
Human Resources Specialist (Classification) (Senior Classification Specialist)
Bureau of Prisons/Federal Prison System
Washington, DCFull-time$108–158K/yrPosted today
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At a glance
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Job overview
The Bureau of Prisons seeks a senior technical authority in its Position and Organizational Design Branch. The specialist provides advanced classification and organizational-design advice, conducts complex classification evaluations and organizational analyses, develops Bureau-wide tools and methodologies, and advises senior leaders on workforce structure. The role also develops guidance to address interpretive gaps in federal standards, directives, and Bureau policy.
Skills & qualifications
Skills
Qualifications
Full job description
Summary
Corrections professionals who foster a humane and secure environment and ensure public safety by preparing individuals for successful reentry into our communities.
Duties
Serves as a senior technical authority within the Position and Organizational Design Branch, providing expert-level classification and organizational design advisory services that require application of advanced classification principles, mastery of OPM standards, and authoritative interpretation of complex federal regulatory frameworks. Responsible for conducting the most technically challenging classification evaluations, designing and refining Bureau-wide classification tools and methodologies, leading complex organizational analyses, and advising senior leadership on classification and position-management strategies that directly influence the structural integrity of the Bureau's national workforce. Advises managers, executives, and HR personnel on advanced classification principles and the interpretation of OPM standards, Comptroller General decisions, draft OPM guidance, DOJ directives, legal requirements, and FLRA rulings. Develops guidance to resolve interpretive gaps in OPM issuances, DOJ orders, or Bureau policy. Requirements
Career Transition Programs (CTAP or ICTAP): These programs apply to Federal and/or DOJ employees who meet the definition of surplus or displaced from a position in the competitive service. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: Meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; Be rated well-qualified for the position, scoring at least half of the total possible points for the vacancy KSAs or competencies; and Submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility: A copy of the agency notice (i.e., separation notice or agency RIF letter), Most recent performance appraisal, and Most recent SF-50 showing current/former position, grade, promotion potential, and duty location. See USAJOBS' Career Transition Programs for more information. EEO Statement/Policy: The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor. More information can be found here: U.S Department of Justice - Equal Employment Opportunity Policy Key Requirements: U.S. Citizenship is Required. See Special Conditions of Employment Section. Qualifications
To be considered for the position, you must meet the following qualification requirements: Education: There is no substitution of education for specialized experience for this position. Experience: You must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the next lower grade level. To be creditable, this experience must have equipped the applicant with the qualifications to perform successfully the duties of the position, and must typically be in or related to the position to be filled. Some examples of this qualifying experience are: Conducted complex and sensitive classification evaluations, including cases without precedent or involving statutory/interpretive ambiguity, by performing high-impact desk audits, analyzing mission functions and organizational documents, and producing authoritative, defensible title, series, and grade determinations. Made expert FLSA exemption decisions and determined eligibility for primary/secondary law enforcement retirement coverage, drug-test designations, and/or SES classification by analyzing statutory criteria, mission functions, and operational assignments, and prepared formal recommendations for senior officials. Led the development, validation, and refinement of organization-wide classification tools, including standardized classification templates, agency supplements to classification standards, and/or position description dashboards, to strengthen consistency and defensibility in the agency-wide application of OPM classification criteria. Advised managers, executives, and HR personnel on advanced classification principles and the interpretation of OPM standards, Comptroller General decisions, and/or FLRA rulings; developed and delivered advanced classification and position description training to ensure workforce proficiency. Provided senior technical leadership during classification audits and compliance reviews, delivered expert testimony in appeals and adjudicatory proceedings, and/or represented the organization as a classification authority before Department oversight entities, OPM, and/or multi-agency work groups. If applicable, credit will be given for paid and unpaid experience. To receive proper credit, you must show the actual time (such as the number of hours worked per week) spent in activities. Your eligibility for consideration will be based on your responses to the questions in the application.
