HUMAN RESOURCES SPECIALIST (EMPL REL/LABOR REL)

Summary

Serves as a Human Resources Specialist (Employee Relations & Labor Relations) in the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) Employee Relations Division. Read the entire announcement before starting the application process.

Duties

As a Human Resources Specialist (Employee Relations & Labor Relations), you will be responsible for the following duties: (If selected at the GS-09 level, duties will be performed in a developmental capacity) Provide guidance and support on management-employee relations, including discipline, adverse actions, grievances, performance management, recognition, and employee counseling. Advise managers on interpreting Agency policies and address a wide range of HR issues such as substance abuse, sexual harassment, work hours, working-condition changes, job stress, leave administration, and pay entitlements. Assist the Office of General Counsel in preparing and presenting cases before the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) and in arbitration proceedings. Research background information, prepare formal responses for disciplinary actions, and maintain complete, accurate case files to support proposed or final actions. Develop or support the development of management-employee relations programs, and create or revise Agency-wide policies, program guidance, and procedures. This position offers promotion potential to a higher grade. To prepare you for the higher grade, work assignments will be progressively more complex. After meeting all qualifications and requirements for the next grade level and with your supervisor's recommendation, you may be promoted without further competition. However, promotion is neither guaranteed nor automatic. Read the entire job announcement. Focus on the following sections to understand whether or not you qualify for the position. This critical information is found under: Duties and Qualifications How to Apply (including a preview of the assessment questionnaire, if applicable) How You Will be Evaluated Your resume must thoroughly describe how your skills and experiences align to the criteria defined in the Qualifications section of this announcement and it must support your responses to the assessment questionnaire. We do not assume you have the necessary experience to successfully perform in this job regardless of your employment history or academic career. Qualifications

To Qualify for a Human Resources Specialist (Employee Relations & Labor Relations), your resume and supporting documentation must support: A. Creditable specialized experience includes: GS-09 Assisting senior specialists by gathering facts, organizing case files and compiling background information for routine conduct, performance, and attendance matters. Researching federal HR laws, regulations, FLRA/MSPB decisions, and Agency policies to support ER/LR case development, preparing summaries for review. Drafting initial counseling memos, routine correspondence, and documentation to support disciplinary or grievance processes under close supervision. Supporting labor-relations activities by tracking union inquiries, preparing draft responses, and identifying potential bargaining considerations with guidance. GS-11 Provide advisory support on routine conduct, performance, attendance, grievance, and basic labor-relations issues under guidance. Research federal HR laws, regulations, FLRA/MSPB decisions, and Agency policies to support ER/LR actions and recommendations. Draft disciplinary and grievance documentation, case summaries, and labor-relations correspondence for review by senior specialists. Assist with labor-management activities by identifying bargaining obligations, supporting I&I discussions, and responding to routine union inquiries. GS-12 Provide expert guidance on complex ER/LR matters, including adverse actions, performance-based actions, grievances, and bargaining obligations. Conduct fact-finding and analysis, including interviews and credibility assessments, to recommend legally defensible ER/LR strategies. Represent management in MSPB appeals, arbitration, ULP investigations, and other third-party proceedings, preparing complete case files. Develop Agency-wide ER/LR policies, performance tools, and bargaining strategies aligned with OPM regulations, FLRA precedent, and federal requirements. B. Education Substitution: Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. Education must be from a college or university accredited by an organization approved by the U.S. Department of Education. See http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/Search.aspx. If using education to meet basic qualifications, YOU MUST SUBMIT A TRANSCRIPT as supplemental documentation. To qualify based on education in lieu of specialized experience, you must possess: GS-9: Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree. GS-11: Successfully completed a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree. GS-12: There is no education substitution at this level. C. Combination: Combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements for grade levels GS-09 and GS-11 and may be computed by first determining the applicant's total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level; then determining the applicant's education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level; and then adding the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for that grade level. Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be used to qualify applicants for positions at grade GS-11. Time-in-grade applies to the promotion of current and former federal employees who hold or have held a permanent GS position in either the competitive or excepted service in the previous 52 weeks, Your application package must contain proof you meet this requirement. See Required Documents for more information For GS-09: You must have 52 weeks of Federal service at or equivalent to GS-07.. For GS-11: You must have 52 weeks of Federal service at or equivalent to GS-09. For GS-12: You must have 52 weeks of Federal Service at or equivalent to GS-11 Time after competitive appointment. Current federal civilian employees must have completed at least 90 days of federal civilian service since being selected for a non-temporary appointment from a competitive examination register of eligibles (an announcement opened to the public) or under a direct hire authority. As part of the online application process, you will respond to a series of questions designed to evaluate your level of experience in these competencies: Employee Relations Labor Relations Overtime: Occasional Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): GS-12 Exempt & GS-11 Nonexempt Bargaining Unit Status: Not Covered Those retired under CSRS or FERS considered: No. DoD criteria not met. Telework eligible: Yes, Telework is at discretion of supervisor/Agency Remote work eligible: No PCS: No HR does not select or change your eligibility/eligibilities for you, regardless of the supporting documents you submit. You are considered ONLY for the eligibility or eligibilities you select and for which you provide all required supporting documents. You will not be considered if you do not select an eligibility. If you have questions about which eligibility/eligibilities apply to you, contact the HR POC listed on this announcement.

