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Unemployment Insurance Program Specialist

Department of Labor
Employment and Training Administration
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The mission of the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is to contribute to the more efficient functioning of the U.S. Labor market by providing high quality job training, employment, labor market information and income maintenance services primarily through state and local workforce development systems.  Positions are located within the ETA, Philadelphia Regional Office.

This position is inside of the Bargaining Unit.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
03/14/2022 to 03/28/2022
Salary
$59,790 to - $112,721 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 09 - 12
Location
Philadelphia, PA
Few vacancies
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - 25%
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
12 - There is no obligation to provide future promotions if you are selected. Promotions are dependent on your ability to perform the duties at a higher level, meet all the performance requirements, and supervisor’s recommendation to the next grade.
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
DE-22-DAL-ETA-118
Control number
642771000

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Open to ALL U.S. Citizens; and ICTAP/CTAP eligibles in the local commuting area. Also advertised as job # DE-22-DAL-ETA-118 for status applicants, to be considered for each vacancy, you must apply to BOTH jobs.

Duties

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For GS-9:  Key functions will be similar to those described for GS-11, however the incumbent will serve in a developmental capacity, wherein the work is less complex in nature and the supervisor or a senior level employee provides specific instruction and guidance.

For GS-11:

  • Coordinates unemployment insurance programs within the agency. Researches, compiles, and analyzes information and data to use in program administration planning; makes recommendations.
  • Communicates Federal and grant award requirements to grantees collaboratively with senior specialists to ensure understanding of grant requirements. Provides advice and consultation to grantees on unemployment insurance issues and concerns. Ensures that grantees deliver agreed upon products and services, achieve negotiated performance outcomes, and operate in accordance with programmatic, administrative, and budgetary requirements.
  • Aides senior level staff in on-site compliance monitoring reviews and Enhanced Desk Monitoring Reviews (EDMRs) of grantees to: evaluate the grantee's progress towards meeting the goals specified in the grant agreement with DOL ETA; assess the quality of the program and services; ensure that grant activities are being conducted in compliance with the grant agreement and applicable Federal regulations. Prepares moderately complex monitoring reports upon the completion of a monitoring review.
  • Provides technical assistance to grantees to assist them in accomplishing the goals and objectives of the grant by applying problem solving techniques to address deficiencies.
  • Effectively utilizes electronic grant management systems in accordance with established guidelines and protocols. Maintains grant files and adheres to grant management documentation requirements established in Employment and Training Orders.

For GS-12:

  • Coordinate unemployment insurance programs within the agency by researching, compiling, and analyzing information and data to use in program administration planning and makes recommendations.
  • Interpret Federal requirements and procedures to grantees to assist them to comply with Federal requirements.
  • Participate in on-site compliance monitoring reviews and Enhanced Desk Monitoring Reviews (EDMRs) of grantees to: evaluate the grantee's progress towards meeting the goals specified in the grant agreement with agency; assess the quality of the program and services; ensure that grant activities are being conducted in compliance with the grant agreement and applicable Federal regulations.
  • Participate in the development of policy guidance and technical assistance resources for grantees and workforce system stakeholders.
  • Prepare and deliver presentations to various internal and external audiences on unemployment insurance programs.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Appointment to this position may require a background investigation.
  • Must be at least 16 years old and a U.S. Citizen.
  • Requires a probationary period if the requirement has not been met.

Applicants must meet all legal and regulatory requirements. Reference the "Required Documents" section for additional requirements.

Notification Concerning COVID-19 Vaccinations.  As required by Executive Order 14043, Federal executive branch employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 regardless of the employee's duty location or work arrangement (e.g., telework, remote work, etc.), subject to such exceptions as required by law.  If selected, you will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and to submit documentation of proof of vaccination or to be in the process of requesting an exception to the vaccination requirement before appointment or onboarding with the agency.  The agency will provide additional information regarding which forms of documentation can be accepted and how you can request to be considered for a legally required exception from this requirement.  

Currently, implementation and enforcement of Executive Order 14043 has been suspended pursuant to an injunction pending further litigation.

Qualifications

Individual Occupational Requirements (IOR):

This position has an Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR), as described below:

Education

Undergraduate Education: Major study -- economics, industrial relations, law, sociology, political science, public administration, or other related fields. Courses in statistics or mathematics applicable to the social sciences are creditable up to a maximum of 12 semester hours.

Graduate Education: Major study -- one or a combination of the social sciences that included social science research methodology and techniques, and provided a knowledge of the history, concepts, methods, and techniques of social insurance and/or the social and economic conditions under which social insurance programs operate.

OR

Specialized Experience (for positions above GS-5): Experience related to social insurance. This includes experience applying statistics or mathematics to the social insurance field. Specialized experience must have demonstrated:

  • A knowledge of current social and economic conditions under which social insurance programs operate, and the principles of Federal/State/local relationships;

  • The ability to extend and modify existing techniques and methods or to develop new ones to identify, isolate, and resolve special problems; and

  • The ability to develop effective collaborative relationships with personnel in other fields and with groups having conflicting objectives.

Qualifying specialized experience may have been gained through work in the following or similar types of programs: unemployment insurance; old-age and survivors' insurance; workers' compensation; disability compensation; or other public or private programs covering common social insurance risks.

In addition to the above, applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade levels, in the Federal Service.  Specialized experience is experience in or directly related to the line of work of the position being filled and which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position.

For GS-09

Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-7, in the Federal Service. 

Specialized Experience includes (Applicants must demonstrate ALL of the following):

  • Assisting senior staff with interpretation of unemployment insurance legislation, policies, programs, and regulations;
  • Providing advice on unemployment insurance program requirements; and,
  • Reviewing documents for conformity with unemployment insurance Federal requirements.

