HR Specialist (Employee and Labor Relations)

Summary

This position is located in the Department of Health and Human Services, Assistant Secretary for Administration, headquartered in Washington, District of Columbia. This announcement will close at 11:59 PM, on the day that 100 applications have been received or the closing date of the announcement, whichever comes first.

Duties

As a(n) HR Specialist (Employee and Labor Relations), you will: Advise managers and supervisors on employee relations matters, including performance management, employee conduct, disciplinary and adverse actions, grievances, attendance and leave issues, and employee-supervisor relations. Assist with drafting disciplinary and adverse action notices and maintaining employee relations case files. Assist management in resolving performance and conduct issues by providing guidance on disciplinary and adverse actions, grievances, appeals, performance management, and related employee relations matters, including drafting disciplinary notices and maintaining case files. Provide guidance on labor-management relations by assisting with contract interpretation, grievance processing, unfair labor practice matters, bargaining activities, and other issues involving bargaining unit employees. Research and interpret Federal employee and labor relations laws, regulations, Executive Orders, agency policies, and negotiated collective bargaining agreements to develop recommendations and support the resolution of employee and labor relations issues. Qualifications

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR GS-12 Minimum Qualifications: You must have one year specialized experience to perform successfully the duties of the position. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service performing ALL of the following: Applying Federal employee and labor relations laws, regulations, policies, and negotiated collective bargaining agreements to advise management on employee and workplace issues. Providing guidance on performance management, employee conduct, disciplinary or adverse actions, grievances, and related employee relations matters. Assisting with labor relations activities such as contract interpretation, grievance processing, bargaining obligations, or matters involving bargaining unit employees. Researching and interpreting applicable laws, regulations, and policies to develop recommendations and support the resolution of employee and labor relations issues. GS-13 Minimum Qualifications: You must have one year specialized experience to perform successfully the duties of the position. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service performing ALL of the following: Providing authoritative employee and labor relations advisory services by applying and interpreting Federal personnel laws, regulations, policies, case law, and negotiated collective bargaining agreements to resolve complex employee relations, labor relations, and workplace issues. Advising managers and supervisors on complex employee relations matters, including performance management, employee conduct, disciplinary and adverse actions, grievances, appeals, attendance and leave issues, and other sensitive or precedent-setting workplace matters. Providing labor relations expertise by interpreting negotiated collective bargaining agreements, resolving grievances and unfair labor practice matters, supporting collective bargaining activities, assessing the impact of organizational changes on bargaining unit employees, and ensuring compliance with applicable labor laws and regulations. Researching, analyzing, and interpreting laws, regulations, case decisions, and agency policies to develop recommendations, resolve complex employee and labor relations issues, and collaborate with management, human resources staff, legal counsel, and union representatives to ensure consistent application of policy and effective administration of employee and labor relations programs. Documenting experience: IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Qualifications are based on breadth/level of experience. In addition to describing duties performed, applicants must provide the exact dates of each period of employment (from MM/YY to MM/YY) and the number of hours worked per week if part time. As qualification determinations cannot be made when resumes do not include the required information, failure to provide this information may result in disqualification. Applicants are encouraged to use the USAJOBS Resume Builder to develop their federal resume. Do not copy and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational application questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position. In accordance with Office of Personnel Management policy, federal employees are assumed to have gained experience by performing duties and responsibilities appropriate for their official series and grade level as described in their position description. Experience that would not normally be part of the employee's position is creditable, however, when documented by satisfactory evidence, such as a signed memorandum from the employee's supervisor or an SF-50 or SF-52 documenting an official detail or other official assignment. The documentation must indicate whether the duties were performed full time or, if part time, the "percentage of times" the other duties were performed. It is expected that this documentation is included in the employee's official personnel record. In order to receive credit for experience in your resume that is not within the official series and grade level of your official position, you must provide a copy of the appropriate documentation of such experience as indicated above. 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; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to gain employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. If such experience is on a part-time basis, you must provide the average number of hours worked per week as well as the beginning and ending dates of the experience so it can be fully credited. OPM Qualification General Policies Website

