HR Specialist (Recruitment and Staffing) Job in Washington, DC

Vacancy No. OST.M-2026-0024 Department Office of the Secretary of Transportation
Salary $102,415.00 to $158,322.00 Grade 12 to 13
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 10/9/2026 Close Date 10/19/2026
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
Washington, DC


HR Specialist (Recruitment and Staffing)

Department of Transportation
Office of the Secretary of Transportation

Summary

This position is located in the Human Resources Operations (HRO) Talent Acquisition Team, Office of the Secretary (OST). This position is established to provide comprehensive human resource management services to assigned organizations in the areas of recruitment and staffing, pay, leave and position management.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

GOV-wide employees with competitive status only, including FAA employees eligible for competitive announcements through FAA's OPM Interchange Agreement.

Duties

As a HR Specialist (Recruitment and Staffing), you will:

  • Provides staffing and placement services to managers regarding standard recruitment strategies and the application of common program flexibilities. The incumbent identifies appropriate hiring flexibilities to support workforce planning, including Schedule A, Veterans’ Recruitment Appointment (VRA), and Military Spouse Authority.
  • Manages internal talent acquisition by posting announcements for internal solicitations and details on the DOT internal website. Assists managers in conducting job analyses by identifying required knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) utilizing established question libraries. Coordinates rating panels and provides instructions to managers on candidate evaluation criteria. Manages the lifecycle of the selection process, including calculating initial pay, extending job offers, and coordinating entry on-duty dates.
  • Assists in the implementation of pay schedule adjustments and administrative rulings regarding federal compensation. Coordinates General Schedule and locality pay updates. Determines eligibility for special salary rates and common allowances. Manages routine pay issues including work schedules and premium pay. Administers programs for grade and pay retention and severance pay under closer review. Provides advice on the use of standard recruitment and relocation incentives (3Rs), ensuring justifications meet regulatory requirements.
  • Reviews and codes a variety of personnel actions—including promotions, reassignments, and pay adjustments—to ensure technical and legal accuracy. Maintains knowledge of Nature of Action (NOA) coding procedures and legal authorities. Researches personnel and pay laws to provide basic advice to managers and ensures compliance with standard organizational policies.
  • Independently performing the full range of recruitment and placement functions to include developing job analyses, advising on assessments, drafting job opportunity announcements, reviewing applications for eligibility and qualifications, issuing certificates, setting pay, extending job offers, and processing personnel actions.

The ideal candidate for the Human Resources Specialist position will be highly organized, detail-oriented, and committed to delivering accurate, timely, and high-quality customer service. This candidate will have proven experience providing HR advisory and compliance support across multiple functional areas, including classification,  restructuring, and consolidation, while specifically demonstrating the ability to execute End-to-End Recruitment, apply Federal HR Policy, leverage excellent written and verbal communication skills to advise leadership, collaborate with internal and external stakeholders, and present complex information clearly and professionally, and independently manage and execute multiple high-priority tasks in a fast-paced environment.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

  • Must meet specialized experience stated in Qualifications section
  • Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date
  • Required documents must be submitted by the closing date.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will 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 the 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 probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

  • SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for the Selective Service.
  • GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CARD: This position involves travel.  A government contractor-issued travel card will be issued and must be retained for official business only.
  • BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: A background security investigation is required for all selected individuals. Appointment will be subject to the applicant’s successful completion of the security investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to meet these requirements will be grounds for termination.
  • PROBATIONARY PERIOD: You must complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed).
  • TIME-IN-GRADE: Federal applicants must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade in the competitive or excepted service in the executive branch to satisfy time-in-grade restrictions contained in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F.

Qualifications

To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must meet the specialized experience qualifications for the grade at which you are requesting consideration.

To qualify for the Grade 12, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-11 it must include:

  • Experience providing comprehensive human resources advisory services in multiple HR functional areas
  • Experience advising managers on staffing/recruitment, organization and position management, compensation/benefits, or other human capital issues.
  • Experience interpreting and applying human resources laws, regulations, and policies to analyze problems and recommend solutions.


