Human Resources Specialist (Benefits)

U.S. Agency for International Development

Office of Inspector General, Office of Management

Summary

By law, this Office of Inspector General has continued oversight responsibility for United States funded foreign assistance activities across multiple agencies, to include the Millennium Challenge Corporation, the Inter-American Foundation, the US African Development Foundation, USAID and the Department of State. Responsibilities may additionally include oversight of and/or oversight coordination for foreign assistance programs with other interagency partners throughout the US Government.

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.

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.

Special authorities

Individuals eligible under a special authority not listed in another hiring path.

Clarification from the agency

You may apply if you are a Status Candidate (this includes current or former Federal employees with career or career-conditional tenure in the competitive service; Former Overseas Employees, CTAP, ICTAP, VEOA, VRA, 30% or More Disabled Veterans, Schedule A, Military Spouses, AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, Vista and Interchange Agreement Eligible)

Duties

As a Human Resources Specialist (Benefits) at the full performance level, you will;

Serve as the Office of Inspector General's principal technical authority responsible for administering and overseeing the agency's comprehensive employee benefits program for Civil Service and Foreign Service employees located domestically and overseas.
Serves as the agency's principal functional administrator and technical authority for the Office of Personnel Management's Online Retirement Application (ORA), ensuring retirement applications are initiated, validated, adjudicated, routed, and completed in accordance with OPM requirements, agency procedures, and payroll provider processing standards.
Plans, develops, administers, evaluates, and continually improves agency-wide employee benefits programs to ensure compliance with statutory, regulatory, and policy requirements.
Administers and provides authoritative guidance and liaises with internal and external entities concerning: Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS), Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS), CSRS Offset, Foreign Service Pension System (FSPS), Foreign Service Retirement and Disability System (FSRDS), Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB), Federal Employees Group Life Insurance (FEGLI), Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP), Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAFEDS), Federal Long-Term Care Insurance (when applicable), Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), Leave administration, Workers' Compensation (OWCP/FECA), Survivor benefits, Military service credit, Deposits and redeposits, Retirement service computation, Employee entitlement programs and Post-retirement benefits.
Plans and coordinates annual and recurring employee benefits events, including Benefits Open Season campaigns, retirement seminars, benefits expos, and informational sessions in collaboration with OPM, FEHB carriers, FEGLI providers, occupational health providers, Employee Assistance Program (EAP) representatives, and other Federal and private-sector benefits partners.
Establishes internal operating procedures, standard operating procedures (SOPs), desk guides, workflow documentation, quality assurance procedures, and internal controls governing employee benefits administration.
Provides comprehensive retirement counseling to employees throughout every stage of Federal employment, from initial appointment through retirement and post-retirement.
Prepares and certifies highly complex retirement estimates involving Mixed retirement systems, Foreign Service conversion, Intermittent service, Temporary service, Military retirement, Law enforcement retirement, Dual retirement eligibility, Breaks in service and Service computation adjustments.
Researches and resolves disputed retirement determinations requiring extensive legal and regulatory interpretation.
Serves as the principal advisor regarding Foreign Service (FS) employee benefits and retirement administration in collaboration with the Foreign Service team.
Advises FS employees and management concerning Time-in-Class Expirations (TIC), retirement, and Foreign Service pension calculations in collaboration with the Foreign Service team.
Develops agency implementing guidance ensuring compliance while supporting mission requirements. Ensures agency policy remains aligned with Government-wide requirements and recognized human capital best practices.
Performs internal control reviews to identify organizational risks affecting employee benefits administration.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

United States Citizenship is required.
Must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret clearance.
Males born after 12/31/1959, must be registered with the Selective Service.
You may be required to serve a one-year probationary/2 years trial period.
Completion of Financial Disclosure may be required.
Designated and/or random drug testing required

Qualifications

To qualify for the GS-13 grade level, you must have one year of specialized experience at the GS-12 level in the Federal service or equivalent. Specialized experience is defined as:

Manage Federal retirement and benefits programs, including FERS, CSRS, TSP, FEHB, FEGLI, disability retirement, and reemployed annuitant programs, in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, OPM guidance, and agency policies;
Performing retirement eligibility determinations, annuity computations, retirement estimates, and retirement actions, while providing expert counseling on retirement options, survivor benefits, disability retirement, death-in-service benefits, health and life insurance continuation, and reemployed annuitant requirements; and
Serving as technical advisor to civil service and/or foreign service employees, managers, and human resources staff by interpreting federal retirement laws, regulations, and OPM guidance; resolving complex retirement and benefits issues; and coordinating with OPM and other federal agencies to resolve retirement actions.

Time in Grade Requirement: Time-in-grade requirements must be met by the closing date. This means that you must have served at least 52 weeks at the next grade level (or equivalent) below the grade advertised on this vacancy announcement.

