Skip to main content
U.S. flag
 

Human Resources Specialist (Recruitment and Placement) (P) (DIRECT HIRE)

Department of Transportation
Maritime Administration

Summary

This position is established to provide the full range of human resources management services in the areas of recruitment, placement, merit promotion, employee development, and a variety of employee services functions for all Academy divisions, departments, and offices. 

Overview

Help
Accepting applications
Location
2 vacancies in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—This position may be eligible for situational telework. Telework approval will be determined by your immediate supervisor or manager following the agency’s telework policy and guidance. If participating in the telework program, you will be required to sign a telework agreement detailing agency telework policy requirements, working conditions, and expectations for the position.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$88,005 - $137,128 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 11 - 12
Promotion potential
12
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time - Full Time
Travel Required
Not required
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
MARAD.MMA-2027-0001
Control number
888011500

This job is open to

Help

Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from any U.S. Citizen. Due to the potential of a high volume of applicants, not all applicants may receive consideration. Direct Hire Authority will be used to fill this position. The 'Rule of Many', Veterans Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants does not apply to this vacancy.

Duties

Help

The Human Resources Specialist:

  • Performs full-cycle recruitment and placement for competitive and excepted service positions (GS, WG, and Administratively Determined), including conducting job analyses, developing assessment tools, preparing job opportunity announcements, applying qualification standards, issuing certificates, setting pay, and extending job offers in accordance with federal regulations.
  • Provides expert advisory services to management officials on recruitment strategies, hiring authorities, merit promotion procedures, veterans’ preference, and complex staffing issues to ensure legally sound and mission-aligned hiring decisions. 
  • Interprets and applies federal civilian personnel laws, OPM regulations, and agency policies to review and process personnel actions such as promotions, reassignments, within-grade increases, pay adjustments, and data element changes, ensuring proper coding and compliance. 
  • Researches and resolves complex staffing and compensation issues, collaborating with HR leadership and stakeholders to develop recommendations and ensure consistency in policy interpretation and application. 
  • Monitors recruitment metrics and workforce trends, identifies staffing gaps, and recommends process improvements and strategic recruitment solutions to enhance efficiency, effectiveness, and overall program performance.

The ideal candidate for this position is a knowledgeable Human Resources professional with experience independently managing full-cycle federal recruitment and placement actions for competitive and excepted service positions, including GS, WG, and Administratively Determined positions. They possess demonstrated expertise in conducting job analyses, developing assessments, applying qualification standards, adjudicating veterans’ preference, setting pay, and ensuring compliance with merit system principles, OPM regulations, and agency policy. The candidate provides sound advisory services to managers on recruitment strategies and complex staffing issues, exercises strong analytical judgment in reviewing personnel actions for legal sufficiency and proper coding, and delivers timely, customer-focused HR support aligned with organizational mission needs. 

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. citizen & meet specialized experience to qualify
  • Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date
  • Required documents must be submitted by the closing date.
  • Direct Hire Authority/SME will be used to fill this position

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 the 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.

  • SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for the Selective Service.
  • BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: A background security investigation is required for all selected individuals. Appointment will be subject to the applicant’s successful completion of the security investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to meet these requirements will be grounds for termination.
  • PROBATIONARY PERIOD: Applicants may be required to successfully complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed).

Qualifications

To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must (1) meet the Education Requirement for the series, (2) provide a copy of transcripts for verification, AND (3) meet either the education or experience qualifications for the grade at which you are requesting consideration.

To qualify for the GS-11 on Experience,  you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-09 it must include:

  • Experience applying staffing and placement concepts, laws, and regulatory flexibilities to execute merit promotion procedures, conduct job analyses, and develop assessment criteria. 
  • Experience reviewing, processing, and auditing civilian personnel actions (e.g., promotions, reassignments, within-grade increases, and pay adjustments) to ensure legal authority coding and compliance with federal pay/benefit laws. 
  • Experience drafting, evaluating, and recommending organizational HR policy guidance, staff papers, and procedural directives for management review; planning, implementing, and evaluating employee training programs across workforce categories, analyzing position management and turnover trends to support short- and long-range staffing plans, and advising employees and supervisors on performance management, awards, leave, and benefit programs.


To qualify for the GS-11 on Education alone, you must have:

  • 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. 

You can also qualify based on a combination of higher level graduate education and experience. This must be fully supported by your resume and transcripts, provided with your application. 

To qualify for the GS-12 on Experience,  you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-11 it must include:

  • Experience conducting full-cycle recruitment and placement for competitive and excepted service positions including performing job analyses, developing assessment criteria, preparing job opportunity announcements, applying qualification standards, issuing certificates, adjudicating veterans’ preference, setting pay, and extending job offers in compliance with merit system principles and regulations.
  • Experience providing advisory services to selecting officials and management on recruitment strategies, hiring authorities, and staffing issues; interpreted and applied civilian personnel laws, OPM regulations, and agency policies to ensure legally sufficient and procedurally sound hiring actions. 
  • Experience reviewing and processing personnel actions (e.g., promotions, reassignments, within-grade increases, pay adjustments, and data element changes), ensuring proper legal authority coding and regulatory compliance; researched and resolved staffing and pay issues to support mission requirements.  

