This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/713467400. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
Benefits Advisors respond to participant and beneficiary inquiries and complaints; and provide technical assistance on the obligations of employers, plan sponsors, and service providers under ERISA, COBRA, ACA, HIPAA, MHPAEA, etc. They resolve valid complaints through informal dispute resolution; refer complaints to enforcement involving potential criminal activity or plan wide issues that cannot be resolved informally, and serve as the focal point of the DOL liaison with the general public.
Learn more about this agency03/17/2023 to 03/29/2023
$57,941 - $91,873 per year
GS 09
Many vacancies in the following locations:
No
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
25% or less - Up to 25% Business Travel may be required.
No
Permanent - College Graduate appointments are permanent competitive service appointments.
Full-time -
Competitive
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.
No
No
CG-23-CHI-EBSA-0198
713467400
Individuals who have graduated from an accredited educational institute or certificate program within the last 2 years or 6 years for Veterans.
U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
This College Graduate announcement is open to applicants who received a bachelors or advanced degree within the previous two years (or within 90 days of the closing date of this announcement) or two years from the date of an individual’s discharge or release from the uniformed services. Must be bilingual in English and at least one of the following foreign languages: Mandarin, Cantonese, Spanish, Arabic, French, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Vietnamese, German, Tagalog or French Creole.
Major Duties for this GS-0301-09 position include, but are not limited to:
Benefits Advisor (Foreign Language)- regularly use specific foreign language translation skills in performing duties listed above and on a as needed basis to assist other office staff; receives assignments involving people who may communicate in native foreign language and unable to communicate effectively using English language.
Languages the specific regions are looking for:
Atlanta/Plantation: Spanish, Vietnamese, Mandarin, Cantonese
Boston: Spanish, Portuguese, Mandarin, Cantonese
Chicago: Spanish, Polish, Mandarin, Arabic
Cincinnati/Fort Wright: Spanish, Arabic, German, Mandarin
Dallas: Spanish, Vietnamese, French
Kansas City: Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, German
Pasadena: Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Tagalog
New York: Spanish, Russian, French Creole.
Philadelphia: Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin
San Francisco: Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Tagalog
Seattle: Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese
This appointment is made under the noncompetitive College Graduate hiring authority. To be eligible an applicant must have received a baccalaureate or graduate degree within the past two years or will be earning such degree no later than 90 days after the closing date of this announcement. Or in the case of an individual who has completed a period of not less than four years of intervening obligated service in a uniformed service, not later than two years after the date on which the individual was released or discharged from that uniformed service.
We are filling bilingual vacancies only. For the bilingual vacancies, applicants will be required to self-certify proficiency in Spanish, Vietnamese, Mandarin, Cantonese, Portuguese, Polish, Arabic, German, French, Tagalog, Russian, OR French Creole by responding to a foreign language question which will be used to determine initial language proficiency. Applicants who are otherwise qualified and referred must satisfactorily complete an interview to demonstrate their foreign language proficiency in order to be considered for appointment.
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.
Applicants must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the Federal Service or meet the education requirement or have an equivalent combination of education and experience. Specialized experience is experience in or directly related to the position to be filled and which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position.
Applicants will be required to self-certify proficiency in English AND at least one foreign language listed by responding to a foreign language question which will be used to determine initial language proficiency and also meet the specialized experience or education listed below. Applicants who are otherwise qualified and referred must satisfactorily complete an interview to demonstrate their foreign language proficiency in order to be considered for appointment.
For the GS-9 level, Applicants must possess 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-07, in the Federal Service.
Specialized experience:
-Experience working in a customer service environment providing technical information, guidance, and assistance that demonstrates both written and oral communication skills.
-Experience that demonstrates the ability to provide educational information and outreach activities.
-Experience that provided knowledge of laws, policies, regulations, and precedents.
-Experience in fact-finding research, analyzing data, reviewing requirements and providing determinations based on the information.
OR
2 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree, in a related field of study that demonstrated the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work;
OR
LL.B. or J.D., if related.
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.
This job is not 100% telework; it requires employee to report on a regular basis to their assigned office location.
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.
Persons who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or have speech disabilities, please dial 711 to access telecommunications relay services.
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. As such, the Department is committed to fostering a workplace and workforce that promote equal employment opportunity, reflect the diversity of the people we seek to serve, and model a culture of respect, equity, inclusion, and accessibility where every employee feels heard, supported, and empowered.
Refer to these links for more information: GENERAL INFORMATION, REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION, ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION, FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Applicants meeting eligibility and minimum qualification requirements will be referred for selection without ranking or application of veterans’ preference requirements.
The following documents must be submitted by 11:59 pm (ET) on the vacancy closing date. Warning: If you submit a document using the same document title, the 2nd submission will OVERWRITE the 1st submission. Also, do not upload password-protected documents.
The following documents are required from ALL applicants:
- Resumes are required - provide a resume either by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one from your computer and USAJOBS profile. To receive full consideration for relevant and specialized experience, please list the month, year, and the number of work hours worked for the experience listed on your resume. We also suggest that you preview the vacancy questions, and confirm that your resume supports your question responses.
