Summary
This position is within the Office of Human Resources. As a Lead HR 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 announcement will close on November 5, 2026 or once 75 applications are received whichever occurs first.
This job is open to
Clarification from the agency
Current Federal employees with competitive status or other eligibility; Former Federal employees with reinstatement eligibility; CTAP/ICTAP eligibles; Veterans with VOW, VEOA, or 30% disability; Military Spouses; Individuals with Disabilities Schedule A; Peace Corps, Vista (AmeriCorps) eligibles; Those eligible under an OPM interchange agreement or other special appointing authority.
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 Non-Critical Sensitive 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.
- You may be required to successfully complete a one (1) year probationary period.
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.
Your resume should demonstrate how you meet the specialized experience. Do not copy and paste the duties or specialized experience from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications.
Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) candidates: If you are eligible for selection priority under CTAP or ICTAP, you must meet the definition of "well qualified" which is defined as having a score of 85 or better. For more information on CTAP/ICTAP, please visit OPM's website.
You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
Education
NQ-03: There is no education requirement or substitution at this grade level.
Additional information
- A Recruitment/Relocation Incentive may be authorized for a highly qualified applicant in accordance with agency policy and applicable regulations.
- More than one selection may be made from this vacancy announcement.
- 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.
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.
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 on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. 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
- Reading Comprehension
- Reasoning
- Self-Management
- Stress Tolerance
- Teamwork
The assessment includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.
Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.
To preview the application questionnaire, click the link below.
https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13104895
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).
Submit one or more of the following to support your eligibility(s) to apply to this job announcement:
- SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action" (current/former federal employees): Most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, which reflects your appointment type; occupational series, pay plan, grade; tenure, and service computation date. If your current position SF50 does not indicate you have competitive service status or does not reflect the pay plan and grade of the highest position you have held in the competitive service, in addition to your current SF50, you must provide your previous SF-50s that provide the proof of competitive status and highest grade held on a permanent basis.
- Veterans: DD-214 Member Copy 4 showing type of discharge/character of service; current active duty members- certification of expected discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions dated within 120 days; SF-15 Form and related documentation; VA letter. For more information visit the USAJOBS Help Center & OPM CHCOC website for VOW information.
- Individuals with Disabilities: Schedule A letter from a physician, local, state or federal rehabilitation office citing your eligibility under 5 CFR 213.3102 (u). For more information visit the USAJOBS Help Center.
- Certain Military Spouses: Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders authorizing you to accompany the Military member to the new duty permanent station; OR verification of the member's 100% disability (VA Letter); and/or verification of the member's death while on active duty (DD-1300 and Death Certificate) AND verification of the marriage to the service member (i.e., a marriage license or other legal documentation verifying marriage). For more information visit the USAJOBS Help Center.
- Other non-competitive or special appointing authorities: Provide documentation which supports your eligibility.
- Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program: Submit your eligibility documentation which includes a copy of the agency notice (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.
Performance Appraisals: Submit your two (2) most recent performance appraisals. Your performance appraisals and incentive awards will be given due consideration in the selection process based on their relation to the duties of the position and the consistency with which they may be considered in evaluating you against other applicants. If the performance appraisals are not available, please provide a written statement of explanation and upload as a separate document.
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 all required questionnaires, assessments, and required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents sections. 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:
- Click the Apply Online button.
- Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all required and supporting documentation.
- Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 pm (ET) on the announcement closing date.
- If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. This notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
- Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access to USA Hire is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
- Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessment. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning your assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
- Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue at a later time, you can reuse your unique assessment link.
- Your responses to the USA Hire assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.
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/. 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.
Next steps
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.
You will receive e-mail notifications as your application status is updated. However, you can also see your application status any time by logging in to your USAJOBS account and looking on the "Applications" page. Click the position title to expand the display for each application in the list. Click here to learn more about checking your application status.