EBSA plays a vital role in protecting the retirement, health, and other job-based benefits of America's workers, retirees, and their families. We issue effective regulations, offer comprehensive education and assistance to workers, plan sponsors, fiduciaries, and service providers, and rigorously enforce the law. We serve workers, families, and the broader employee benefits community by protecting the security and integrity of the nation's benefit systems.
EBSA plays a vital role in protecting the retirement, health, and other job-based benefits of America's workers, retirees, and their families. We issue effective regulations, offer comprehensive education and assistance to workers, plan sponsors, fiduciaries, and service providers, and rigorously enforce the law. We serve workers, families, and the broader employee benefits community by protecting the security and integrity of the nation's benefit systems.
Open to individuals who have completed a bachelor's or graduate degree within the previous two years or Veterans who have completed a bachelor's or graduate degree and have an intervening period of obligated service of at least four years in the uniformed services. The two-year eligibility period begins on the date of discharge or release from the uniformed service. (See the Qualifications section for further details.)
This position is located in the Cincinnati Regional Office.
Benefits Advisors respond to participant and beneficiary inquiries and complaints and provide technical assistance on the obligations of employers, plan sponsors, and service providers under ERISA, COBRA, ACA, HIPAA, MHPAEA, etc. They resolve valid complaints through informal dispute resolution, refer complaints to enforcement involving potential criminal activity or plan wide issues that cannot be resolved informally, and serve as the focal point of the DOL liaison with the general public.
The duties and responsibilities at the GS-07 and GS-09 levels are generally comparable; however, as you advance, the degree of supervision and guidance will decrease and the duties and responsibilities will increase.
Major duties for this position include but are not limited to:
To be eligible for appointment under the College Graduate authority, applicants must meet requirement A or B.
A. Applicants who have completed a bachelor's or graduate degree from a Qualifying Educational Institution within the previous two years or within 60 days of the vacancy closing date (05/06/2026).
OR
B. Veterans who have completed a bachelor's or graduate degree from a Qualifying Educational Institution and have an intervening period of obligated service of at least four years in the uniformed services. The two-year eligibility period begins on the date of discharge or release from the uniformed service.
In addition to meeting the eligibility listed above, you must also meet the education and/or experience requirements described below.
Specialized Experience is the experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform the duties of the position successfully, 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. For GS-07: Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level GS-05 in the Federal Service. For GS-09: Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level GS-07 in the Federal Service.
GS-07. You must meet 3 out of the 4 examples of specialized experience listed here: Qualifying specialized experience for the GS-07 is defined as:
GS-09: You must meet 4 out of the 5 examples of specialized experience listed here. Qualifying specialized experience for the GS-09 is defined as:
OR - you may substitute education for specialized experience as follows: A master's or equivalent graduate degree. OR 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or equivalent graduate degree. OR LL.B. or J.D., if related.
Any applicant falsely claiming an academic degree from an accredited school will be subject to actions ranging from disqualification from federal employment to removal from federal service.
If your education was completed at a foreign college or university, you must show comparability to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States and comparability to applicable minimum coursework requirements for this position. Click Evaluation of Foreign Education for more information.
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.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Applicants meeting the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements will be referred to the selecting official. Rating/ranking and veterans' preference does not apply to this position.
You may preview application questions for this vacancy here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12945814
The information you provide may be verified by a review of your paid, unpaid, volunteer, as it demonstrates the competencies or skills required for the position to be filled. Your evaluation may include an interview, reference checks, or other assessment conducted by HR specialists, subject matter experts, or panel members and may include other assessment tools (ex. interview, structured interview, written test, work sample, etc.).
USA Hire
You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):
The following documents must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on the vacancy closing date.
The following documents are required from ALL applicants (PLEASE READ CAREFULLY):
NOTE: If you are selected you will be required to provide official transcript(s) prior to receiving the firm offer with a start date.
Cover Letters are not mandatory and will not be used to verify experience but may be submitted.
Reference the Education Section for College Transcript and Evaluation of Foreign Education. Do not upload password-protected documents.
Applicants selected for employment who are not current DOL employees will be required to provide proof of citizenship, and the E-Verify system will be used to confirm the employment eligibility of all new hires.
As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period 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 1-year probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Persons who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or have speech disabilities, please dial 711 to access telecommunications relay services.
To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, including submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section.
Your application and ALL required supplemental documents MUST be received by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on the vacancy closing date to receive consideration.
Important - Save your information before the 30-minute system timeout! For help, go to the USAJOBS Help Center.
STEP 1 - Create USAJOBS Account on www.usajobs.gov, including Resume and Saved Documents. For each employment period, include start/end month & year and note full-time or part-time (if part-time, include # of hours worked per week) otherwise, your application may be considered incomplete.
NOTE: In alignment with the Presidential Memorandum titled Merit Hiring Plan, dated May 29, 2025, applicants may only submit a resume limited to two (2) pages. Only the résumé uploaded under the 'Resume" document type in USAJOBS will be reviewed. If the resume submitted exceeds two (2) pages, the application will be deemed ineligible for further consideration.
STEP 2 - Complete the 1st part of the application process (USAJOBS).Once you have identified a job on USAJOBS that you wish to apply for, click on the job title and then click the Apply button. For questions about the vacancy, contact the Agency Contact at the bottom of the announcement. Proceed through the steps noted at the top of the USAJOBS page. You will be able to select a resume and documents from your USAJOBS Account that you can submit as a package as part of your DOL application. In the final step, once you have certified your application, click the Continue to agency site button.
STEP 3 - Complete the 2nd part of the application process (DOL). On the Department of Labor (DOL) page, create a DOL Account if you have not already and click Apply to this vacancy. Continue through the progress steps at the top of the DOL page. The 2nd progress step is where you answer the vacancy-specific questions. The 3rd progress step Documents is where you submit the required documents (only if applicable to you) specified in the Required Documents section of this vacancy.
STEP 4 - On the Review and Submit step, verify each section of your application is complete and correct. In order to submit your application, you must have a check mark next to each section listed. If there is an X, return to the appropriate section and follow the prompts. When it is ready for submission, certify your application and click the Submit Application button.
STEP 5 - Edit Application as needed by 11:59 pm Eastern Time of Closing Date by returning to USAJOBS, clicking the vacancy, then Update Application.
If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
Once your complete application is received, we will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications and refer candidates for selection consideration. Candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interviews. You will be notified of the outcome. A selection is expected to be made within 30 calendar days of the issuance date of the certificate.
For instructions on how to check the status of your application, go to USAJOBS Help Guide.
USAJOBS will no longer send status alert email notifications. You can check your application status in the TAS by logging into USAJOBS and in the Applicant Dashboard, click the hiring agency Talent Acquisition System (TAS). If the TAS does not provide application tracking information, contact the agency's point of contact on the job announcement.
To verify that your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, select the Application Status link, and then select the more information link for this position. The Application page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
