Clarification from the agency

Status Candidates (Merit Promotion and VEOA Eligibles) and those eligible for other hiring authorities.

Office of Human Resources Management

The Office of Human Resources Management (OHRM) provides client-centric, data-driven, and solution-focused human capital services that enables FHFA's diverse workforce to achieve the FHFA mission. The OHRM is dedicated to collaborating as a strategic business partner in achieving FHFA's regulatory mission by proactively determining human capital needs to recruit and retain a preeminent workforce that is diverse, motivated, and committed to excellence.

Position Overview

The HR Specialist/Senior HR Specialist provide a wide range of Employee and Labor Relations (ELR) advisory services. They give authoritative guidance and counseling to managers on employee relations issues as well as on the applicability of policies and procedures to highly complex employee relations challenges. They also coordinate the development and implementation of relevant ELR policies as well as participates in bargaining and other labor and employee relations activities.

Major Duties & Responsibilities

The HR Specialist/Senior HR Specialist (ELR) duties listed below are at the EL-14 grade level. Depending on the grade level selected, the incumbent will perform the following duties with varying levels of supervision and difficulty:

• Stay apprised of current case law and provide authoritative advice and guidance to managers on all types/complexities of employee conduct, performance, and discipline issues.
• Assist in the planning, direction, and administration of interrelated and interdependent labor relations program operations at FHFA, such as planning and implementing strategies to respond to statutory or regulatory changes affecting FHFA labor relations programs and/or operations.
• Conduct studies designed to improve existing labor relations programs or to develop solutions to exceptionally difficult or complex labor relations operating problems.
• Provide counseling and guidance to employees on the full scope of rights and responsibilities associated with general workplace concerns and management actions, including the right to appeal or grieve disciplinary or performance actions.
• Provides management officials with instructions and technical advice on procedures, and appropriate responses to complaints and grievances.
• Provide guidance and advice to supervisors and employees on the full spectrum of human resources (HR) policies, programs, processes, and procedures related to ER including, but not limited to Workplace Schedules, Telework, Absence and Leave, Domestic Violence and Workplace Violence, Administrative Grievance Policy, and Conduct and Discipline Policy.
• Work closely with performance management specialists, Human Resources Business Partners and reasonable accommodation coordinator to ensure compliance with policies and regulations.
• Work closely with managers, supervisors, and representatives of the Office of General Counsel to develop counseling letters, reprimands, disciplinary actions, performance improvement plans, and proposed and final decisions on adverse actions.
• Work closely with the FHFA Security Specialist pertaining to those actions associated with security and employment suitability.
• Work in partnership with serviced organizations to develop strategic long-range labor relations operating policies, directives, and regulations.
• Collaborate with senior managers to integrate human capital management into the overall strategic objectives for FHFA.
• Partner with key managers and labor representatives on workforce management program issues such as disciplinary and adverse actions, employee rights and responsibilities, grievance resolution, etc., as they relate to collective-bargaining agreements.
• Research and recommend solutions to labor relations issues with serious impact on policies, practices, and procedures.
• Represent the Agency at meetings, conferences, and workshops on HR matters.
• Negotiate, defend, and justify HR policies, processes, and procedures with management officials to gain acceptance and compliance with program requirements.
• Keep supervisor informed of trends, new techniques, and philosophies resulting from conferences and meetings attended.
• Review and prepare comments on pending or proposed legislation in labor relations areas and recommends positions and viewpoints that indicate the effect the proposed legislation will have on existing FHFA labor relations policies.
• Propose alternative courses of action that can be taken to negate or ameliorate the impact of legislation.
• Draft new FHFA policy statements and directives or revises existing policies and regulations covering labor relations areas.
• Draft directives implementing and advising employees and managers of statutory or regulatory changes affecting rights, entitlements, or benefits in these areas.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Conditions of employment

• Status Candidates (Merit Promotion and VEOA Eligibles) and those eligible for other hiring authorities.
• SF 50's are required with the exception of current FHFA employees. Please include one showing your tenure and competitive status. You must provide an SF-50 that indicates your competitive eligibility. You will not be considered without this.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
• May be required to successfully complete a probationary period.
• Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.
• Status candidates must meet time-in-grade requirements (52 weeks at the next lower grade level).
• Suitable for Federal employment, as determined by background investigation.
• Resume and supporting documents (See How To Apply).
• FHFA participates in e-Verify. All New hires must complete the I-9 Employment Verification form either on or before their first day of employment. If a discrepancy arises, you must take affirmative steps to resolve the matter.
• Bargaining Unit Status: Ineligible
• This is NOT a remote position; you MUST live within or be willing to relocate within a commutable distance of the duty location.
• 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.

