Lead Human Resources Specialist Job

Vacancy No. 26-NA-MB-XA-00636-DOE Department National Nuclear Security Administration
Salary $90,925.00 to $139,684.00 Grade 3 to 3
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 6/8/2026 Close Date 6/15/2026
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
Washington, DCGermantown, MDAlbuquerque, NM


Lead Human Resources Specialist

Department of Energy
National Nuclear Security Administration
Office of Human Resources

Summary

This position is within the Office of Human Resources. As a Lead Human Resources Specialist, you will be responsible for leading a multi-functional team in the full spectrum of staffing, recruitment, and classification functions; advising on complex reports, balancing workload, and fostering team development; and integrating the organizational vision and ensuring timely, quality results.

This job is open to

Internal to an agency

Current federal employees of the hiring agency that posted the job announcement.

Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)

Federal employees whose job, agency or department was eliminated and are eligible for priority over other applicants.

Clarification from the agency

Current DOE/NNSA Federal employees with competitive status only. DOE/NNSA employees with CTAP or RPL eligibility.

Duties

As a Lead Human Resources Specialist, you will:

  • Lead a team of HR Specialists, assigning work, balancing workload, coaching staff, and ensuring timely, high-quality completion of projects and deliverables.
  • Provide expert strategic advice, including the interpretation and application of HR laws, regulations, and policies for HR functions to include recruitment and placement, position management and classification, pay and compensation, and personnel actions.
  • Conduct quality assurance reviews of job analyses, assessments, job opportunity announcements, eligibility and qualification determinations, certificates, pay actions, and personnel actions for accuracy and compliance with federal regulations.
  • Design and deliver training, workshops, and briefings on strategic human capital topics to internal and external stakeholders.
  • Analyze data and develop reports and presentations that drive executive decision-making.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

  • You must be a United States Citizen.
  • This position is a Testing Designated Position (TDP) subject to applicant testing and random drug testing thereafter. Failure to test or a positive result on random drug tests conducted after appointment may result in removal from Federal employment.
  • If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See www.sss.gov.
  • If selected, your appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
  • This position has been designated as Critical Sensitive/High Risk and requires a security clearance at L Access. The selectee is required to obtain and maintain this clearance; failure to do so may result in separation from federal service.
  • The Fair Chance Act prohibits specific inquiries concerning an applicant's criminal or credit background unless the hiring agency has made a conditional offer of employment to the applicant. An applicant may submit a complaint to the agency within 30 calendar days of the date of alleged noncompliance by completing the Fair Chance Act Intake Form and submitting it to the Administrative Investigations Program at AdministrativeInvestigations@hq.doe.gov.

Qualifications

A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower NNSA Demonstration Project pay band or GS grade level in the Federal service, i.e., NQ-02 or GS-12. Specialized experience for this position is defined as:

  • Experience providing advice and guidance to managers, other human resources professionals, and employees on Title 5 federal civilian staffing and placement regulations, policies, and procedures;
  • Performing the full range of recruitment and placement functions to include developing job analyses, advising on assessments, drafting job opportunity announcements, reviewing applications for eligibility and qualifications, issuing certificates, setting pay, and extending job offers; and
  • Collaborating with internal and external stakeholders to deliver effective HR solutions.

"Experience" refers to paid and unpaid experience. Examples of qualifying unpaid experience may include: volunteer work done through National Service programs (such as Peace Corps and AmeriCorps); as well as work for other community-based philanthropic and social organizations. 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.

CTAP/ICTAP candidates: To be considered "well qualified" you must meet all of the requirements as described in this section. If you are eligible for career transition assistance plans such as ICTAP or CTAP, you must meet the definition of "well qualified" which is defined as having a score of 85 or better.

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

Additional information

  • More than one selection may be made from this vacancy announcement.
  • A relocation Incentive may be authorized for a highly qualified applicant in accordance with the Agency policy and applicable regulations.

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.

Review our 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.

THE APPLICATION REVIEW PROCESS WILL BE IN TWO STAGES:

Eligibility and Minimum Qualifications:
Once the vacancy announcement closes, we will review your submitted resume and documents to determine if you meet the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements, including any required education, experience, and/or selective placement factors. You will be rated as ineligible if you are outside of the area of consideration (i.e., who may apply) or your application is missing any required documents. You will be rated as not qualified if you do not possess the minimum qualification requirements.