Education

USING YOUR EDUCATION TO QUALIFY. You MUST provide transcripts and/or other documentation to support your educational claims. Transcripts. REQUIRED when using education to meet qualifications or when education is required. Foreign education may be qualifying if a private organization specializing in interpreting foreign education programs has deemed the foreign education equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program or a U.S. accredited college or university has given full credit for the foreign courses. Unofficial transcripts from U.S. Department of Education accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions listing your name, the name of the school, the date and degree awarded, and the list of classes and credits earned are acceptable for the application process. If selected, official transcripts are required before a firm job offer is made. A photocopy of your degree/diploma is not acceptable. When relying on foreign education, submit transcripts and a copy of the equivalency evaluation results letter with a course-by-course listing. Documents must be in English or include an English translation. The hiring employer for this position does not evaluate degrees from foreign colleges or universities. How You Will Be Evaluated

HR reviews your documents to determine if you are qualified and meet requirements. Your questionnaire score is a preliminary measure of how well your background matches the required competencies. Applicants are required to complete a technical assessment. Additional details will be provided to candidates as they move forward in the hiring process. Under category rating procedures you are placed into one of three categories based on the evaluation results: Best Qualified - Candidates who possess the type and quality of experience that substantially exceeds the position's minimum qualifications, including all selective placement factors and appropriate quality ranking factors. Highly Qualified - Candidates who possess the type and quality of experience that exceeds the position's minimum qualifications. Qualified - Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications and are proficient in some but not all of the position's requirements. Candidates in the best qualified category are referred to hiring managers before candidates in other categories. Within the best qualified category, candidates are referred in the following order: adjudicated veterans' preference candidates with 10-point preference, adjudicated veterans' preference candidates with other than 10-point preference, military spouse preference candidates, and candidates with no preference. Selections are subject to restrictions of the DoD referral system for displaced employees. Neither preference nor priority entitles you to a Federal job. You must apply, meet the qualification standards and all additional requirements, and submit all necessary documents. Military spouses must be in the best qualified group in order to receive military spouse preference. Veterans Preference: You must provide a copy of your DD-214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty or other acceptable documentation that includes your character of service. The member 4 copy is preferred. Contact the National Archives or your military personnel records center to request a copy of your DD-214. Those claiming 10-point preference must submit a completed SF 15 Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference (For Veterans and Relatives of Veterans) and all required proof listed on the reverse of the SF 15. Note that a letter from the VA that contains the following may be sufficient instead of a SF-15: Dates of service, Discharge status, and Disability rating. Contact the Department of Veterans Affairs or call 1-800-827-1000 to obtain a copy of the VA letter establishing proof of disability. Other Information

Executive Order 12564 requires a federal workplace to be free of illegal drugs and prohibits the use of illegal drugs both on and off duty by federal employees. As a reminder, marijuana is still classified as an illegal drug by the Federal government and is prohibited for use by Federal employees even if such use is legal in the state where the Federal employee resides and/or works. The Defense Commissary Agency is a Drug-Free Federal Workplace where the use of illegal drugs will not be tolerated and may result in penalties up to and including removal from Federal service. Upon first appointment to a civilian position in the Federal government, you are entitled only to the lowest step (Step 1) of the grade for which selected. The display of a salary range on this announcement does not suggest or convey an entitlement to a higher rate of pay. The minimum age requirement is generally 18 years. Employing those under 18 may be possible under certain circumstances. If under 18 years of age, ensure you provide documentation showing how you are eligible. Applicants with financial difficulty are not automatically removed from consideration. Selectees are required to complete an online onboarding process. Retired military service members cannot be appointed to a Department of Defense (DoD) civilian position within 180 days of their retirement date. 5 United States Code 3326. The following may result in a rating of ineligible. Ineligible applicants receive no consideration. Submitting an incomplete application package, such as missing documents, illegible documents, and/or missing information necessary to determine qualifications and eligibility. A resume reflecting part-time (PT)/full-time (FT) or nothing rather than the number of hours worked per week (e.g., 40, 30, 20, etc.) may be considered incomplete. Submitting encrypted documents or uploading Adobe portfolio documents. Submitting any document that contains a photo or image of you. Including social media links, inappropriate material or content, classified or government sensitive information, or personal information such as age, gender, race, religion, or social security number on your resume. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or questionnaire responses. Deliberately attempting to falsify your application information, such as copying portions of this announcement into your resume.