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this announcement. Evaluation will be based on your application materials (such as your resume and supporting documents), your responses to the application questionnaire, and the results of all required assessments. Resume Requirement Your resume must not exceed two (2) pages in length. Minimum Qualification Question As part of the application process, you must answer a minimum qualification question addressing whether you meet the Specialized Experience required for this position, as described in this announcement. Your response must be supported by the experience documented in your resume. If your resume does not demonstrate the required Specialized Experience, you may be found not qualified. Assessment Process USA Hire Assessment You are required to complete a USA Hire assessment for this position. The USA Hire Assessments include 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. HR Resume Review Human Resource (HR) Specialists will review your resume to determine whether you meet the required Specialized Experience. Applicants who successfully pass all of the assessment(s) may be referred to the Hiring Manager for consideration. You must complete all required steps in the process, including submitting an application and resume and participating in the assessments, to be considered for this position. In accordance with Executive Order 12564 of September 14, 1986, The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is A Drug-Free Federal Workplace. The use of illegal drugs, on or off duty, by Federal employees is inconsistent not only with the law-abiding behavior expected of all citizens, but also with the special trust placed in such employees as servants of the public. PHS Commissioned Corps (CC) Officers: PHS Commissioned Corps (CC) Officers interested in performing the duties of this position within the Commissioned Corps may apply online to this announcement. Candidates will be referred as CC personnel and not as candidates for conversion to a permanent career or career-conditional appointment. For Competitive Merit Promotion and Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA) Applicants: The highest rated candidates will be referred to the hiring agency. For Noncompetitive Applicants: All qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring agency. Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics): Accountability Advising and Consulting (3) Attention to Detail Customer Service Decision Making Flexibility Influencing/Negotiating Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Personnel and Human Resources Reading Comprehension Reasoning Research Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork Technical Competence - Labor and Employee Relations To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13074425 Other Information

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW Federal agencies may request information regarding the vaccination status of selected applicants for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as protocols related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine. Incentives may be authorized; however, this is contingent upon multiple factors, including funds availability. If authorized, certain incentives may require you to sign a service agreement to remain in the Federal government for a period of up to 3 years. Note: This statement does not imply nor guarantee an incentive will be offered and paid. Incentives may include the following: moving expenses, recruitment or relocation incentive; student loan repayment, superior qualifications appointment, creditable service for annual leave for prior non-federal work experience or prior uniformed military service, etc. Additional selections may be made for similar positions across the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) within the local commuting area(s) of the location identified in this announcement. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with any interested selecting official(s) at HHS. Clearance of CTAP/ICTAP will be applied for similar positions across HHS. Bargaining Unit Position: NO Research position: NO Drug Screening Required: NO Special Hiring Authorities for Veterans - https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/veterans/ Special Hiring Authorities for Military Spouses - https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/military-spouses/ People With Disabilities (Schedule A) - https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/Individuals_with_Disabilities Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP/ICTAP): For information on how to apply as an CTAP/ICTAP eligible see http://opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp#ictap. To be well-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, displaced Federal employees must be rated at 85.0 or above on the rating criteria for this position. Reemployment Priority List (RPL): To receive selection priority for this position, individuals on the RPL must meet the qualification requirements, complete all required assessments and be rated as qualified. RPL candidates are ranked using Category Rating procedures. Beginning January 1, 2010, agencies must seek prior approval from OPM before they can appoint a current or recent political appointee to a competitive or non-political excepted service position at any level under the provisions of title 5, United States Code. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employee in the executive branch, you MUST disclose that to the Human Resources Office. For Résumé Tips visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YX7o1PBoFk For Application Tips visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqYkibnuiJU For additional information about USAJOBS visit the Help Center: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/