Structured Resume Review: After it has been determined that you meet the minimum qualifications, Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) will review the first two pages of your resume to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the required competencies. Additional documentation (e.g., cover letter, links embedded in your resume) may not be considered. You will be assessed on the following competencies:

  • Technical Competence
  • Leadership
  • Quality Assurance
  • Communication
If you are found to be amongst the most highly qualified applicants, you will be referred to the selecting official.

To preview the application questionnaire, click the link below.
https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12970609

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you MUST provide a complete application package which includes:

  • Your two (2) page RESUME showing all relevant work experience (paid and unpaid) including: duties performed; full name and address of each employer; start and end dates (month/day/year); work schedule (part-time, full-time, number of hours if intermittent); salary; and any completed education and training (program title, subject area, number of hours completed, and completion date).
  • Cover Letter, optional, expressing additional information not covered in your resume.
Submit one or more of the following to support your eligibility(s) to apply to this job announcement:
  • SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action: Most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, which reflects your competitive status eligibility and the highest grade or promotion potential held.
  • Career Transition Assistance Program documentation, if applicable:(e.g., 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.) For more information see the OPM Guide to Career Transition.
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.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section. A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the announcement closing date to receive consideration.

The application process is as follows:

  1. You must have a login.gov account to sign into USAJOBS: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/account/.
  2. To begin the application process in USAJOBS, click the Apply Online button.
  3. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all required and supporting documentation.
  4. You must click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 pm (ET) on the announcement closing date.

You may update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period by returning to your USAJOBS account, select Update Application: https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.

To verify the status of your application, during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account; 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/.

If you need help with login.gov or USAJOBS (e.g., account access, Resume Builder) visit the USAJOBS Help Center: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/

Employees or applicants may request Reasonable Accommodation (RA) for assistance, when applying or competing for a job or performing a job due to their medical condition or to exercise their religious beliefs. If you need reasonable accommodation in the application or selection process, please contact the Agency Contact listed on this vacancy announcement.

If you experience difficulty applying on USAJOBS, after clicking the Apply Online button, or you are experiencing a significant hardship hindering your ability to apply online, the Agency Contact listed in the announcement can assist you during normal business hours. If you receive any system error messages, take screenshots if possible, to aid technical support.

Agency contact information

Deborah Shells
Phone
202-868-2658
Email
deborah.shells@nnsa.doe.gov
Address
Associate Administrator for Management and Budget
24600 20th St SE
Kirtland AFB, NM 87117-5507
US

Next steps

Once you submit your online application, you will receive a confirmation notification by email that your submission was successful. After the closing of the announcement, we will review applications. If you are among the most qualified candidates and your name is referred to the hiring official, you may be contacted directly for a possible interview. We will notify you of the status of your Application Package at the time candidates are referred for consideration, and when the selection process is complete. You may also check your application status through your USAJOBS account at any time.

National Nuclear Security Administration

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) is a separately organized agency of the Department of Energy. We manage highly visible U.S. National Security Programs, enhance U.S. national security through research, development, production, assembly, disassembly, and maintenance of the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile, promote international nuclear non-proliferation and safety, reduce global danger from weapons of mass destruction, provide the U.S. Navy with safe and effective nuclear propulsion, and oversee national laboratories and other production facilities to maintain U.S. leadership in science and technology.

The Office of Human Resources (OHR) oversees and administers human capital programs and initiatives for the NNSA's critical and complex nuclear security and support services enterprise both across the nation and internationally. The mission of the OHR is to serve as a customer-focused strategic partner to drive mission success by providing timely and innovative human capital services using data-driven tools to the NNSA enterprise.

Please view the following links for additional information:
Explore a world of opportunities at NNSA
Working at NNSA

Agency contact information

Deborah Shells
Phone
202-868-2658
Email
deborah.shells@nnsa.doe.gov
Address
Associate Administrator for Management and Budget
24600 20th St SE
Kirtland AFB, NM 87117-5507
US