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HR Specialist (Employee & Labor Relations)

Department of the Interior
Office of the Secretary of the Interior
Interior Business Center

Summary

This position is part of the Interior Business Center (IBC), Human Resources Directorate (HRD), IBC Human Resources Directorate. The incumbent will be responsible for providing employee relations and labor relations services for an assigned organizational client base.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Posted yesterday · Apply by 07/10/26
Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on July 10, 2026
Location
5 vacancies in the following locations:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$63,795 - $118,204 per year

Actual salary will be adjusted to the physical worksite location OR include locality payment for your approved current DOI approved duty location.

Pay scale & grade
GS 11 - 13
Promotion potential
13
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
No
Drug test
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Financial disclosure required
No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
IBC-26-MP-12997600DC
Control number
875090600

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Current career or career conditional employee under the Policy, Management, and Budget (PMB) within the Department of the Interior (DOI) OR a current PMB employee eligible for a special hiring authority (e.g., Severely Disabled, 30% or more compensable disabled veteran, etc.)

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Duties

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  • Provides employee relations advisory services that are legal and technically sufficient including drafting disciplinary and adverse actions.
  • Reviews complex, multi-issued and multi-party complaints or grievances and determines if an external investigation is appropriate.
  • Advises management of alternative and optional approaches to resolve complex & sensitive matters.
  • Researches, provides authoritative advice and guidance, and drafts legally and technically sufficient communications in the area of performance, leave issues, misconduct and labor relations.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is required.
  • Suitable for Federal employment, determined by background investigation.
  • Direct Deposit of pay is required.
  • Selective Service registration required for male applicants, unless exempt.
  • Status candidates must meet time-in-grade (see Qualifications).

Qualifications

At the GS-11 level, you must meet one of the following qualification:
A. One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-9 level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is that which has equipped the applicant with the competencies to successfully perform the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. Specialized experience for this position is exprience providing technical advice and general guidance to supervisors and managers on employee relations matters;
OR
B. A Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree; or LL.M., if related in one of the following fields in human resources, business, public administration, management, or a directly related field of study which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities required by this position;
OR
C. A Combination of education and experience as list above.

At the GS-12 level, you must meet the following qualification:
One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is that which has equipped the applicant with the competencies to successfully perform the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. Specialized experience for this position is experience developing recommendations and providing consultation services on sensitive Federal civilian employee relations matters and technical advice and guidance to supervisors and managers on complex Federal employee relations matters, such as disciplinary actions including short suspensions and reprimands, grievances and performance issues; experience interpreting and applying 5 CFR 752 and 5 CFR 432; and development of Federal employee relations related correspondence, communications, and memorandums legal review/concurrence.

At the GS-13 level, you must meet the following qualification:
One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is that which has equipped the applicant with the competencies to successfully perform the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. Specialized experience for this position is experience developing expert-level strategic approach and recommendations and consultation on highly complex and sensitive Federal civilian employee relations matters, such as EEO, MSPB, FLRA, adverse actions; developing and implementing Federal employee relations policies, consultation with legal adviser, i.e. general counsel, solicitor; experience interpreting and applying 5 CFR 752 and 5 CFR 432; and research and development of employee relations related policies and procedures.

Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.

TIME-IN-GRADE: Current career or career-conditional employees of the Federal government, or former career or career-conditional employees, who have a break in service of less than one year, are required to meet the time-in-grade restriction of one year of Federal experience at the next lower grade, with few exceptions outlined in 5 CFR 300.603(b).

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Education

If qualifying based on EDUCATION you MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: (1) official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all of your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement. Note: PDF Portfolio documents will not be processed or accepted as they appear as a one-page document.

Only education from institutions which are accredited or preaccredited/candidate for accreditation may be used to meet education requirements.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/

Additional information

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a RA for Online Assessments.

Career Transition Assistance Programs: CTAP provides placement assistance to permanent Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated. To be considered under CTAP, applicants must be well-qualified (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements), score at least 85 on the assessment questionnaire, and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry. Please refer to Required Documents section for additional details. For information on CTAP visit here:

Appointment Authorities: For more information on appointment authority eligibility requirements:
Persons with Disabilities-Schedule A
Special Hiring Authorities for Veterans
Other Special Appointment Authorities

Telework Suitability:
The duties of this position are suitable for occasional telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval and if they meet the eligibility criterion in the 2010 Telework Act.

Stipulations of Employment:
Selection may require completion of a 1-year probationary period.

Work Schedule:
This position allows for a flexible work schedule.

Miscellaneous:
DOI uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit http://www.uscis.gov/e-verify.

If selection is made below the full performance level, promotion up to the full performance level may be made without further competition. However, promotion(s) will depend on the performance of the incumbent and are not guaranteed.

This vacancy announcement may be used to fill similar positions within 90 days.

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, your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), and the result of the USA Hire Competency Based Assessment(s) required for this position. Cheating on the online assessment may result in your removal from consideration. If you are found to be among the top candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.

You will be evaluated for this job based on:

  • The experience listed in your resume and how well you meet the experience listed in the qualification section of announcement and the competencies listed.
  • The result of the USA Hire Competency Based Assessment(s) required for this position
You will be assessed on the following technical and soft skill competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):
  • Accountability
  • Analytical Thinking
  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Decision Making
  • *Technical Competency - Employee Relations
  • Flexibility
  • Influencing/Negotiating
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Legal, Government & Jurisprudence
  • Learning
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork
Due Weight Consideration is a review process used to provide consideration to performance appraisals and awards submitted with each application on a used merit promotion certificate and factoring the results into the merit promotion selection process.

Please submit 1) a copy of your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation and 2) a list of any awards (e.g. superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increase, etc.) you received in the last 5 years. Any performance appraisal/evaluation and award documentation you provide will be forwarded to the selecting official. The selecting official will review this documentation and give it due weight consideration during the overall selection process. If you do not have your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation, please submit a statement as to why it is not available. Please indicate if any prior performance appraisals/evaluations were at an acceptable level.

It is your responsibility to obtain and upload your performance appraisal/evaluation and/or list of awards prior to the closing of the vacancy announcement.

Office of the Secretary of the Interior

Agency contact information

Krystal Simmons
Email
Krystal_Simmons@ibc.doi.gov
Address
IBC Human Resources Directorate
One Denver Federal Center
Building 48
Denver, CO 80225
US

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https://www.doi.gov/ibc/about-us/jobs

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