HR SPECIALIST (Title 5)

Clarification from the agency

This position is open to all U.S Citizens- to include Veteran Preference Eligibles, Title 5 National Guard Employees, T32 Dual Status Military Technicians, Priority Placement Eligibles and all other federal employees.

This position is located in the JFHQ-State Human Resources Office (HRO).

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS: Advises and counsels management, employees, annuitants, and family members of deceased employees by interpreting, applying, and explaining retirement and insurance laws, regulations, and policies on available retirement insurance benefits, death benefits, entitlements/options. Researches and interprets appropriate regulations to provide advice to employees concerning reinstatement of insurance, conversion of life insurance and features of the programs and options associated with retirement. Assist employees in the preparation of retirement applications and related documents and forwards to the Army Benefits Center Civilian (ABC-C).

Determines type of separation and completion of eOPF maintenance for documents. Maintains a current knowledge of legislative development, agency reorganizations and other pertinent activities that may have an impact on management and employees. Provides technical guidance and assistance in the development and implementation of benefit program changes and open seasons. Determines entitlement to retirement annuities, eligibility for continuation of life and health insurance. Provides technical advice to personnel on a variety of programs such as health and life insurance and Thrift Savings Plan (TSP).

Develop and process termination memorandums. Compose termination memorandums (30-day notice) in compliance with formats contained in the correspondence regulation for non-retention, mandatory removal date (MRD), mandatory separation date (MSD), medical disqualification, age 60, etc. Monitors and ensures the Federal Employees Compensation Act (FECA) program is properly publicized and supervisors are provided the appropriate guidelines for use of the program. Ensures prompt submission of claims and medical documents.

INFORMATION SYSTEMS (HRIS): Provides technical assistance and guidance to supervisors, leadership, and various staff members in the operation, maintenance, and capabilities of various Human Resource Information Systems (HRISs) such as automated personnel systems, automated records management systems, case management systems, personnel records applications, HR In-Processing via virtual platforms, and virtual personnel services. Directs and monitors operation and maintenance of the local personnel system. Analyzes quality control queries, Personnel/Payroll data reconciliations, and rejected data entries from reports. Reviews daily products to determine trends, identify problem areas, and recommend modifications, additions, or deletions of products.

Establishes schedules to meet personnel system requirements. Responsible for daily pick up, distribution, and analysis of print products to ensure they conform to requirements and meet quality standards. Conducts compliance review and submission of Position Organization Address (POA) and Organizational Hierarchy (OH) changes to National Guard Bureau (NGB). In accordance with published guidance, verifies that system enhancements and system patches are working properly. Provides training to familiarize HRO staff, HRO remotes, and supervisors with the HRIS. Advises applicable personnel of any updates for coding, system transactions, and maintaining system security.

RECRUITMENT AND PLACEMENT: Advises and supports State managers, supervisors, and the Human Resources Officer on recruitment and placement matters for a variety of professional, administrative, technical, and clerical occupations. Plans for and administers the merit promotion and recruitment/ placement program. Educates commanders, managers, and supervisors on a wide range of programs, regulations, and policies regarding hiring of federal employees. Responds to inquiries and provides recommendations to resolve complex interrelated HR issues regarding recruitment and placement matters from the serviced workforce and coordinates with NGB-HR as required. Attends national recruitment and placement workshops. Reviews and verifies determinations made by lower graded staffing specialists, processing requests for personnel actions and recruit to fill actions. Evaluates work processes, provides training, and ensures accuracy and applicability according to regulatory and statutory guidance.

Performs the full scope of HR staffing work related to hiring, advertisement, qualification, selection, and onboarding actions. Performs qualification analysis of eligible applicants and adjudication of qualification appeals. Maintains documents associated with hiring actions. Reviews and analyzes statistical data concerning recruitment and placement functions, end strength and man-hour utilization and makes recommendations to supervisors for improvements. Conducts long-range planning for projected mission and/or organizational changes to formulate a placement plan. Coordinates with other HR specialties to meet organizational staffing needs to ensure that all regulatory requirements are met.

