Clarification from the agency

This opportunity is open to Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) employees ONLY.

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

The Supervisory HR Specialist, (ER/LR) Performance, provides technical guidance and assistance to management and senior leadership regarding Employee Labor Relations issues in a wide variety of occupations including Title 5 General Schedule (GS), Wage Grade (WG), administrative and clinical, Hybrid and Title 38. The overall responsibilities of the Supervisory HR Specialist (ER/LR), include, but are not limited to:

• Providing expert management consultative service involving the full spectrum of HR functions on highly complex VISN-wide or equivalent issues.
• Provides technical guidance, advice and counseling to management officials and supervisors to address issues with workforce-related conduct and performance.
• Explains rules and procedures to employees and management to help them understand rights and obligations.
• Delivers training to management and employees on a variety of employee relations topics.
• Provides consultation on associated program areas, such as leave management and actions of a disciplinary or adverse nature.
• Researches and interprets legal and regulatory program guidance, including case law, United States Code, Code of Federal Regulations, and VA Handbooks and Directives.
• Develops management strategies to respond to labor issues.
• Works with leadership, staff, and operational officials, to develop and explore Labor Relations alternatives to improve policies, techniques and procedure

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm, subject to change based on the needs of the facility.
Telework: This position may be authorized for Ad-Hoc telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Supervisory Human Resources Specialist (ER/LR)/PD99980S
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, 03/09/2026.

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-13 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-12. 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.

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-13 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-11 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:

1. Applying laws, regulations, collective bargaining agreements concepts and related guidelines to support an employee and labor relations program, including negotiation with labor representation;
2. Researching and interpreting legal and regulatory program guidance to include case law, regulations, and policies;
3. Providing technical guidance, information, and assistance to management and senior leadership officials on sensitive, serious, and controversial employee relations issues regarding employees in a wide variety of occupations with substantial differences in working conditions, entitlement, and occupational practices and policies;
4. Conducting and advising on employee relations matters, adverse actions, coordination and oversight, fact finding, grievance examining, suitability, Drug Free Workplace, Workplace Violence Prevention Program and third-part hearing representation;
5. Analyzing changes to regulations and policies to determine the impact on the employee and labor relations program.

~OR~

Criteria 2 - Specialized Experience: You must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 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:

1. Researching and interpreting legal and regulatory program guidance to include case law, United States Code, Code of Federal Regulations, and VA Handbooks and Directives in order to apply advanced HR principles, concepts, and practices related to all aspects of employee and labor relations programs, including fact finding or types of inquiries;
2. Providing technical guidance, information, and assistance to management and senior leadership officials on sensitive, serious, and controversial employee relations issues regarding employees in a wide variety of occupations with substantial differences in working conditions, entitlement, and occupational practices and policies;
3. Represent management at arbitrations and in situations involving proceedings before other third-parties;
4. Presenting briefings and/or training sessions to management pertaining to employee/labor relations topics (e.g. performance appraisals, disciplinary actions);
5. Writing responses to grievances, unfair labor practice charges, contract interpretations or contract bargaining proposals on behalf of management.

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:

• Manages Human Resources
• Customer Service
• Communications
• Labor Relations
• Employee Relations

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:

• Performance Appraisal
• Resume
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action

Resume Requirement: Your resume must include the following information: Job title, description of duties, beginning and ending date (month/year) of employment, and average hours worked per week.

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
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (Schedule A)
• Disability Letter (VA)
• Time in Grade SF-50
• PCS Orders
• Performance Appraisal
• Professional Certification
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-15
• 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: Does not apply to internal merit promotion or CTAP only postings.

Next steps

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