Human Resources Specialist (Employee Benefits)

Summary

The FMC is the federal agency responsible for regulating the U.S. international ocean transportation system for the benefit of U.S. exporters importers and the U.S. consumer. The FMC is dedicated to ensuring a competitive and dependable international ocean transportation system that supports the U.S. economy and safeguards the public from unfair or deceptive practices.

Join the FMC and be part of a mission-driven organization during an important and exciting time in the maritime industry.

Duties

As a Human Resources Specialist (Employee Benefits) at the GSlevel the incumbent will be part of the Office of Human Resources Office of the Managing Director Federal Maritime Commission. The incumbent This position is responsible for administering the employee benefits program
which includes retirement health insurance life insurance thrift savings plans and Workers Compensation Program.

As an HR Specialist (Employee Benefits) if selected you will:

• Develops and conducts new employee orientation and participates in onboarding. Ensures that new employees are appropriately entered on the agency rolls counseled and that all necessary actions related to benefits obtaining information from prior Federal employment employee rights and responsibilities pay etc. have been completed. Ensures proper completion of forms and follow up on due dates.
• Provides customized expert counseling and guidance to all levels of employees on matters of a highly sensitive/serious nature relating to the areas of retirement which can include retirement (CSRS/FERS) health life and long-term care insurance thrift savings plans Flexible Spending Accounts death and survivor benefits debt and overpayments Work Life workers compensation telework and leave administration as well as the use of the Employee Personal Page (EPP) self-servicing system.
• Counsels employees concerning service credit payments and post-1956 military service deposits. Assists employees with applications for retirement and verifies credibility of service. Provides employees and survivors of deceased employees estimates of expected benefits.
• Assists managers in making proper referrals to external resources for employees with highly personal and/or controversial problems e.g. contested disability retirements.
• Identifies appropriate sources of training for FMC employees in the areas of benefits retirement and financial literacy. Arranges and/or conducts training to be presented to employees and develops metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of the training.
• Provides advice on benefits procedures forms eligibility requirements and coverage. Computes benefits and processes actions to completion advising appropriate agency staff of pending actions.
• Coordinates open seasons and enrollment periods for benefits and prepares and distributes guidance and relevant materials. Organizes the annual FMC Employee Benefits Fair held during open season.
• Prepares retirement estimates utilizing an automated retirement system (such as FedHR Navigator); prepares retirement packages ensuring accuracy/completeness and submits to NFC for processing.
• Prepares the FMCs Annual Employee Financial Education Plan for submission to OPM. Identifies strategies to help the Commission improve employee financial literacy and retirement readiness.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Must be registered or exempt from the Selective Service. See
• A 1-year probationary period may be required.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a background investigation.
• Time-in-Grade requirement must be met by the closing date of the vacancy.
• All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit.
• FMC participates in E-Verify. E-Verify is an Internet-based system operated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in partnership with the Social Security Administration (SSA) that enables participating employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their newly hired employees.
• May be required to file a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report within 30 days of appointment and annually from then on.

Qualifications

To Qualify for the GS-13: You must have one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level in the Federal service with the knowledge skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position to be filled. Specialized experience required is expert knowledge of the advanced concepts principles practices laws and regulations of and skill in applying the program areas of retirement benefits entitlements health and life insurance and Thrift Savings Plan; regulations governing military service veterans benefits and prior Government service; and counseling techniques to administer the agency retirement and benefits programs and perform the full spectrum of advisory services on complex HR issues relating to the assigned program areas. Skill and ability to analyze and solve particularly complex and sensitive problems and issues such as those involving apparently conflicting laws or other requirements and those involving vague or untested areas of case law.

NOTE: All experience statements (i.e. duties specialized experience or related applicable assessment) copied from this announcement and pasted into your resume will not be considered as a demonstration of your qualifications 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; religious; 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.

Status candidates must meet time-in-grade requirements (52 weeks at the next lower grade level) by the closing date of this announcement.

This position requires that the successful candidate undergo personnel vetting which includes a background investigation and enrollment upon onboarding into Continuous Vetting. Enrollment in Continuous Vetting will result in automated record checks being conducted throughout ones employment with FMC. The successful candidate will also be enrolled into FBIs Rap Back service which will allow FMC to receive notification from the FBI of criminal matters (e.g. arrests charges convictions) involving enrolled individuals in near real-time. For more information about individual rights Noncriminal Justice Applicants Privacy Rights - FBI FD-258 Privacy Act Statement - FBI and ().

Optional Narrative Statements:

The following four narrative questions provide an opportunity for you to demonstrate your commitment to public service to hiring managers and agency leadership. Although responses are optional and will not be scored applicants are encouraged to address each question thoughtfully. Please limit each response to 200 words or fewer. At the beginning of your submission please certify that the responses are your own work and that you did not use a consultant or any artificial intelligence (AI) tool including large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT or Copilot.

1. How has your commitment to the Constitution and the founding principles of the United States inspired you to pursue this role within the Federal government Provide a concrete example from professional academic or personal experience.
2. In this role how would you use your skills and experience to improve government efficiency and effectiveness Provide specific examples where you improved processes reduced costs or improved outcomes.
3. How would you help advance the Presidents Executive Orders and policy priorities in this role Identify one or two relevant Executive Orders or policy initiatives that are significant to you and explain how you would help implement them if hired.
4. How has a strong work ethic contributed to your professional academic or personal achievements Provide one or two specific examples and explain how those qualities would enable you to serve effectively in this position.

Education

Substitution of education may not be used in lieu of specialized experience for this grade level.

Additional information

You will be expected to report to the duty station listed on this announcement.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional similar vacancies across the FMC.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document that you do not have in electronic form please refer to the agency contact information.

Suitability Statement: If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306 Declaration for Federal Employment and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment dismissal after beginning work fine or imprisonment.

Shared Certificates Statement: Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for the FMC to share your application with other FMC positions and/or Federal agencies for similar positions.

Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA): To be eligible for a VEOA appointment under Merit Promotion procedures the veteran must be a preference eligible or a veteran separated after 3 years or more of continuous active service performed under honorable conditions.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Programs : This program applies to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority for this position you must: 1) meet ICTAP eligibility criteria; 2) be rated well-qualified for the position (Well qualified is defined as possessing the type and quality of experience that exceeds the positions minimum qualifications); and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your ICTAP eligibility. For more information: newly appointed employees to the competitive (or excepted) service are subject to a probationary (or trial) period. During this time your performance conduct and suitability for continued employment will be evaluated. You will not automatically convert to permanent status at the end of the probationary (or trial) period. Your supervisor must affirmatively determine that continued employment is in the best interest of the Federal service. If no certification is made before the probationary (or trial) period ends your appointment will be terminated. You are encouraged to actively engage with your supervisor seek feedback and understand role expectations. Additional guidance and support will be provided during onboarding.

All employees of the Federal government are subject to the conflict of interest statutes and regulations including the Standards of Ethical Conduct that govern activities with outside organizations and reporting financial holdings. This position may require the incumbent to complete a confidential financial disclosure report within 30 days of appointment.

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.

Required Experience:

IC