Human Resources Specialist Job in Cambridge, MA

Vacancy No. 25-104 Department Smithsonian Institution
Salary $100,371.00 to $130,488.00 Grade 12 to 12
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 9/12/2025 Close Date 9/26/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
Cambridge, MA


Summary

This is the position of Human Resources Specialist, Human Resources Department of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. The purpose of the position is to plan, organize and independently carry out a wide variety of responsibilities in areas such as recruitment and placement, position classification, management-employee relations, performance appraisals and visa processing for assigned organizations within the observatory.

Duties

  1. Applying an expert knowledge of recruitment and placement principles and concepts, recruits and places Federal and Trust Fund employees in all grade levels up to, and including, grade 15, and provides guidance and assistance to managers/supervisors on recruitment and placement programs. Provides authoritative interpretation and instructions on laws, regulations, policies and procedures, and advises management on appropriate courses of action. In conjunction with the hiring supervisor, the incumbent determines selective factors for positions and rates candidates. Responsible for a variety of recruiting efforts through a number of outlets, to increase recruitment sources for special programs, and seek out the most effective media outlets. Participates in pre- and post-RIF planning and actions for Trust and Federal employees. Counsels employees who have been affected by staff reductions, including outlining benefits, monitoring severance payments, assisting in resume preparation, and outplacement referrals.
  2. Provides expert position management and classification support to assigned organizations. Develops and evaluates position descriptions for all position actions, including a significant amount of highly complex positions. Applies classification standards and supplemental guidance to determine title, series and grade. Assists management with planning and implementing reorganizations. Provides advice on organization/position structures, possible classification changes, position or employee impact and related actions to assure policy and regulatory compliance. Completes classification and position management surveys as needed, to implement reorganizations, apply new standards or complete other position or organization changes.
  3. Provides expert advice and assistance to managers/supervisors on handling performance problems, adverse actions, referrals to Employee Assistance Programs, promotions, merit increases, quality and within-grade increases, cash awards, full utilization of present personnel, writing performance appraisal plans, etc. Provides advice and assistance when difficult problems arise in establishing and maintaining management-employee relationships that contribute to satisfactory productivity, motivation, morale, and discipline. Responds to difficult situations in correcting work deficiencies, poor performance, and leave abuse.  Informs managers/supervisors of regulatory and other requirements in effecting dispute resolutions, disciplinary actions, removals, suspensions, and grievances and assists in the development of required correspondence/documents.  Provides advice regarding the administration of formal rating plans, as well as assistance in resolving complaints concerning performance ratings.  Takes part in meetings between managers/supervisors and subordinates to assist in the resolution of problems.
  4. Keeps abreast of new developments and regulatory guidance from SI, OPM, and other sources in all areas of Human Resources management. Provides expert advice on policy, directives, and guidelines on a full range of matters relevant to assigned functions.
  5. Petitions for visas (both immigrant and non-immigrant) for aliens whom SAO wishes to hire on either a temporary or permanent basis. This includes H-l, J-1, O-1, TN-1, and permanent resident petitions, as well as all derivatives. Must maintain an excellent working relationship with SI's Office of International Affairs, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service, Department of Labor, Department of State, and the United States Information Agency (USIA). Responsible for annual renewal of visas for foreign national employees/visitors already on board.
  6. Serves as a personnel expert on various Management, EEO, HRIS, or other special committees as required. Prepares a variety of reports as requested by the Director of Human Resources, members of top SI/SAO management, other SAO managers or supervisors, or on own initiative. As required, conducts various studies and evaluation activities of program areas. Prepares and presents results, and recommends corrective actions based on findings. Follows up, to assure completion of required actions.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • Pre and Post appointment background check
  • Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer required for salary payment
  • U.S. citizenship
  • Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered with Selective Service.
  • May be required to serve a one-year probationary period.

Qualification requirements must be met within 30 days of the job opportunity announcement closing date.
For information on qualification requirements, see Qualification Standards Handbook for General Schedule Positions viewable on the web at https://archive.opm.gov/qualifications/Standards/IORs/gs0200/0201.htm

Qualifications

Applicants must possess a minimum of one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the grade 12 level in the normal line of progress for this occupation.  Specialized experience includes activities such as researching and providing expert human resources advisory services to supervisors and manager on staffing, classification, employee relations, performance, HR automated systems and international programs.  

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.

Part-time and/or unpaid experience related to this position will be considered to determine the total number of years and months of experience. Be sure to note the number of paid or unpaid hours worked each week.

Education

There is no substitution for education at this grade level.

Additional information

Recruitment Incentive: Recruitment incentive(s) may be authorized for this position.  However, approval for incentives are contingent upon various availability. If authorized, certain incentives will require the incumbent to sign a service agreement to remain in the Federal government for a certain time period.

Note: This statement does not imply nor guarantee an incentive will be offered and paid.

Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA):  If you are applying for a VEOA appointment, you must be a veteran and must be honorably separated and either a preference eligible or have substantially completed 3 or more years of active service. ("Active Service" under this law means active duty in a uniformed service and includes full-time training duty, annual training duty, full-time National Guard duty, and attendance, while in the active service, at a school designated as a service school by law or by the Secretary concerned.) A veteran who is released under honorable conditions shortly before completing a 3-year tour is also eligible.

