Clarification from the agency

Open to individuals who have completed a bachelor's or graduate degree within the previous two years or Veterans who have completed a bachelor's or graduate degree and have an intervening period of obligated service of at least four years in the uniformed services. The two-year eligibility period begins on the date of discharge or release from the uniformed service. (See the Qualifications section for further details.)

This position is located in the Cincinnati Regional Office.

Benefits Advisors respond to participant and beneficiary inquiries and complaints and provide technical assistance on the obligations of employers, plan sponsors, and service providers under ERISA, COBRA, ACA, HIPAA, MHPAEA, etc. They resolve valid complaints through informal dispute resolution, refer complaints to enforcement involving potential criminal activity or plan wide issues that cannot be resolved informally, and serve as the focal point of the DOL liaison with the general public.

The duties and responsibilities at the GS-07 and GS-09 levels are generally comparable; however, as you advance, the degree of supervision and guidance will decrease and the duties and responsibilities will increase.

Major duties for this position include but are not limited to:

• Offer information and guidance to plan administrators, service providers, participants, beneficiaries, the public, and other agencies on ERISA and related regulations, with support from supervisory staff.
• Help participants and beneficiaries obtain entitled benefits, develop recoveries and referrals according to EBSA procedures, and work with employers to resolve benefit issues, with supervisory support.
• Research and analyze data, prepare information for specific situations, and respond to inquiries.
• Identify potential criminal or complex civil cases needing formal investigation, or fiduciary law violations, and develop investigative referrals with supervisory guidance.
• Inform individuals about their ERISA rights and responsibilities, assist with outreach events, and distribute employee benefits and retirement savings information, with supervisory support.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Must be at least 16 years old.
• Requires a probationary period if the requirement has not been met.
• Candidate required to obtain the necessary security/investigation level.
• In some regions, a driver's license may be required.

Qualifications

To be eligible for appointment under the College Graduate authority, applicants must meet requirement A or B.

A. Applicants who have completed a bachelor's or graduate degree from a Qualifying Educational Institution within the previous two years or within 60 days of the vacancy closing date (05/06/2026).

OR

B. Veterans who have completed a bachelor's or graduate degree from a Qualifying Educational Institution and have an intervening period of obligated service of at least four years in the uniformed services. The two-year eligibility period begins on the date of discharge or release from the uniformed service.

In addition to meeting the eligibility listed above, you must also meet the education and/or experience requirements described below.

Specialized Experience is the experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform the duties of the position successfully, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level. For GS-07: Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level GS-05 in the Federal Service. For GS-09: Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level GS-07 in the Federal Service.

GS-07. You must meet 3 out of the 4 examples of specialized experience listed here: Qualifying specialized experience for the GS-07 is defined as:

• Experience working in a customer service environment providing information or assistance, resolving inquiries or complaints, and communicating clearly in both writing and speech to diverse audiences.
• Experience delivering educational information, outreach, or training (e.g., drafting materials, conducting briefings or presentations, and responding to questions) tailored to the audience and subject matter.
• Experience using research and analytical methods to identify and analyze problems and gathering, validating, and compiling data.
• Experience building and maintaining effective working relationships using tact, empathy, and professionalism, including engaging individuals who may be difficult, hostile, or distressed, and working respectfully with people from diverse backgrounds.

OR - you may substitute education for specialized experience as follows: A Bachelor's degree with superior academic achievement defined as 1 (or more) of the following: graduating in the upper 1/3 of the class; membership in a national honor society; earning an undergrad GPA of 2.95 (on a 4.0 scale) in the final 2 undergrad years completed; earning an overall undergrad GPA of 2.95; earning an undergrad GPA of 3.45 in the major during the final 2 undergrad years completed; earning an overall undergrad GPA of 3.45 in the major. OR - One year of related progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree. OR - Combination of Education and Experience: An appropriate combination of graduate level education and specialized experience.

