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Human Resources Specialist (Classification)

Department of State
Department of State Headquarters

Summary

This position is located in the Bureau of Human Resources, Office of Organization and Talent Analytics, Classification and Compensation Policy Division (HR/OTA/CCP). 

More information on the Classification and Compensation Policy Division can be found here

Overview

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Accepting applications
Location
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$57,736 - $111,087 per year

Salary will be based on the grade level for which you are selected.

Pay scale & grade
GS 07 - 11
Promotion potential
13
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
Occasional travel - May require domestic and/or international travel.
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Drug test
Yes
Security clearance
Top Secret
Position sensitivity and risk
Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Announcement number
M/HR-MPI-2026-0043
Control number
879822600

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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  • Determines the appropriate position classification and participates in making final classification determinations.
  • Provides management advisory services within classification, organization, and position management specialties.
  • Identifies and defines personnel management program problems or management opportunities related to classification practices.
  • Performs studies pertaining to organizational design and analysis.
  • At the GS-11 level, the incumbent performs the same duties as outlined above; however, the scope and complexity of assignments are increased, and the incumbent receives less supervision than the GS-09 and GS-07.

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.

If you are qualifying based on education OR if there are mandatory education requirements listed below, you MUST submit a copy of your college transcript with your application.

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-07 grade level must meet one of the following requirements:

A. Have at least 1 full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 level in the Federal service which provided you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position.

Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following:

  • Experience researching and analyzing federal policies or procedures. 
  • Experience maintaining files and compiling information for reports.

OR B. Completed 1 full year of graduate level education at an accredited college or university which demonstrates the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to do the work of the position;

 OR C. Have a combination of graduate education and specialized experience (as described above), which is equivalent to the GS-05 level in the Federal Service;

OR D. Completed a 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree in an accredited college or university and have a grade-point average of "B" (3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale) for all completed undergraduate courses or those completed in the last two years of undergraduate study;

OR E. Completed a 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree in an accredited college or university and have a grade-point average of "B+" (3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale) for all courses in your major field of study, or those courses in your major completed in the last two years of your undergraduate study;

OR F. Completed a 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree in an accredited college or university and ranked in the upper one-third of your class in the college, university, or major subdivision;

OR G. Completed a 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree in an accredited college or university and are a member of a national honor society (other than freshman honor societies) recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies.

Combination of Experience and Education: When an applicant has less than one year of specialized experience as described in the announcement, he or she may combine successfully completed graduate-level education with experience to meet the total qualification requirements. Generally, 18 graduate semester hours is equivalent to 1 full-time year of graduate study (your school and department determine what constitutes 1 full time year of graduate study). The percentage of specialized work experience and the percentage of graduate study must total at least 100%.


Applicants applying for the GS-09 grade level must meet one of the following requirements:

 A. Have at least 1 full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in the Federal service which provided you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position.

Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following:

  • Experience analyzing and advising stakeholders on federal policies and procedures;
  • Experience researching and evaluating issues to identify the most effective approach.
  • Experience drafting a variety of written documents (ie. reports, letters, memoranda, correspondence, evaluation statements, etc.).

 OR B. Have a master's or equivalent graduate degree, OR 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, OR LL.B or J.D. from an accredited college or university. This education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities to do the work of the position to be filled;

 OR C. Have a combination of graduate level education and specialized experience (as described above), which is equivalent to the GS-07 level in the Federal Service. This experience and education together meets 100% of the qualification requirements for this position.

Combination of Experience and Education: When an applicant has less than one year of specialized experience as described in the announcement, he or she may combine successfully completed graduate-level education with experience to meet the total qualification requirements. Generally, 18 graduate semester hours is equivalent to 1 full-time year of graduate study (your school and department determine what constitutes 1 full time year of graduate study). The percentage of specialized work experience and the percentage of graduate study must total at least 100%.


Applicants applying for the GS-11 grade level must meet one of the following requirements:

A. Have at least 1 full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in the Federal service which provided you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position.

Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following: 

  • Experience researching, interpreting, and applying Federal laws and regulations. 
  • Experience analyzing classification standards to determine impact on grade level of a position.
  • Experience providing technical guidance to managers and/or HR staff on position management, organization design or position classification.

OR B. Have 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. from an accredited college or university.

OR C. Have a combination of graduate level education and specialized experience (as described above), which is equivalent to the GS-09 level in the Federal Service. This experience and education together meets 100% of the qualification requirements for this position.

Combination of Experience and Education: When an applicant has less than one year of specialized experience as described in the announcement, he or she may combine successfully completed graduate-level education with experience to meet the total qualification requirements. Generally, 18 graduate semester hours is equivalent to 1 full-time year of graduate study (your school and department determine what constitutes 1 full time year of graduate study). The percentage of specialized work experience and the percentage of graduate study must total at least 100%.

