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HR SPECIALIST (EMPLOYEE BENEFITS)

Department of State
Department of State - Agency Wide

Summary

This position is located in the Office of Retirement, Bureau of Personnel and Training (PERT/RET).

RET administers the Foreign Service retirement system for the Department of State and all foreign affairs agencies in the U.S. Government. RET also helps the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) administer the Civil Service retirement system for Department of State employees and administers the Foreign Service
retirement fund.

For more information about this Bureau, visit: PERT

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
02/26/2026 to 03/04/2026
Salary
$143,913 to - $187,093 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 14
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Washington, DC
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—Situational telework agreement maybe permitted with supervisor approval.
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
14
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Top Secret
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk
Announcement number
M/PERT-MPI-2026-0004
Control number
858846500

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

U.S. Department of State career or career conditional status employees in the competitive service; employees who are on temporary or other non-status appointments who have reinstatement or non-competitive eligibility for a competitive service appointment (e.g., tenured Foreign Service employees, employees on an excepted service appointment at the USUN who have previous career status, etc.); and CTAP

Duties

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  • Serves as the Department’s foremost technical authority and policy adviser on the administration of Foreign Service retirement systems, interpreting and applying laws, Executive Orders, Comptroller General Decisions, and Department regulations.
  • Serves as the principal liaison and point of contact between the Department and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) on all matters related to Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS) programs.
  • Develops methods and procedures that align with the regulations (Foreign Service Act and FAM) to implement new initiatives as disseminated via Benefit Administration Letters.
  • Leads the development and delivery of retirement benefits training programs for Department staff, including specialized tradecraft courses.
  • Provides advisory services to administrative officials and employees at Foreign Service posts worldwide to address unprecedented retirement cases.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is required.
  • Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance.
  • Incumbent will be subject to random drug testing.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all the required qualification requirements described below by the closing date of this announcement.  

NOTE: Applicants must meet time-in-grade and time after competitive appointment requirements, by the closing date of this announcement.

Time-In-Grade Requirements: Federal applicants must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade to satisfy time-in-grade restrictions, per 5CFR 300, Subpart F.

Applicants must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 level in the Federal service which provided the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position. Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following: 

  • Experience in developing and reviewing policies, and interpreting laws and regulations.
  • Experience managing projects and providing advice and counsel to senior leadership
  • Experience designing, coordinating, and facilitating training programs.

There is no substitute of education for specialized experience for the GS-14 position.

Education

Education requirements do not apply to this vacancy announcement.

Additional information

  • For reasonable accommodation at the U.S. Department of State, please contact the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations at (202) 663-3474 or OAA@state.gov. 
  • If eligible, situational telework agreements may be permitted with supervisory approval. 
  • Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement. If eligible, applicants to this announcement may be referred to other similar positions in other Bureaus/Offices in the Department for up to 240 days. Telework eligibility and security clearance requirements may vary for such similar positions.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

How you will be evaluated

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

Once the application process is complete, a review of your resume limited to two pages will be conducted and evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications for this position. The evaluation process consists of an online assessment and a subject matter expert review of your resume. Resumes longer than two pages will be deemed ineligible and will not be considered further. Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies:

  • Knowledge of human resources law and regulations as related to benefits for Foreign Service and Civil Service.
  • Skills in oral and written communication.
  • Ability to provide advisory services on policies.
  • Ability to interpret laws, regulations, and procedures.

In describing your experience, please be clear and specific. We do not make assumptions regarding your experience. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials may result in your removal from consideration.

Resume review: Subject matter experts (SMEs) will review your resume to determine your qualifications for this position based on the required specialized experience. Your resume should demonstrate how you meet all aspects of the specialized experience statement. SMEs will not review additional information beyond your resume (e.g., links embedded in your resume will not be opened.)

Agency Career and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP and ICTAP) candidates must be considered well-qualified for the position and submit the supporting documents listed under the required documents section of this job announcement to receive consideration for selection priority. To be considered well-qualified, in addition to meeting minimum qualifications, candidates must demonstrate proficiency in some, but not all of the major aspects of the position.


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