To qualify for the Grade 13, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-12, it must include:

  • Experience serving as a senior advisor or subject matter expert in multiple human resources functional areas.
  • Experience analyzing and resolving human resources issues for which established guidance or precedent may be insufficient.
  • Experience developing, evaluating, or implementing HR policies, programs, strategies, or initiatives and providing authoritative recommendations to management.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas:

  • Customer Service - Anticipates and meets the needs of both internal and external customers. Delivers high-quality products and services; is committed to continuous improvement.
  • Personnel and Human Resources - Knowledge of one or more of the following areas: recruitment classification, benefits, labor relations, negotiation, and Federal, state, and local employment regulations.
  • Resilience - Deals effectively with pressure; remains optimistic and persistent, even under adversity. Recovers quickly from setbacks.
  • Teamwork - Encourages and facilitates cooperation, pride, trust, and group identity; fosters commitment and team spirit; works with others to achieve goals.


For all types of 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, religious, 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.

For additional information about applying to Federal positions, please click on the following link:  https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-policies/#url=e4

All applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Transportation and its Operating Administrations from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to the Department of Transportation by email at, FairChanceAct@dot.gov. To learn more, please visit our page at: The Fair Chance to Compete Act | US Department of Transportation

This announcement may be used to fill additional positions is similar vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate(s).

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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.

DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE:  Please be clear and specific when describing your experience, as HR evaluates applications strictly on the facts provided and will not make assumptions. To receive full credit, your narrative responses must be written in paragraph format and explicitly match your resume. Begin each response by listing the exact position title, organization, employment dates (MM/YYYY–MM/YYYY), full- or part-time status, average weekly hours, and federal series/grade (if applicable). Within the body of the paragraph, clearly describe your specific duties, actions taken, tools used, and measurable outcomes. HR will cross-check these details against your resume; if your resume does not fully support every claim and timeframe, theexperience will not be considered for credit, which may result in an ineligible determination."

Eligible Federal employees also seeking consideration for noncompetitive reassignment for this position, must indicate interest in the assessment. Noncompetitive federal candidates must have competitive status on a SF-50, meet minimum qualifications, have served at the same grade or higher, and held or exceeded the promotion potential of this position.

All applicants:  Your application will be reviewed in two phases determine how you move forward in the hiring process.  Phase I: Your resume will be reviewed to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the required specialized experience. ONLY two (2) pages of your resume will be reviewed. Additional information beyond your resume (e.g., cover letter, links embedded in your resume) will not be reviewed.  Applicants passing “Phase I” will move on to the “Phase II” of the assessment process where your application will be reviewed and rated based on the KSAs/Competencies listed in the vacancy announcement by a Subject Matter Expert (SME).


You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Required Documents

Required Document Details:

RESUME: In accordance with the OPM memorandum titled Merit Hiring Plan, dated May 29, 2025, resumes with a maximum of two (2) pages in length will be accepted as part of your application.  These should be legible and in a readable font size. A determination of your eligibility and/or qualifications will be based only on those two (2) pages. 

Your resume MUST contain specific information that is used to make a qualification determination, including employment beginning and ending dates for each position, whether employment is Full-time or Part-time, or average number of hours worked per week, and position titles (e.g., Program Analyst, GS-343-11 | January 2009–Present | 40 Hours/Week). If the position is/was in the Federal government, you will need to provide the position series and grade level.  The resume should show relevant experience and education, as well as support the required specialized experience.

TRANSCRIPTS: Transcripts are REQUIRED if there is a stated education requirement for the series OR if you are substituting education for experience. The transcripts need not be official, but must show that you meet the stated education requirements, including specific major or class requirements. 

ENGINEERS: If you are applying to an engineering position and are qualifying based on possessing a current Professional Engineer (PE) license, or passing the Engineer in Training (EIT) exam, please provide a copy of PE license or written documented proof of passing the EIT.