OR

Have a master's or equivalent graduate or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B or J.D., if related.

OR

A combination of education and experience.

For GS-11

Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-9, in the Federal Service. 

Specialized Experience includes (Applicants must demonstrate ALL of the following):

  • Assisting senior staff with interpretation of unemployment insurance legislation, policies, programs, and regulations;
  • Providing advice on unemployment insurance program requirements;
  • Reviewing documents for conformity with unemployment insurance Federal requirements;
  • Assessing unemployment insurance program accuracy and quality; and
  • Working collaboratively and maintaining cooperative relationships with officials in federal, state, or local government agencies or public entities.

OR

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.

OR

A combination of education and experience.

For GS-12

Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-11, in the Federal Service. 

Specialized Experience includes (Applicants must demonstrate 5 of the following):

  • Interpreting Unemployment Insurance (UI) program legislation, policies, programs, and regulations;
  • Providing advice on UI program requirements;
  • Conducting reviews and evaluations of UI programs, tax systems, functions, and activities;
  • Assessing UI program accuracy and quality;
  • Providing recommendations and conducting briefings for senior officials and program stakeholders on UI guidance and policy;
  • Assisting with setting goals, managing projects, tracking progress, and evaluating outcomes;
  • Working collaboratively and maintaining cooperative relationships with officials in federal, state, or local government agencies or public entities; and
  • Reviewing and analyzing UI data to asses and improve state performance and inform internal and external stakeholders

Qualifying specialized experience may have been gained through work in the following or similar types of programs: unemployment insurance; old-age and survivors' insurance; workers' compensation; disability compensation; or other public or private programs covering common social insurance risks.

In addition to the above, applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade levels, in the Federal Service.  Specialized experience is experience in or directly related to the line of work of the position being filled and which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

Education

If you wish to use your education as a basis for meeting the minimum qualification requirements for this position, you must submit academic transcripts demonstrating that you meet the qualifying educational requirements. If specific course work is required to fulfill the minimum qualification requirements, you must supply transcripts from each academic institution in which the required courses were taken in order to receive credit for that course work. See the “Qualifications and Evaluations” section of this announcement for more details.

If you do not submit sufficient documentation necessary to demonstrate that you meet the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements described in this announcement, your application will be deemed incomplete and you will be ineligible for further consideration for this vacancy.

Any applicant falsely claiming an academic degree from an accredited school will be subject to actions ranging from disqualification from federal employment to removal from federal service.

If your education was completed at a foreign college or university, you must show comparability to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States and comparability to applicable minimum course work requirements for this position. Click Evaluation of Foreign Education for more information.

Additional information

DOL seeks to attract and retain a high performing and diverse workforce in which employees’ differences are respected and valued to better meet the varying needs of the diverse customers we serve. DOL fosters a diverse and inclusive work environment that promotes collaboration, flexibility and fairness so that all individuals are able to participate and contribute to their full potential.

Refer to these links for more information: GENERAL INFORMATION, ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION, FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES

Position Telework eligibility is determined by management based on position duties during the recruitment process. Employee participation in telework on a routine or situational basis is determined by management primarily based on business needs.  Employees participating in telework are subject to the terms and conditions of the Department of Labor’s Telework Program.

If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

Additional Evaluation Factors(Competencies): 

Interpersonal Skills: Ability to show understanding, friendliness, courtesy, tact, empathy, cooperation, concern, and politeness to others; relates well to different people from varied backgrounds and different situations.

Oral Communication: Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.

How you will be evaluated

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

If you meet the minimum qualifications, you will be evaluated against the evaluation factors below and will be placed into a category based on your vacancy question responses.

Categories

Category A - Meets the basic qualification requirements for the vacancy and has successful experience in the same or similar job that has demonstrated superior proficiency in applying critical competencies required by this position to work of increased levels of difficulty and complexity.

Category B - Meets the basic qualification requirements for the vacancy and demonstrates satisfactory proficiency in the critical competencies required by this position.

Category C - Meets the specialized experience described in the minimum qualifications requirements section of this announcement and demonstrates proficiency in the basic competencies.

Evaluation Factors (Competencies) - All qualified applicants will be evaluated on the following key competencies:

Technical Competence: Uses knowledge that is acquired through formal training or extensive on-the-job experience to perform one's job; works with, understands, and evaluates technical information related to the job; advises others on technical issues.

Legal, Government, and Jurisprudence: Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, legal practices and documents, Government regulations, Executive orders, agency rules, Government organization and functions, and the democratic political process.

Compliance: Knowledge of procedures for assessing, evaluating, and monitoring programs or projects for compliance with Federal laws, regulations, and guidance.

Writing: Recognizes or uses correct English grammar, punctuation, and spelling; communicates information (for example, facts, ideas, or messages) in a succinct and organized manner; produces written information, which may include technical material, that is appropriate for the intended audience.

See "Other Information" for additional Evaluation Factors. 

The information you provide on your resume may be verified by a review of your work experience, employment start/end dates/hours worked and/or education, by checking references and through other means (ex. interview). The examining Office of Human Resources (OHR) makes the final determination concerning applicant ratings. Your resume MUST provide sufficient information to substantiate your responses to the vacancy questions. If not, the OHR may amend your responses to more accurately reflect the level of competency indicated by the content of your resume. Your evaluation may also include a review by a Human Resources Specialist or panel and may include other assessments (ex. interview, panel review, written test, writing sample, etc.)  A writing sample may be required as part of the interview process.

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) who are placed into Category B or higher will be considered "well-qualified." Be sure to review DOL Account Eligibility Questions #24 to reflect that you are applying as an ICTAP or CTAP eligible and submit supporting documentation. Click Application of Veterans Preference for Category Rating Jobs for more information.


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