Clarification from the agency

Open to current, permanent employees of VISN 23. Current permanent Veterans Canteen Service (VCS) employees may apply and will be considered in the same manner as a current VA employee.

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Time-Limited: This position is for a temporary promotion, not to exceed 1 year. You may be returned at any time to the position from which you were temporarily promoted, or to a different position of equivalent grade or pay.

Major duties include but are not limited to:

• Serve as a key member in various VISN committees and activities working directly with leadership to develop an HR strategy that closely supports and facilitates meeting local organizational goals.
• Advise leadership and provide responses to proposed legislation, policies, and standards for higher authority regarding human resources issues.
• Assist with the development of the comprehensive workforce analyses and strategies that drive a cohesive and focused HR organization.
• Recommend and implement workforce analytics for the facility and VISN.
• Actively participate in facility resources board, providing consultative guidance to facilitate effective resource prioritization and use outcomes to further inform workforce planning.
• Manage the HR Employee Relations section of the Strategic Business Unit (SBU).
• Ensure managers and employees understand and participate in the performance management and development programs.
• Address and resolve difficult and complex problems that have a direct impact on the Department mission.
• Advise leadership in the resolution of administrative grievances, post separation reviews, or department level complaints.
• Review and consult with the Compensation Center of Excellence (CCoE) on valid wage evaluations, ensuring integrity of comparable data from reliable sources are utilized as evidentiary support of establishment/update/continuance of compensation considerations.
• Provide expert management consultative service to the SSBP and local leadership involving the full spectrum of HR functions on highly complex VISN-wide or equivalent issues.
• Perform various supervisory duties, such as recruiting/hiring subordinate staff members, planning and establishing work schedules, assigning work to staff, developing performance plans, and resolving staff complaints.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package: HR Specialist Total Rewards
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, Administrative Days
Telework: This position may be authorized for ad-hoc telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Supervisory Human Resources Specialist - Strategic Business Partner/PD99888S
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

The VA Midwest Health Care Network advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary or trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 02/09/2026.

Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-13 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-12. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade.

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-13 level, you must meet one of the following listed Criteria:
Criteria 1- Graduate Degree and Specialized Experience: Successful completion of a graduate level degree or higher and three years of progressive specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level. 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. Qualifying specialized experience includes: Experience in an administrative setting with Human Resources duties; applying, a wide range of Human Resources Management (HRM) concepts, laws, policies, practices, analytical, and diagnostic methods and techniques sufficient to solve a wide range of interrelated HRM problems and issues; interpreting and providing advisory consultation on standards and policies and making sound judgments based on interpretation of applicable laws, rules and/or regulations. ~OR~

Criteria 2- Specialized Experience: You must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in federal service 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. Qualifying specialized experience includes: applying, a wide range of Human Resources Management (HRM) concepts, laws, policies, practices, analytical, and diagnostic methods and techniques sufficient to solve a wide range of complex, interrelated HRM problems and issues; skill in oral and written communication techniques sufficient to formulate and present arguments and advisory opinions; making informed judgments on problems and issues; performing management advisory services related to immediate problems; interpreting and providing advisory consultation on standards and policies and make sound judgments based on interpretation of applicable laws, rules and/or regulations; and knowledge of overall operations of organization and applicability to independently follow through on assignments and perform work related to the practical and technical aspects of program administration.

Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required. You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.

Work Environment: Work is typically performed in an adequately lighted and climate-controlled office. May require occasional travel.

How you will be evaluated

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

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

• Human Resources Management
• Technical Competence
• Workforce Planning

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

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.

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.