Human Resources Specialist

Clarification from the agency

You may apply if you are a Status Candidate (Merit Promotion, VEOA, Land Management Eligible) and/or a Non-Competitive Hiring Authority Eligible (VRA-If GS-11 or below position, 30% Disabled Veteran, Certain Military Spouse, Schedule A, Certain Peace Corps/VISTA Employee/Volunteer, Certain Former Overseas Employee, Foreign Service Employee, CTAP/ICTAP, Interchange Agreement Employee, or if you are employed under a Miscellaneous Authority not regulated by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.)

As a Human Resources Specialist GS- 0201-9/11/12, your typical work assignments may include the following under supervision:

• Performs the full range of recruitment, placement and related programs advisory services;
• Assists, advises, identifies, and analyzes staffing issues and problems;
• Assists in the development of staffing and recruitment strategies in conjunction with Hiring Officials;
• Advises managers and supervisors on staffing requirements, resources, and problems in assigned offices;
• Establishes long- and short-range staffing plans to meet forecast mission requirements, human capital losses, and changes in critical competencies and availability of candidates, career development patterns, and reorganization proposals;
• Researches and interprets regulations, policies and procedures;
• Reviews applications and applies qualification standards;
• Analyzes position description, performance standards and other documents to conduct job analysis and generate competences, knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform duties of the position;
• Coordinates offers of employment, sets pay, makes job offers, informs job applicants of hiring decisions and coordinates release dates;
• Manages and maintains full record documentation of case files.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• You will be required to complete a pre-employment security investigation and background check which includes a drug screening.
• You may be required to complete a one-year probationary period.
• Selective Service registration is required for males born on, or after, December 31st 1959. Those not registered should have an approved exemption on file.
• Financial Disclosure: If selected, you may be required to disclose financial information in accordance with DOJ and Federal ethics guidelines.
• Salary payments must be by direct deposit to a financial institution.
• If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. See “How to Apply” section for more information.
• Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

Qualifications

In order to qualify for the Human Resources Specialist position, you must meet the following time in grade requirements and minimum qualifications:

TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENTS: Federal applicants must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade to satisfy time-in-grade restrictions, per 5CFR 300, Subpart F. (Please submit your SF-50 that shows Time-in-Grade eligibility and reflects your title, series, and grade. If your eligibility for both merit promotion and/or time-in-grade cannot be determined, your application will be rated ineligible. Please see Required Documents for additional information). Time-in-grade requirements also apply to VEOA applicants having held a GS position in the past year.

FOR THE GS-09 LEVEL:

Specialized Experience: Applicants must have at least one year (52 weeks, full-time) of specialized work experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in the Federal service (or comparable experience outside the Federal service), performing the following duties:

• Resolving recurring Human Resources issues; and interpreting regulatory material to present findings;

• Assisting higher graded specialists in performing routine recruitment and placement services;

• Researching and applying HR staffing and recruitment principles, concepts, laws, regulations, techniques, and guidelines sufficient to support an organization's staffing and recruitment program;

• Assisting in coding a variety of personnel actions

(Your resume must CLEARLY demonstrate this experience)

-OR-

Education: Applicants must have successful completion of 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree.

NOTE: Applicants must submit a copy of their transcripts for verification.

-OR-

Combination of Education and Experience: Applicants must possess a combination of the above described education and specialized experience such that they total 100% of the stated minimum qualifications for the GS-09 level. Generally, 18 graduate semester hours is equivalent to 1 full-time year of graduate study (your school and department determine what constitutes 1 full-time year of graduate study).


FOR THE GS-11 LEVEL:

Specialized Experience: Applicants must have at least one year (52 weeks, full-time) of specialized work experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in the Federal service (or comparable experience outside the Federal service), performing the following duties:

• Providing advice and guidance to officials, supervisors, and employees on a variety of recurring recruitment and staffing processes and procedures.

• Coordinates recruitment and placement actions, including merit system principles and qualification determinations, selection and placement.

• Using HR tools, applications and systems to facilitate processing of the full range of competitive and noncompetitive personnel actions and resolve operational issues.

(Your resume must CLEARLY demonstrate this experience)

-OR-

Education: Applicants must have successful completion of 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree.

NOTE: Applicants must submit a copy of their transcripts for verification.

-OR-

Combination of Education and Experience: Applicants must possess a combination of the above described education and specialized experience such that they total 100% of the stated minimum qualifications for the GS-11 level. Generally, 18 graduate semester hours is equivalent to 1 full-time year of graduate study (your school and department determine what constitutes 1 full-time year of graduate study).
NOTE: Applicants must submit a copy of their transcripts for verification.

FOR THE GS-12 LEVEL:

Specialized Experience: Applicants must have at least one year (52 weeks, full-time) of specialized work experience equivalent to the GS-11 level in the Federal service (or comparable experience outside the Federal service), performing the following duties:

• Advising, identifying, and analyzing complex staffing issues and problems;

• Providing comprehensive advice on use of various recruitment sources;

• Coordinating the full range of examining functions including conducting job analyses, creating assessments and developing and issuing vacancy announcements, reviewing applications, creating applicant referral lists, and responding to questions from applicants and hiring officials regarding the status of the recruitment action; and

• Assisting with internal audits and delegated examining self-assessments of completed personnel actions using existing guidelines and procedures.

