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Human Resources Specialist (Processing)

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management

Washington, DCFull-time$122–158K/yrPosted 1 day ago

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At a glance

Compensation
$122–158K/yr
Location
Washington, DC
Schedule
Full-time
Work Authorization
Not specified

Olive lists jobs from US employers, including remote roles you can work from the United States.

Job overview

The Human Resources Specialist (Processing) works in the Division of Compensation and Processing within the Department of Labor’s Office of Human Resources. The role provides technical processing guidance and payroll support to DOL agencies, addressing personnel actions, pay administration, HR transaction errors, and compensation issues. It also supports quality reviews, employee orientation, onboarding documentation, and responses to customer inquiries.

Skills & qualifications

RequiredNice to have

Skills

Personnel Action ProcessingPay AdministrationHR SystemsFederal HR LawsOPM GuidelinesAgency GuidelinesData ValidationIssue ResolutionTraining DeliveryCoachingTechnical InstructionWritten CommunicationStakeholder CommunicationPresentationCollaborationPay SettingPay Setting PoliciesPay Setting PrinciplesPay Setting Practices

Qualifications

52 Weeks Specialized ExperienceGS-12 Equivalent Experience

Full job description

Summary

The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management (OASAM) provides the infrastructure and support that enables the U.S. Department of Labor to perform its mission. OASAM provides leadership and support for information technology, human resources management, procurement, business operations, safety and health, space management, civil rights, emergency management, security, budget, and performance.

Duties

This position is in the Division of Compensation and Processing within the Office of Human Resources (OHR), OASAM. The employee serves as a Human Resources Specialist responsible for providing technical processing guidance and payroll support to DOL agencies performing duties that include, but are not limited to, the following: Advises on personnel action processing, pay administration, and electronic Official Personnel Folder (eOPF) management. Provides authoritative advice on difficult and unusual personnel processing issues that require extensive research and analysis. Troubleshoots complex HR transaction errors and develops corrective actions. Conducts quality reviews and error analyses to ensure the accuracy and timeliness of personnel and payroll transactions. Conducts employee orientation programs and assists employees with onboarding documentation. Responds to customer inquiries regarding personnel actions. Researches and resolves complex pay discrepancies, overpayments, and compensation disputes. Qualifications

Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-12, in the Federal Service. Specialized Experience is the experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform the duties of the position successfully, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level. To qualify for this GS-201-13, applicants must meet at least 2 of the following examples of specialized experience: Experience providing authoritative guidance in personnel action processing, pay and compensation by applying knowledge of HR systems, Federal HR laws, OPM and agency guidelines to ensure accuracy, regulatory compliance, and data integrity. This includes reviewing and validating data, identifying and resolving complex processing and compensation issues. Experience delivering training, coaching, and technical instruction to agency organizations and junior level employees on personnel action processing, and pay and compensation. This includes preparing clear written material (e.g., job aids, guides, reports), communicating with diverse stakeholders, presenting program information, and collaborating to address customer needs and improve HR service delivery. Experience in pay setting for a variety of Federal personnel actions (e.g., promotions, accessions, change to lower grade, etc.) and issues such as special salary rates, pay limitations, premium and overtime pay, back pay and other special payments. This includes applying the full range of pay setting policies, principles, and practices to achieve correct processing results and compliance with Federal HR rules and regulations.

Education

There is no substitute of education for specialized experience to qualify for this grade level. How You Will Be Evaluated

Your evaluation will be based on how well you meet the qualifications outlined in this vacancy announcement, as demonstrated through your resume and supporting documentation. You may preview application questions for this vacancy here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13094993 USA Hire You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Accountability Attention to Detail Customer Service Decision Making Flexibility Influencing/Negotiating Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Reading Comprehension Reasoning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork The USA Hire Assessments 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. The information you provide may be verified by a review of your paid, unpaid, and volunteer, as it demonstrates the competencies or skills required for the position to be filled. Your evaluation may include an interview, reference checks, or other assessment conducted by HR specialists, subject matter experts, or panel members and may include other assessment tools (ex. interview, structured interview, written test, work sample, etc.). INFORMATION FOR ICTAP/CTAP ELIGIBLE(S) ONLY: If you are eligible for special priority selection under ICTAP/CTAP, you must be well-qualified for the position to receive consideration. ICTAP/CTAP eligible(s) will be considered well-qualified if they attain at least a rating score of 85 in a numerical rating scheme. Be sure to review the eligibility questions to reflect that you are applying as an ICTAP or CTAP eligible and submit supporting documentation. Other Information

The mission of the Department of Labor (DOL) is to protect the welfare of workers and job seekers, improve working conditions, expand high-quality employment opportunities, and assure work-related benefits and rights for all workers. Refer to these links for more information: GENERAL INFORMATION, REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS, ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION, FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES As a condition of employment, all personnel must undergo a background investigation for access to DOL facilities, systems, information and/or classified materials before they can enter on duty: BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION For more information, click Telework Position Information. This is not a remote work position. The selectee will report to the assigned DOL office location on a regular basis and is eligible for participation in telework as determined by management in accordance with DOL policy. Based on agency needs, additional positions may be filled using this vacancy. The Department of Labor may use certain incentives and hiring flexibilities, currently offered by the Federal government to attract highly qualified candidates. Click here for Additional Information. The Fair Chance Act (FCA) prohibits Federal agencies from requesting an applicant's criminal history information before the agency makes a conditional offer of employment. If you believe a DOL employee has violated your rights under the FCA, you may file a complaint of the alleged violation following our agency's complaint process Guidelines for Reporting Violations of the Fair Chance Act. Note: The FCA does not apply to some positions specified under the Act, such as law enforcement or national security positions. All Department of Labor employees are subject to the provisions of the Drug-Free Workplace Program under Executive Order 12564 and Public Law 100-71. 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.

How this job compares

Set against the 605 open Payroll Specialist jobs on Olive Jobs, counted October 28, 2026.

Pay
  • This posting$122–158K/yr
  • US median$65–90K/yr75 salary ranges

This range's midpoint, $140K, is 87% above the US median midpoint ($75K) — in the top quarter of Payroll Specialist salary ranges across the US.

Openings
Olive Jobs lists 605 open Payroll Specialist jobs across the US. 3% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
Hiring the most across the US
Experience
This posting asks for at least 1 year of experience; Payroll Specialist postings that state a minimum ask for 2 years at the median (426 postings).
Education
35 of the 605 open Payroll Specialist jobs (6%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.

Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on October 28, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.

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