Duties
Major duties of the position include, but are not limited to:
- Provides staff level management advisory service to Network and field facilities on a full range of employee (ER) and labor (LR) relations issues.
- Works closely with staff and operational officials, employee groups, etc. to develop and explore labor relations alternatives to improves policies, techniques and procedures.
- Analyzes, evaluates, and develops major aspects of agency-wide labor relations programs that require isolating and defining unknown conditions, resolving critical problems, and developing new concepts and methodologies; and resolving issues of sensitivity and potential controversy that may promote advances in principal human resources program plans, goals, objectives, and milestones.
- Advises management officials at all levels of the network, including senior leaders, about appropriate disciplinary or other corrective techniques in response to a range of conduct and performance problems. Explains rules and procedures to employees and management to help them understand rights and obligations while maintaining and encouraging objectivity in situations that may be charged with emotion and involve assumptions.
- Conducts and advises on VISN Office ER/LR matters, all proposed adverse actions, coordination and oversight, including OAWP, DAB, AIB, fact findings, grievance examiner, labor issues and negotiations, state licensure reviews, and suitability.
- Prepares appropriate agency responses to labor-related matters.
- Provides technical and consultative guidance, including actions of a disciplinary or adverse nature, grievances, demands to bargain, impasse proceedings, local bargaining, unfair labor practices, performance management and recognition, employee counseling, appeals, complaints, drug testing and related functions.
- Reviews requests and submits justification for those ER/LR actions requiring approval by Network Director, VHA, VA or higher authority, then takes appropriate action, and prepares necessary correspondence.
- May serve as a SME representative or key witness in third-party proceedings as necessary.
- May be selected to chair or participate in Administrative Investigative Boards (AIBs).
- Provides advice and assistance to higher echelon staff and/or independently resolves issues on the application of negotiated agreements and FLRA decisions, resolution of grievances, and arbitration proceedings.
- Performs other related duties as assigned.
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm OR 8:00am - 4:30pm (subject to change based on agency needs)
Virtual: This is a remote position.
Position Description/PD#: HR Specialist (ER/LR)/PD99988S
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required
Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary in nature and does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
- Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
- Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required.
- You may be required to serve a probationary period
- Subject to background/security investigation
- Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
Qualifications
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/15/2024.
The BASIC REQUIREMENT for the HR Specialist GS-0201 series is presumed met if found qualified at the GS-0201-07 level and above.
To qualify for this position at the GS-13 level, you must meet one of the following listed criteria:
Criteria 1 - Graduate Degree and Specialized Experience: Successful completion of a graduate level degree or higher and three (3) years of progressive specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level. Such experience may be gained in administrative, professional, technical or other responsible work positions in the public (i.e., Government or military) or private sector.
Qualifying specialized experience includes: Providing interpretations, advice, and guidance on Federal laws, executive orders, OPM directives/decisions, as well as policies and procedures as they relate to employee and labor relations issues; informing management of regulatory and other requirements to be considered in effecting disciplinary actions, removals, suspensions and in resolving grievances and appeals related to formal disciplinary actions taken and assisting in the development of required correspondence/documents; evaluating, publicizing and establishing operating procedures for employee relations programs that are typically complex or controversial, and/or potentially impact large numbers of employees.
~OR~
Criteria 2 - Specialized Experience: You must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in federal service that demonstrates HR management knowledge, concepts and principles and the performance of work in one or more of the HR specialty areas. Such experience may be gained in administrative, professional, technical or other responsible work positions in the public (i.e., Government or military) or private sector.
Qualifying specialized experience includes: Experience and skill in applying, laws, Executive Orders, regulations, policies, collective bargaining agreements, concepts, and various HR policies, practices, procedures, and management controls of the employee and labor relations functions in a regionalized operation sufficient to: provide comprehensive employee and labor relations services; coordinate with and advise supervisors and managers on technical issues involving disciplinary actions, adverse actions and all other relevant corrective actions; drafting formal notices compliant with regulations and procedures; serves as a consultant to management in the areas of Labor and Employee Relations; researches applicable laws, policies and organizational precedents to recommend to managers appropriate disciplinary or other corrective techniques involving a range of conduct and performance problems; serves as the agency representative during Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations.
Education
A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.
Note: 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 Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.
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.
Review our benefits
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.
Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following Competencies for this position:
- Analytical Reasoning
- Attention to Detail
- Customer Service (Clerical/Technical)
- Employee Relations
- Labor Relations
Your experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.
IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.
Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the
VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.
Required Documents
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
Other accepted documents:
- Cover Letter
- DD-214/ Statement of Service
- Disability Letter (Schedule A)
- Disability Letter (VA)
- Professional Certification
- Resume
- SF-15
- SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
- Transcript
Please review the above list(s) to ensure you have included all necessary documents required for your application. Not every applicant will require the same documents, therefore it is the applicants responsibility to ensure that their application package includes all necessary documents to determine qualifications and eligibility for appointment, such as a copy of your SF-50, transcript, ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees). Applicants will be deemed ineligible if supporting documentation is not submitted.
You will not be contacted for additional information.
Veterans' Preference: Since the Direct-Hire Recruitment Authority is being used, traditional Veterans' Preference rules do not apply. Qualified veterans will, however, be given full consideration for this position.
It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.
Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator.
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
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include the initial online questionnaire and submission of the required documentation specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. To preview the application questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12571190. The application process is as follows:
- To begin, click Apply Online to create a USA JOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents.
- Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
- Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date, 10/15/2024. NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
- If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
- Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
- Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
- Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link. NOTE: Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.
For more general information, system requirements, reasonable accommodation information, and to request assistance regarding the USA Hire Assessments, review the following resources:
https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=USA_Hire_Assessments
To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
To view the announcement status or your application status:
https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/howto/application/status/.
Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.
Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here:
https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire
Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.
It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.
Next steps
Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. After we receive application packages (including all required assessments and documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued, and applicants will be notified of their status by email. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.
If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.
The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.
You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center.