Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to college graduates who completed a qualifying bachelor's or graduate degree within the previous two years. Veterans who have completed a bachelor's or graduate degree and were unable to apply within two years of receiving their degree due to military service obligation of at least 4 years, may apply within two years of their discharge from uniformed service. This announcement will be utilized to fill positions through the College Graduate Hiring Authority.

This position is a Human Resources (HR) Specialist responsible for assisting with a variety of HR support functions for Program Offices. Duties include helping with recruitment and staffing processes, supporting position management and classification activities, assisting with compensation matters, and providing general human resources support. The HR Specialist works under supervision and follows established policies and procedures to ensure effective HR operations.

You will be performing assigned duties under the general direction of a manager or more experienced employees. Typical duties include but are not limited to:

• Supporting HR programs as assigned. Program activities includes but is not limited to supporting recruitment activities aligned to staffing plans; entering position data in the personnel data base; coordinating and scheduling training or professional development or certification activities; or providing information to employees on HR programs (e.g., benefits, worklife employee relations, etc.).
• Participating in planning sessions with managers or HR liaison personnel on staffing or classification needs.
• Coordinating with staff or contractors responsible for processing personnel actions to obtain or clarify information; assisting with troubleshooting issues or discrepancies in personnel or position data impacting timely processing of actions.
• Carrying out administrative work to support staffing or classification activities; obtaining management approvals needed to authorize actions.
• Providing information to Agency personnel on HR programs; assisting with completion and submission of paperwork and provides information on timelines and progression of work.
• Drafting standard operating procedures (SOPs) for routine procedures and processes.
• Developing job aids on HR procedures or systems to improve understanding of HR procedures and processes for various audiences.
• Completing service request tickets within established timeframes. Referring unusual requests or issues to higher level personnel.
• Performing other duties as assigned.

College graduate positions at TSA span across many areas of the organization under various pillars, Mission Support, Security Operations, Direct Reports, Technology & Systems, Law Enforcement. Program areas where college graduates may work include but are not limited to information technology, cybersecurity, data analytics, public policy and administration, business and financial management, human resources, communications, law and policy, civil rights and liberties, engineering, economic policy, and many more.

Conditions of employment

• You must possess U.S. Citizenship or be a U.S. National.
• Successful completion of a one-year probationary period.
• You must pass a Background Investigation (BI) and maintain eligibility for a clearance at the Secret level.
• Selective Service registration required for male applicants, unless exempt.
• Graduates may be appointed to an excepted-permanent or excepted-conditional position in the excepted service upon completion of their developmental program.
• Use of this appointing authority permits hiring without regard to veterans' preference but must follow merit system principles.

If you fail to meet the conditions of employment or any other pre-employment requirements, such as missing any of the scheduled appointments, the hiring agency may rescind their tentative offer of employment.

Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for TSA to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions.

Any offers of employment made pursuant to this announcement will be consistent with all applicable authorities, including Presidential Memoranda, Executive Orders, interpretive U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance, and Office of Management and Budget plans and policies concerning hiring. These authorities are subject to change.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all eligibility and qualifications requirements by the closing date of the announcement including college graduate eligibility, specialized experience and/or education, and selective placement factor(s), as defined below.

To meet the minimum requirements for this position, you must: (1) Meet the Eligibility Requirements for College Graduates; (2) Provide a copy of transcripts for verification; AND (3) Meet the Minimum Qualification Requirements.

College Graduate Eligibility Requirements:

• Completion of all requirements for a bachelor's or graduate-level degree from a qualifying educational institution within the previous two (2) years; or
• Due to military service obligation, was precluded from applying to the Recent Graduates Program during any portion of the 2-year eligibility period described above shall have an intervening period of obligated service of at least four years in the uniformed services, the two-year eligibility begins on the date of discharge or release from uniformed service

To qualify for the SV-F Pay Band (equivalent to the GS-05), you must meet one of the qualification requirements (A, B, OR C) outlined below.

A. Experience: For those qualifying using experience, your application must clearly outline three (3) years of progressively responsible general experience, one (1) year of which was equivalent to at least the SV-E pay band or GS-4 grade level in the Federal service or equivalent in the private sector. Such experience will demonstrate the ability to: analyze problems, gather pertinent data, and recognize solutions; plan and organize work; and communicate effectively orally and in writing.

