This position is located under Workforce Management and Consulting (WMC), Human Resources Operations Office (HROO). The incumbent serves as a participant in the Human Resources Specialist Training and Accelerated Readiness (HR STAR) Program under the direction of a qualified preceptor.
Summary
This position is located under Workforce Management and Consulting (WMC), Human Resources Operations Office (HROO). The incumbent serves as a participant in the Human Resources Specialist Training and Accelerated Readiness (HR STAR) Program under the direction of a qualified preceptor.
The first 300 eligible applicants will be reviewed and referred to the selecting official. Eligible applicants that apply received after the first cut off date will be referred at regular intervals as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until positions are filled.
The HR Specialist Training and Accelerated Readiness (HR STAR) is a one-year training program. Get started on a path to a VA career by applying to one of two career tracks:
Recruitment, Placement, and Compensation
Employee Relations and Labor relations
As part of this virtual training program, you'll receive training to prepare you to work at VA as an HR specialist. You'll be paired with a preceptor who is dedicated to monitoring, mentoring, and supporting your success as you navigate through the program. You'll progress from foundational to intermediate training, applying your new skills first in a scenario-based training environment and then, with your preceptor's oversight and supervision, to live assignments.
Major Duties:
Providing Human Resources guidance and consultation.
Researching and analyzing Human Resources issues.
Communicating orally and in writing to provide factual Human Resources information.
Ensuring compliance with applicable Human Resources regulations and procedures.
Recommending solutions to Human Resources issues.
Completion of a training program that encompasses the following Human Resources functions to include: Recruitment/Placement/Compensation and Employee and Labor Relations.
Areas of HR Include:
Classification: Drafting positions evaluation for review by supervisor or higher-graded HR Specialist.
Compensation: Pay-advising-assists with providing management with compensation flexibilities to help recruit, manage, and retain employees.
Staffing: Participate in recruiting, examining, selecting and placing employees.
Benefits: Providing guidance and consultation, regarding simple retirement, insurance, health benefits and injury compensation issues.
Employee Development: Participates in planning, administering, or evaluating programs designed to develop employees and manage learning in the organization.
Performance Management: Assisting managers and supervisors in establishing, maintaining and monitoring effective performance management programs to plan, monitor, develop, rate, and reward employee performance.
Employee Relations: Provides basic advice and assistance to employees and managers in simple matters related to conduct, performance, attendance and dispute resolution.
Labor Relations: Participates in establishing and maintaining effective relationships with labor organizations that represent Federal employee; perform fact-finding and research applicable laws and policies as part of preparation for negotiations and labor agreements.
The incumbent provides basic information and services for a wide variety of employee categories that involve different statutory and regulatory authorities. Examples of employee categories include General Schedule (GS), Federal Wage System (FWS), Title 38 and Hybrid Title 38.
Promotion Potential: This position is a multi-grade career ladder. The major duties listed above represent the full performance level of GS-12. At the GS-7 grade level, you will perform assignments of a more limited scope and with less independence. You will progressively acquire the background necessary to perform at the full performance level of GS-12. Promotion is at the discretion of the supervisor and is contingent upon satisfactory performance, availability of higher-level work, and availability of funds. 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.
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm Compressed/Flexible: Not Available Remote: This is a remote position Position Description Title/PD#: Human Resources Specialist - HR STAR/PD99557A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Physical Requirements: No special physical exertion is required. The work is primarily performed while sitting though some work may require periods of standing. The regular and recurring work of the position involves sitting at a desk, conferences, meetings, etc., and occasional visits to activity work sites. Occasional use of automobile and public conveyances may be required. Occasional travel may be required.
Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
A complete application package; Resume, Transcripts, etc.
Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
All trainees may be required to sign a Continuing Service Agreement in pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 4108 and 5 CFR 410.209
Qualifications
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
The BASIC REQUIREMENT for the HR Specialist GS-0201 series is presumed met if found qualified at the GS-0201-7 level and above.
To qualify for this position at the GS-07 level, you must meet one of the following listed below:
GS-07 Specialized Experience: You must have one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes experience that demonstrates HR management knowledge, concepts and principles and the performance of work in one or more of the HR specialty areas. Such experience may be gained in administrative, professional, technical, or other responsible work positions in the public (i.e., Government or military) or private sector.
NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates, AND hours worked per week.
OR
GS-07 Education: you must possess one full year of graduate level education OR a bachelor's degree with Superior Academic Achievement (S.A.A.). The S.A.A. provision is an educational achievement based on class standing, grade-point average or honor society membership. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position.
S.A.A. is based on (1)class standing, (2) grade-point average, or (3) honor society membership.
1. Class standing--Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses.
2. Grade-point average (G.P.A.) - Applicants must have a grade-point average of:
3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on their official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or
3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum.
Grade-point averages are to be rounded to one decimal place. For example, 2.95 will round to 3.0 and 2.94 will round to 2.9.
3. Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society - Applicants can be considered eligible based on membership in one of the national scholastic honor societies listed below. These honor societies are listed in the Association of College Honor Societies. Agencies considering eligibility based on any society not included in the following list must ensure that the honor society meets the minimum requirements of the Association of College Honor Societies. Membership in a freshman honor society cannot be used to meet the requirements of this provision. For a list of recognized honor societies please visit http://www.achsnatl.org/quick_link.asp.
Qualifying education for the GS-0201 series includes courses and programs in HR, HR development, HR management, business, business management/administration, industrial relations, labor relations, industrial psychology, organizational psychology, organizational development, management, organizational behavior, pre-law/law, legal studies, health care management/administration, public administration, public policy, human services, leadership and/or humanities.
A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.
OR
GS-07 Combination of Education and Specialized Experience: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-07 level. To calculate, first identify the percentage of required education you have earned (when substituting, you cannot use the first 60 semester hours that you earned). Then identify the percentage of required experience you possess. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify at the GS-07. For example, an applicant who has 9 semester hours of graduate level education (i.e. 50% of graduate education required) and 6 months of creditable specialized experience (i.e. 50% of the required experience) would equal 100% of the required experience for the position.
A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.
NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week.
IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. 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. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.
You will be rated on the following competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position:
Educational Experience (ACWA)
Mathematical Skills (ACWA)
Rating (ACWA)
Social Organizations (ACWA)
Work Experience (ACWA)
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.
Qualifying education for the GS-0201 series includes courses and programs in HR, HR development, HR management, business, business management/administration, industrial relations, labor relations, industrial psychology, organizational psychology, organizational development, management, organizational behavior, pre-law/law, legal studies, health care management/administration, public administration, public policy, human services, leadership and/or humanities.
A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.
TRANSCRIPTS SHOWING DEGREE CONFERRED ARE REQUIRED TO DETERMINE ELIGIBILITY.
Reference: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix F1; Human Resources Specialist Qualification Standards GS-0201. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office.
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 here: 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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.
Additional information
The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be well-qualified, applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors if applicable, and must be proficient in most of the requirements of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website which can be found at https://www.opm.gov/.
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.
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.
To ensure compliance with an applicable preliminary nationwide injunction, which may be supplemented, modified, or vacated, depending on the course of ongoing litigation, the Federal Government will take no action to implement or enforce the COVID-19 vaccination requirement pursuant to Executive Order 14043 on Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees. Therefore, to the extent a VA job announcement includes language requiring applicants to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 pursuant to Executive Order 14043, that requirement does not currently apply to this Job Announcement. VA may request information regarding your vaccination status, if selected, for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.
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 windowLearn more about federal 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 will be referred in the order in which they were received. Your responses to the assessment questionnaires will be reviewed along with the information provided in your resume and supporting documentation to determine if you are qualified for the position. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.
The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.
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 windowLearn more about federal 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.
IMPORTANT: Please ensure your resume include up-to-date contact information (phone number(s), email address(s), etc.)
Documents Accepted: The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please use this checklist to make sure you have included other documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), documentation to support Veterans Preference claims, or ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees). You will not be contacted for additional information. Applicants will be deemed ineligible if supporting documentation is not submitted.
Cover Letter
DD-214/ Statement of Service
Disability Letter (VA)
Other Required Documents (if applicable)
Resume
Separation Notice (RIF)
SF-15
SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
Transcript
Documents Required: To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
Resume
Applicants will be deemed ineligible if supporting documentation is not submitted.
Veterans' Preference: Since the Direct-Hire Recruitment Authority is being used, traditional Veterans' Preference rules do not apply. Qualified veterans will, however, be given full consideration for this position.
Applications are accepted online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application.
To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 05/03/2023 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11941004.
1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
2. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.
NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date. To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
VHA Servicing Human Resources Office - HRMS
2402 Wildwood Ave Suite 301
Sherwood, AR 72120
US
Next steps
After the vacancy announcement closes, applicants are evaluated to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
IMPORTANT: Please ensure your resume include up-to-date contact information (phone number(s), email address(s), etc.)
Documents Accepted: The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please use this checklist to make sure you have included other documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), documentation to support Veterans Preference claims, or ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees). You will not be contacted for additional information. Applicants will be deemed ineligible if supporting documentation is not submitted.
Cover Letter
DD-214/ Statement of Service
Disability Letter (VA)
Other Required Documents (if applicable)
Resume
Separation Notice (RIF)
SF-15
SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
Transcript
Documents Required: To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
Resume
Applicants will be deemed ineligible if supporting documentation is not submitted.
Veterans' Preference: Since the Direct-Hire Recruitment Authority is being used, traditional Veterans' Preference rules do not apply. Qualified veterans will, however, be given full consideration for this position.
Applications are accepted online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application.
To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 05/03/2023 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11941004.
1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
2. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.
NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date. To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
VHA Servicing Human Resources Office - HRMS
2402 Wildwood Ave Suite 301
Sherwood, AR 72120
US
Next steps
After the vacancy announcement closes, applicants are evaluated to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