GS-09: You must meet 4 out of the 5 examples of specialized experience listed here. Qualifying specialized experience for the GS-09 is defined as:

• Experience working in a customer service environment providing information or assistance, resolving inquiries or complaints, and communicating clearly in both writing and speech to diverse audiences.
• Experience delivering educational information, outreach, or training (e.g., drafting materials, conducting briefings or presentations, and responding to questions) tailored to the audience and subject matter.
• Experience applying and interpreting laws, regulations, policies, and procedures related to employee benefit plans (e.g., ERISA, reporting/disclosure) or a similar regulatory framework.
• Experience using research and analytical methods to identify and analyze problems; gathering, validating, and compiling data from multiple sources; evaluating alternatives; and making well-supported recommendations.
• Experience building and maintaining effective working relationships using tact, empathy, and professionalism, including engaging individuals who may be difficult, hostile, or distressed, and working respectfully with people from diverse backgrounds.

OR - you may substitute education for specialized experience as follows: A master's or equivalent graduate degree. OR 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or equivalent graduate degree. OR LL.B. or J.D., if related.

How you will be evaluated

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

Applicants meeting the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements will be referred to the selecting official. Rating/ranking and veterans' preference does not apply to this position.

You may preview application questions for this vacancy here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12945814

The information you provide may be verified by a review of your paid, unpaid, volunteer, as it demonstrates the competencies or skills required for the position to be filled. Your evaluation may include an interview, reference checks, or other assessment conducted by HR specialists, subject matter experts, or panel members and may include other assessment tools (ex. interview, structured interview, written test, work sample, etc.).

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

• Attention to Detail
• Customer Service
• Decision Making
• Flexibility
• Integrity/Honesty
• Interpersonal Skills
• Learning
• Reading Comprehension
• Reasoning
• Self-Management
• Stress Tolerance
• Teamwork

Under the authority of direct hire recruitment, evaluation factors are a tool to gauge one's proficiency in relevant competencies, but will not be used to determine who will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration. All candidates who have provided a complete application, and meet the minimum qualification requirements will be referred for consideration.

Click here for Evaluation details.

The following documents must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on the vacancy closing date.

The following documents are required from ALL applicants (PLEASE READ CAREFULLY):

• Resumes: Required and applicants must provide one either in USAJOBS or upload one from their computer and USAJOBS profile. To receive full consideration for relevant and specialized experience, please list the month, year, and number of work hours worked for the experience listed on your resume. We also suggest that you preview the vacancy questions and confirm that your resume supports your question responses.
• Proof of Eligibility: Academic transcript or other official documentation from the qualifying educational institution showing that you meet the eligibility requirements for a College Graduate appointment, as described in the Qualifications and Evaluations section of this announcement. If you are claiming extended eligibility due to military service performed during the two-year period following graduation, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 showing the dates of such service. (For active duty service members scheduled to be honorably discharged and released within the next 120 days, please select Active Duty)
• Proof of Qualifications: Academic transcripts are sufficient to demonstrate that you meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position, as described in this announcement, where you are seeking to qualify, at least in part, on the basis of your education. See Qualifications and Evaluations.
• Unofficial Transcript(s) (in English) - If you are using education as a basis for qualifying for this position, you must submit all applicable academic transcripts demonstrating that you meet the qualifying educational requirements (ex. BA/BS, MA, JD, Ph.D., etc.). If specific coursework is required to qualify, you must supply an unofficial transcript from each academic institution in which the required courses were taken in order to receive credit. You may upload your unofficial transcript(s) as one document with a maximum size limit of 5 MB.

NOTE: If you are selected you will be required to provide official transcript(s) prior to receiving the firm offer with a start date.

Cover Letters are not mandatory and will not be used to verify experience but may be submitted.

Reference the Education Section for College Transcript and Evaluation of Foreign Education. Do not upload password-protected documents.

Applicants selected for employment who are not current DOL employees will be required to provide proof of citizenship, and the E-Verify system will be used to confirm the employment eligibility of all new hires.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

- your performance and conduct;
- the needs and interests of the agency;
- whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
- whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your 1-year probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Next steps