HUMAN RESOURCES SPECIALIST (EMPLOYEE BENEFITS)

Summary

This position is located in the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), Office of Management, Human Resources Operations Division. As a Human Resources Specialist (Employee Benefits), you will serve as a subject matter expert administering federal benefit and retirement programs. You will provide expert advice to agency employees, develop educational programs, and handle complex case resolutions to support the FSIS workforce.

Duties

• Administers all Federal civilian retirement and benefits programs for Agency employees.
• Provide expert advice and technical counsel to FSIS leadership, supervisors, and employees regarding all Federal Benefits related programs.
• Determine employee eligibility for health insurance coverage in complex cases and deliver targeted advice on various health insurance issues.
• Interpret strict regulations and provide vital technical guidance to employees, supervisors, and family members regarding life insurance programs.
• Advises and counsels employees concerning the Thrift Savings Plan. Provides information on eligibility, fund allocation, loan program and disbursement of funds at separation, among other guidance pertaining to TSP.
• Develop and conduct retirement education programs, briefings, and webinars to explain complex regulations and employee retirement options.
• Participate in developing and revising agency policies, methods, and techniques to ensure efficient and effective benefits program execution.
• Deliver crucial advice and assistance to survivors, employees, and supervisors regarding federal life insurance benefits due to survivors.
• Guide and review the workflow, daily performance, and professional development of junior HR specialists and HR assistants within the section.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below. To qualify for the GS-9: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-7 grade level in the Federal service that demonstrates: Providing basic guidance and assistance to employees on civilian benefits, including one or more of the following: retirement, health insurance, life insurance, and retirement savings plans. Applicants must also have basic experience interpreting laws, regulations, and policies pertaining to retirement and benefits. OR Master's or equivalent graduate degree. OR 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree. OR LL.B. or J.D., if related. OR Combination of education and experience - Your total must equal 100% of the requirement, i.e. if you meet 50% of the education requirement, you must have 50% of the specialized experience requirement. Only education above and beyond the first year of graduate level education will count. To qualify for the GS-11: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-9 grade level in the Federal service that demonstrates: Providing guidance and assistance to management and employees on Federal civilian benefits including more than one of the following: retirement, health insurance, life insurance, and retirement savings plans. Applicants must also have experience interpreting laws, regulations, and policies pertaining to retirement and benefits plus identifying problems and recommending appropriate action to customers and managers. OR Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. OR 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree. OR LL.M., if related. OR Combination of education and experience - Your total must equal 100% of the requirement, i.e. if you meet 50% of the education requirement, you must have 50% of the specialized experience requirement. Only education above and beyond the first two years of graduate level education will count. For the GS-12 level: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service. Experience must demonstrate the following types of skills and abilities that directly prepare the applicant to perform the duties in the position description. Independently providing advanced guidance and assistance to management and employees on Federal civilian benefits including three or more of the following: retirement applications, submitting Military Service Deposits, determining complex retirement calculations, completing service computations, reconciling pay and benefits for settlements, experience processing employee benefits. Applicants must also have extensive experience interpreting laws, regulations, and policies pertaining to retirement and benefits. Identifying problems and recommending appropriate action including offering advice, suggestions, and/or alternative options or solutions to customers and managers. For more information on the qualifications for this position, click here. 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 and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Education

Education may be substituted for experience at the GS-09 and GS-11 level only, as defined above in the qualifications section. The is no minimum education requirement for this position. How You Will Be Evaluated

Applications will be evaluated in accordance with Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) Delegated Examining Procedures and USDA policy using category rating. Applicants who meet basic minimum qualifications will be placed in one of two or three categories: Best Qualified, Well Qualified, or Qualified. Within these categories, applicants eligible for Veterans' Preference will receive selection priority over non-veterans. Category placement will be determined based on applicants' quality of experience and the extent to which they possess the following knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA) or competencies: Planning and Evaluating Problem Solving Reasoning Technical Competence Information Systems Oral Communication Writing The USA Hire Assessment includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment. 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. Your application, including the online Assessment Questionnaire, will be reviewed to determine if you meet (a) minimum qualification requirements and (b) your resume supports the answers provided to the job-specific questions. Your resume must clearly support your responses to all the questions addressing experience and education relevant to this position. Those determined to be in the best qualified category will be referred to the selecting official for consideration. NOTE: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities, or you may be found ineligible. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action up to and including removal from the Federal service. Clicking the link below will present a preview of the application form; i.e. the online questionnaire. The application form link below will only provide a preview and does not initiate the application process. To initiate the online application process, click the "Apply" button to the right. To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13085931 Other Information

Selectees may be eligible for Creditable Service for Annual Leave Accrual (CSALA) If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is neither implied nor guaranteed. Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement. Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100. 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.