Human Resources Specialist Workers Compensation

Summary

You will serve as a Human Resources Specialist Workers Compensation with Office of Occupational Health and Safety, Office of the Secretary of Interior, Workers Compensation Program. This is not a remote position, please see duties section for additional information.

Duties

This position is located within the Department of the Interior, Office of the Secretary (OS), Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management, and Budget (ASPMB), Office of Occupational Health and Safety, Workers Compensation Program (WCP). At the full performance level (GS-12) the major duties of this position include, but are not limited to the following: Evaluate complex and potentially controversial workers' compensation claims by conducting thorough analysis of the circumstances surrounding the injury or illness, reviewing medical documentation, injury reports, witness statements, and any relevant employment or personnel records. Utilize advanced knowledge of the Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA), Office of Workers Compensation Program (OWCP) guidelines, and agency policies to determine the validity of claims, identify inconsistencies, and resolve discrepancies. Manage complex workers' compensation claims from initial claim filing through case resolution and closure. Responsibilities include reviewing medical and factual evidence, analyzing investigative reports, and ensuring proper claim documentation in compliance with OWCP requirements. The WCS provides case management oversight for sensitive, precedent-setting, or high-cost claims, coordinates with supervisors, safety officers, attorneys, labor relations officials, and OWCP staff to ensure timely adjudication and effective resolution. Advise supervisors and managers on their responsibilities for injury reporting, medical documentation, workplace accommodations, and compliance with OWCP timeframes. Design, deliver, and evaluate training for supervisors, employees, and HR professionals to ensure proper understanding of FECA requirements and procedures. Evaluate current case status and potential for alternate or light duty positions, retraining, and/or medical retirement works directly with DOL/OWCP and the Department to address complex cases. Act as liaison between DOL/OWCP and claimant on complicated or particularly troublesome cases to ensure injured workers receive proper medical care and benefits. The Office of the Secretary has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and may be allowed with supervisory approval. Salary Information Salary will vary based on current duty station and will vary. For the Locality Pay Area of Rest of U.S.: GS-12 (Step 1) $89,508 - (Step 10) $116,362 per annum. For the Locality Pay Area of San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA: GS-12 (Step 1) $111,896 - (Step 10) $145,468 per annum. Link to OPM Pay Tables: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/2026/general-schedule/ This vacancy may be used to fill additional positions as vacancies become available. Requirements

Must be a U.S. Citizen or National. Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication. Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service. Direct Deposit participation required. Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more, visit https://www.e-verify.gov/. You must submit ALL required documents and a completed questionnaire. You are required to complete training, obtain and maintain a government credit card with travel and purchase authority. Probationary/Trial Period: As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period -OR- 2-year trial period to evaluate your fitness and whether your continuation of employment advances the public interest. This probationary or trial period is an extension of the appointment process and therefore requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest, meet the organization goals and mission of the agency, and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the service. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, the agency will 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. Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary or trial period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized. In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period, such appointments are terminated. Upon completion of your probationary period -OR- trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement - 09/27/2026 - otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. Competitive candidates must also meet Time-in-Grade requirements as defined in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F. For current Federal employees, if hours worked per week are not included on your resume, you must submit a non-award SF-50 as part of your application to be used to validate your work schedule and determine the amount of specialized experience that you will be granted. An award SF-50 will not be acceptable documentation for which to consider your amount of qualifying experience. For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the work schedule requirement as the service dates will be reflected. For all other applicants who are not current federal employees, your resume must state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience. Minimum Qualification Requirements: To qualify for this position, you must meet the Specialized Experience for the series to which you are applying. Specialized Experience: To qualify for the GS-12, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service. Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience: Experience independently interpreting and applying FECA laws, regulations, procedures and Department policies and providing guidance to employees, supervisors on workers' compensation rights and responsibilities. Experience independently managing a broad range of workers' compensation claims including complex cases involving extended disability, disputed claims, occupational illnesses, recurrence of disability, and multiple medical issues. Experience drafting job offers, coordinating return to work efforts, evaluating work restrictions, and working with employees, supervisor to resolve barriers to return to work. Experience independently prioritizing and managing a significant workload of workers' compensation claims. Must meet all to qualify. Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualification Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions and is available at OPM's website: https://www.opm.gov/qualifications/standards/indexes/num-ndx.asp Volunteer Experience: 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

This position does not allow substituting education for experience. How You Will Be Evaluated

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g. resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the additional assessment(s) required for this position. To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. Your resume must not exceed 2 pages. Only the document submitted as the "Resume" under the Documents section will be used to determine your qualifications/eligibility and for rating purposes. In the event you submit more than one resume, only the latest submission will be reviewed. You will be assessed in the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Conflict Management Customer Service Interpersonal Skills Problem Solving Self Management To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of additional assessment, including a structured interview. These assessments measure the critical competencies listed above that are required to successfully perform the job. All qualified non-competitive applicants and the best-qualified Merit Promotion applicants will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration. DUE WEIGHT: Please submit 1) a copy of your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation and 2) 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. 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. If you do not have your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation, you must submit a statement as to why it is not available. Please indicate if any prior performance appraisals/evaluations were at an acceptable level. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration or your score may be lowered. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position. Current or former displaced Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP). To be considered under CTAP, you must be well-qualified, score at least 85 (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements), and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry. Other Information

All DOI employees, their spouses, and minor children may not acquire or retain any claim, permit, lease, small tract entry, or other rights granted by the Department in Federal lands, with limited exceptions. Additional ethics prohibitions can be found here, DOI Ethics Prohibitions | U.S. Department of the Interior. Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position.