HUMAN RESOURCES SPECIALIST (RECRUITMENT AND PLACEMENT) Job in Washington, DC

Vacancy No. FERC-OED-MP-26-12968876 Department Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Salary $121,785.00 to $158,322.00 Grade 13 to 13
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 6/2/2026 Close Date 6/11/2026
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
Washington, DC


Summary

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is ranked within the top 5 mid-size agencies as a "Best Place to Work" in the Federal government! This HUMAN RESOURCES SPECIALIST (RECRUITMENT AND PLACEMENT) position is located in the Office of the Executive Director. For more information visit: Office of the Executive Director (OED)

This job is open to

Federal employees - Competitive service

Current federal employees whose agencies follow the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's hiring rules and pay scales.

Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)

Federal employees whose job, agency or department was eliminated and are eligible for priority over other applicants.

Land and base management

Current or former employees of a base management agency.

Veterans

Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces or a spouse, widow, widower or parent of a veteran, who may be eligible for derived preference

Military spouses

Military spouses of active duty service members or whose spouse is 100 percent disabled or died on active duty.

Individuals with disabilities

Individuals who are eligible under Schedule A.

Peace Corps & AmeriCorps Vista

Individuals who have served at least 2 years with the Peace Corps or 1 year with AmeriCorps VISTA.

Special authorities

Individuals eligible under a special authority not listed in another hiring path.

Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from current and former competitive service Federal employees, and people eligible under special hiring authorities. You may be reinstated within 3 years after the date of your separation. Reinstatement eligibility may be extended by certain activities that occur during the 3-year period after separation from your last career-conditional appointment.

Duties

As a HUMAN RESOURCES SPECIALIST (RECRUITMENT AND PLACEMENT), some of your typical work assignments may include:

  • Announcing vacancies through direct hire, delegated examining and merit promotion procedures; preparing certificates of eligible candidates and ensuring that all placement actions meet regulatory requirements; extending job offers and coordinating with a variety of personnel to ensure pre-employment requirements are met in a timely manner; applying pay setting rules/regulations against various pay plan regulations;

  • Defining issues, determining applicable precedents, laws, or regulations, and identifying the most effective approaches and techniques to resolve issues.

  • Preparing and presenting findings and recommending actions on personnel issues; Developing and providing training/instructions to customers.

  • Troubleshooting and resolving problems associated with recruitment and placement services for servicing organizations; consulting stakeholders in HR issues and problems.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
  • You must provide your SF-50 (See Required Documents Section).
  • A one-year probationary period may be required.
  • A background investigation is required.
  • This is not a bargaining unit position.
  • Generally, male applicants must be registered with the Selective Service.
  • Relocation expenses will not be paid.
  • If hired, you may be required to divest certain energy-related securities.
  • Applicant must currently be DE Certified.

Qualifications

You must meet the qualification (experience and/or education) requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Time-in-grade requirements must be met within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement unless you are (1) eligible for a special hiring authority OR (2) reinstatement eligible.
To view the eligibility and qualification requirements of a/n HUMAN RESOURCES SPECIALIST (RECRUITMENT AND PLACEMENT), GS-0201 -13 please visit: Human Resources Management, 0201

You must have one full year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-12 level. Specialized experience is defined as: experience filling a variety of General Schedule positions which includes performing job analyses, creating vacancy announcements, and developing assessment tools to determine the best qualified applicants, completing or reviewing paperwork for a wide variety of personnel actions such as accessions, promotions, and reassignments for Federal government civilian employees; determining if applicants meet the qualification requirements for positions. Additionally, providing consultation and advisory services to managers regarding merit system principles, and practices of Human resource laws, policies and regulations on often complex or controversial matters. Must be DEU Certified .

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 any volunteer experience.

Please do not cut and paste the position description, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume, as this will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

Education

There is no education requirement for this position; therefore, transcripts are not required.

PASS/FAIL COURSES: If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society.

GRADUATE EDUCATION: One academic year of graduate education is the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.

Additional information

The duty location of this position is Washington, DC.

If selected for this position, you will be required to:

  • Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) to determine your suitability for Federal employment.
  • Have your Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of your choice.
  • Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S. FERC also participates in the USCIS Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify). For more information about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit: http://www.uscis.gov/e-verify.
  • Attend a mandatory ethics training. We are governed by the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) Standards of Conduct, the criminal conflict of interest statutes, and FERC's supplemental ethics regulation, which specifically prohibits FERC employees from holding certain energy-related securities. To comply with these regulations and statutes, divestiture of at least some energy securities is likely to be required after you begin employment. See 5 C.F.R. 2634-41; 18 U.S.C. 201-208; 5 C.F.R. 3401. If selected, you may also be required to file a financial disclosure statement within 30 days of appointment.
  • Receive authorization from OPM on any job offer you receive, if you are or were (within the last 5 years) a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch.

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

Your performance appraisal and incentive awards will be given due consideration in the selection process based on their relation to the duties of the position and the consistency with which they may be considered in evaluating you against other candidates.

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.

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.

