Human Resources Specialist

Clarification from the agency

Current permanent federal employees with competitive status, Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP and VEOA eligibles, Farm Service Agency permanent county employees, 30 percent or More Disabled Veterans, Certain Former Overseas and Foreign Service Employees, Military Spouses, Interchange Agreement and Other Miscellaneous Authorities, People with Disabilities, Peace Corps and VISTA, VRA, and Reinstatement candidates.

• Provide comprehensive advice and assistance to executives, managers, and supervisors and employees on Senior Executive Service (SES), Senior Level (SL), Scientific and Professional (ST), Senior Science and Technology (SSTA), Schedule C. etc.
• Work with appropriate officials as required in the formulation of overall recruitment and placement programs, both for immediate and long- range needs.
• Analyze labor market conditions, difficulties in recruiting, use of recruitment incentives, etc., to recommend the best recruitment strategy.
• Prepare recruitment materials, including job analyses, job questions, job opportunity announcements (JOAs), certificates, etc.
• Define issues, determine applicable precedents, laws, or regulations, and identify the most effective approaches and techniques to solve the problem.
• Make final suitability determinations based on review of applicant background, preemployment checks, results of investigations and medical evidence.
• Assure special employment needs are met under various programs, i.e., employment of the disabled, student employment, VRA, Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA), consultants, and underrepresented groups
• Participate in responding to and gathering information for EEO cases that require the provision of complex staffing and pay-related information.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a US Citizen or US National.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
• Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
• Direct Deposit - Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit https://www.e-verify.gov/.
• If selected, you may be required to serve a probationary or trial period as applicable to appointment type. Refer to Next Steps section for additional information.
• The U.S. Government utilizes Trusted Workforce 2.0 to implement Continuous Vetting (CV) as a-whole-of government approach to personnel security. If selected for this position, you will be subject to continuous automated record checks of criminal, financial, and public record databases throughout your period of eligibility or employment, replacing traditional periodic reinvestigations.
• As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period (as applicable to appointment type) 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.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including time-in-grade restrictions, specialized experience and/or education, as defined below.?

Time in grade: Current federal employees applying for a promotion opportunity must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirement of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled.

Minimum Qualifications: Applicants must meet the Specialized Experience and/or Education requirements as shown below. If qualifying based on experience, your application or resume must clearly show that you possess the specialized experience requirements. Specialized experience is defined as experience that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled and has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position.

GS-11: One year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-09 level in the Federal service or equivalent responsibility in the private sector/pay systems that has equipped the candidate with the particular competencies to successfully perform as a Human Resources Specialist (Recruitment and Placement).For this position, the specialized experience is: Using Federal human resources laws, policies, and processes to conduct staffing and recruitment activities for SES, SL and ST positions with review.

OR

Completion of a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; or 3 full years of progressively higher- level graduate education leading to such a degree; or possession of a LL.M. degree, if related. Graduate level education must demonstrate the competencies necessary to do the work of the position, examples of qualifying fields include Human Resources, Business Administration, Public Administration or a related field.

OR

Combination of education and experience as described above.

GS-12: One year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-11 level in the Federal service or equivalent responsibility in the private sector/pay systems that has equipped the candidate with the particular competencies to successfully perform as a Human Resources Specialist (Recruitment and Placement). For this position, the specialized experience is:1) Analyzing and interpreting the laws, policies and processes related to executive resources; 2) Conducting staffing and recruitment activities for career SES, SL and ST positions; 3) Providing consultative services and advice to managers, employees and applicants regarding executive resources and assisting the Executive Resource Board to ensure compliance with Merit System Principles; and 4) Reviewing and preparing executive core qualification package for Qualifications Review Board (QRB) approval.

GS-13: One year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-12 level in the Federal service or equivalent responsibility in the private sector/pay systems that has equipped the candidate with the particular competencies to successfully perform as a Human Resources Specialist (Recruitment and Placement). For this position, the specialized experience is:1) Analyzing and interpreting the laws, policies and processes related to executive resource management; 2) Conducting the full life cycle staffing and recruitment activities for career SES, SL and ST positions, 3) Independently providing consultative services and advice to managers, employees and applicants regarding executive resource management to ensure compliance of Merit System Principles; 4) Preparing executive core qualification packages for Qualifications Review Board (QRB) approval; and 5) Providing analysis and advice to candidates regarding their executive core qualifications prior to submission to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

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.

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 to the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.

Your application will be reviewed to verify that you meet the eligibility and qualification requirements for the position prior to issuing referral lists to the selecting official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. Log in to your USAJOBS account to check your application status.

You must choose to turn on email notifications in your USAJOBS profile if you want to receive important email notifications that may impact your applicant experience (e.g. If you start an application and do not submit it prior to the closing date, USAJOBS will send an email reminder that the closing date is approaching and your application is in an incomplete status).

All applicants are required to complete the online USA Hire assessment administered by OPM in order to be considered for this vacancy.

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
• Oral Communication
• Personnel and Human Resources
• Reading Comprehension
• Reasoning
• Self-Management
• Stress Tolerance
• Teamwork
• Writing

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/13089332

The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.

Resume that includes: Personal Information: name, address, contact information; Education; Work Experience related to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable); other qualifications. Resume cannot exceed 2 pages.

If education is required or being used to qualify, you must submit a copy of your college transcripts. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application if it includes your name and the necessary course information; however, if you are selected, official transcripts will be required prior to entering on duty. 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 the NACES website. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.

Current and former Federal employees:

• Most recent non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) showing you are/were in the competitive service, highest grade held (or promotion potential) on a permanent basis, position title, series and grade AND
• Most recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable. A performance plan is not an acceptable substitute.

Current permanent FSA County employees must submit your most recent non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) showing your highest grade (or promotion potential) held on a permanent basis, position title, series and grade AND most recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) per above.

Veteran Hiring Authorities: VEOA, VRA and 30% Disabled Veterans: DD214, Certificate of Release from Active Duty, that 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. Veteran's preference must be verified prior to appointment.

If claiming 10-point veteran's preference you must provide the DD214 or certification requirements (see above), plus the proof of entitlement of this preference as listed on the SF-15 Application for 10-point Veterans' Preference. The SF-15 should be included but is not required. Failure to submit these documents could result in the determination that there is insufficient documentation to support your claim for 10-point preference.

Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act: Copies of Notification of Personnel Action(s) (SF-50) showing the employee served in eligible appointment(s) for a period(s) of more than 24 mos w/o a break between appointments of two+ years. Include initial hire actions, extensions, conversions and separation Sf-50s for each period. Submit performance rating(s) showing acceptable performance for each period counted towards eligibility signed by supervisor(s). If documentation does not exist for one or more periods, submit a statement from supervisor(s) indicating acceptable performance. Applicants who do not have performance documentation for any period shall provide a reason why the documentation is not available and statement that performance for all periods was at an acceptable level.

Schedule A, Persons with Disabilities Appointment: Letter from a physician, local, state or federal rehabilitation office citing eligibility under 5 CFR 213.3102 (u).

Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP priority must provide: proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), current performance appraisal with rating of at least "Fully Successful" or equivalent, and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330.

If claiming eligibility under a special hiring authority or an interchange agreement with another merit system not listed above, see the requirements for that authority and submit the required supporting documentation. Go to USAJOBS Hiring Path for Special Authorities or Special Hiring Authority for more information.

Next steps