HR Specialist (Employee Relations)

Summary

PLEASE NOTE: Based on the current hiring restrictions, selectees may be subject to additional approvals prior to an offer being extended. This position is located at Bureau of the Fiscal Service, Human Capital Division. As a HR Specialist (Employee Relations), you will provide seasoned consultative services and operational handling on the most difficult and complex Employee Relations (ER) issues being raised.

Duties

***Important: This vacancy uses a two-phase application process. This is Phase 1 of 2 for this vacancy. To be considered for this position, you must complete both phases of the application process or your application will be considered incomplete. *** Phase 1: You must first complete and submit your application under this announcement. Phase 2: After this announcement closes, eligible applicants will receive an email containing an exclusive link to a separate competency assessment announcement. This email will provide details on completing phase 2. You must use that link to complete and submit Phase 2. You must submit a résumé under both announcements, and both announcements must show Application Submitted for your application to be considered complete. You will receive application status updates only under the Phase 1 announcement. As a HR Specialist (Employee Relations), you will: Serve as a technical expert and consultant to management, staff on controversial and difficult employee relations problems. Review established programs, evaluate their effectiveness, recommend improvements, and redesign as necessary to meet changing objectives. Undertake special studies and develop detailed strategies to implement more expeditious methods of accomplishing work in the branch. Explore alternative courses of action to accommodate management needs and considerations. Work closely with management officials to gain support and confidence in program initiatives. Provide advice and assistance in situations requiring extensive analysis in which the nature and scope of the issues are complex, necessitating careful study in search of innovative solutions to problems in consideration of the needs of management.

Requirements

All newly appointed employees to the competitive (or excepted) service are subject to a probationary (or trial) period. During this time, your performance, conduct, and suitability for continued employment will be evaluated. You will not automatically convert to permanent status at the end of the probationary (or trial) period. Your supervisor must affirmatively determine that continued employment is in the best interest of the Federal service. If no certification is made before the probationary (or trial) period ends, your appointment will be terminated. You are encouraged to actively engage with your supervisor, seek feedback, and understand role expectations. Additional guidance and support will be provided during onboarding. Must successfully complete a background investigation. Periodic reinvestigation is required no later than five years after selection and at least every succeeding five years. Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency. Have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer. If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so. Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S. Obtain and use a Government-issued charge card for business-related travel. Key Requirements: Please refer to "Conditions of Employment." Click "Print Preview" to review the entire announcement before applying. Must be U.S. Citizen or U.S. National

Qualifications and evaluation

Your application includes your resumé, responses to the online questions, and required supporting documents. Please be sure that your resumé includes detailed information to support your qualifications for this position; failure to provide sufficient evidence in your resumé may result in a "not qualified" determination. Rating: Your application will be evaluated in the following areas: Accountability, Attention to Detail, Customer Service, Decision Making, Flexibility, Influencing/Negotiating, Integrity/Honesty, Interpersonal Skills, Learning, Reasoning, Self-Management, Stress Tolerance, and Teamwork. Qualifications will be evaluated based on experience in your application relevant to the position's duties, as well as any education or training that may be qualifying. A Subject Matter Expert (SME) may be used in the process of rating and rank applicants. If you meet the minimum eligibility and qualifications, you will advance to the next phase of the assessment process. This phase will include a Writing or Work Sample assessment: You will receive a sample job task or scenario to complete; or, you will provide a writing sample. This vacancy uses a two-phase application process. You must complete and submit both Phase 1 and Phase 2 to receive consideration. Failure to complete and submit both announcements will result in an incomplete application and no further consideration. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. Phase 1: Your application will be evaluated in the following areas:Accountability, Attention to Detail, Customer Service, Decision Making, Flexibility, Influencing/Negotiating, Integrity/Honesty, Interpersonal Skills, Learning, Reading Comprehension, Reasoning, Self-Management, Stress Tolerance, and Teamwork Phase 2: After this announcement closes, eligible applicants will receive an email containing an exclusive link to a separate work sample assessment announcement. You must use the link to complete and submit the required questions. The responses will be reviewed by a Subject Matter Expert (SME) to determine whether you meet the required proficiency levels. To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires measurement of critical technical competencies needed to perform the job. This vacancy uses a two-phase application process. You must complete and submit both Phase 1 and Phase 2 to receive consideration. Failure to complete and submit both announcements will result in an incomplete application and no further consideration. Overstating your qualifications or experience in your application materials or questionnaire may result in removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in removal from consideration. Accountability Attention to Detail Customer Service Decision Making Flexibility Influencing/Negotiating Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Reading Comprehension Reasoning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork

How to apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments, and required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:How to Apply: Click the Apply Online button. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all required supporting documentation. Click Submit Application for the Phase 1 announcement before 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the announcement closing date. After the Phase 1 announcement closes, eligible applicants will receive an email containing an exclusive link to complete the competency assessment in Phase 2. Use the exclusive link to access the Phase 2 announcement. Click Apply and complete the five USAJOBS application steps to access the competency assessment questions. Complete the required competency questions and submit your Phase 2 application before the Phase 2 announcement closes. Important: To complete the full application process, you must submit applications under BOTH announcements. You will only receive status updates in the first announcement. Once completed, both announcements should show the Application Status as Application Submitted. If you are required to complete USA Hire assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will appear on your application submission screen and will also be sent by email. It will include your unique assessment access link and completion deadline. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. Set aside about one (1) hour to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link. Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused. Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources. To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To view the announcement status or your application status: For more information regarding the job and applicant status, please refer to USAJOBS Help Center - How to see your application and job status. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application. Fiscal Service provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us if you require this for any part of the application and hiring process. For additional information on how to apply, please visit the Partnership for Public Service's Go Government website. The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Treasury and its bureaus from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to the Department of Treasury by email at, FairChanceAct@treasury.gov. To learn more, please visit our page at: Treasury.gov/fairchanceact. To preview the questionnaire: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13030010