(Your resume must CLEARLY demonstrate this experience)

There is no substitute of education for specialized experience for the GS-12 position.

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).

For more information on the qualifications for this position, click here.

How you will be evaluated

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

Applicants applying under merit promotion procedures will be rated in accordance with the EOIR's Merit Staffing plan. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documentation), responses to the application questionnaire, and the results of the required online assessments to determine whether you meet the minimum qualifications for the position. If you meet the minimum qualifications, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your application questionnaire. If your responses are not supported by your application materials, your score may be lowered and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job.

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

In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.


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 the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

NOTE: In order to be rated as meeting the minimum qualifications, we must be able to determine from your application package that you have the education and/or specialized experience that is required. Your resume should contain your full name, some form of contact information (phone number, email address and/or living address), and the following employment information:

• Employer name and location for each position held.
• From and to dates (MM/YY-MM/YY or from MM/YY to "present") for each position held. The month and year is required to fully credit your time.
• For part-time positions, please include number of hours worked per week, positions that do not include this information will be assumed as full-time (40 hours a week).
• Grade/levels held for each federal position. (Ex. GS-11; IR-06; FV-G…etc.)
• Detailed descriptions of experience under each position held. (Applicants must provide specific supporting examples to show that they meet the qualifications of the position shown in the announcement.)
• Any submitted documents not required or requested for this vacancy will not be considered (i.e. training certificates, case filings, letter of recommendations, etc.).

(ALL INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO VERIFICATION PRIOR TO FINAL SELECTION.)

Resume - All Applicants: You must submit a resume (two pages or less) containing the following pieces of information for each job entry listed in your employment history:

1. Official position title,
2. Employer name and contact information,
3. Start and end dates (including month and year),
4. Indicate full-time or number of hours worked per week if part-time, and
5. A list of duties performed and accomplishments.

If you are a displaced Federal employee claiming eligibility under CTAP or ICTAP:

• You must submit your separation notice or agency RIF letter from your agency OR if you have not yet been separated, you can provide the letter of intent to separate you from the agency because of reduction-in-force.
• Submit a copy of your most recent performance appraisal and SF-50 showing current/former position, grade, promotion potential, and duty location OR 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.

If you are a person with a disability, claiming eligibility under Schedule A:

• You must submit "proof of a disability" documentation from your doctor, a licensed medical professional, a licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist, or any Federal, state, or local agency that issues or provides disability benefits ("Proof of a disability" is a letter stating that you have an intellectual disability, severe physical disability or psychiatric disability).
• Please see OPM's Schedule A site.

If you are applying for consideration under the Military Spouse Appointing Authority:

• Spouse of a member of the armed forces on active duty: documentation showing 1) your spouse's active-duty status and 2) your marriage to the member of the armed forces (i.e., a marriage certificate or other legal documentation verifying marriage).
• Spouse of service members who incurred a 100% disability because of the service member's active-duty service: documentation showing 1) the member of the armed forces retired, or was released or discharged from active duty, with a disability rating of 100 percent; and 2) documentation of marriage to the member of the armed forces (i.e., a marriage license or other legal documentation verifying marriage).
• Spouse of service members killed while on active duty: documentation showing a) the member was released or discharged from active duty due to his or her death while on active duty; b) the member of the armed forces was killed while serving on active duty; c) proof of the widow or widower's marriage to the member of the armed forces (i.e., a marriage license or other legal documentation verifying marriage); and d) a statement certifying that the individual seeking to use the authority is the un-remarried widow or widower of the service member.

If you are a Veteran or a qualifying parent or spouse:

• When claiming a Veteran's Preference, you must submit your last DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) form, specifically the Member #4 Copy, indicating dates and character of service and discharge type.
• If you are a Veteran with a service-connected disability rating, you will need to additionally submit the SF-15 (Application for 10-point Veterans Preference) and a copy of your VA Letter stating your disability rating.
• If you are the qualifying parent or spouse of a disabled, deceased, or deployed Veteran, and are seeking a derived preference eligibility, you must submit appropriate supporting documentation such as the Veterans DD-214, SF-15, VA Letter, and/or Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders. See Veteran Family Preference for more information.
• FedsHireVets.

Due Weight for Performance:

• You must submit a copy of your most recent performance appraisal, and
• A list of any awards (e.g. superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increase, etc.) you received in the last 5 years. Any performance appraisal/evaluation and award documentation you provide will be forwarded to the selecting official. Due weight for performance applies to federal and non-federal work. If you do not have your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation, please submit a statement as to why it is not available.

If you are a current or former Federal employee:

• You must submit your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) or equivalent agency form. Your SF-50 should list the full position title, series, grade and step,organization, duty location, service computation date, effective date, and your service type and tenure status.
• Submit a copy of your most recent performance evaluation or appraisal, signed, showing your final rating. If a performance appraisal is not available submit a statement explaining why one is not available. Note: See USAJOBS Current & Former Employees for more information.

It is your responsibility to ensure your application package is complete.

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