Qualifications

You may qualify for your desired series and grade level if you meet the following qualification requirements:

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Minimum Qualification EL-12: Applicants must have 52 weeks (one-year) of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level as described below.

Experience: I qualify for the EL/GS-12 because I have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience at the EL/GS-11 or equivalent demonstrating work experience with the statements described below.

Examples of specialized experience include:

• Providing advisory services to managers and employees on employee relations and labor relations matters, including conduct, performance management, grievances, and negotiated agreement interpretation, applying established laws, regulations, and Agency policies; AND
• Reviewing complaints, grievances, and disciplinary actions; conducting fact-finding; and assisting in the preparation of case documentation to support corrective or adverse actions in accordance with applicable procedures; AND/OR
• Analyzing employee relations issues to identify underlying causes and recommending appropriate resolution strategies using established precedents and guidance; AND/OR
• Collaborating with union representatives and internal stakeholders to resolve disputes, promote compliance, and support effective labor-management relations.

Minimum Qualification EL-13: Applicants must have 52 weeks (one-year) of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level as described below.

Experience: I qualify for the EL/GS-13 because I have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience at the EL/GS-12 or equivalent demonstrating work experience with the statements described below.

Examples of specialized experience include:

• Providing authoritative technical advice and interpretation of employee and labor relations policies, negotiated agreements, and statutory requirements involving complex or controversial issues affecting organizational operations; AND
• Developing management proposals, counterproposals, disciplinary actions, grievance responses, and appeal documentation based on analysis of precedent, case law, and Agency guidance; AND/OR
• Representing management interest in complex labor relations matters, including unfair labor practice issues, negotiations, and dispute resolution processes; AND/OR
• Conducting comprehensive analyses of employee and labor relations programs, trends, and disputes to recommend improvements, ensure regulatory compliance, and mitigate organizational risk.

Minimum Qualification EL-14: Applicants must have 52 weeks (one-year) of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level as described below.

Experience: I qualify for the EL/GS-14 because I have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience at the EL/GS-13 or equivalent demonstrating work experience with the statements described below.

Examples of specialized experience include:

• Serving as a senior authority on employee and labor relations programs by providing Agency-wide technical leadership, policy interpretations, and strategic guidance on highly complex, precedent-setting, or sensitive conduct, performance, grievance, and labor relations matters; AND
• Leading the development, implementation, and modernization of employee and labor relations policies, procedures, and strategic initiatives to address statutory changes, case law developments, and organizational priorities; AND/OR
• Representing the Agency in high-impact negotiations, third-party proceedings, and labor-management engagements, including matters before Federal labor relations authorities; AND/OR
• Conducting advanced studies and program evaluations to resolve exceptionally difficulty labor relations issues, improve organizational effectiveness, and shape long-range workforce relations strategy.

Time-In-Grade: Current or former Federal government employees who have held an EL/GS position in the preceding 52 weeks, must meet the time-in-grade requirement.

• To be eligible for the EL-12 position, applicants must have served 52 weeks as an EL/GS-11 or higher in the Federal Service.
• To be eligible for the EL-13 position, applicants must have served 52 weeks as an EL/GS-12 or higher in the Federal Service.
• To be eligible for the EL-14 position, applicants must have served 52 weeks as an EL/GS-13 or higher in the Federal Service.

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.

How you will be evaluated

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

For this position, you will be required to complete a narrative assessment through your responses to the prompts in the questionnaire portion of the announcement. If you meet the minimum qualification requirements and are eligible for the position, your narrative assessment responses will be evaluated by a panel of subject matter experts. Through your narrative assessment responses, you will be measured on the following competencies:

Competencies:

• Technical Proficiency
• Collaboration
• Oral and Written Communication

To fulfill the requirements of the narrative assessment, applicants must provide a written response to the following prompts in their assessment questionnaire:

1. Describe your experience providing technical or policy guidance to managers and/or employees on employee relations and labor relations matters (e.g., conduct, performance management, grievances, negotiated agreement interpretation).
2. Provide an example of a complaint, grievance, or disciplinary action you handled that required fact-finding, analysis, and application of ER/LR procedures.
3. Describe a time you handled a complex, high-risk, or controversial ER/LR issue requiring advanced interpretation of policy, statute, case law, or negotiated agreements.
4. Explain your experience collaborating with unions, legal counsel, management, and other stakeholders in labor relations matters such as negotiations, unfair labor practice issues, grievance proceedings, or dispute resolution.
5. Describe an analysis, review, or improvement effort you conducted related to ER/LR programs, trends, or disputes that required coordination across offices or disciplines.
6. Provide an example of an ER/LR policy, SOP, guidance document, or formal report you developed or significantly revised.

