Human Resources Specialist (Employee Relations)

Summary This position is located in the Washington Headquarters Services (WHS), Human Resources Directorate, Labor Management and Employee Relations Division. The Directorate provides comprehensive human resources services to its customers. These functions directly support the Office of the Secretary of War (OSW), Defense Agencies, and Department of War (DoW) field activities that WHS administratively supports. Responsibilities Incumbent typical work assignments may include the following: Providing authoritative policy guidance, technical assistance, and strategic recommendations on complex disciplinary, adverse, and performance-based actions. Advising and guiding management on the legal merits, procedural requirements, and strategic risks of disciplinary and adverse actions to ensure full compliance with federal statutes, OPM regulations, and MSPB case law. Serving as the principal technical expert for leave administration, interpreting complex leave statutes to resolve highly sensitive or unprecedented issues, and advising employees and supervisors on requirements for requesting, documenting and granting leave (such as FMLA or LWOP). Managing the administration of the OSW/WHS Grievance System, and serving as the primary technical expert to facilitate the resolution of formal and informal grievances. Evaluating, drafting and updating internal policies, component-level directives, and standard operating procedures pertaining to employee relations, identifying program gaps and recommending operational enhancements. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications In order to qualify for this position, you must meet the requirements described below. You may qualify at the GS-13 level, if you fulfill the following qualification requirement: One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service (experience may have been gained in the private sector) that demonstrates your ability in: Providing authoritative advisory services and policy interpretations to senior leadership, and delivering persuasive, high-level oral briefings to managers and executives on highly complex, sensitive, and precedent-setting employee relations matters; Interpreting complex, sometimes ambiguous, federal statutes and regulations-including Title 5 and Title 10, U.S.C.-to formulate agency-wide employee relations strategies, and drafting legally defensible, highly technical written documents (such as disciplinary proposals, adverse action decisions, and formal agency responses); Analyzing recurring or complex employee relations problem areas to formulate, draft, and implement new or significantly enhanced local agency program policies, component-level directives, and standard operating procedures; and Planning, organizing, and conducting complex research to resolve high-risk employee relations challenges, facilitate the resolution of formal and informal grievances, and advise on highly sensitive or unprecedented leave administration issues. 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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. All qualifications and education requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement and clearly documented in your resume.Your resume may not exceed two (2) pages. For qualifications determinations, it is recommended that applicants include their months and hours worked per week for each employment listed on their resume. If a determination is not able to be made about the duration of your creditable experience for qualification requirements, you will be removed from consideration. Read more about what should I include in my federal resume at ACTIVE DUTY SERVICE MEMBERS: Federal agencies treat active duty service member as veterans, disabled veterans, and preference eligible, when they submit, as part of their application package, a "certification" of active service in lieu of a DD-214, indicating the service member is otherwise eligible and will be discharged or released within 120 days from the date of submission.. A "certification" letter should be on letterhead of the appropriate military branch of the service and contain (1) the military service dates including the expected discharge or release date; and (2) the character of service. This "certification" must include your rank, dates of active duty service, type of discharge and character of service (i.e. honorable), and date any terminal leave will begin. It must be signed by, or by direction of, the adjutant, personnel officer, or commander of your unit or higher headquarters. Active duty members that fail to provide a valid "certification" of service with their initial application will be found "not eligible". Members may be appointed before the effective date of their military retirement/separation if they are on terminal leave. Current or Former Political Appointees: Agencies must seek prior approval from OPM before they can appoint a current or recent political appointee to a competitive or non-political excepted service position at any level. If you are currently or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employee in the executive branch, you MUST disclose that to the Human Resources Office. Time-in-grade requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement and clearly documented in your resume. For entry at the GS-13 level, status applicants must have served 52 weeks as a GS-12 or higher grade in the Federal Service. Education Education cannot be substituted for experience. Additional Information Probationary Periods: As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary 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 period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): 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; and, (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your ICTAP eligibility. For more information visit: Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. Reemployed Annuitants: Applicants in receipt of an annuity based on civilian employment in the Federal Service are subject to the DoD Policy on The Employment of Annuitants (DODI 1400.25, volume 300). Nepotism: Under the provisions of 5 USC 3110, an individual may not be appointed into a position if the position is under the supervisory chain of command of a relative. Additional vacancies may be filled by this announcement.