Skip to main content
U.S. flag
Back to results
 

Human Resources Specialist

Department of State
Department of State - Agency Wide

Summary

This position is located in the Bureau of Personnel and Training, Office of Talent Acquisition, Office of Intake Planning and Onboarding, Onboarding Division (TAC/IPO/ON) which oversees policy and operational matters involving entry into the Foreign Service (FS) and paid internships for the Department of State. This position provides technical support and advisory services to managers and employees regarding a variety of HR activities for new and former Foreign Service employees. 

Overview

Help
Open & closing dates
03/19/2026 to 03/23/2026
Salary
$121,785 to - $158,322 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Location
Washington, DC
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Occasional travel may be required.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
13
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Top Secret
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
M/PERT-MPI-2026-0025
Control number
861691000

Duties

Help
  • Provides the full range of management advisory services for staff acquisition, human resource strategy, and organization of Foreign Service skills.
  • Staff Acquisition - Provide advice and guidance directly to managers and employees on all phases of the FS onboarding process.
  • Compensation - Provide advice and guidance to managers and employees on pay and leave matters upon entering service.
  • Communication - Correctly address inquiries from candidates, managers, HR specialists, worldwide personnel, and other Department personnel at all levels, as well as external customers for which the Office serves as a service provider.
  • Provides client Bureaus and FS candidates with services in any two or more of the following human resources (HR) functions: FS staff acquisition, compensation, employee benefits, employee performance management, and information systems.
  • Resolves problems related to complex FS employee cases, involving a combination of onboarding and pay issues.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

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

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-12 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 managing a Foreign Service onboarding program.
  • Experience evaluating issues and making recommendations to resolve complex human resources problems.

There is no substitute of education for specialized experience for the GS-13 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 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 this Bureau for up to 240 days and may require a higher or lower security clearance.  Telework eligibility and security clearance requirements may vary for such similar positions.
  • Agency & Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP & ICTAP): View OPM’s  CTAP & ICTAP eligibility website for more information. You must be rated in the Well-Qualified category and submit supporting documents under the required documents section of this announcement to receive selection priority consideration. To be considered Well-Qualified applicants must: score an 85 or above, meet Minimum Qualifications, and demonstrate proficiency in some, but not all major aspects of the position. 

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 by an HR specialist to determine if you are qualified for this job. 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 the Foreign Service Act of 1980 and Foreign Affairs Manual.
  • Ability to provide management advisory on Foreign Service recruitment.
  • Ability to communicate to a diverse audience.
  • Knowledge of Foreign Service personnel action processing.
  • Ability to evaluate information from a variety of sources.
  • Ability to manage program priorities and milestones.

Agency Career and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP and ICTAP) candidates must be rated "Well Qualified" and submit the supporting documents listed under the required documents section of this job 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.


You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Your session is about to expire!

Your USAJOBS session will expire due to inactivity in 8 minutes. Any unsaved data will be lost if you allow the session to expire. Click the button below to continue your session.