CURRENT OR FORMER FEDERAL APPLICANTS: Submit SF-50 documentation proving your highest competitive grade, federal eligibility, and 52-week time-in-grade requirement. To pass HR validation, it’s recommended to combine and upload these into a single PDF:

  • Start Date: The SF-50 showing when you were originally appointed or promoted to the qualifying grade.
  • End Date: An SF-50 dated at least 52 weeks later (e.g., a Within-Grade Increase, promotion, or subsequent action) to prove a sequential 52-week period.

Warning on Incomplete Documentation: Do not submit an award or current-year annual pay adjustment SF-50 by itself. These do not prove your original entry date or grade. If your documents fail to conclusively prove a full 52-week history, you will be rated Ineligible. https://help.usajobs.gov/working-in-government/service/sf-50

PERFORMANCE APPRAISALS / INCENTIVE AWARDS: If applicable, you may submit recent performance appraisals and incentive award documentation dated within the last 18 months. To receive due consideration during the evaluation process, your performance appraisal must show the official rating of record and be signed by a supervisor. If an appraisal is unavailable, you must submit a statement explaining why (do not submit a performance plan). Qualifying incentive documentation includes superior performance, special act or achievement awards, and quality step increases. All submitted documentation will be forwarded to the selecting official to support your application.

If requesting consideration under the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP):

  • your most recent performance appraisal,
  • the proof of eligibility letter from the Agency, and
  • your most current SF-50, displaying current series and grade. 
  • YOU MUST SUBMIT ALL 3 documents and meet the well qualified standards for this vacancy (meeting minimum requirements for position and scoring at least an 80) to be considered under CTAP.

Displaced employees may be eligible for CTAP priority consideration. For more information, please review the OPM Employee's Guide to Career Transition.

IMPORTANT: Submit all required resume details and documents by the closing date. Verify that all files have successfully transferred before submitting. Late or incomplete applications will be disqualified.

How to Apply

To be considered, you must submit all required resume details and applicable documents no later than 11:59 (EST) on the closing date of the announcement.

Note: Uploading documents to USAJobs does not automatically attach them to this application. You must review and verify that all files are successfully transferred to our system before final submission. Late or incomplete applications will be disqualified.

  • To begin, click the Apply Online button on the job announcement.
  • Follow the directions to register, submit all required documents and complete the assessment questionnaire.
  • You may review your saved application(s) at https://help.usajobs.gov/

If you are having difficulty applying online, please contact the DOT Automated Staffing Office via email at:  Transjobs@dot.gov.

Agency contact information

Automated Staffing Office
Phone
000-000-0000
Email
TRANSJOBS@dot.gov
Address
DOT, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY
Submit Application and Documents Online
1200 New Jersey Ave SE / HAHR - 50
Washington, District of Columbia 20590
United States

Next steps

You may check your application status by logging into your USAJOBS account. Within two weeks of the closing date, your application will be reviewed and rated. Ratings will be determined based on the documents and information received by the closing date. The most highly qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration. If you are selected for an interview, the hiring manager will contact you directly. Once a hiring decision is made, we will notify all applicants of their final status.

Office of the Secretary of Transportation

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is focused on what matters most: prioritizing the safety of our transportation systems, modernizing our aging infrastructure, unleashing American innovation, and maximizing efficiency by removing bureaucratic red tape. We are looking for mission-driven professionals ready to deliver real results with discipline, urgency, and accountability to support American families, workers, and businesses.

As we usher in a Golden Age of Transportation, DOT values a results-oriented, high-performing workforce dedicated to continuous improvement, operational excellence, and a safe, collaborative environment. If you want to build big, beautiful infrastructure, scale transformative technologies, and achieve results that will serve our nation for generations to come, please consider joining the DOT family.

Did You Know? The Department of Transportation is consistently ranked as one of the Best Places to Work in the Federal Government!

Agency contact information

Automated Staffing Office
Phone
000-000-0000
Email
TRANSJOBS@dot.gov
Address
DOT, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY
Submit Application and Documents Online
1200 New Jersey Ave SE / HAHR - 50
Washington, District of Columbia 20590
United States