Clarification from the agency

Open to Current, Permanent Veterans Health Administration employees of VISN 1 (legacy VISN 1,2,4,5) and CTAP eligibles only.

• Plans and carries out short and long range projects and studies to identify and resolve problems pertaining to various HR program areas.
• Directs, coordinates and oversees the work of subordinate supervisors and employees within the VISN SSU.
• Oversees the execution in applying HR employee and labor law principles, concepts, laws regulations, techniques and guidelines sufficient to explain the methodology to serviced customers and staff. Plans work to be accomplished by subordinates, sets and adjusts short term priorities and prepares schedules for completion of work.
• Through subordinate supervisors, oversees HR advisory services based on VISN Priorities; takes proactive measures to anticipate the VISNs needs by pre-positioning work products in expectation of new projects and programs.
• Responsible for finding and implementing ways to eliminate or reduce significant bottlenecks and barriers to production, promotes team building or improvement of business practices.
• Responsibility for implementation of effective programs in the following areas: Employee relations, labor relations, performance management, training and development and/or other special programs.
• Monitors and reviews assigned VISN-wide HR management program areas to increase effectiveness of the program.
• Develops guidance, procedures and standards for new and/or changing program areas to maximize personnel management support.
• Assures that all policy, regulatory and program issuances are properly integrated with other staff actions.
• Analyzes and evaluates program execution in VISN activities; recognizes problem areas; and originates solutions to complex and unusual issues
• Oversees and collaborates with subordinate supervisors to provide authoritative management advisory services including defining issues, determining applicable precedents, laws, or regulations, identifying the most effective approach, and validating the correctness and propriety of the actions taken.
• Collaborates with senior leaders and staff in developing short and long range staffing plans to meet forecasted mission requirements, human capital losses and changes in critical competencies.
• Researches HR laws, policies, regulations and reference materials; analyzes information, selects appropriate approach, and recommends corrective action.
• Advises management on a range of employee and labor law issues such as disciplinary and adverse actions, settlement agreements, congressional correspondence, state licensure reviews, suitability, and third party hearing representation.
• Analyzes information, develops solutions, prepares analytical reports and presents finding and recommendations to appropriate management officials for corrective actions or program changes.
• Approves expenses comparable to within-grade increases, employee travel and/or extensive overtime
• Hears and resolves group grievances or serious employee complaints and reviews and approves serious disciplinary actions involving nonsupervisory subordinates.

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

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8 AM - 4:30 PM
Compressed/Flexible: Not Available
Telework: Ad Hoc Only
Virtual: This is not a virtual position and is subject to RTO.
Position Description/PD#: Supervisory Human Resources Specialist (Chief) ER/LR (TEMP Promo NTE 1 YR)/PD99979S
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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.

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, 05/26/2026.

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 the following criteria:
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.

Qualifying specialized experience includes:

Resolves difficult and complex problems which could have a direct impact on the Department mission. Works closely with staff and operational officials, employee groups, etc., to develop and explore labor relations alternatives to improve policies, techniques and procedures. Serves as a staff subject matter expert (SME) to other consultants handling negotiations that typically involve the development of new approaches; and serves as a technical advisor to management on the potential impact of negotiations and third-party decisions, charges of unfair labor practices, negotiability issues, and impasse resolutions as they relate to organizational and mission goals.

Prepares responses to proposed policies, and standards of higher authority regarding ER and/or LR issues. These can include requests from members of Congress, Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), FLRA and FSIP, and the OPM.
Ensures that the impacts of proposals are thoroughly considered by management officials and that organization views and needs are adequately represented.

Provides professional advice to other Network HR specialists presenting cases in similar venues. May serve as a SME representative or key witness in third-party proceedings as necessary. May be selected to chair or participate in Administrative Investigative Boards (AIBs). May coordinate with and/or represent the agency at arbitrations and in situations involving proceedings pending litigation in addition to other third-parties as appropriate. The incumbent also actively leads the community of HR Specialists (ER/LR) practitioners facility-wide through regular communications on relevant changes in ER/LR laws, regulations and policy, via diverse modalities including community of practice conference calls where an exchange of information and sharing of expertise enhances competency within the discipline throughout the organization.

Resolves issues that pertain to the potential impact of negotiations and third-party decisions, charges of unfair labor practices, negotiability issues, and impasse resolutions as well as non-traditional collaborative approaches to labor relations, including labor-management cooperative efforts and partnership. Conducts and advises on organization Office ER/LR matters, all proposed adverse actions, coordination & oversight including OAWP, DAB, AIB, fact findings, grievance examiner, labor issues & negotiations, state licensure reviews, suitability, Drug Free Workplace, Workplace Violence Prevention Program, and 3rd party hearing representation, reasonable accommodations, etc. This may include resolution of administrative grievances, post separation reviews, Congressional, Office of Inspector General (OIG), Office of Special Counsel (OSC), Equal Opportunity Employment (EEO), MSPB or department level complaints..

How you will be evaluated

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

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

• Analytical Thinking
• Human Resources Management
• Problem Solving

Your experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. 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.

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

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.

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
• Other (1)
• 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.

Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form.
Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx.

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