Clarification from the agency

Open to current, permanent VISN 8 Network Office Human Resources employees and CTAP eligibles only.

This job opportunity not to exceed 1 year may result in a detail or temporary promotion which may become permanent without further competition.

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package: HR Specialist Total Rewards

Duties are listed below but are not limited to:

• Provides expert advice and authoritative information to top management and program directors throughout the Service on a wide variety of complex, controversial, and sensitive Human Resources Management problems and issues.
• Oversees a large and complex operational shared services unit within the regional VISN Human Resources Operations in an assignment consisting of three or more of the assigned program areas: Recruitment & Placement, Employee Relations/Labor Relations, Classification Support, Compensation, Work-life Benefits, Workers' Compensation Program, Human Resources Information Systems, Position Management & Manpower, Human Resources Training & Development, Quality Assurance, and Technical Review.
• Exercises independent judgment to administratively and technically direct and mentor the work of remote and non-remote subordinate direct reports as a senior manager/supervisor.
• Monitors and advocates for the integration of HR-related technological and administrative trends and best practices to ensure cohesive movement of services through the Network HR Office.
• Executes HR modernization endeavors and sound decisions on workflow/assignment when this crosses multiple functional areas and ultimately responsible for ensuring process improvement and continuous improvement occurs for all assigned functional areas.
• Executes the strategic plan for assigned functional areas and works with functional area chiefs and supervisors to identify long and short-range needs, formulate proposals for top management consideration, and plans and initiates improvement actions when considering global impact for VISN-wide implementation and quality attainment.
• Develops methods of measurement to assess the success of new programs and/or initiatives in accomplishing established goals and objectives.
• Communicates performance and quality targets and ensures subordinate Chiefs and Supervisors of HR Shared Services units understand and are working purposefully and with clarity to meet them.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8am - 4:30pm
Compressed/Flexible: Available
Telework: This position may be authorized for ad-hoc telework. Ad-hoc telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.
Virtual/Remote: This is not a virtual/remote position; duty location will be at one of the VISN 8 locations listed above.
Position Description/PD#: Supervisory Human Resources Specialist (Associate Human Resources Officer)/PD99944-S
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary 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.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 03/25/2026.

Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-14 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-13. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.

The BASIC REQUIREMENT for the HR Specialist GS-0201 series is presumed met if found qualified at the GS-0201-7 level and above.

To qualify for this position at the GS-14 level, you must meet one of the following listed Criteria:
Criteria 1- Graduate Degree and Specialized Experience: Successful completion of a graduate level degree or higher and three years of progressive specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level. Such experience may be gained in administrative, professional, technical or other responsible work positions in the public (i.e., Government or military) or private sector. Qualifying specialized experience includes:
* Leads employees.
* Oversees different complex sections of HR.
* Holds difficult conversations with all levels of leadership.
* Knowledge in HR rules and regulations in areas, including Employee Relations and Labor Relations and Staffing.

~OR~

Criteria 2- Specialized Experience: You must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 grade level in federal service that demonstrates HR management knowledge, concepts and principles and the performance of work in one or more of the HR specialty areas. Such experience may be gained in administrative, professional, technical or other responsible work positions in the public (i.e., Government or military) or private sector. Qualifying specialized experience includes:

• Supports VA leadership by participating in organizational goals such as Resource Management Services, Succession Planning, Emergency Management, Diversity and Inclusion, Activations Planning, Quality Management, Joint Commission Planning, Workforce Planning, Employee and Labor Relations, Performance Management, and Compensation, etc.
• Advises leadership and provides responses to proposed legislation, policies, and standards of higher authority regarding human resources issues; to include requests from members of Congress, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
• Resolves complex issues and operations in multiple areas such as: Recruitment and Placement, Compensation, Classification, Human Resources Information Systems, Manpower Analysis, Position Management, Employee and Labor Relations, Performance Management, Suitability, Reasonable Accommodation, Benefits, HR Training and Development, Workers' Compensation Program, Quality Assurance, and Technical Review.
• Provides expert authoritative information to top management and program directors throughout the Service on a wide variety of complex, controversial, sensitive HRMS problems and issues.
• Develops, implements, evaluates, and improves processes and procedures to monitor the effectiveness, efficiency, and productivity of the subordinate units.
• Prepares VISN responses to Congressionals, IG Inspections, VA and OPM surveys/reviews, etc.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:


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; religions; 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.

Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

How you will be evaluated

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

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

• Resume
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action

The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please make sure you have included other documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), documentation to support Veterans Preference claims, or ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees). You will not be contacted for additional information.

• Cover Letter
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action (if applicable for Time in Grade and/or Eligibility):

• Most recent SF-50 if you are a current or former Federal employee
• An SF-50 showing your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade
• Award 50's do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted for the purpose of verifying time-in-grade.
• Examples of appropriate SF-50's include:
  • Within grade increases at the highest grade held; or
  • Promotions with an effective date more than one year old; or
  • SF-50's at the highest grade held with an effective date more than one year old.

Next steps

Additional locations