Summary
This position is for a Human Resources Specialist located in the Employee-Management Relations Division, Employee Relations Branch of NNSA Human Resources. You will serve as an advisor and operational consultant on a variety of federal programs such as, but not limited to, employee relations, performance management, reasonable accommodations, security, suitabilility, and drug testing.
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.
Clarification from the agency
Current Federal employees with competitive status or other eligibility; Former Federal employees with reinstatement eligibility; CTAP/ICTAP eligibles; Veterans with VOW, VEOA, or 30% disability; Military Spouses; Individuals with Disabilities Schedule A; Peace Corps, Vista (AmeriCorps) eligibles; Those eligible under an OPM interchange agreement or other special appointing authority.
Duties
At the full performance level, you will:
- Provide expert strategic advice, including the interpretation and application of laws, regulations, and policies, to managers on employee relations cases.
- Advise managers on the establishment NNSA's performance management system to include development of performance objectives and standards; aligning employee performance with organizational goals; performance requirements; evaluation, feedback and recognition techniques; and the overall adequacy of performance plans.
- Research, interpret, and apply HR concepts, principles, practices and case laws to analyze and craft defensible solutions and define legal and factual parameters/issues of cases.
- Develop and revise existing policies and procedures to ensure consistency in their application.
- Design and deliver training, workshops, and briefings on strategic human capital topics to internal and external stakeholders.
Requirements
Conditions of employment
- You must be a United States Citizen.
- This position is a Testing Designated Position (TDP) subject to applicant testing and random drug testing thereafter. Failure to test or a positive result on random drug tests conducted after appointment may result in removal from Federal employment.
- If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See www.sss.gov.
- If selected, your appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
- This position has been designated as Critical Sensitive/High Risk and requires a security clearance at Q Access. The selectee is required to obtain and maintain this clearance; failure to do so may result in separation from federal service.
- The Fair Chance Act prohibits specific inquiries concerning an applicant's criminal or credit background unless the hiring agency has made a conditional offer of employment to the applicant. An applicant may submit a complaint to the agency within 30 calendar days of the date of alleged noncompliance by completing the Fair Chance Act Intake Form and submitting it to the Administrative Investigations Program at AdministrativeInvestigations@hq.doe.gov.
- You may be required to successfully complete a one (1) year probationary or two (2) year trial period. Employees serving on a probationary or trial period may be terminated at any time during the probationary or trial period for performance, conduct, or business-related reasons in the interest of Federal service. Probationary periods are required for new employees appointed to competitive service positions for the first time; or reinstated employees who return to Federal service after a break in service of 30-days or more and who have not completed a probationary period will need to complete the requirement. Trial periods are required for all excepted service employees. Trial periods served in the same position and agency with no break in service will satisfy the requirement.
Qualifications
NQ-2:
To qualify for the NQ-2 level, you must possess:
- A Master's or equivalent graduate degree; Two (2) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree; or LL.B or J.D., if related. NOTE: You must submit a copy of your transcripts.
OR
- One year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower NNSA Demonstration Project pay band or GS grade level in the Federal service (i.e. NQ-1 or GS-7). Specialized experience is experience providing advice and guidance to managers on managers on routine misconduct and performance matters; drafting employee relations related administrative actions and memos; conducting case law research to provide input to employee relations cases; and maintaining employee relations case files;
OR
- A combination of education and experience that when combined meet 100% of the requirements. Note: You must submit a copy of your transcripts.
NQ-3:
To qualify for the NQ-3 level, you must possess
- One year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower NNSA Demonstration Project pay band or GS grade level in the Federal service (i.e. NQ-2 or GS-12). Specialized experience is experience providing expert advice and guidance to senior leadership officials, managers, and managers on a wide variety of employee relations matters such as performance issues, conduct actions, grievances, investigations, etc.; researching, interpreting, and applying federal civilian employee relations practices, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Enforcement Guidance, Department or Agency policies and procedures, and current case law; and collaborating with internal and external stakeholders to deliver effective HR solutions.
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience. Examples of qualifying unpaid experience may include volunteer work done through National Service programs (such as Peace Corps and AmeriCorps); as well as work for other community-based philanthropic and social organizations. 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.
CTAP/ICTAP candidates: To be considered "well qualified" you must meet all of the requirements as described in this section. If you are eligible for career transition assistance plans such as ICTAP or CTAP, you must meet the definition of "well qualified" which is defined as having a score of 85 or better.
You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
Education
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 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.
**If you are selected, official transcripts will be required.**
FOREIGN EDUCATION: Applicants who have completed part or all their education outside of the U.S. must have their foreign education evaluated by an accredited organization to ensure that the foreign education is comparable to education received in accredited educational institutions in the U.S. A written evaluation of any foreign education must be provided with your application in response to this vacancy announcement or be received by the closing date of this announcement. Failure to provide this evaluation will result in you being found unqualified for the position. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education, see the Department of Education website, and for a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, visit The National Association of Credential Evaluation Services.
Failure to provide all the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Additional information
- More than one selection may be made from this vacancy announcement.
- A Recruitment/Relocation Incentive may be authorized for a highly qualified applicant in accordance with agency policy and applicable regulations.
- In accordance with Executive Order 14170, applicants are encouraged to respond to the four short, free-response, essay questions in the questionnaire. Answers to these questions are not scored or rated. Your answers will be reviewed by the hiring manager and agency leadership if you are referred for selection consideration.
- Salary: The salary range listed in this announcement will be adjusted to include locality payment for the selected duty location. Below are the salary ranges for each duty location.
