Clarification from the agency

AREA 5- All personnel eligible for Title 5 Excepted Service Employment for the Delaware National Guard

This announcement closes on 06/16/2026 for receipt of applications. Due to high volume of applicants, the first 35 applicants will receive first consideration.

Major Duties for GS-0201-12
1. Provides program management and guidance for the Performance Management Program. Provides advice and assistance to supervisors and managers on preparation of performance standards and appraisals. Reviews performance standards and appraisals for regulatory compliance. Monitors the timely submission of performance standards and appraisals and provides reports. Coordinates between management, and HR Development Specialist in the development of performance improvement plans. Manages the use of the performance management program, Defense Performance Appraisal Program (DPMAP). Troubleshoots and coordinates with the Human Resources Specialist (Information Systems) to submit DPMAP help desk tickets to remove or modify Performance Standards or Appraisals that are no longer valid. Serves as subject matter expert for the employee recognition awards program. Develops and provides managers and supervisors with guidance on recognition awards program procedures. Publishes and updates the incentive awards program. Reviews award nominations requests to assure ratings and justification meet the regulatory requirements. Prepares correspondence relating to the awards program. Publicizes the Suggestion Program and coordinates management of the program with NGB.

2 Provides services to a complex and geographically separated organization Advises managers about appropriate disciplinary or other corrective techniques responsive to a range of conduct and performance problems. Explains rules and procedures to employees and management to help them understand rights and obligations while maintaining and encouraging objectivity in situations that may be charged with emotion and involve assumptions. Resolves disputed and interpreted facts, events, and/or identifying aggravating or mitigating factors relevant to the case. Conducts extensive probing and analysis to identify obscure or underlying causes of misconduct or poor performance while focusing managers and supervisors on all the processes of performance management including planning, monitoring, developing, and rewarding performance as well as the rating process. Develops or assists in developing written policy and guidelines for use by local management in delineating their roles and responsibilities in such matters as developing individual employee appraisal plans, completing appraisal forms, reappraising employees as appropriate, and providing counseling and training as necessary.

3. Provides labor-relations services to a complex organization. Conducts studies relative to the development of management interests and responds to union interests at the bargaining table, which typically have a significant impact on production, involve large numbers of employees, involve several interrelated issues, and are potentially of considerable cost to the state organization if unresolved. Represents management in unfair labor practice and representation hearings before the Federal Labor Relations Authority, and in impasse proceedings before the Federal Services Impasses Panel. Advises negotiating committee members on the proper interpretation and applicability of arbitration decisions and precedent decisions related to local situations. Communicates state-wide labor relations policies and procedures to the management and staff of the organizational units serviced and relates existing precedents to the specific issue in justifying management's views. Serves as the spokesperson of a management negotiating committee involved in contract, midterm, and appropriate arrangement negotiations. Serves as a principal point of contact on labor-management matters of overall concern to established bargaining units at the local level (e.g., grievances, unfair labor practice charges, information sharing, contract interpretation, labor relations training, the preparation and conduct of contract bargaining, etc.). Provides technically accurate interpretations of negotiated agreement provisions and reconciles conflicting technical viewpoints. Responsible for the accurate and timely processing of Request for Personnel Actions (SF-52), Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) for areas within their HR Office delegation memorandum.

4. May have limited leader responsibilities. Distributes and balances workload among employees. Gives on-the-job training to lower-graded employees in the LR/ER section. May approve emergency leave for assigned employees in extenuating circumstances. Provides input into annual performance appraisals. Recommends training needs for employees. Provides input to the supervisor concerning selections, promotions, reassignments, recognition of outstanding performance.

Contact HRO for a full copy of the GS-12 Position Descriptions.

Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen
• Males born after 31 December 1959 must be registered for Selective Service.
• Federal employment suitability as determined by a background investigation.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance within one year of hire. Failure to be able to obtain and maintain the required level of clearance may result in the withdrawal of a job offer or removal.
• Must meet the definition of specialized experience by the closing of the announcement.
• Time in Grade: Current Federal employees must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade in the Federal service. Time in grade requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
• This is a full-time Permanent position that may require completion of a one or two year trial period.
• Superior Qualifications MAY be authorized for this position

Qualifications

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: GS-12: Must have one year of specialized experience and must be equivalent to at least the next lower grade level of GS-11. Must have experience applying labor-employee relation principles, concepts, practices, laws, and regulations on all topic areas to provide authoritative interpretation and guidance in a state national guard. Skill in applying performance management, performance appraisal, and awards program principles, practices, and techniques, sufficient to: present performance management as a beneficial tool to help managers and supervisors manage and improve individual and organizational performance. Written and oral communication techniques sufficient to develop and deliver briefings, prepare correspondence, foster understanding and acceptance of findings, present arguments and advisory opinions, and coordinate activities among diverse individuals and institutions. Knowledge of and skill in applying non-traditional collaborative approaches to Employee/Labor Relations, Employee/Labor/Management partnership, alternative dispute resolution, interest-based bargaining, and facilitation to serve as the command labor advisor in a State National Guard.

