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Human Resources Specialist

Department of State
Department of State - Agency Wide

Summary

The position is located in the Bureau of Human Resources, Office of Intake Planning and Onboarding, Onboarding Division (HR/IPO). The Onboarding Division oversees policy and operational matters involving recruitment, assessment, selection, hiring and all onboarding functions of new Foreign Service (FS) employees for the Department of State. Functions may directly impact the foreign relations of the United States.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
03/26/2026 to 04/01/2026
Salary
$102,415 to - $133,142 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12
Location
Washington, DC
Few vacancies
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Not 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
Announcement number
M/HR-MPI-2026-0006
Control number
862597400

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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  • Provides a full range of management advisory services within three functional areas: staff acquisition, compensation and communication involving Foreign Service (FS) programs.
  • Advises stakeholders, management and employees (including selectees/candidates) on services related to FS staff acquisition, compensation, employee benefits, employee performance management, and information systems.
  • Participates in the development and evaluation of new or revised Department policies, procedures, and regulations relating to FS onboarding programs.
  • Provides human resources options, statistics, background information, and other related data to the Directorate and managers within the Bureau.
  • Executes the plans and evaluation of significant HR programs and activities with a particular focus on modernizing and streamlining the FS onboarding process to improve quality of service.

Requirements

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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 applying for the GS-12 must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 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 administering or coordinating personnel onboarding or staffing actions, including reviewing appointment documentation, applying personnel policies and procedures, and working with multiple offices to ensure timely entry on duty for employees, interns, or appointees.
  • Experience interpreting regulations or guidance related to hiring, onboarding, or appointment programs and resolving procedural issues in a federal or similarly organization.

There is no substitute of education for specialized experience for the GS-12 position.

Education

Education requirements do not apply to this vacancy announcement.

Additional information

  • 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 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 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 the laws and regulations governing the Foreign Service (FS) system including the Foreign Service Act of 1980, the Foreign Affairs manual and various standard operating procedures associated with the Foreign Service.
  • Knowledge of FS staffing and recruitment techniques and procedures to fully manage FS Onboarding Program.
  • Ability to provide sound management advisory service to research, analyze, and evaluate issues, determine applicable precedents, recommend innovative methods and strategies to resolve complex integrated human resources problems, and identify the most effective approach.
  • Ability to communicate orally and in writing sufficient to draft a variety of reports, letters, memoranda, and other correspondence on a full range of sensitive management issues, as well as meet and communicate with managers and employees at all levels in situations of a highly sensitive nature.
  • Ability to interpret regulatory material.

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.). If meeting basic qualifications through education only or a combination of education and experience, applicants will not be referred to the SME panel but will be reviewed by the HR Specialist for referral. 

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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