How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies: Accountability Attention to Detail Customer Service Decision Making Flexibility Influencing/Negotiating Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Reading Comprehension Reasoning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. You will be evaluated based on your assessment score and the information provided in your resume and supporting documentation. Applicants who receive a score of 85 or higher will be reviewed first, and reviews will continue until 10 qualified applicants have been identified. Applicants who receive a score of 75 or below will not be reviewed. Your resume and supporting documents will be compared against your responses to the online assessment to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed in this announcement. If the information in your application materials does not support your assessment responses, your score may be adjusted and/or you may be removed from consideration. If you are found to be among the top candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration. There are several parts of the application process that affect the overall evaluation of your application: Your resume, which is part of your USAJOBS profile; Your responses to the eligibility questions; Your responses to the online assessment; Your supporting documentation, if required. Time-in-Grade: Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements for consideration. You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement. Due Weight for Performance and Awards: Any performance appraisal/evaluation and award documentation you provide will be forwarded to the selecting official. The selecting official will review this documentation and give it due weight consideration during the overall selection process. Please submit: a copy of your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation; and a list of any awards (e.g. superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increase, etc.) you received in the last 5 years. If you do not have your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation, please submit a statement as to why it is not available. Please indicate if any prior performance appraisals/evaluations were at an acceptable level. To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13107517 Benefits
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. (https://appsupport-usastaffing.opm.gov/hc/en-us/sections/45063131363475-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information) Other Information
Duty Locations: Central Office, Washington, D.C., Grand Prairie Office Complex, Grand Prairie, TX or FCI Leavenworth, KS The representative rate for this position is $118,991 per annum ($57.02 per hour) NOTE: Pay rates could change depending on the location of the position. NOTE: Telework eligible as per agency policy Special Conditions of Employment Section: The incumbent is subject to geographic relocation to meet the needs of the agency. Appointment is subject to satisfactory completion of a urinalysis, physical, and background investigation. All applicants are subject to National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and credit checks. The addresses listed on the USAJOBS account/resume must be the primary residence at the time of application. You may be required to provide proof of residence. Additional selections may be made if vacancies occur within the life of the certificate. Although competitive and non-competitive applications are being accepted, the selecting official may elect to have only one group reviewed. This is a secondary/non-law enforcement coverage position. Individuals that DO NOT have three years of law enforcement coverage gained in a primary law enforcement position by the closing date of the vacancy announcement are ineligible for secondary law enforcement position(s) and coverage but may still be considered for a non-law enforcement position. Individuals selected who are under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) or Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and who have not had three years "primary" law enforcement retirement coverage, will not be covered by law enforcement retirement while in this position. To regain coverage, individuals must return to a position with "primary" coverage. Current Federal Law Enforcement Employees: Completion of the mandatory courses "Introduction to Correctional Techniques (ICT) Phase I and Phase II" is a condition of employment for this secondary law enforcement position. Employees who have not yet completed ICT Phase I and II will be required to do so after entering the position. This requirement does not apply to non-law-enforcement positions. Eligibility for secondary law enforcement coverage is determined in accordance with applicable regulations. Coverage may be attained through any qualifying federal law enforcement officer service that meets the definitions in 5 U.S.C. 8401(17) and satisfies the conditions in 5 CFR 842.803.
How this job compares
Set against the 5,555 open Human Resources jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 3, 2026.
- Pay
- This posting$108–158K/yr
- Washington, D.C. median$122–158K/yr43 salary ranges
- US median$97–140K/yr2,578 salary ranges
This range's midpoint, $133K, is 6% below the Washington, D.C. median midpoint ($142K) — in the middle half of Human Resources salary ranges in Washington, D.C..
- Openings
- Olive Jobs lists 64 open Human Resources jobs in Washington, D.C. and 5,555 across the US. 5% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
- Hiring the most in Washington, D.C.
- JPMorgan Chase3 open
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- Experience
- This posting asks for at least 1 year of experience — less than three in four Human Resources postings that state a minimum ask for (median 5 years, across 3,899 postings).
- Education
- 1,430 of the 5,555 open Human Resources jobs (26%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.
Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 3, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.
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