QUALITY OF EXPERIENCE: Qualification factors include education and competencies in the human resources program. Candidate's competencies are evaluated on the basis of duties performed. The applicant's resume package may include military and/ or civilian human resources experiences and experiences in writing military and/ or civilian performance reports; awarded training certificates; and official college transcripts. The resume must clearly demonstrate the individual's possession of the competencies needed to fully perform the Series GS-0201 work, as defined in the applicable position description's specified grade, duties, and responsibilities.

Qualifications are based on your ability to demonstrate in your resume that you possess one year of the specialized experience for this announcement at a comparable scope and responsibility. To ensure all of the essential information is in your resume, we encourage you to use the USAJOBS online Resume Builder (https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/account/documents/resume/build/). If you choose to use your own resume, it must contain the following information organized by experience/position: (1) job title, (2) name of employer, (3) start and end dates of each period of employment (from MM/DD/YY to MM/DD/YY), (4) detailed description of duties performed, accomplishments, and related skills, and (5) hours worked per week (full-time employment and part-time employment will be prorated in crediting experience). Federal experience/positions must also include the occupational series, grade level, and dates in which you held each grade level.

Determining length of General or Specialized Experience is dependent on the above information. Failure to provide the above information in your resume may result in your application being found "not qualified."

Do not copy and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

Your resume serves as the basis for experience related qualification determinations, and you must highlight your most relevant and significant work experience and education (if applicable), as it relates to this job opportunity. Please use your own words, be clear, and specific when describing your work history. We cannot make assumptions regarding your experience.

PART-TIME OR UNPAID EXPERIENCE: Credit will be given for appropriate unpaid and or part-time work. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week.

VOLUNTEER WORK EXPERIENCE: Refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service Programs (i.e., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student and social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge and skills that can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

How you will be evaluated

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

Once the announcement has closed, your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine if you meet the qualifications listed on this announcement. If you are minimally qualified, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses on the assessment questionnaire to determine your level of experience. If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application package, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this position. This vacancy announcement will be qualified using Category Rating procedures as defined the Delaware National Guards Merit Placement Plan.

Assessment: Prior to initiating hiring and promoting competitive procedures through USAJOBS for NG T32 Technicians and positions; NG T5 Excepted Service Employees and positions, the JFHQ-State HR specialist must complete a formal job analysis and crediting plan to ensure the position's competencies are correctly assessed.

Numeric Value Groups: The position's multiple numeric groups, defined as at least two groups (see below), are established to assess each candidate against job-related criteria defined by the job analysis and crediting plan. Applicants who meet the basic qualification requirements, established for the position, are placed in a numeric group. The position's job analysis and credit plan's ranking factors are knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors that are expected to significantly enhance performance in a position; however, are not essential for satisfactory performance. Applicants who possess such competencies are ranked above those who do not; but no one is rated ineligible solely for failure to possess all defined competencies.

Highly-Qualified: The numeric value rating normally ranges from 90-100 points. This higher numeric value group is applied for those candidates who possess the type and quality of experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position, including all selective placement factors and appropriate numeric ranking factor(s) as determined by the job analysis and crediting plan. To be Highly Qualified, the candidates are considered, by the human resources specialist (staffing), as highly proficient and fully competent to effectively perform all the job requirements; and, can successfully perform in the position almost immediately, or with a minimum amount of training and/ or orientation.

Well-Qualified: The numeric value group normally ranges from 80-89 points. This next lower numeric value group is used for those candidates that meet the minimum qualifications of the position and are proficient in most, but not all, of the requirements of the position. Candidates may require some training and/or orientation in order to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position.

Qualified: The numeric value group normally ranges from 70-79 points. This lowest group is used for those candidates who meet the minimum qualifications of the position and are proficient in some, but not all, of the position's requirements. Candidates will require extensive training and/or orientation in order to satisfactorily perform the position's duties.

APPRAISALS/AWARDS: Hiring Managers use objective methods and consider previous performance appraisals and awards in the selection process. Current Federal Civilian employees should list any relevant performance related rating and/or awards in your resume.