- Washington, DC/Germantown, MD:
- NQ-2: $70,623-$133,142 NQ-3: $121,785-$187,093
- Albuquerque, NM; Los Alamos, NM:
- NQ-2: $62,392-$117,625 NQ-3: $107,592-$165,288
- Livermore, CA
- NQ-2: $77,161-$145,468 NQ-3: $133,060-$197,200
- Kansas City, MO:
- NQ-2: $62,729-$118,261 NQ-3: $108,173-$166,182
- Las Vegas, NV:
- NQ-2: $63,046-$118,857 NQ-3: $108,719-$167,020
- Amarillo, TX; Aiken, SC; Oak Ridge, TN:
- NQ-2: 61,722-$116,362 NQ-3: $106,437-$163,514
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.
THE APPLICATION REVIEW PROCESS WILL BE IN TWO STAGES:
Eligibility and Minimum Qualifications: Once the vacancy announcement closes, we will review your submitted resume and documents to determine if you meet the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements, including any required education, experience, and/or selective placement factors. You will be rated as ineligible if you are outside of the area of consideration (i.e., who may apply) or your application is missing any required documents. You will be rated as not qualified if you do not possess the minimum qualification requirements.
Structured Resume Review: After it has been determined that you meet the minimum qualifications, Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) will review the first two pages of your resume to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the required competencies. Additional documentation (e.g., cover letter, links embedded in your resume) may not be considered. You will be assessed on the following competencies:
- Technical Competence
- Problem Solving
- Communication
If you are found to be amongst the most highly qualified applicants, you will be referred to the selecting official.
To preview the application questionnaire, click the link below.
https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12978953
Required Documents
To apply for this position, you MUST provide a complete application package which includes:
- Your two (2) page resume showing all relevant work experience (paid and unpaid) including: duties performed; full name and address of the each employer; start and end dates (month/day/year); work schedule (part-time, full-time, number of hours if intermittent); salary; and any completed education and training (program title, subject area, number of hours completed, and completion date).
- Transcripts, if qualifying based on education or combination of education and experience. Unofficial transcripts or any report listing institution, course title, credits earned (semester or quarter hour) and final grade is acceptable. It is your responsibility to provide adequate proof that you meet the educational requirements.
Submit one or more of the following to support your eligibility(s) to apply to this job announcement:
- Current and former Federal employees: SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action": To properly verify status eligibility, your SF-50 must show the following. Full position title; appointment type; occupational series; pay plan, grade, and step; tenure code; and service computation date (SCD). If your current position SF50 does not indicate you have competitive service status or does not reflect the pay plan and grade of the highest position you have held in the competitive service, in addition to your current SF50, you must provide your previous SF-50s that provide the proof of competitive status and highest grade held on a permanent basis.
- Veterans: DD-214 Member Copy 4 showing type of discharge/character of service; current active duty members- certification of expected discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions dated within 120 days; SF-15 Form and related documentation; VA letter. For more information visit the USAJOBS Help Center & OPM CHCOC website for VOW information.
- Individuals with Disabilities: Schedule A letter from a physician, local, state or federal rehabilitation office citing your eligibility under 5 CFR 213.3102 (u). For more information visit the USAJOBS Help Center.
- Certain Military Spouses: Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders authorizing you to accompany the Military member to the new duty permanent station; OR verification of the member's 100% disability (VA Letter); and/or verification of the member's death while on active duty (DD-1300 and Death Certificate) AND verification of the marriage to the service member (i.e., a marriage license or other legal documentation verifying marriage). For more information visit the USAJOBS Help Center.
- Other non-competitive or special appointing authorities: Provide documentation which supports your eligibility.
- Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program documentation, if applicable(e.g., Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; SF-50 that documents the RIF separation action; and most recent performance appraisal.) For more information see the OPM Guide to Career Transition.
Performance Appraisals: Submit your two (2) most recent performance appraisals. Your performance appraisals 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 applicants. If the performance appraisals are not available, please provide a written statement of explanation and upload as a separate document.
Failure to submit any of the above mentioned required documents may result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted.
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 submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section. A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the announcement closing date to receive consideration.
The application process is as follows:
- You must have a login.gov account to sign into USAJOBS: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/account/.
- To begin the application process in USAJOBS, click the Apply Online button.
- Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all required and supporting documentation.
- You must click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 pm (ET) on the announcement closing date.
You may update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period by returning to your USAJOBS account, select Update Application: https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
To verify the status of your application, during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account; applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each application status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
If you need help with login.gov or USAJOBS (e.g., account access, Resume Builder) visit the USAJOBS Help Center: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/
Employees or applicants may request Reasonable Accommodation (RA) for assistance, when applying or competing for a job or performing a job due to their medical condition or to exercise their religious beliefs. If you need reasonable accommodation in the application or selection process, please contact the Agency Contact listed on this vacancy announcement.
If you experience difficulty applying on USAJOBS, after clicking the Apply Online button, or you are experiencing a significant hardship hindering your ability to apply online, the Agency Contact listed in the announcement can assist you during normal business hours. If you receive any system error messages, take screenshots if possible, to aid technical support.
Next steps
Once you submit your online application, you will receive a confirmation notification by email that your submission was successful. After the closing of the announcement, we will review applications. If you are among the most qualified candidates and your name is referred to the hiring official, you may be contacted directly for a possible interview. We will notify you of the status of your Application Package at the time candidates are referred for consideration, and when the selection process is complete. You may also check your application status through your USAJOBS account at any time.