usajobs.gov/forms.asp. Note: For more information on veteran's preference, please go to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management website for Veterans at www.opm.gov/veterans CTAP/ICTAP ELIGIBLES: Individuals who have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) must apply as indicated above. CTAP/ICTAP eligibles must be well qualified for the position to receive consideration for special priority selection. CTAP/ICTAP eligibles who receive a score of 80 or above will be considered well qualified. If you are seeking CTAP/ICTAP eligibility consideration, you must submit proof that you meet the requirement of 5 CFR 330.605 (a) for CTAP and 5 CFR 330.704 for ICTAP. This includes a copy of the agency notice, a copy of your most recent Performance Rating and copy of your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location. Please annotate your application to reflect that you are applying as a CTAP or ICTAP eligible. REASONABLE ACCOMODATION STATEMENT: The Internal Revenue Service provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please contact the Selective Placement Coordinator listed in this vacancy announcement. Decisions on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. If you have been certified by the States Rehabilitation Center or the State's Commission for the Blind, may wish to contact your counselor to apply for employment through the IRS Disability Employment Program in addition to applying for this vacancy announcement. AGENCY CONTACT INFO: HR Specialist Phone: 801-620-3589 Fax: 801-620-7198 TDD: 801-620-3557 Email: OgdenIRSRecruiting@irs.gov Agency Information: Internal Revenue Service 1973 N Rulon White Blvd Mail Stop 1540 Ogden, UT 84404 Fax: 801-620-7198 WHAT TO EXPECT NEXT: We will communicate with you using e-mail throughout the hiring process. You will receive an electronic Notice of Rating that will provide you with information regarding your eligibility for the occupations covered under this announcement. If you currently have a spam blocker on your computer you will have to remove it, or add our email addresses: OgdenIRSRecruiting@IRS.GOV and any address ending with @irs.gov to your address book. This will ensure you will receive e-mail notification from our Personnel Office. We will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications. Applicants will be referred according to the number of vacancies to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible Telephone Assessment and interview consideration.

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