Conditions of employment

• Federal employment suitability as determined by a background investigation.
• May be required to successfully complete a trial period.
• Participation in direct deposit is mandatory.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain the appropriate clearance designated at the State through the use of the Position Designation Tool.
• Ability to establish effective professional working relationships with coworkers and customers, contributing to a cooperative working environment and successful accomplishment of the mission.
• May occasionally be required to work other than normal duty hours; over/comp time may be required.
• May require travel in military and/or commercial aircraft to perform temporary duty assignments.
• The work may require the incumbent to drive a motor vehicle; if so, and an appropriate valid driver’s license is mandatory.
• This position is designated as Essential Personnel and may be subject to duty in preparation for, or in response to, a state emergency or disaster declaration.
• Head of Agency requests to exceed 14 days in a calendar year must be approved in advance by the National Guard, Director of Manpower and Personnel (NGB-J1).
• Upon accepting this position, the employee may be required to serve up to a two-year probationary period.

Qualifications

BASIC QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: To qualify an applicant for any GS-0201 position, apply and evaluate the applicant's competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors) that may include military and civilian experiences, completed education, learned skills, obtained knowledge, endorsed abilities, and training program accomplishments. The following seven basic qualification competency factors are applicable to the Series GS-0201 career levels:

• Skilled in collecting and analyzing data effectively, efficiently, and accurately;
• Ability to clearly enunciate English without impediment of speech that would interfere or prohibit efficient communication;
• Ability to write English in reports and presentation formats;
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively;
• Skilled in presenting formal training presentations and briefings;
• Ability to assess body language and perceive emotional and/or distress levels; and,
• Skilled in applying procedures and directives by reading and interpreting program material.

GENERAL EXPERIENCE: Experiences gained through civilian and/or military technical training schools within the human resources business programs are included as general experience qualifications. An applicant must have a validated understanding of the basic principles and concepts of the occupational series and grade.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Must have at least one year specialized experiences at the GS-09 level or the equivalent which provided a working knowledge of National Guard missions, organizations, and federal civilian or military personnel programs. Must have experiences in executing personnel programs and Human Resources Information Systems, Employee Benefits, and Recruitment and Placement, as applicable to the specific position and its position description.

-Advanced knowledge of HR laws, regulations, principles, policies, and concepts related to the assigned functional area sufficient to plan and coordinate activities and serve as a technical resource to management and HR specialists on difficult or controversial issues.

-Ability to communicate effectively with all levels and types of organizations and audiences.

-Ability to communicate with managers and leadership regarding HR subject matter.

-Ability to conduct research and determine appropriate application of laws, regulations, policy, or other directives and interpretative instructions for use in assigned HR specialty areas and to make recommendations.

-Ability to make clear and convincing oral presentations to individuals or groups, listens effectively and clarifies information as needed; facilitates an open exchange of ideas and fosters an atmosphere of open communication.

-Ability to analyze complex operational and business problems involving issues for serviced functions.

-Skill in advising managers and supervisors of HR program flexibilities and recommending alternatives.

-Ability to write clear, concise explanations of complex HR topics such as evaluation statements, investigation reports.

-Working knowledge of HR computer applications and ability to integrate new, existing, and proposed applications into the operating environment. Ability to retrieve and provide HR reports to the serviced population.

How you will be evaluated

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

Once the announcement has closed, your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine if you meet the qualifications listed on this announcement. If you are minimally qualified, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses on the assessment questionnaire to determine your level of experience. If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application package, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this position. If you are found to be among the top qualified candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.

To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:

1. Your resume:

• Your resume may be submitted in any format and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement.
• Contact Information-your name and the best way to contact you
• If your resume includes a photograph, other PII (Personally Identifiable information) or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations and you may not be considered for this vacancy.
• For qualifications determinations your resume must contain hours worked per week and the dates of employment (i.e., Hours per week and month/year to month/year or month/year to present ex. 03/2020-06/2022 or 03/2020-Present).
• If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as incomplete, and you may not receive consideration for this position.

For additional information see: What to include in your resume.

2. Other supporting documents (as applicable):

• Certifications
• DD-214 or NGB 22
• SF-50
• Official Transcripts
• PAA

Next steps