OR

B. Education: bachelor's or higher-level degree in any field from an accredited college or university.

OR

C. Combining of Education and Experience: Combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements and may be computed by first determining the total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the position; then determining the education as a percentage of the education required for the position; and then adding the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify for the position.

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 and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

How you will be evaluated

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

Under the provisions of the College Graduate Hiring Authority, rating, ranking and veterans' preference does not apply. While veterans' preference does not apply, veterans are still encouraged to submit their documentation.

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) and your responses to all assessments required for this position. The candidates will be invited and required to take the USA Hire Assessment, which is a computer based test, soon after their application is submitted for this announcement. The assessment must be completed within the timeframe listed in the invitation in order to remain under consideration for the position.

Candidates will be rated and ranked using Category Grouping procedures. Under Category Grouping, candidates will be rated and ranked into one of three categories:

• Best-Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate high proficiency in all of the critical competencies as determined by the job analysis.
• Well-Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrates acceptable proficiency in all of the critical competencies as determined by the job analysis.
• Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate basic proficiency in most of the critical competencies as determined by the job analysis. If you are best qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and may be called for an interview.

You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

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

The USA Hire Assessments include 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 view the application form, visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12972641

The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, your system failure, etc. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.

• Resume Requirements:
  1. All applicants are required to submit a resume limited to two (2) pages. The USAJOBS database will not allow an applicant to submit an application that includes a resume over two pages.
  2. Narrative description of duties with start and end dates (including month and year) for work experience.
  3. Number of hours worked in a position (i.e., full-time or part-time). If part-time, (i.e., less than 40 hours per week) state the total number of hours worked per week.
  4. If you are a current Federal employee or previous Federal employee, provide your performance level for federal civilian positions (i.e., band or grade).
• If your resume does not contain this information, your application will be marked as insufficient, and you will not receive consideration for this position.
• Do NOT include photographs (or links to social media such as LinkedIn), inappropriate content, classified information, nor personal information such as age, gender, religion, social security number, etc. on your resume.
• Utilizing the USAJOBS Resume Builder and completing all available fields is strongly encouraged.

Education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university. If any education was completed at a foreign institute, you must submit with your application evidence that the institute was appropriately accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as equivalent to U.S. education standards. There are private organizations that specialize in this evaluation and a fee is normally associated with this service. For a list of private organizations that evaluate education visit NACES website. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.

• Transcript(s): unofficial copies are sufficient with the application; however, if selected, official transcripts will be required. If your official or unofficial transcripts do not provide the information listed below, include additional official academic documentation that meets the requirements. Official or unofficial Transcripts MUST include:
  • Student's Name
  • Name of the School
  • Specific Degree or Certificate Program
  • Current and Cumulative GPA/academic standing
  • Past and current coursework
  • Degree Conferment Date - if your transcript does not reflect your degree conferment date, you must provide official educational supporting documentation that includes your degree conferment/graduation date.
  • Evidence of meeting the "qualifications" through substitution of education if not by specialized experience as outlined in the announcement.

Detail Documentation - Eligible applicants who wish to qualify for this position based upon experience obtained while serving on a detail with TSA must submit signed copies of the corresponding TSA form 1160, Terms And Conditions For Temporary Internal Assignment -Detail, or an SF-52, Request for Personnel Action, as supporting documentation along with their application otherwise the experience cannot be credited. If you do not submit required documentation described in this job opportunity announcement, your application will be deemed incomplete and you will be ineligible for further consideration for this vacancy. You must meet the qualification requirements for this position no later than the closing date of the vacancy announcement.

Veterans' preference does not apply to selections made using the College Graduate Hiring Authority.

If you would like to submit your military records for proof of service and veteran status, please submit the following:

• Submit a DD214, Certificate of Release from Active Duty, which shows dates of service and discharge under honorable conditions. If currently on active duty you must submit a certification of expected discharge or release from active duty service under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted. The SF-15 Application may be provided but is not required.

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