Required documents

A complete application includes 1. A résumé, 2. Vacancy question responses, 3. Submission of any required documents and 4. Phase 2 competency assessment. If you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, you may not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible). Please ensure all required documents, including any required competency assessment, or other materials as stated in this announcement, are attached to your application package. Phase 2- Work Sample Assessment: After the Phase 1 announcement closes, eligible applicants will receive an email containing an exclusive link to complete the competency assessment. Please allow sufficient time to complete the responses before midnight on the closing date of the Phase 2 announcement. Narrative responses are expected to take at least one hour to complete. Non-detailed answers, such as N/A, "See Resumé," etc., will be deemed ineligible. Failure to complete and submit the Phase 2 competency assessment will result in an incomplete application and no further consideration. Resumé: All applicants are required to submit a résumé either by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one of their own choosing. (Cover letters are optional.) Please limit your resume to two-pages. Applicants with resumes exceeding two-pages will be removed from consideration. Only the first 2 pages will be reviewed and considered for qualifications and eligibility determination in whether or not the minimum qualifications for the position have been met. To receive full credit for relevant experience, please list the month/date/year and number of hours worked for experience listed on your résumé. We suggest that you preview the online questions, as you may need to customize your résumé to ensure that it supports your responses to these questions. For resume writing guidance, please visit USAJOBS Help Center - How do I write a resume for a federal job? CURRENT AND FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES -- Documentation Relating to Your Federal Employment: -You must submit a copy of your SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, which shows your current (or most recent) grade and competitive service status. (The "position occupied" block on the SF-50 should show a "1" and your "tenure" block should show a "1" or "2".) Your SF-50 must show that you have held the required grade level for at least 52 weeks. - If you are currently on a Veterans Recruitment Appointment (VRA), you must submit a copy of an SF-50 showing that. Also, you must submit a copy of your DD214 or other documentation showing dates of service and type of discharge (Member 4) and any other applicable documents such as SF-15, VA letters, etc. - Indicate on your application the highest permanent grade you have held; if this grade is different from your current grade, you must submit a copy of an additional SF-50 showing this grade. Land Management Eligibles must provide all required documentation to verify eligibility, prior performance, and qualifications for the target position. You can find information on the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act and eligibility HERE. Land Management Eligibles must compete under competitive merit promotion procedures and meet all applicable requirements as such (time-in-grade restrictions do not apply). If you are applying under a special hiring authority (e.g. Military Spouses, Interchange Agreement, VEOA, Schedule A Disability, etc.), please see USAJOBS Help Center - Unique Hiring Paths. In order to be eligible under one of these authorities, you must submit all required documentation as outlined in the applicant guide. CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (CTAP) OR INTERAGENCY CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (ICTAP) DOCUMENTATION: If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee, click CTAP/ICTAP for eligibility and a detailed list of required documents you must submit in order to be eligible. REINSTATEMENT: If you are a former federal employee that has been separated for at least 1 year and wish to be non-competitively reinstated to a higher grade or full performance level than which you left federal employment, you MUST provide a copy of your separation SF-50 (the "position occupied" block on the SF-50 should show a "1" and your "tenure" block should show a "1" or "2") AND you MUST submit a qualifying performance appraisal from your most recent career or career-conditional position of at least Fully Successful (or equivalent). You will NOT be given consideration for non-competitive reinstatement, under this option, if a performance appraisal document is not submitted. RECOMMENDED DOCUMENTS: Current Performance Appraisal

Additional information

This position requires that the successful candidate undergo personnel vetting, which includes a background investigation and enrollment upon onboarding into "Continuous Vetting." Enrollment in Continuous Vetting will result in automated record checks being conducted throughout one's employment with Treasury. The successful candidate will also be enrolled into FBI's Rap Back service, which will allow Treasury to receive notification from the FBI of criminal matters (e.g., arrests, charges, convictions) involving enrolled individuals in near real-time. For more information about individual rights, Noncriminal Justice Applicant's Privacy Rights - FBI, FD-258 Privacy Act Statement - FBI, and SEAD-3-Reporting-U.pdf (dni.gov). During the application process you will have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact on your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. Factors such as cost effectiveness, labor market conditions and difficulties in filling the position will be reviewed in determining if payment of relocation expenses is in the best interest of the Government. We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies. This is a non-bargaining unit position. This position is a Moderate Risk position. We offer opportunities for telework. We offer opportunities for flexible work schedules. Our comprehensive benefits are very generous. Our benefits package includes: Challenging work, opportunities for advancement, competitive salaries, bonuses and incentive awards. Eleven paid holidays, 13 days of sick leave, and 13 to 26 days of vacation time each year. Access to insurance programs that may be continued after you retire. A wide choice of health insurance plans, coverage for pre-existing conditions, and no waiting periods. We pay a substantial amount (up to 75%) of the health insurance premiums. A retirement program which includes employer-matching contributions. 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. (https://appsupport-usastaffing.opm.gov/hc/en-us/sections/45063131363475-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information)