- Proof of Eligibility: Academic transcript or other official documentation from the qualifying educational institution showing that you meet the eligibility requirements for a College Graduate appointment, as described in the "Qualifications and Evaluations" section of this announcement. If you are claiming extended eligibility due to military service performed during the two-year period following graduation, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 showing the dates of such service. (For active duty service members expecting to be honorably discharged or released within 120 days, click Active Duty)
- Proof of Qualifications: Academic transcripts sufficient to demonstrate that you meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position, as described in this announcement, where you are seeking to qualify, at least in part, on the basis of your education. See "Qualifications and Evaluations."
The following documents are required if applicable:
- Veterans’ Preference Documents (if applicable): To be considered as a 5-point preference eligible, you must submit a copy of your Certificate of Release or Discharge From Active Duty, DD214. Your DD-214 must show the type of discharge and dates of active duty. To claim 10-point preference, you must submit a copy of your DD214; an Application for 10-point Veteran's Preference, SF15; and the proof of entitlement of this preference which is normally an official statement, dated 1991 or later, from the Department of Veterans Affairs certifying to the present existence of the service-connected disability and indicating the percentage of your disability. (For active duty service members expecting to be honorably discharged or released within 120 days, click Active Duty) Without this documentation, you will not receive veteran's preference. For more information, go to https://www.fedshirevets.gov.
- Cover Letters are not mandatory and will not be used to verify experience, but may be submitted.
Applicants selected for employment who are not current DOL employees will be required to provide proof of citizenship, and the E-Verify system will be used to confirm the employment eligibility of all new hires.
Unofficial Transcript(s) (in English) - If you are using education as a basis for qualifying for this position, you must submit all applicable academic transcripts demonstrating that you meet the qualifying educational requirements (ex. BA/BS, MA, JD, Ph.D., etc.). If specific coursework is required to qualify, you must supply an unofficial transcript from each academic institution in which the required courses were taken in order to receive credit. You may upload your unofficial transcript(s) as one document with a maximum size limit of 5 MB.
NOTE: The OFFICIAL Transcript(s) MUST BE RECEIVED, if you are selected, and prior to receiving the firm offer with a start date.
Reference the “Education Section” for College Transcript and Evaluation of Foreign Education.
Effective December 17, 2022, applicants will no longer have the ability to submit supporting documents via FAX. Applicants will continue to submit supporting documents with the more commonly used methods below:
If you are unable to use any of the methods listed above, please reach out to the HR Specialist shown in the contact information section of the vacancy.
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, including submission of the required documentation specified in the "Required Documents" section.
Follow the steps below to apply. Your application and ALL required supplemental documents MUST be received by 11:59 pm Eastern Time (ET) on the vacancy closing date to receive consideration. Paper applications and supplemental documents submitted in any other manner without prior approval from the vacancy contact will not be considered. Click here for information on Reasonable Accommodations.
SAVE your information before the 30 MINUTE TIMEOUT! For help, go to USAJOBS Help Center.
STEP 1 - Create USAJOBS Account on www.usajobs.gov, including Resume and Saved Documents Your resume must provide sufficient information to substantiate your responses to the self-assessment vacancy questions. If not, HR may amend your responses to more accurately reflect the competency indicated by resume content. FOR EACH EMPLOYMENT PERIOD, include: start/end month & year and note full-time or part-time (if part-time, include # of hours worked per week); otherwise, your application may be considered incomplete.
STEP 2 - Complete the 1st part of the application process (USAJOBS) Once you have identified a job on USAJOBS that you wish to apply for, click on the title and click the "Apply" button. For questions about the vacancy, contact the Agency Contact at the bottom of the announcement. Click “Start Application” and proceed through the 5 steps noted at the top of the USAJOBS page. You will be able to select a resume and documents from your USAJOBS Account that you can submit as a package as part of your DOL application. At Step 5, click “Continue to Agency Site”.
STEP 3 – Complete the 2nd part of the application process (DOL) On the Department of Labor (DOL) page, create a DOL Account if you have not already and click “APPLY TO THIS VACANCY”. Continue through the 7 progress steps indicated by circles at the top of the DOL page. The 3rd progress step is where you answer the vacancy specific questions. The 4th progress step "Documents" is where you submit required documents (only if applicable to you) specified in the "Required Documents" section of this vacancy. If you submit a document using the same document title, the 2nd submission will OVERWRITE the 1st submission.
STEP 4 – On the “Review and Submit” step, click “Submit Application” The last “Confirmation” step will turn green noting that your application was submitted successfully.
STEP 5 - Edit Application as needed by 11:59 pm ET of Closing Date by returning to USAJOBS, clicking the vacancy, then “Update Application”.
Once your complete application is received, we will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications and refer candidates for selection consideration. Candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interview. You will be notified of the outcome. A selection is expected to be made within 30 calendar days from the issuance date of the certificate.
For instructions on how to check the status of your application, go to: USAJOBS Help Guide.
USAJOBS will no longer send status alert email notifications. You can check your application status in the TAS by logging into USAJOBS and in the Applicant Dashboard, click the hiring agency Talent Acquisition System (TAS). If the TAS does not provide application tracking information, contact the agency point of contact on the job announcement.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/713467400. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
Learn more about