At the Architect of the Capitol (AOC), we operate as one team, dedicated to one mission, which is to serve Congress and the Supreme Court, preserve America’s Capitol and inspire memorable experiences. This mission is achieved through the effective work of talented and dedicated professionals who are committed to service excellence and the preservation of the landmarks throughout the Capitol Hill campus. 

The Employee Benefits and Services Branch Chief has operational responsibility for overseeing AOC's employee benefits programs to include health and life insurance, thrift savings plan, long term care insurance, dental and vision, flexible spending accounts, retirement benefits, workers’ compensation, and work/life and wellness programs that foster health and well-being.

Major Duties:

As branch chief, you will:

• Provide leadership and supervision to a team dedicated to delivering and administering Federal employee benefits and services effectively and efficiently through first-class customer service.
• Lead the branch by planning the work to be accomplished, assigning duties, ensuring quality assurance and effective internal controls, holding subordinates accountable and evaluating employee performance.  
• Provide expert management advisory services to AOC leaders, supervisors and employees regarding benefits, retirement and work/life programs, while keeping abreast of and reporting trends in government and private industry benefits programs to further advance AOC’s programs and service delivery.
• Provide retirement counseling for employees and/or their survivors involving federal retirement programs, including the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS), and Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS).
• Oversee and manage a quality assurance program that validates that retirement coverage of new hires, rehires or transfers is accurate and in accordance with the appropriate Federal retirement system.
• Manage and resolve complex cases in employee benefits, retirement and other related insurance matters, including employee claims under the Federal Erroneous Retirement Coverage Correction Act (FERCCA).
• Serve as the primary escalation point of contact for complex benefits matters and inquiries, providing timely and exceptional customer service.
• Oversee benefits onboarding, changes, terminations and retirement processes, ensuring compliance and accuracy.
• Lead the design, implementation, and evaluation of agency-wide well-being initiatives (physical, mental, and financial health).
• Manage annual health fairs, wellness events and other innovative benefits programs.
• Develop and execute a comprehensive communications strategy for benefits and wellbeing programs that encourages and empowers employees to take advantage of wellness programs to help them thrive.
• Oversee the AOC workers’ compensation program, applying familiarity with Department of Labor, Office of Workers’ Compensation regulations and return to work initiatives.
• Deliver onsite and virtual training programs and presentations regarding various employee benefit programs.
• Provide expert knowledge regarding pertinent laws, regulations and processes involving benefits programs, military service regulations, veterans' benefits and previous government service.

Conditions of employment

• You must be able to pass a drug test.
• Your resume and question responses must demonstrate the job-related KSAs.
• You must meet the definition of specialized experience.

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Qualifications

You must meet the United States Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) qualification requirements (including specialized experience and/or educational requirements) for the advertised position. You must meet all eligibility and qualifications requirements by the closing date of the job announcement. Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions. It is available for your review on the OPM web site at OPM qualification standards
 
Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level.
 
Candidates for this position must have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 grade level in the Federal service.

Examples of specialized experience include the following:

• Demonstrated subject matter expertise in management and administration of Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) and Federal Employees’ Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP), flexible spending/savings accounts, Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance (FEGLI), long-term care, and federal retirement systems.
• Experience developing and delivering exceptional benefits presentations and employee benefits workshops.
• Experience administering or supervising a workers’ compensation program.
• Experience providing expert guidance to leadership on high-impact employee benefits matters, interpreting statutes, regulations and OPM guidance, and making recommendations that support organizational objectives and agency-wide decision-making.
• Experience counseling employees on federal retirement programs and other benefits.
• Experience in developing well-written and well-informed correspondence, standard operating procedures, program materials and other documents regarding federal benefits programs and services. Demonstrated experience delivering effective and innovative work/life programs.
• Demonstrated ability to supervise, lead and inspire a talented group of employees toward meeting the organization’s vision, mission and goals, and to drive a high-performance, high-accountability and results-driven work culture.

How you will be evaluated

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

Your resume will be evaluated based on evidence of your ability to demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) for this position, possession of any specialized experience, and how well your background and experience relates to the self-assessment questions in the job announcement. The self-assessment questions relate to the following knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies:

• Supervisory/Managerial - Plans, distributes, coordinates, and monitors work assignments of others; evaluates work performance and provides feedback to others on their performance; promotes a work environment that fosters respect, inclusiveness, fairness and equitable treatment, innovation, teamwork and safety.
• Customer Service – Works with clients and customers to assess their needs, provide information or assistance, resolve their problems, or satisfy their expectations; has in-depth knowledge of available products and services; is committed to providing quality products and services.
• Strategic Thinking - Formulates objectives and priorities and implements plans consistent with the long-term interests of the organization. Capitalizes on opportunities and manages risks.
• Employee Benefits – Possesses knowledge of HR concepts, principles and practices related to retirement, health, life and other insurance programs, compensation for work-related injuries, and other employee benefits programs.
• Work/Life Programs - Possesses knowledge of laws, rules, regulations, case law, principles, and practices related to work/life programs such as telework, alternative work schedules and wellness programs.

Your responses to the self-assessment questions serve as the basis for your initial rating. You will receive a numerical score based on your responses to these questions.  Next, your responses will be evaluated by a Human Resources Specialist and/or a subject matter expert against the information provided in your resume and optional cover letter. Your resume must support your answers to the self-assessment questions. Falsifying your background, education and/or experience is cause for non-selection or disqualification from further consideration.

Please note that a complete application is required for consideration. (Please review the “Required Documents” section of this job announcement to see what must be included in a complete application).