Clarification from the agency

Open to All U.S. Citizens and U.S. Nationals. Candidates who live in the National Capital Region (NCR) will be required to report to the Springfield, VA location. "Location Negotiable After Selection" is for candidates who live outside of the NCR across the country who will be required to report to the nearest TSA facility.

These vacancies will be filled through DHS/TSA's Direct-Hire Authority pursuant to TSA MD 1100.30-26. Under the Direct-Hire Authority, category grouping and Veterans' Preference does not apply.

This Human Resources Specialist position is located within Human Capital (HC) Operations, Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Duties include but are not limited to:

• Provides advice and guidance to management and employees at all levels to support Personnel Action processing, Time and Attendance (T/A) Administration, Payroll Program Operations, and Benefits; to include interpretation and instruction on laws, regulations, policies, procedures and guidance on appropriate course(s) of action.
• Conducts in-depth analysis of reports and metrics to identify operational problems; document findings and make recommendations for corrective action. Performs root cause analysis on issues discovered to identify trends that may indicate programmatic weaknesses.
• Develops and maintains Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and guidelines for assigned program(s) for use by managers, supervisors, financial specialists, timekeepers, and/or other management and administrative personnel.
• Serves as liaison to the National Finance Center (NFC) on pay matters regarding a wide range of pay operational actions. Troubleshoots and conducts research on various escalated complex issues. Researches appropriate Federal payroll regulations and agency policies to develop responses on payroll program or T/A issues received from the TSA workforce and external parties.
• Acts as a contributing team member to develop and deliver presentations, and conduct training or administer workshops for personnel at all levels of the agency; explains program concepts and technical requirements to audiences with varying levels of understanding and experience.

Conditions of employment

1. You must possess U.S. Citizenship or be a U.S. National.
2. You must have reached the minimum age (18) at the time of application.
3. You must complete a favorable Background Investigation (BI).
4. Selective Service registration is required.
5. Must obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance.

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

To qualify for the SV- I Pay Band (equivalent to GS- 13), you must have one year of specialized experience at the SV-H Pay Band or GS- 12 in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private sector. Specialized experience is defined as experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position to be filled. Specialized experience is defined as:

• Researching, interpreting, applying, and advising others on Federal laws, regulations, policies, and guidelines regarding personnel transaction processing, payroll or benefits; and
• Briefing management and communicating complex human resources issues in a clear, concise, and logical manner to a variety of audiences at various levels of the organization; and
• Operating in a high-volume environment performing at least 4 of the following functions:
  • reviewing SF-52 Request for Personnel Action forms for accuracy and completeness
  • processing and monitoring SF-52 Request for Personnel Action forms
  • reviewing employee timecards for accuracy and completeness
  • processing and monitoring employee timecards
  • updating new hire and employee records in various electronic systems (e.g., USA Staffing, EmpowHR, RUMBA, EPIC, GovTA);
  • reviewing new hire forms (e.g., SF-61, TSP-3, SF-2823, W4, SF-1199A, SF-144) for accuracy and completeness;
  • responding to inquiries from employees and managers;
  • resolving employee issues related to personnel transaction, payroll or benefits processing;
  • supporting onboarding procedures;
  • preparing reports or interpreting data related to personnel transaction, payroll or benefits activities;
  • understanding HR Information System platforms, functionalities or data reporting tools; or
  • resolving employee data integrity issues for personnel transaction, payroll or benefits functions.

Credit for experience is given based on a 40-hour workweek. Part-time experience is credited on a part-time ratio, i.e., working 20 hours per week for two months equals one month of experience. No additional credit is given for overtime.

National Service Experience (i.e., volunteer experience): 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, 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.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

You must meet the qualification requirements for this position no later than the closing date of the vacancy announcement.

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 a comparison of the position requirements against the quality and extent of the experience and/or related education as reflected in your resume and supporting documentation. You are encouraged to ensure work experiences clearly show possession of specialized experience required for this position.

Your resume, optional cover letter and supporting documentation will be reviewed to determine if you meet the minimum qualification requirements for the position. Under the provisions of the Direct Hire Authority (DHA), rating, ranking and veterans' preference does not apply. All applicants who meet the minimum qualification requirements, as defined in the job opportunity announcement, will be referred for selection consideration. While veterans' preference does not apply in DHA, preference eligibles are encouraged to submit their supporting documentation (DD-214 stating disposition of discharge or character of service, VA letter, SF-15, etc.).

The following documents are required and must be provided with your application. Applicants who do not submit required documentation to determine eligibility and qualifications will be eliminated from consideration. Documentation is needed to verify the eligibilities you are claiming.

NOTE: Your resume must clearly demonstrate how you meet this requirement or you will be deemed ineligible. Additionally, copying and pasting information from the announcement into your resume will not adequately convey your qualifications.

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.

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.

Veterans: If claiming VEOA or Veterans Preference- submit a copy of the official DD-214, which must include the character of service (i.e., with an Honorable or General discharge). If no DD-214 is available, please submit a memo/certification of military service as outlined in the VOW Act. This will be annotated in block 24 on member copy 2,4, or 7 of the DD-214. If claiming veterans' consideration which involves considering your disability rating, you must submit a VA Letter or a disability determination from a branch of the Armed Forces. Note: All veterans claiming 10-point preference must also submit a SF-15.

TSA Employees: Current TSA employees are strongly encouraged to submit the most recent non-Award SF-50, at the time of application, to support eligibility for Status consideration. TSA employees who do not submit the SF-50 with the application must document their current TSA position in their resume and may be required to provide the SF-50 document during the selection process. TSA employees may obtain a copy of their most recent non-Award SF-50 at https://eopf.opm.gov/dhs/.

Current or Former Federal Civilian employees (Non-TSA): You must submit a legible copy of a SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action. The SF-50 block 24 must contain a "1" or "2" AND block 34 must contain a "1" or "2."

Individuals with Disabilities: Documentation of eligibility for employment under this hiring authority can be obtained from a licensed medical professional (e.g., a physician or other medical professional certified by a state, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. territory to practice medicine); a licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist (i.e., state or private); or any Federal agency, state agency, or agency of the District of Columbia or a U.S. territory that issues or provides disability benefits. Documentation is used to verify that the individual being hired is indeed a person with an intellectual disability, severe physical disability, or psychiatric disability.

Military Spouse Preference:If you are eligible based on one of the below, please submit the following:
(1) spouse of an active-duty member of the armed forces: DD214 of spouse, marriage license, and PCS orders showing dependency (if applicable)
(2) a spouse of a service member who is 100% disabled due to a service-connected injury: DD214 of spouse, marriage license, and VA Letter or disability determination showing 100%
(3) spouse of a service member killed while on active duty: DD214 of spouse, marriage license, documentation from the Armed Forces casualty office

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