Clarification from the agency

This vacancy announcement is open ONLY to current, permanent VBA-Human Capital Service Office (HCS) employees and current/former VA employees who are CTAP eligible.

Specific duties include but are not limited to:

• Advises management on recruitment strategies, sources, and special programs.
• Sets and adjusts short and long range staffing plans to meet the forecasted mission requirements and changes in critical competencies.
• Plans work to be accomplished by subordinates by preparing schedules for completion of work, assigns work based on priorities, selective consideration of the difficulty/requirements of assignments, and the capabilities of employees.
• Supervises personnel (e.g. issues supervisory instructions, evaluates subordinate performance, hears/resolves employee complaints, effects disciplinary actions, identifies training needs, and conducts interviews to include making recommendations for position appointments, promotions, or reassignments).
• Develops performance standards and finds ways to improve production or quality of work directed.
• Provides VA staff-level interpretations, advice, and guidance concerning Federal laws, executive orders, directives/decisions of OPM and other agencies relating to the HR oversight.
• Utilizes HR automated programs to track and report accurate recruitment data.

Work Schedule: Full-time, Monday-Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm.
Compressed/Flexible: Authorized
Telework: This position is eligible for situational (ad hoc) telework only. The selectee is required to report to the official duty station each scheduled workday. Telework may be approved only on a case-by-case basis with supervisory approval. Routine or recurring telework is not authorized for this position.
Remote: This is not a remote position.
Virtual: Current HCS staff with an out-based duty location will continue to report to their current approved duty location upon selection.

Position Description/PD#: Supervisory Human Resources Specialist (Recruitment & Placement); PD38470A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized.

Conditions of employment

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 probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
Additional Conditions of Employment are as follows:

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• You may be required to serve a probationary or trial period
• Selectees are required to serve a one-year supervisory probationary period if not previously completed in a Federal position.
• 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 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.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement:09/02/2026.

TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENT: As a current Federal, GS employee you must 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 level.

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: This position is covered by a single agency qualification standard, VA Handbook 5005/156, part II, appendix F1, dated January 13, 2023. All applicants must meet the Basic Requirements and Specialized Experience described to qualify.

Basic Requirement: To qualify for a Human Resources (HR) Specialist GS-0201 position, candidates must meet the following basic requirement(s) as described in one of the following methods:

• Method 1: One year of HR specialized experience equivalent to the GS-04 level of the Federal Government or higher (Such experience may be gained in administrative, professional, technical, or other responsible work position in the public (i.e., Government or military) or private sector) positions in the public (i.e., Government or military) or private sector. OR
• Method 2: Successful completion of bachelor's degree (or higher). OR
• Method 3:A combination of six months of general administrative, professional, or technical work experience, equivalent to at least the GS-4 level of the Federal Government AND one (1) of the below four training areas:
  • Successful completion of at least 12 credit hours of college-level course work related to business, HR, psychology, organizational development, or other related coursework.
  • Successful completion of at least four formal training courses in HR.
  • Successful completion of a formal certificate program related to HR, psychology, organizational development, or other relatable subject area.
  • Current professional HR certification through a nationally recognized entity such as the Society of HR Management (SHRM).

OR

• GRANDFATHERING PROVISION. HR Specialists, GS-0201, employed in VA on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply:
  • a. HR Specialists who are grandfathered into the GS-0201 occupational series may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance level of a career ladder, promoted to a higher grade or changed to a lower grade within the occupation.
  • b. HR Specialists who are grandfathered into the GS-0201 occupational series can be placed in a lead, supervisory or managerial position through an appropriate position change without meeting the basic requirements required in this standard but must meet the grade level requirements.
  • c. HR Specialists who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of this qualification standard may not be extended or reappointed on a temporary or permanent basis until they fully meet the basic requirements of this standard.
  • d. HR Specialists serving on an appointment that leads to noncompetitive conversion to the competitive service may be extended on that appointment or converted to the competitive service without meeting the basic requirements of this standard, but they must meet the grade level requirements.
  • e. HR Specialists who are grandfathered under this provision that leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.

In addition to meeting the basic requirement of this standard above, applicants must meet the Specialized Experience for the grade level in which they apply.

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 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 federal or other public service.
Specialized Experience is defined as: (1) providing comprehensive and authoritative guidance on a variety of complex and controversial Title 5 Federal civilian personnel situations; (2) identifying flexible alternatives for problem resolution in a variety of HR areas; (3) applying Title 5 Federal civilian personnel principles, procedures, and regulatory guidance to provide advanced technical guidance on recruitment, staffing, pay setting, and associated personnel actions. 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. Specialized experience for the GS 13 grade level is defined as (1)providing consultation services to internal and external customers and management to include senior managers of an organization related to staffing/placement, recruiting, and retention. (2) research, interpret, analyze and apply federal HR regulations, laws and policies for recruiting, examining, selecting and placing employees; (3) advising management in identifying, attracting, and retaining quality and diverse workforce. (4) manage personnel action processing, pay setting guidance and employee benefits and compensation flexibilities. (5) developing solutions to unique or unusually complex problems regarding human resources management operations.

Volunteer Experience: 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.
Full vs. Part-Time Employment: Full-time employment is considered to be at least 35 hours per week. Part-time experience will be credited on a pro-rated basis; when including part-time employment in your resume you must specify the average hours worked per week.
Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary. Some work may require walking in offices and similar areas for meetings and to conduct HR work. Work may also require walking and standing in conjunction with travel to and attendance at meetings and conferences away from the worksite. The work does not require any special physical effort.

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

How you will be evaluated

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

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. 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 (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

• • Accountability
  • Customer Service
  • Decisiveness
  • Flexibility
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Problem Solving
  • Resilience
• TECHNICAL COMPETENCE: Understands and appropriately applies procedures, requirements, regulations, and policies related to specialized expertise in Human Resources; credibility with others on technical matters.
• DECISION MAKING: Makes sound, well informed, and objective decisions; perceives the impact and implications of decisions; commits to action, even in uncertain situations, to accomplish organizational goals; causes change.
• LEADERSHIP: Inspires, motivates, and guides others toward goal accomplishment; coaches, mentors, and challenges subordinates; adapts leadership styles to a variety of situations; models high standards of honesty, integrity, trust, openness, and respect for the individual by applying these values to daily behaviors.
• COMMUNICATION: Expresses information to individuals or groups effectively, considering the audience and nature of the information makes clear and convincing presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.
• MANAGING HUMAN RESOURCES: Plans, distributes, coordinates, and monitors work assignments of others; evaluates work performance and provides feedback to others on their performance; ensures that staff are appropriately selected, utilized, and developed, and that they are treated in a fair and equitable manner.
• WRITING: Uses correct English grammar, punctuation, and spelling to communicate thoughts, ideas, information, and messages in writing.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.
To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link:https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13045849

The USA Hire Assessments includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or an interview.

Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.