Human Resources Specialist (Employee Benefits)

Summary Join the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Shared Service Center! We're looking for talented professionals to help deliver solutions that support federal agencies nationwide. As an HR Specialist (Employee Benefits) at the GS-0201-11/12 you will be part of Employee Services and Records Management (ESRM), responsible for evaluating trends, reporting on the analysis of agency-wide benefit programs to enhance their efficiency, and providing technical expertise to lower-graded HR Specialists. Responsibilities Oversees agency benefit programs under various titles include retirement, health and life insurance, flexible benefits, and retirement savings, for one or more customer agencies. Manages the serviced agency's retirement application process from submission through transmittal of complete packages to OPM Retirement Services for final adjudication. Leads benefit program learning initiatives, including employee training sessions, coaching, and mentoring lower-graded HR Specialists. Oversees the implementation of business processes, improvements, and strategies designed to enhance customer service, evaluate trends and report on potential problems. Responsible for making benefit administration decisions by analyzing documentation and evidence to determine eligibility. Counsel individual employees on, and manages, benefit elections/changes related to health and life insurance, flexible spending or health savings accounts, and retirement savings accounts due to qualifying life events or changes in eligibility. Serves as a senior claim's administrator on behalf of the customer agency, providing comprehensive support to injured employees and their managers throughout the life cycle of the claims process. Requirements Conditions of Employment Must be a U.S. Citizen or National Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service Suitable for Federal employment, determined by a background investigation May be required to successfully complete a probationary period Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin Complete the initial online assessment and USAHire Assessment, if required You will be required to report to an OPM assigned office. This position is not eligible for inclusion in a bargaining unit Qualifications Minimum Qualifications for the GS-11 Grade Level: You qualify for the GS-11 grade level if you possess one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-09 grade level or pay band in the Federal service, obtained in either the public or private sectors, performing ALL the following duties: 1.Assisting with routine Federal employee benefits and retirement actions including FEHB, FEGLI, FERS/CSRS, LEO, TSP, FSAFEDS, leave, and work-life programs using established guidelines and agency procedures; AND 2. Supporting retirement and pension application processing by collecting service history, compiling records, verifying package completeness, and preparing preliminary benefit estimates; AND 3. Participating in employee benefits counseling by explaining eligibility requirements, benefit elections, qualifying life events, leave options, military service credit, or required documentation; AND 4. Supporting workers' compensation administration by assisting with claim preparation, gathering supporting documentation, monitoring case status, tracking salary continuation periods, and coordinating with payroll and timekeeping staff.. OR Have completed the requirements for a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or completed at least 3 full academic years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or LL.M, if related, (for example, human resources, business, public administration, management or other directly related field of study) that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to do the work of this position. OR Have a combination of education and experience to qualify at this level. To calculate your percentage of education, divide the number of graduate semester hours earned, in excess of 36 semester hours, by 18. If your education is in quarter hours, convert to semester hours by multiplying the number of quarter hours earned by 2/3rds. To calculate your percentage of experience, divide the number of months of full-time experience by 12. If your experience was part-time, convert to full-time by dividing the number of hours worked per week by 40 then multiply by number of months worked. Add the percentages. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. (NOTE: You must submit a copy of your college transcripts (official or unofficial) to support your claim.) Minimum Qualifications for the GS-12 Grade Level: You qualify for the GS-12 grade level if you possess one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-11 grade level or pay band in the Federal service, obtained in either the public or private sectors, performing ALL the following duties: 1. Reviewing and adjudicating Federal employee benefits and retirement cases including FEHB, FEGLI, FERS/CSRS, TSP, FSAFEDS, leave, and work-life programs to determine employee eligibility and required actions; AND 2. Analyzing retirement and pension applications by verifying service history, identifying missing or conflicting records, preparing benefit estimates, and recommending corrective actions; AND 3.Evaluating complex benefits and workers' compensation issues involving voluntary separation, unpaid leave, salary continuation, leave adjustments, cost reporting, or return-to-work determinations; AND 4.Identifying recurring benefits processing errors, recommending process improvements, updating procedures, supporting program audits, and providing guidance to junior HR staff. You must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. All Education must be accredited by an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications (particularly positions with a positive education requirement.) Therefore, applicants must report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accredited institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Applicants may verify accreditation at the following website: Accreditation. All education claimed by applicants will be verified by OPM accordingly. 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. Education Additional Information Relocation assistance and/or incentives may be offered at the discretion of the supervisor. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional similar vacancies across OPM. If you are unable to apply online and would like to request information about the Alternate Application process, please use the contact information at the bottom of this announcement. Reasonable Accommodation Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a reasonable accommodation in your online application. Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations 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 Reasonable Accommodation, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable\_Accommodations\_for\_USA\_Hire As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may 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.