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Human Resources Specialist (Employee Relations / Employee Benefits)

Department of Energy
Department of Energy - Agency Wide
Power Marketing Agency - Human Resources Shared Service Center

Summary

This position is part of the Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer - Power Marketing Administration HR Shared Service Center. In this position you will manage key HR functions related to employee relations and employee benefits. You will advise on employee performance and awards programs, administer the Office of Workers Compensation Programs, oversee the Department of Energy Drug Testing Program, and contribute to the review and implementation of HR policies.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
12/05/2025 to 12/19/2025
Salary
$105,383 to - $137,000 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Locations
1 vacancy in the following locations:
Phoenix, AZ
Folsom, CA
Lakewood, CO
Loveland, CO
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—Situational, as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
13
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
26-PW-00063-12842435-IMP
Control number
851706900

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

This position is open to current Department of Energy employees on a career or career-conditional competitive service appointment. DOE employees retiring from either the OPM or DOE Deferred Resignation Program (DRP) are not eligible to apply for this announcement. DRP retirement participants are not considered active DOE employees because they have agreed to separate from the agency.

Duties

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As Human Resources Specialist (Employee Relations / Employee Benefits), you will:

  • Serve as the primary point of contact for management on all matters related to employee performance management and awards programs, providing expert advice and consultation.
  • Administer the full scope of the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP), including providing guidance on FECA policies, claims processing, and return-to-work strategies.
  • Manage the Department of Energy Drug Testing Program, overseeing quarterly random testing, pre-employment screenings, and ensuring timely reporting and compliance.
  • Develop and recommend interpretations for new and proposed HR directives and guidance from DOE and OPM, translating complex regulations into actionable organizational policies.
  • Evaluate the impact of new or modified HR legislation on existing programs, making strategic recommendations to adapt agency plans and operational procedures.
  • Collaborate with DOE Human Capital Subject Matter Experts and organizational leadership to ensure timely processing of performance awards and adherence to fiscal year budgets and allowances.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
  • This employer participates in the e-Verify program.
  • Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for Selective Service.
  • Suitable for Federal employment, as determined by a background investigation.
  • May be required to successfully complete a probationary/trial period. Employees serving on a probationary or trial period may be terminated at any time during the probationary or trial period for performance, conduct, or business-related reasons in the interest of Federal service.
  • Limit your resume to no more than two (2) pages. If more than two pages are submitted, only the first two pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility and qualifications.
  • In accordance with Executive Order 14170, applicants are encouraged to respond to the four short, free-response, essay questions in the questionnaire. Answers to these questions are not scored or rated. Your answers will be reviewed by the hiring manager and agency leadership if you are referred for selection consideration.
  • Department of Energy (DOE) employees participating in the OPM or DOE Deferred Resignation Program (DRP) are not eligible to apply for this announcement. DRP participants are not considered active DOE employees because they have agreed to separate from the agency. (Participants who resigned, are no longer DOE employees.)
  • Total salary varies depending on location of position.
    • Loveland and Lakewood CO - $117,501.00 - 152,753.00
    • Phoenix AZ - $ 110,236.00 - 143,308.00
    • Folsom CA - $ 116,816.00 - 151,863.00
    • Montrose CO, Billings MT, Watertown SD, and Tulsa Ok - $ 105,383.00 - 137,000.00

Qualifications

Qualification requirements in the vacancy announcements are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook, which contains federal qualification standards. This handbook is available on the Office of Personnel Management's website located at: https://www.opm.gov/policy.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must possess one year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the next lower grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. The experience need not have been in the federal government.

To be qualified at the GS-13: Applicants must have one (1) year (52 weeks) of specialized experience at the GS-12 grade level or equivalent pay band in Federal Service. This experience includes:

  • Executed HR programs, including employee benefits, awards processing, workers compensation, and coordination of drug testing protocols
  • Provided consultation and strategic guidance to all levels of management on critical HR matters.
  • Contributed to the development and implementation of HR policies and procedures
Time-in-Grade: Current career or career-conditional GS employees of the Federal government, or former career or career-conditional GS 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). Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to current career or career-conditional federal employees applying for a Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.

Limit your resume to no more than two (2) pages. If more than two pages are submitted, only the first two pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility and qualifications.

Education

For this position, education cannot be substituted for experience.


Additional information

  • This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional similar vacancies across DOE.
  • For general information on government-wide Telework polices visit: www.telework.gov.
  • Applicants may request Reasonable Accommodation (RA) when applying or competing for a job due to a medical condition or to exercise religious beliefs. If you need reasonable accommodation in the application or selection process, please contact the Agency Contact listed on this vacancy announcement.
  • Promotion Potential: This position is at the full performance level.
  • Salary: The salary range indicated in this announcement will be adjusted to include locality payment for selected duty location. General Schedule locality pay tables may be found under Salaries & Wages.

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, the first two pages of your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications.

The Department of Energy uses an application tracking system to evaluate the scores provided from the USA Hire Assessment to place you into an initial quality category via OPM's Category Rating procedures. These categories are "Best Qualified", "Well Qualified", and "Qualified."

Minimum Qualifications: Once the application process is complete, the Human Resources Offices or Subject Matter Expert (SME) will review the first two pages of your resume and supporting documentation to determine whether you meet the minimum job qualifications.

If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses you provided in your online questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation before the vacancy closes, you may be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified', or your score may be adjusted accordingly.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):

  • Accountability
  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Decision Making
  • Flexibility
  • Influencing/Negotiating
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork

All qualified Non-competitive applicants and the best qualified Merit Promotion applicants will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration.

Career Transition Assistance Programs: To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet the eligibility criteria; and 2) be rated "well-qualified".

You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date (12/19/2025) of this announcement.

USAHire: To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.

Reasonable Accommodation 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 reasonable accommodation in your online application. Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations 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. 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 Reasonable Accommodation, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here.

To preview the Assessment Questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12842435.

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