Note: All applicants WILL BE required to submit transcripts as verification of educational requirement. If you fail to provide requested information, or the information you submit is insufficient to verify your eligibility, you may lose consideration for this position.

Education

See the qualifications section of this vacancy announcement for education requirements.

When an applicant has less than one year of specialized experience as described in the announcement, he or she may combine successfully completed graduate-level education with experience to meet the total qualification requirements. Generally, 18 graduate semester hours is equivalent to 1 full-time year of graduate study (your school and department determine what constitutes 1 full time year of graduate study). The percentage of specialized work experience (for example, 6 months equals 50%) and the percentage of graduate study (for example, 9 graduate hours for a GS-07 equals 50% where 18 graduate hours constitute a full time year) must total at least 100%.

Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. For a list of accredited organizations recognized as specializing in interpretation of foreign education credentials, visit: www.naces.org/members.php.

Additional information

  • To request a reasonable accommodation for additional time on the timed sections of the assessment, please submit your request using the “Request a Reasonable Accommodation” button within the Assessment Application. 

    For all other reasonable accommodations at the U.S. Department of State, please contact the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations (OAA) at OAA@state.gov.    

    OAA is responsible for reviewing and adjudicating reasonable accommodation (RA) requests for the Assessment Battery being used for this announcement.  The following applies to all RA requests: 

    • RA requests cover additional time on timed sections only.   

    • Applicants submitting a RA request MUST attach supporting medical documentation signed by a licensed, treating medical provider. The documentation should describe the nature, severity, and expected duration of the condition, identify the relevant medical condition or diagnosis, and explain the basis for the requested extension.  RA requests that do not contain supporting medical documentation attachments at the time of initial request may be subject to further review.  

    • Note: the following documents do not, on their own, qualify for automatic approval of the RA request: Schedule A letters, VA benefits letters, or SSA letters. 

    • Applicants MUST submit their application before the vacancy closes, even if pending an accommodation decision.  

    • Applicants are encouraged to carefully follow instructions related to medical documentation provided in the vacancy announcement prior to beginning the RA process. 

    • Applicants will have 48 hours after their RA request is adjudicated to complete the assessment battery.  Scores generated after the allotted timeframe will not be admissible and the applicant will not be considered further for the vacancy.   

    • If a different type of RA is needed, please contact OAA directly at OAA@state.gov.       

  • 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.

The evaluation process consists of the ApplyGov Competency Based Assessments and a crediting plan for which applicants will be assigned a score between 70 and 100. A resume review will be conducted for minimum qualification requirements, as described in the “Qualifications” section of this announcement, of the top qualified candidates based on combined total score.  Resumes longer than two pages will be deemed ineligible and will not be considered further.  Responses to questions that are not fully supported by your resume may result in a rating adjustment. 

You will be assessed on the following job-related competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):   

Non-Supervisory: Oral Communication, Writing, Interpersonal Skills, Problem Solving, Teamwork, Technology Orientation, Customer Service, Attention to Detail and Self-Management. 

Set aside at least 2 hours to take the external assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. There are timed sections that must be completed within the allotted timeframe.

Your score from the external assessment (Non-supervisory) will remain on file for 180 days, allowing you to apply for multiple DOS-announced positions without needing to retake the assessments.

Top applicants may be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration. The assessment is used to measure the degree in which your background matches the competencies and KSAs required for this position. Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies: 

  • Knowledge of human resource management laws, principles, systems, concepts, policies.
  • Ability to research, interpret and apply human resources laws, regulations, policies and procedures.
  • Skill in oral communication. 
  • Ability to advise managers in developing position descriptions.
  • Ability to analyze classification and position management issues.
  • Skill in written communication. 

Applicants found to be among the top qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring official for further consideration and possible interview.  Qualified non-competitive candidates must be deemed best qualified based on the applicant assessment in order to be referred to the hiring official for further consideration and possible interview. 

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 may result in your removal from consideration. 


You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Department of State Headquarters

The U.S. Department of State, our country’s lead foreign policy agency, provides employees with a dynamic international career whether at home or abroad and unique professional development opportunities.  Each day, our employees make a difference as they advance the interests of the American people, their safety and economic prosperity, through diplomacy, advocacy, and assistance.  We embrace our talented workforce which reflects the personal, professional, and educational strengths of our country. 

Named one of America’s Best Employers by Forbes, we offer a workplace that values and rewards leadership, collaboration, innovation, and personal and professional development. Visit careers.state.gov to learn more about what it's like to work at the U.S. Department of State, what the agency does, the wide range of careers this agency offers, and the benefits available to employees.

Agency contact information

Emily Markley
Phone
000-000-0000
Fax
000-000-0000
Email
MarkleyER@state.gov
Address
U.S. Department of State
Not accepting applications by Mail
Charleston, South Carolina 29405
United States

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