You cannot qualify on education at the GS-12 level; you must have experience.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas:

  • Technical Knowledge: Uses knowledge that is acquired through formal training or extensive on-the-job experience to perform one’s job; works with, understands, and evaluates technical information related to the job; advises others on technical issues. 
  • Program Knowledge: Knowledge of the organization’s mission, function, workforce structure, and internal policies sufficient to support program goals.  
  • Oral and Written Communication: Makes clear and convincing oral presentations listening effectively and clarifies information as needed.  Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience.  

For all types of 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, religious, 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

For additional information about applying to Federal positions, please click on the following link: https://www.opm.gov/frequently-asked-questions/employment-faq/federal-hiring/how-do-i-apply-for-federal-jobs/

Students enrolled in a qualifying degree program can apply if the anticipated graduation date is within six months of closing date of the announcement. Graduation transcript must be received before start date.

Other applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Transportation and its Operating Administrations from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to the Department of Transportation by email at, FairChanceAct@dot.gov. To learn more, please visit our page at: The Fair Chance to Compete Act | US Department of Transportation 

CURRENT OR FORMER FEDERAL APPLICANTS: You must submit SF-50(s) that verify your highest competitive grade, full performance level, and federal applicant eligibility. To prove you meet the 52-week time-in-grade requirement for the highest grade level requested, you must submit SF-50 documentation showing a sequential 52-week period. Box 4 of the SF-50 must show an effective date at least 52 weeks prior to the job announcement closing date. Do not submit an award SF-50 or a current-year pay adjustment SF-50, as these generally do not verify grade, eligibility, or the full 52-week requirement. 

To ensure your application passes HR validation, you are highly encouraged to combine and upload the following required SF-50 documents into a single PDF:

• The SF-50 showing when you were originally appointed or promoted to your qualifying grade level (establishing the start of your 52-week timeline) OR  subsequent SF-50 (such as a Within-Grade Increase, promotion, or award) dated at least 52 weeks later.

Warning on Incomplete Documentation: Submitting only an annual general pay adjustment SF-50 or an award SF-50 by itself is insufficient, as these individual documents do not track or prove your original entry date into that grade. If your documentation fails to conclusively prove a full 52-week history at the next lower grade, you will be rated Ineligible for that tier.

This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if similar vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.

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.

DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE: 

Please be clear and specific when describing your experience, as HR evaluates applications strictly on the facts provided and will not make assumptions. To receive full credit, your narrative responses must be written in paragraph format and explicitly match your resume. Begin each response by listing the exact position title, organization, employment dates (MM/YYYY–MM/YYYY), full- or part-time status, average weekly hours, and federal series/grade (if applicable). Within the body of the paragraph, clearly describe your specific duties, actions taken, tools used, and measurable outcomes. HR will cross-check these details against your resume; if your resume does not fully support every claim and timeframe, the experience will not be considered for credit, which may result in an ineligible determination.

All applicants:  Your application will be reviewed in two phases determine how you move forward in the hiring process.  Phase I: Your resume will be reviewed to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the required specialized experience. ONLY two (2) pages of your resume will be reviewed. Additional information beyond your resume (e.g., cover letter, links embedded in your resume) will not be reviewed.  Applicants passing “Phase I” will move on to the “Phase II” of the assessment process where your application will be reviewed and rated based on the KSAs/Competencies listed in the vacancy announcement by a Subject Matter Expert (SME).


You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Maritime Administration

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is focused on what matters most: prioritizing the safety of our transportation systems, modernizing our aging infrastructure, unleashing American innovation, and maximizing efficiency by removing bureaucratic red tape. We are looking for mission-driven professionals ready to deliver real results with discipline, urgency, and accountability to support American families, workers, and businesses.

As we usher in a Golden Age of Transportation, DOT values a results-oriented, high-performing workforce dedicated to continuous improvement, operational excellence, and a safe, collaborative environment. If you want to build big, beautiful infrastructure, scale transformative technologies, and achieve results that will serve our nation for generations to come, please consider joining the DOT family.

Did You Know? The Department of Transportation is consistently ranked as one of the Best Places to Work in the Federal Government!

Agency contact information

Automated Staffing Office
Phone
000-000-0000
Fax
000-000-0000
Email
TRANSJOBS@dot.gov
Address
DOT, MARITIME ADMINISTRATION
Submit Application and Documents Online
1200 New Jersey Ave SE / HAHR - 50
Washington, District of Columbia 20590
United States

Your session is about to expire!

Your USAJOBS session will expire due to inactivity in 8 minutes. Any unsaved data will be lost if you allow the session to expire. Click the button below to continue your session.