Clarification from the agency

Current and permanent employees of VISN 21 Human Resources Management service (Station 497). A current Non-Award SF-50 must be submitted with application to meet the Area of Consideration requirement.

The purpose of this position is to supervise a VISN Worklife/Benefit (WLB) and Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Shared Service Unit (SSU) that provides services, support, and advice in WLB and RA in support of all VHA medical centers and the Network. Incumbent promotes organizational efforts to support a balance between work and personal life that fosters employee engagement and productivity by providing federal leave program and Worklife/Employee benefits services to VHA employees and supervisory/managerial staff. Incumbent also supports the provision of reasonable accommodations allowing VHA staff to perform the essential functions of their position.

Duties for the position may include but are not limited to:

Program Oversight/Administration

• Serves as the WLB and RA subject matter expert (SME) to advise employees, applicants for employment, supervisors, and members of management regarding laws, regulations and procedures for WLB and RA.
• Responsible for supervising and administering a VISN's Federal Worklife/Employee Benefits Program, including Federal Leave Programs, employee group life insurance, health benefits, Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) and other Worklife programs.
• Serves as VISN Reasonable Accommodation Coordinator.
• Processes requests for accommodation to ensure that time frames are met, and procedures followed. Provides employees or applicants for employment with RA packages and advises them on the appropriate procedures for completing the package. Ensures that accommodations which are granted are provided to the requestor within established timelines.
• Ensures the procurement of equipment, furniture and services is accomplished within prescribed timelines.
• Facilitates accommodation requests requiring complex, coordinated solutions (e.g., coordination between/among multiple sites and/or VISNs).
• Analyzes regulations to develop operating procedures or processes for the RA program.
• Effectuates removal actions (i.e., medical inability or failure to perform as a result of a declination of accommodation) with coordination by Supervisory HR Specialist (ER/LR) and OGC as appropriate.
• Assigns appeals as a result of Reasonable Accommodation determination (i.e., EEO, grievances, etc.) to subordinate Specialists.
• Evaluates and modifies policies and procedures and makes changes as needed to respond and adapt to the changing environment.
• Meets with VISN management to advise on new and innovated VHA and private industry Human Resources Worklife\Benefits trends, challenges, directives, and/or regulations.

Supervisory

• Performs a full range of supervisory duties relating to supervision of WLB and RA Shared Services staff.
• Plans and directs work, assigns tasks, evaluates work performed, advises employees, selects applicants to fill vacant positions, handles complaints, grievances, and disciplinary problems regarding subordinate staff.
• Ensures adequate training of subordinates.
• Evaluates unit productivity, quality, regulatory compliance, and technical competence.
• Responsible for quality control of the VISN WLB and RA programs and is considered a technical authority in these program areas within VHA.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

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

Work Schedule: Full-time; Monday - Friday; Must work VISN 21 core hours; Subject to change to meet the needs of the Agency
Compressed/Flexible: 9/80 alternative work schedule available; ten hour shifts not authorized
Telework: Ad-hoc telework authorized
Virtual: This is a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Supervisory Human Resources Specialist (RA & WLB) Detail/Temporary Promotion/PD99934S
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, 04/23/2026.

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: Knowledge of and/or experience in Work Life Benefits and Reasonable Accommodations; Knowledge of and/or experience with VISN's Federal Work life/Employee Benefits Program, including Federal Leave Programs, employee group life insurance, health benefits, Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) and other Work life programs; Knowledge of and/or experience as a Reasonable Accommodations Coordinator; Experience as supervisor duties include but not limited to: assigning tasks, performance evaluations, recruitment of positions and employee discipline.

~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: Serves as the Work Life Benefits and Reasonable Accommodations subject matter expert (SME); Advise employees, applicants for employment, supervisors, and members of management regarding laws, regulations and procedures for Work Life Benefits and Reasonable Accommodations; Supervising and administering a VISN's Federal Worklife/Employee Benefits Program, including Federal Leave Programs, employee group life insurance, health benefits, Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) and other Worklife programs; Train subordinate staff and VISN staff and management regarding the latest Benefits/Reasonable Accommodations information; Serves as Reasonable Accommodation Coordinator; Analyzes regulations to develop operating procedures or processes for the Reasonable Accommodations program; Assists with strategic planning and budget development; Plans and directs work, assigns tasks, evaluates work performed, advises employees, selects applicants to fill vacant positions, handles complaints, grievances, and disciplinary problems regarding subordinate staff.

Impact of Time-in-Grade Restrictions: Unless excluded from coverage under 5 C.F.R. Part 300, Subpart F, current (and some former) Federal Grade employees must meet time-in-grade requirements to qualify for the grade level through Criteria 1: graduate degree and specialized experience.

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:

• Communications
• Critical Thinking
• Employee Benefits
• 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:

• 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
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (VA)
• Other (1)
• Professional Certification
• Resume
• 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: 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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