We recommend that you preview the online questions for this announcement before you start the application process. To preview the assessment questionnaire: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12890206

All of the information you provide will be verified by a review of the work experience and/or education as shown on your application forms, by checking references or through other means, such as the interview process. This verification could occur at any stage of the application process. Any exaggeration of your experience, false statements, or attempts to conceal information may be grounds for rating you ineligible.

In accordance with the Fair Chance Act, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) may not request, in oral or written form, that an applicant for an appointment to (FHFA) disclose criminal history record information before the appointing authority extends a tentative offer to the applicant. Allegations of FHFA violations of this Act may be submitted to fairchanceactcomplaints@fhfa.gov or to Fair Chance Act Complaints, Office of Human Resources Management, Employee Relations Branch, FHFA 400 7th Street, SW Washington DC 20219 within 30 days from the agency employee's alleged non-compliance with the law.

FHFA's application process has been specifically developed to ensure that we only ask you for the information we absolutely need to evaluate your qualifications and eligibility. All applicants are required to submit the following supportive documents:

1. Your Resume: Whether you have written a federal resume before or not, you may want to check out the new USAJOBS Help Center links (USAJOBS Help Center - Update your resume now so it meets new resume requirements & USAJOBS Help Center - How do I write a resume for a federal job?), as they detail what you should, and should not, include in your resume. Below you will find some of the required information that you should include in your federal resume:

• Contact Information: Your name and the best way to contact you.
• Relevant work experience: Job experience should include employer name, job title, start and end dates (month/year), the number of hours worked per week and descriptions that explain how you meet the required qualifications in the job announcement.
• Education, certifications or licensures: If the job announcement requires any education, certifications or licensures, make sure you include the required information on the resume.

Other important information regarding your resume:

• As a part of the Executive Order 14170 titled, "Reforming the Federal Hiring Process and Restoring Merit to Government Service", all applicant resumes must be 2 pages or less. The long-form Federal resume style is now prohibited under this Executive Order. To be compliant with this guidance, please limit your resume to 2 pages. If more than 2 pages are submitted, only the first 2 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications.
• Due to the new 2-page resume limitation, finalists for this position may be asked to provide additional previous employment information for pay setting purposes.

2. SF-50's are required with the exception of current FHFA employees. Please include an SF-50 that shows your tenure (1 or 2 in Block 24) and competitive status (1 in Block 34). You will not be considered without this. The SF-50 should show highest grade held on a permanent basis in the competitive service. You must provide an SF-50 that indicates your competitive eligibility.

3.Required, if applicable: This position requires a minimum level of education or a combination of education and experience. Please submit your transcripts (official or unofficial) along with your application if you choose an option that requires transcripts. Failure to provide transcripts, when required, will result in removal from the hiring process. Note: If you are selected for a position, an official transcript will be required before onboarding.

4. Required, if applicable: CTAP/ICTAP documentation (a copy of a separation notice or other proof of eligibility for priority selection; a copy of an SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, showing current position, grade, promotion potential, and duty location; AND a copy of your most recent performance appraisal.)

5. Required, if applicable: Veteran's Preference Documentation (DD-214, Member Copy 4 or other documentation containing dates of service and character of discharge. Disabled veterans and other applicants eligible for 10-point Veteran's Preference please include: documentation to validate your claim - VA letter, SF-15, etc.).

6. Other Supporting Documents:

• Cover Letter, optional
• Schedule A letter, if applicable

Important Notes:

• Utilize the preview feature of USA Jobs to view your documents and ensure the formatting remains and all documents are legible.
• Additional materials will not be accepted after the announcement closes (e.g. updated grades, updated resume, etc.).
• Your full name must be clearly visible on all documents.
• Do not submit encrypted documents.
• Tips: Encrypted documents do not transmit properly through USA Jobs. We recommend, you save the document as a new PDF or Print to PDF to ensure the document comes through properly and is displayed properly using the USA Jobs preview feature.
• If the position has an education requirement or you are qualifying on the basis of education, you need to list your education history including the type of degree and your major of study. If the position requires a certain number of credit hours, you are strongly encouraged to list the relevant courses in your resume. Do not include a photograph or video of yourself, or any sensitive information (age, date of birth, marital status, protected health information, religious affiliation, social security number, etc.) on your resume or cover letter. We will not access web pages linked on your resume or cover letter to determine your qualification.

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.

Next steps