Program Specialist (Hrl)

Summary

This position is in the VA Regional Office. The incumbent is assigned to the Office of the Director and reports to the Assistant Director. The incumbent serves as a Program Specialist responsible for providing performance management and technical support for the regional office HR program. The incumbent is the key advisor to the Director and the Division Chiefs on all human resources issues and coordinates directly with the HR Center.

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Overview

• Accepting applications

• Open & closing dates

07/29/2024 to 07/31/2024

• Salary

$59,996 - $113,047 per year

• Pay scale & grade

GS 9 - 12

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Locations

3 vacancies in the following locations:

• Columbia, SC

• Roanoke, VA

• Remote job

No

• Telework eligible

Yes-as determined by the agency policy.

• Travel Required

Occasional travel

• You may be expected to travel for this position.

• Relocation expenses reimbursed

No

• Appointment type

Permanent

• Work schedule

Full-time

• Service

Competitive

• Promotion potential

12

• Job family (Series)

0301 Miscellaneous Administration And Program

• Supervisory status

No

• Security clearance

Other

• Drug test

No

• Position sensitivity and risk

Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk

• Trust determination process

Suitability/Fitness

• Financial disclosure

No

• Bargaining unit status

No

• Announcement number

CASK-12471340-24-CM (DE)

• Control number

801919700

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This job is open to

• The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Clarification from the agency

All U.S. Citizens

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Duties

• Assist the staff and managers to develop and implement policies, procedures, and guidelines which institute processes for work to run as effectively and efficiently as possible.

• Assist with data reviews and analyzes data results, identifying any data trends and making recommendations for updating or creating new processes and procedures to help increase workflow.

• Works with a senior specialist on special projects to include new initiative and provides scenarios, possible issues, or concerns.

• Provides technical advice and assistance and disseminates human resource information to organization. Review's classification standards, guides, to assist and coordinate classification assignments.

• Prepares and presents reports and briefings on assignment status and/or recommended actions to appropriate individuals.

• Assists in the development of initiatives to improve management processes and systems using the most efficient utilization of human resources.

• Assists with guidance on merit system principles, prohibited personnel practices, the development and use of valid selection criteria, that may help in staffing the organization and in improving employee productivity, morale, and retention.

• Reviews and provides solutions to issues and topics where local factors contradict established policy or procedures.

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Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job.

• Selectees are subject to a background/suitability investigation.

• Selective Service registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.

• A probationary period may be required for employees and supervisors.

• A complete application package; Resume, Transcripts, etc.

• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 07/31/2024.

The Office of Personnel Management's (OPM's) group qualification standards covering white collar occupations in the Federal competitive service can be found: Here

Specialized Experience:

GS-09 Level: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience at least the next lower grade level (GS-07) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is defined as experience applying and providing guidance on multiple fields of Human Resources rules, regulations, and procedures including Personnel Management, Recruitment and Staffing, Classification, Employee Benefits (OWCP, retirements, and insurance programs), and/or Labor Relations. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:

• Assist employees with advice on a variety of rules, regulations, and practices pertaining to human resources

• Provide guidance and explanations of the organization's policies, procedures, and guidelines to leaders and employees

• Provide advice regarding appropriate levels on personnel actions.

OR,

• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D., if related

OR,

• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education. You must have some specialized experience as described, but less than one year; and you have more than one year but less than two years of directly related graduate education. You have computed the percentage of the requirements, and the total is at least 100%. (To compute the percentage, divide your total months of qualifying experience by 12. Then divide your semester hours of graduate education beyond one year by 18. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. (You must provide supporting transcripts.)

GS-11 Level: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience at least the next lower grade level (GS-09) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is defined as experience applying and providing guidance on multiple fields of Human Resources rules, regulations, and procedures including Personnel Management, Recruitment and Staffing, Classification, Employee Benefits (OWCP, retirements, and insurance programs), and/or Labor Relations.

• Provide advisory services to leaders and employees on a range of human resources concepts, laws, and policies;

• Assist leadership in solving a range of complex problems and issues;

• Participate in policy development groups or projects based on broad organizational requirements.

OR,

Education: Substitution of a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related (unofficial transcripts required).

OR,

Combination of Specialized Experience and Education: Combination of specialized experience as described above, and graduate education as described above which totals at least one year. [To compute the percentage, divide your total months of qualifying experience by 12. Then divide your semester hours of graduate education beyond one year by 18. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify.]GS-12 Level: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience which was at the GS-11 level and must have been held in the Federal Government. Specialized experience is defined as experience providing advisory services, quality review services, or experience drafting and approving standard operating procedures and/or other forms of regulatory guidance covering multiple fields of Human Resources rules, regulations, and procedures including Personnel Management, Recruitment and Staffing, Classification, Employee Benefits (OWCP, retirements, and insurance programs), and/or Employee and Labor Relations. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:

• Provide advice and guidance in the areas of classification and staffing and recruitment;

• Defending agency actions in front of a 3rd party hearing (FLRA, MSPB);

• Experience as the chief negotiator in labor negotiations.

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; religions; 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.

Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

Education

An unofficial or official copy of your transcripts must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/

If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

Additional information

This is not a Virtual/Remote Position.

Work Schedule: Regular office hours, Monday

• Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM. Alternate work schedules may be available.

Physical Requirements: The work is mostly sedentary, however, there may be some physical effort such as standing, walking, bending, and/or carrying of light items such as files, books, and supplies. The work requires no special physical demand.

Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. The full performance level of this position is grade GS-12

VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility may be discussed during the interview process. Telework is subject to approval by individual supervisors and managers, is considered a privilege not a right, is subject to approval based on performance and other varying factors, and is not guaranteed.

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

"Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer (TJO). Please visit the Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP), https://www.va.gov/EMPLOYEE/docs/The-Fair-Chance-to-Compete-Act.pdf."

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

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• Benefits

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new window

Learn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

In describing your experience, please be clear and specific. We will not make assumptions regarding your experience. Applicants who do not fully address in their resumes the specialized experience needed for the position (as described in the job announcement), or who do not possess the education to substitute for it, will not be referred for further consideration.

If you are referred for consideration you will be rated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills and abilities) based on your application for this position:

• Interpersonal Skills

• Oral Communication

• Reasoning

• Technical Competence

• Written Communication

You may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities identified in the announcement; and/or completion of a work sample; and/or an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or your further consideration for employment.

After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. During our review, if your résumé and application package does not support your questionnaire answers, we will adjust your rating accordingly.

Your application will be evaluated using the category rating method based on your responses to the assessment questions and the documents you submit. If you meet the basic requirements for the position, your application will be evaluated and placed into one of three categories:

• Best Qualified Category

• Candidates who meet the minimum qualification requirements and demonstrate a high level of the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the duties of the position.

• Well Qualified Category

• Candidates who meet the minimum qualification requirements and demonstrate a satisfactory level of the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the duties of the position.

• Qualified Category

• Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications requirements.

Note: Candidates eligible for veterans' preference will be placed ahead of other candidates in the appropriate category for which they have been rated. Additionally, preference eligibles who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent and who meet the minimum qualification requirements will automatically be placed in the best qualified category.