Benefits Officer Job in Washington, DC

Vacancy No. HRD-2025-0003 Department District of Columbia Courts
Salary $139,395.00 to $181,216.00 Grade 14 to 14
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 2/7/2025 Close Date 2/21/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Washington, DC


Summary

The Benefits Officer oversees and performs a wide range of duties related to federal retirement, benefits administration and operational support and services to the Court.  The incumbent will provide oversight of the day-to-day operations of a branch.  The incumbent will be responsible for supervising a staff of Human Resources professionals, managing and improving work processes, providing individual and team technical and program guidance, and enhancing employee development.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

United States Citizens or individuals lawfully admitted for permanent residency or authorized by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service to work in the United States.

Duties

The Benefits Officer duties include but are not limited to the following:

  • Provides leadership to a Benefits Team responsible for administering the Federal Employees Health Benefit and Federal Group Life Insurance Programs; Flexible Spending Account (FSA); Federal Long Term Care Program, Thrift Savings Plan (TSP); and Federal Retirement Systems (Civil Service Retirement System, Federal Employees Retirement System). In addition, the Benefits Team oversees the short and long-term disability; transportation subsidy; pre-tax parking; unemployment; and worker’s compensation.
  • Provides individual counseling and calculations to DC Court Judges’ and their spouses on the DC Judges Retirement Plan and the Judicial Retirement Survivors Annuity Fund. The incumbent will receive training on these two programs.
  • Identifies and implements process improvements and enhancements to ensure continued excellence in work production and efficient advisory services.  
  • Facilitates the successful onboarding of new employees and judges.
  • Provides individual retirement counseling and performs calculations. Provides information on federal retirement options, eligibility requirements, health and life insurance implications, the impact of prior government or military service, divorce and remarriage, the role of Social Security, and the implications of retirement savings plans. Reviews applications for retirement including retirement health and life insurance for accuracy and completeness.
  • Prepares written communications to judges, court officials, and employees regarding retirement, benefit initiatives and other relevant programs.
  • Provides oversight to Office of Worker's Compensation (OWCP) Program and processes to assist employees and reduce OWCP costs, coordinates with Department of Labor, medical professionals, and management, to return employees to work as soon as medically possible.
  • Develops, modifies, and facilitates basic, intermediate, advanced or refresher training presentations in employee benefits programs such as workers' compensation, retirement, and TSP.
  • Oversees the timely and accurate processing of all payroll/personnel actions using the Federal Personnel and Payroll System (FPPS) and Workforce Transformation and Tracking System (WTTS).
  • Oversees and ensures quality and informative onboarding and off-boarding of employees. Ensures exit interviews are conducted and that transferring or separating employees receive all necessary benefit information.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • A background and/or security investigation is required.
  • Probationary period of one (1) year.

To qualify for this position, you must submit the following:
1. Resume
2. Completed Vacancy Questionnaire
3. Documentation /Proof of Education (e.g. copy of college transcript or degree)
4. List of three (3) professional references

All required documentation must be received by the closing date of the announcement.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in human resource management, business administration, public administration or a closely related field; plus six (6) years of experience in human resources including a minimum of three (3) years in Benefits Administration, and three (3) years of supervisory experience.

The successful candidate must possess strong verbal and written communication skills.  

Three (3) years of experience administering federal benefits, processing federal retirement applications, and conducting retirement counseling (FERS, CSRS) is required. 

Graduation from the Courts’ Management Training Program may substitute for one (1) year of supervisory experience.  You must provide documentation of your management training (i.e. copy of certificate) with your application.
 
*Applicants please be advised that your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience and that you meet the basic qualifications or you will not be determined qualified for this position.

* This is not a remote position.

Please note that authorization for the release of your adult criminal record revealing any convictions and forfeitures, and any criminal cases currently pending before the courts are required.  If you are selected for the position, a criminal history records check will be conducted.  

The incumbent should be an enthusiastic and engaged professional who enjoys working with a diverse group of Court personnel and customers and lives the DC Courts’ values of Accountability, Excellence, Fairness, Integrity, Respect, and Transparency.

Education

To qualify based on education, upload a copy of your college transcript or degree. The transcript must show the name of the college or university, your name, list of courses with credit hours, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking.

Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for District of Columbia Courts employment.  You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/.  

Foreign Education: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must upload a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript at time of application to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/

Additional information

This job is being filled by an alternative hiring process and is not in the competitive Federal civil service.

Please note there is a mandatory one year probationary period for all new court employees.

All required information must be received by the vacancy announcement closing date.

DC Court employees are eligible for the following federal benefits:

The Federal Employee Health Insurance Program (FEHB)

Federal Employees Group Life Insurance (FEGLI)

Dental & Vision Insurance

Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)

Federal Retirement – (FERS)

Thrift Savings Plan (TSP)

Federal Long- Term Care Insurance (OPM has suspended new enrollments, but current enrollments remain as is)

Additional benefits include an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Commuter benefits and disability insurance.

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.

This is not a federal position.

The District of Columbia Courts is an independent agency of the District of Columbia Government and is not under the authority of the City Mayor or the D. C. Council. DC Courts' appropriation comes directly from Congress. All DC Courts non-judicial employees receive federal benefits for the following programs:  Life Insurance, Retirement Benefits, Health Insurance and Workers Compensation.

Please click on the following for more information about these benefits:

http://www.opm.gov/Insure/health/enrollment/new_employees.asp

The DC Courts leave policy is as follows:

Annual Leave:  New full-time employees earn four (4) hours of annual leave biweekly. After three years of service this increases to six (6) hours biweekly, and at 15 years it increases to eight (8) hours biweekly. Most military, federal and District of Columbia government service counts toward the time required to go into the next higher annual leave category. Employees can carry over no more than 240 hours of annual leave into the next leave year.

Sick Leave is used for personal medical needs, care of a family member, or adoption related purposes. Full-time employees earn four (4) hours of sick leave biweekly. This leave can be accrued without limit.

In addition to the federal health plans, the DC Courts offer employees supplemental vision and dental plans as well as commuter transit benefit subsidy, for a maximum of $150 a month. There are 26 pay periods in the year.

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.

Upon receipt of your complete application package, a review of your application will be made to ensure that you meet the minimum qualification requirements. Answers submitted in the questionnaire must be supported on your resume.

Your resume must reflect the relevant experience and that you meet the minimum qualifications or your application will not be considered.


You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Required Documents

1. Resume
2. Completed Vacancy Questionnaire
3. Documentation /Proof of Education (e.g. copy college transcript or diploma)
4. List of three (3) professional references

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

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.

How to Apply

To begin the process, click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account.  Follow the prompts to complete the vacancy questionnaire. Afterward, click the Submit My Answers button at the end of the process.

Agency contact information

S. Juarez
Address
District of Columbia Courts
Moultrie Building
500 Indiana Avenue, NW
Washington, District of Columbia 20001
United States

Next steps

Once your completed application is received, the qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and a possible interview.  All applicants will be notified of the final outcome.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


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