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. 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 (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

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

The USA Hire Assessments includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12968876

Required Documents

Failure to submit all required documentation by the closing date of this vacancy announcement, including adhering to the maximum two-page resume requirement, will result in removal from consideration and loss of any special hiring preference (e.g., veterans' preference, ICTAP/CTAP eligibility, Schedule A).

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS FOR ALL CANDIDATES:

  1. RESUME (maximum of 2 pages in length): Your resume should describe your specialized experience and support your answers to the vacancy announcement questionnaire. You must ensure it contains the following information for each experience/position:
    1. Position title
    2. Name of employer
    3. Beginning and ending dates of employment (Month/Day/Year format)
    4. Hours worked per week
    5. Detailed description of job duties, accomplishments, related skills, and responsibilities to include any supervisory/managerial responsibilities and number of staff supervised (if applicable)
    6. Series and grade or equivalent (for federal positions)
    7. If the position has an education requirement or you are qualifying based on your education, you must list your education history, including the type of degree and your major of study
  2. VACANCY QUESTIONNAIRE: You must submit and complete the online eligibility and vacancy questions.
  3. TRANSCRIPTS (only required when the position has an education requirement, or you are qualifying for the position based on your education): You MUST submit copies of your college transcripts to verify your education. Unofficial copies are acceptable; however, if selected you will be required to provide official transcripts before your effective date.
  4. STANDARD FORM 50 (SF-50)/NOTIFICATION OF PERSONNEL ACTION: For former and/or current Federal employees (which includes eligibility under an interchange agreement with other Merit Systems), you must submit a copy of your most recent non-award SF-50, showing you are/were in the competitive service, your highest grade held (or promotion potential) on a permanent basis, position title, series, and grade. You may obtain a copy of your SF-50 from your official personnel record. FERC employees can access their official personnel records electronically, by using eOPF: https://eopf.opm.gov/ferc/. If you separated from the Federal government, you may obtain a copy of your SF-50 via the Federal Records Center, National Archives and Records Administration.
  5. PROOF OF DE CERTIFICATION WITH EXPIRATION DATE

OPTIONAL DOCUMENTS TO SUPPORT PREFERENCE OR ELIGIBILITY CLAIMS:

  1. VETERANS'PREFERENCE (DD-214, VA Disability Letter, etc.): If you are claiming veterans' preference, you must submit a copy of your Certificate of Release or Discharge From Active Duty, DD-214 (Member 4 copy), or other official documentation from a branch of the Armed Forces or the Department of Veterans Affairs showing dates of service and type of discharge. Ten-point preference eligibles must also submit an "Application for 10-point Veteran Preference" (SF-15), along with official VA letter and the required documentation listed on the back of the SF-15 form. For more information about veterans' preference, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Veterans.
  2. CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (CTAP)/INTERAGENCY CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (ICTAP): These programs apply to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; 2) be rated "Well Qualified" for the position; and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. For more information about CTAP/ICTAP, visit: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp. The following documents are required:
    1. Reduction in Force or RIF notice - written notice of your expected separation, or other documentation of priority consideration status;
    2. Latest SF-50 noting your current position, grade level, and duty location;
    3. Last performance appraisal, including your rating; and
    4. Any documentation from your agency showing your current promotion potential.
  3. SCHEDULE A ELIGIBILITY (applicants with disabilities): The federal government has a streamlined hiring process for individuals with disabilities, known as Schedule A. For more information about Schedule A and eligibility requirements, visit: https://www.ferc.gov/careers/info-disabilities.asp.

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 and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as 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. The application process is as follows:

  1. Click the Apply Online button.
  2. Make sure you verify that your resume clearly indicates possession of the competencies and specialized experience listed under the "Qualifications and Evaluation" and "How You Will Be Evaluated" sections of this announcement.
  3. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
  4. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
  5. 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.
  6. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
  7. 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.
  8. Set aside approximately two (2) 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.
  9. 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.

Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us.

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: Visit 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. (https://appsupport-usastaffing.opm.gov/hc/en-us/sections/45063131363475-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information)

Agency contact information

Anita Collier
Phone
202-502-6709
Email
Anita.Collier@ferc.gov
Address
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
888 First St NE
Washington, DC 20426
US

Next steps

Once your complete application is received, we will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications and determine your ranking. You will be notified of the status of your application up to four times throughout the application process, via your USAJOBS dashboard. To verify the status of your application, both during and after the announcement open period, log on to your USAJOBS account. The application record in your USAJOBS account provides an option to "Track this application." Your "Applicant status" will also appear along with the dates you applied to this position and when your application was last updated. To learn more about your specific job status and how this helps you track jobs and applications visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status

Please notify us if your contact information changes after the closing date of the announcement.

More than one selection for similar positions may be made from this announcement and the program office for that selection may vary. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with any interested selecting official(s).

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is an independent agency that regulates the interstate transmission of electricity, natural gas, and oil. FERC also reviews proposals to build liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals and interstate natural gas pipelines as well as licensing hydropower projects.

Our Mission: Economically Efficient, Safe, Reliable, and Secure Energy for Consumers. For more information visit: https://www.ferc.gov/.

Agency contact information

Anita Collier
Phone
202-502-6709
Email
Anita.Collier@ferc.gov
Address
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
888 First St NE
Washington, DC 20426
US