Noncompetitive Appointment Authorities:  The following links contain information on the eligibility requirements to be considered under a noncompetitive appointing authority:

The Smithsonian Institution provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation should contact the Human Resources Specialist listed. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

The Smithsonian Institution is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We believe that a workforce comprising a variety of educational, cultural, and experiential backgrounds supports and enhances our daily work life and contributes to the richness of our exhibitions and programs. For more information on the Smithsonian EEO program please see www.si.edu/oeema.

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.

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.

The Smithsonian offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, vacation and sick leave, holidays, health/life insurance, accident insurance, and excellent retirement program options.

Please see Benefits at www.cfa.harvard.edu/hr/benefits/fed/table.html for a complete description.

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 application will be evaluated first for the basic qualifications described above. The applications that meet the basic qualifications will be evaluated further against the following criteria:


  1. Mastery of, and skill in applying, Federal position classification rules, regulations, and techniques for developing position descriptions, sufficient to: provide managers with technical guidance in preparing their position descriptions; and maintain and ensure SAO-wide position classification accuracy and consistency in interpreting and applying position classification standards.

  2. Mastery of, and skill in applying, Federal staffing regulations and procedures, private sector recruiting techniques, and the use of special recruiting provisions for hard-to-fill positions and special employment programs as well as the ability to apply this knowledge creatively to difficult and complex situations in the area of attracting and retaining competent professional, administrative, technical, and clerical employees.

  3. Mastery of, and skill in applying, a wide range of advanced HR principles, concepts, and practices, as well as seasoned consultative skills sufficient to provide management consultative service involving a variety of HR functions.

  4. Comprehensive knowledge of immigration law, policy, and procedure sufficient to: develop visa policy and guidelines for SAO, recognize appropriate visa categories for potential visitors and foreign national employees, and prepare USCIS petitions for the appropriate visa category; advise managers, visitors, and foreign national employees on the guidelines and restrictions of their particular visa category; and work with immigration attorney to assist in preparation of Permanent Residency petitions.

  5. Expert knowledge of employee relations techniques, employee benefits and employee training, both government and private sector.

  6. Effective communication skills.

BASIS OF RATING:  Once the announcement closes, your application will be automatically evaluated and rated by the system and a Human Resources Specialist. To determine if you are qualified for this job, a review of your application and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the occupational questionnaire. The numeric rating you receive is based on your responses to the questionnaire. The score is a measure of the degree to which your background matches the knowledge, skills, and abilities required of this position. If, after the Human Resources Specialist reviews your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that the score you have received is not a true reflection of your qualifications and/or experience, your score can and will be adjusted to more accurately reflect the information you provided that support your abilities. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Your resume should provide detailed information regarding how your education and experience relate to this position, including the major duties and qualifications criteria listed.


You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Required Documents

Your application package must include the following documents:

  • Current and former employees MUST submit a copy of their Standard Form (SF)-50, “Notice of Personnel Action,” that indicates proof of status and time-in-grade eligibility. The SF-50 must include your position title, series, grade, step, salary, type of service (competitive or excepted in block 34), and tenure (1 or 2 in block 24). Please provide a SF-50 that shows the length of time you have been in your current/highest grade level.  Examples of appropriate SF50s include: Appointments, Reassignments, Within-grade/range increases or Promotion actions.  NOTE: Pay adjustments and award SF-50s do not include the length of time in your current position, therefore, they are NOT acceptable SF-50’s on their own. You may need to provide more than one SF-50. 

    Time-in-Grade Requirements: Under competitive merit promotion procedures, any individual who is currently holding, or who has held within the previous 52 weeks, a General Schedule position under a non-temporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service, must meet "time-in-grade" requirements (have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade of the grade for which you are applying).
  • All current federal employees must submit a copy of their most recent performance appraisal.
  • Proof of Veteran's Preference - DD214 (Member 4 Copy) if you are requesting a special appointment authority, such as VRA or VEOA
  • Proof of severe disability if you are requesting special placement consideration.
  • Proof of eligibility for a military spouse appointment, such as a permanent change station military order.
  • Proof of eligibility for any other special appointing authority not specifically mentioned here.

  • 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.

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

Click on the "Apply Online" button on the upper right side of the page.

Please Note:

  • You must apply for this position online through the 'Apply Online' button.
  • Faxes are received by an automated system, not a physical fax machine. Documents that are faxed as part of the application process must be sent with the system generated cover sheet by the closing date. Documents faxed without the system generated coversheet are not retrievable and cannot be considered as part of the application package.
  • Clicking the "DONE" tab does not submit your application. The "DONE" tab allows you to exit the system and save your information for completion at a later time. To submit your application, click the "FINISH" tab.
  • The complete application package, including any required documents, is due in the Smithsonian Office of Human Resources on the closing date of the announcement by 11:59 PM Eastern Time.

Agency contact information

Joy Mathew
Phone
617-496-8327
Fax
617-495-7263
Email
jmathew@cfa.harvard.edu
Address
SMITHSONIAN
Human Resources
60 Garden Street
Mail Stop 17
Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138
United States

Next steps

You will receive an e-mail to acknowledge that your application has been received. Please be aware that the confirmation e-mail could reside in your "junk" or "bulk" mail folder depending on your filters.
The Smithsonian receives many applications for each job. Each application is reviewed carefully which may take a few weeks. We will send you an e-mail to update you as we go through phases of the application review process. You may also check your application status by logging into www.usajobs.gov and selecting the tab "My USAJOBS;" e-mailing vacancy.info@si.edu; or by contacting the Office of Human Resources Representative listed.


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


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