ICTAP/CTAP: If you are requesting special employment consideration under the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) or CTAP, you must provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP or CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your ICTAP or CTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy.

To be well-qualified you must meet the following: OPM qualification requirements for the position, all selective factors, where applicable; special OPM approved qualifying conditions for the position; is physically qualified with reasonable accommodation, where appropriate, to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry; and receives a rating of at least "well-qualified" on the questionnaire. You must provide proof of eligibility with your application to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of ICTAP or CTAP eligibility, or a copy of your separation personnel action form. Additional information regarding ICTAP or CTAP eligibility is available from Career Transition (opm.gov).

Education

This position does not have a positive education requirement.

Additional information

These are Testing Designated Positions (TDPs) under the Agency's approved Drug-Free Workplace Program. All applicants selected for this position will be subject to random drug testing once they begin working for the Agency.

As condition of employment for accepting this position, New federal employees (and in some cases reinstated or transferred employees) in the competitive or excepted service will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period 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 or trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

SELECTIVE SERVICE: http://www.sss.gov/

EEO Policy Statement: https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/EEO_Policy_Statement

Reasonable Accommodation Policy Statement: https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/Reasonable_Accommodation_Policy_Statement

Veterans Information: http://www.fedshirevets.gov/

Telework: www.telework.gov

Disability: www.opm.gov/disability/mngr_3-13.asp

Noncompetitive Appointment Authorities: The following links contain information on the eligibility requirements to be considered under a noncompetitive appointing authority: http://www.opm.gov/hr_practitioners/lawsregulations/appointingauthorities/

Selections are made on the basis of merit without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, or any other non-merit-based factor.

If needed, additional selections will be made from this announcement.

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.

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.

We use a multi-step process to review and evaluate applicants:

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this announcement. You will be assessed on the following competencies:

Case Management
Customer Service
Federal Benefits Administration
Foreign Service Benefits
Online Retirement Application (ORA) Administration
Problem Solving
Program Management
Regulatory Interpretation
Retirement Counseling
Written and Oral Communication

Evaluation will be based on your application materials (such as your resume and supporting documents), your responses to the application questionnaire, and the results of all required assessments.

Resume Requirement Please limit your resume to 2 pages with the font size no smaller than 10 points. If your resume is more than 2 pages, only the first 2 pages will be reviewed and considered for the qualification determination.

Minimum Qualification Question As part of the application process, you must answer a minimum qualification question addressing whether you meet the Specialized Experience required for this position, as described in this announcement.

Your response must be supported by the experience documented in your resume. If your resume does not demonstrate the required Specialized Experience, you may be found not qualified. If you meet the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements, your application will be further evaluated based on your answers to the vacancy questionnaire, using the Category Rating Method. This means you will be placed into one of three categories: Best Qualified, Well Qualified, or Qualified, depending on your responses. Your rating may be lowered if your responses are not supported by the experience described in your resume. Veterans' preference is applied by listing preference eligibles ahead of non-preference eligibles within the same category in which they are placed. Qualified preference eligibles with a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent (CPS and CP) will be placed at the top of the highest quality category (Best Qualified), ahead of all other preference and non-preference eligibles, regardless of the quality category in which they are placed as a result of the assessment of their qualifications (excepted for scientific or professional at the GS-9 grade level and above). A selecting official may make selections from the highest quality category (Best Qualified), provided no preference eligibles in that category is passed over to select a non-preference eligible.

SME Resume Review Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) will review your resume to determine whether you meet the required Specialized Experience.

SME Structured Interview You may be invited to participate in a structured interview with one or more Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to assess the required competencies for the position.

Applicants who successfully pass the assessment(s) may be referred to the Hiring Manager for consideration.

You must complete all required steps in the process, including submitting an application and resume and participating in the structured interview, to be considered for this position.

Required Documents

Resume (limited to 2 pages) showing relevant experience (to include month and year).
Most recent performance appraisal if applicable
Veterans' documentation, if requesting consideration under any veterans' hiring eligibilities such as VRA, preference point entitlement (e,g, DD214, SF-15, and Veteran's Administration Letter). For a detailed list of documents, click here.
Supporting documentation if seeking eligibility based any other special hiring authority (e.g., disabled veteran, Schedule A) For a detailed list of documents, click here.
Supporting documentation ICTAP/CTAP if applicable
Status candidates submit a recent copy of your SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action); your document must reflect grade, step, tenure code 1 or 2, and type of position occupied.
Documents That Are Required for Verification of Eligibility:Your resume:your resume must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. Please limit your resume to 2 pages with the font size no smaller than 10 points. If your resume is more than 2 pages, only the first 2 pages will be reviewed and considered for the qualification determination.

