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Supervisory Human Resources Specialist (ER/LR)

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
South Central VA Healthcare Network

Summary

The purpose of the Supervisory HR Specialist (ER) position is to supervise a VISN Work-Life Benefit (WLB) and Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Shared Service Unit (SSU) that provides services, support, and advice in WLB and RA in support of all VHA medical centers and the Network.

This position is assigned to the VISN 16 Employee/Labor Relations (ER/LR) Unit, and will supervise the Work-Life Benefits (WLB) team.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Posted yesterday · Apply by 07/13/26
Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on July 13, 2026
Location
1 vacancy in the following locations:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$106,437 - $138,370 per year

The salary range listed is based on the Rest of the US (RUS) pay scale. Salary will be determined after selection.

Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Promotion potential
None
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Appointment type
Temporary promotion - Not to Exceed 1 Year
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
Yes
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
High Risk (HR)
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
CAZN-12991468-26-HFS
Control number
875275400

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Duties

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NOTE: This is a temporary promotion opportunity NTE 1 year.

Major duties include but are not limited to:

  • Responsible for supervising and administering the VISN's Federal Work-Life/Employee Benefits Program, including Federal Leave Programs, employee group life insurance, health benefits, Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) and other Work-Life programs.
  • Serves as the WLB subject matter expert (SME). Possessing thorough knowledge and mastery of best practices in WLB in federal government, VA/VHA/VISN policies and regulations and consistently be abreast of changes, modifications, and revisions to laws, regulations, and policies pertaining to WLB.
  • Advising employees, applicants for employment, supervisors, and members of management regarding laws, regulations and procedures for Work Life Benefits and Reasonable Accommodation.
  • Promote organizational efforts to support a balance between work and personal life that fosters employee engagement and productivity by providing federal leave program and Work-Life/Employee Benefits services to VHA employees and supervisory/ managerial staff.
  • Brief management and all VISN leadership on the status of WLB programs, and train staff and management regarding the latest information.
  • Prepare communications regarding current and future requirements and information, and serving as the VISN's policy and regulatory subject matter expert for WLB programs.
  • Coordinates with other areas of Human Resources, including Recruitment & Placement, Employee/Labor Relations, Retirement Shared Service Office (RSSO) and Workers Compensation to ensure that the employee is advised of their rights under benefit programs which may be appropriate to them.
  • Participates in integrated solutions of WLB problems and issues that cross functional lines and/or have VISN-wide implications.
  • As the VISN's SME, resolves the more complex and unusual problems and provides technical advice to specialists. Identifies the need for special projects to evaluate the effectiveness of programs and initiates milestones and goals.
  • Promotes an environment in which employees are empowered to participate in and contribute to effective mission accomplishment.
  • Assists the ER/LR Chief or Associate HR Officer with section-related strategic planning and budget development. Provides advice involving staffing strategies for their programs. Goals encompass a wide range of different conditions and expectations from a variety of diverse VISN customers in an environment characterized by consolidation of functions.
  • Evaluates unit productivity, quality, regulatory compliance, and technical competence. Makes changes in work assignments and workflow; balances workload among positions to increase effectiveness of operations. Meets with subordinates to discuss production reports, offers and solicits recommendations for improvement, and ensures staff maintain optimum case load management.
  • Assures maximum efficiency, economy, and effectiveness in the delivery of WLB services. Evaluates and modifies policies and procedures and makes changes as needed to respond and adapt to the changing environment. Meets with VISN management to advise on new and innovated VHA and private industry Human Resources WLB trends, challenges, directives, and/or regulations.
  • Act as liaison to stakeholders in VHA HR Center of Expertise, Workforce Management and Consulting, VISN senior executive leadership, VISN HR leadership.
  • Ensures uniform application of administrative and operational policies and procedures, coordination of all related responsibilities, and resolution of problems encountered in daily operations.
  • Recommends programs to meet WLB training and development objectives and goals.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm CST, subject to change based on the needs of the facility.
Telework: This position may be authorized for Ad-Hoc telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Supervisory Human Resources Specialist (ER/LR)/PD99934S
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
  • To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
  • Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
  • Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required.
  • Subject to background/security investigation
  • Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
  • Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)
As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial 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 probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 07/13/2026.

Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

  • For a GS-13 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-12.
The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

To qualify for this position at the GS-13 level, you must meet one of the following listed Criteria:

Criteria 1 - Graduate Degree and Specialized Experience: Successful completion of a graduate level degree or higher (copy of unofficial transcript required) and three years of progressive specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level. Such experience may be gained in administrative, professional, technical or other responsible work positions in the public (i.e., Government or military) or private sector. NOTE: You must still meet the Time-In-Grade requirement of having served 52 weeks at the GS-11 grade level, and a copy of your unofficial transcript is required. Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. Qualifying specialized experience includes:
  1. Researching, analyzing, and applying knowledge of laws, regulations, and rules to provide guidance and resolution on issues related to employee benefits (health and life insurance, vision, dental insurance, retirement, and Flexible Spending Accounts);
  2. Meeting with employees to explain benefit programs, and training employees and supervisors regarding the latest information on all federal benefits;
  3. Preparing communications on current and future requirements related to employee benefits, and responding to benefit inquiries from attorneys and courts on divorce cases and other civil matters;
  4. Experience utilizing office automation equipment and a variety of software applications to successfully process employee leave requests for special leave programs, to include: HR Smart, USA Staffing onboarding, Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook;
  5. Conducting research on HR regulations and other pertinent directives for the improvement of federal work-life regulations, policies, and procedures.

~OR~

Criteria 2 - Specialized Experience: You must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in federal service that demonstrates HR management knowledge, concepts and principles and the performance of work in one or more of the HR specialty areas. Such experience may be gained in administrative, professional, technical, or other responsible work positions in the public (i.e., Government or military) or private sector. NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. Qualifying specialized experience includes:
  1. Administering a federal work life/employee benefits program to include federal leave programs, employee group life insurance, health benefits, Thrift Savings Plan, and other Work-life programs;
  2. Serving as a Work Life Benefits subject matter expert (SME) advising employees, applicants for employment, supervisors, and members of management regarding laws, regulations and procedures for Work Life Benefits;
  3. Developing and conducting training to increase employee awareness regarding the latest information on Federal Benefits and Worklife Benefit Programs;
  4. Reviewing and analyzing data and regulations and identifying trends to develop operating procedures or processes;
  5. Performing quality control reviews on various benefits processed documents to ensure accuracy, completeness, and compliance with applicable regulations, and resolving more complex and unusual problems and providing technical advice.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Education

Qualifying education for the GS-0201 series includes courses and programs in HR, HR development, HR management, business, business management/administration, industrial relations, labor relations, industrial psychology, organizational psychology, organizational development, management, organizational behavior, pre-law/law, legal studies, health care management/administration, public administration, public policy, human services, leadership and/or humanities.

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Additional information

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

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 Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

The Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.

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.

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following Competencies for this position:

  • Attention to Detail
  • Reasoning
  • Strategic Thinking
  • Accountability
  • Customer Service
  • Decisiveness
  • Flexibility
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Problem Solving
  • Resilience


Your experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

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; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

Veterans Health Administration

OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincoln's promise "To care for those who have served in our nation's military and for their families, caregivers, and survivors" - by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate whole health care to Veterans?

Agency contact information

Hannah Schleich
Phone
562-583-7867
Email
Hannah.Schleich@va.gov
Address
VHA VISN 16 Human Resources
715 S. PEAR ORCHARD ROAD
PLAZA 1
RIDGELAND, MS 39157-4807
US

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