Other supporting documents:

Proof of Eligibility to Apply: Your application must include the documents which prove you are eligible to apply for the vacancy. You must meet the requirements of at least one of the authorities listed in the Who May Apply section above to receive further consideration.
(If applies) Copies of transcripts are required if qualifying based on education for this announcement; failure to submit will result in removal from consideration. If you are selected for the position, official transcripts are required before appointment to official duty
Veterans' documentation, if requesting consideration under any veterans' hiring eligibilities such as VRA, preference point entitlement (e,g, DD214, SF-15, and Veteran's Administration Letter).
Proof of United States Citizenship (birth certificate or other acceptable documentation, may be required upon request).
Proof of military service (DD214s or other equivalent documents).
Proof of government service providing reinstatement eligibility Notification of Personnel Action, SF-50 or other equivalent document.
SF15, Application for 10-Point Veteran's Preference and appropriate documentation (for 10-point compensable or non-compensable disability preference, Purple Heart, disability pension, or preference based on service of spouse or child).
Supporting documentation if seeking eligibility based any other special hiring authority (e.g., disabled veteran, Schedule A) For a detailed list of documents, click here.
Status candidates can submit a recent copy of your SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action), your document must reflect grade, step, tenure code 1 or 2, and type of position occupied.
Proof of government service documenting that you have met time-in-grade requirement: If you are applying for a higher grade and your SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you meet the one year time-in-grade requirement so you will need to provide an SF-50 which clearly demonstrates you meet the time-in-grade requirements (examples of appropriate SF-50s include Promotions, Within-grade Grade/Range Increases, and SF-50s with an effective date more than one year old).

How to Apply

The following instructions outline our application process. You must complete this online application process and submit any applicable required documents by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement. If applying online poses an extreme hardship, you must contact the human resources office no later than two business days before the closing date of this vacancy announcement. Our Office will provide an alternative application method upon approval of the hardship notification. After the advertisement has closed, we will not grant requests to apply via alternative plans.

Please note, we must receive all required documents by the closing date via online or alternative methods. We will determine your eligibility and qualifications based solely on the material received by the closing date.

Step 1 - Review the Job Announcement (https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13006115)
Before you apply, we suggest you review the entire job announcement. Pay close attention to the Major Duties section and the How You Will Be Evaluated section, where you will see the areas upon which an HR Specialist or Subject Matter Expert will evaluate your application and a link for previewing online questions.

Step 2 - Create or Upload a resume with USAJOBS (www.usajobs.gov)
Create or upload a resume in USAJOBS. You may wish to customize your resume to ensure it supports your responses to the online questions and addresses the Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section of the job announcement. For resume tips, click here.-Although you must enter your Social Security Number (SSN) for USAJOBS, we will only see the last four digits for identification purposes.

Step 3 - Apply Online
Click the "Apply Online" button on this announcement and then select the resume you wish to submit with your application. You will be redirected to the OPM's USA Staffing website to complete the application process.

Step 4 - Answer the Online Questions and Submit Your Online Application
If this is your first time on OPM's USA Staffing website, the system will prompt you to register by answering questions about your eligibility for Federal employment. Select "Take me to the assessment" and click on the "Next" button to answer the job-specific questions. The system will save these responses and take you back to the main screen so that you can answer the job-specific questions. You must answer all the questions and click the "Finish" button.

Step 5 - Review and Confirm Your Submission
You will now have the option to upload a document or print fax cover sheets for documents (see Step 6 for details). Once you click "Done," you will see a summary of your application for your review, and you may also print a copy for your records. When you click "Finish" at the bottom of the page, our system will then direct you back to USAJOBS, where you can confirm that you correctly submitted your application, and you can track your application status.

Step 6 - Submit Documents
You can submit any applicable required or optional documents (see below) by document upload, fax, or e-mail. Whichever method you choose, please include the job announcement number with your records. To protect your privacy, we encourage you to remove your SSN from any documents that you submit.

Document Upload: You may upload documents in one of two ways:

Once you finish answering the questions in the job announcement, the system will prompt you to upload your document(s) to your application. You will be given a choice to either upload the document as part of the application process or select a copy that you've already loaded on USAJOBS. Or
You can upload a document to an existing application by logging into your USAJOBS account profile. Click on "My Applications" and search for the vacancy. Once you've located the vacancy, click on the vacancy and select "Apply Online." Move through your existing application to the Documents page and select upload to add a document to your application. Be sure to review your complete application for confirmation that you uploaded the document.

Agency contact information

OIG HR Operations Washington

Email: recruitment@oig.usaid.gov

Address: OIG - Office of Management
555 12th St NW
Washington, DC 20523
US

Next steps

You must complete the online application/Occupational Questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below to apply for this position.

You must submit a complete application package by 11:59 PM (EST) on the announcement's closing date to receive consideration.

To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you must create one before beginning the application.

Follow the prompts to select your resume and other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.

After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.

Our automated system will take you to the online application you must complete to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and apply.

To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your 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/.

Human Resources Specialist (Benefits) Job in Washington, DC