Human Resources Specialist (Labor/Employee Relations)

Duties
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• Perform work related to Employee Relations program, e.g., adverse actions, discipline, employee assistance, performance-based actions, performance management, awards, absence and leave, administrative grievances, and drug free workplace.
• Plan and implement employee relations programs.
• Interpret and adapt legislative history, regulations, policy determinations, and Federal and non-Federal sector case law and precedents.
• Participate in the development of management proposals and bargaining positions.
• Conduct independent, in-depth research into complex questions of program operations and produces reports and studies on performance.
• Counsel, advice, and assist on actions concerning employee-management communications, grievances and appeals, disciplinary actions, and performance-based actions for both management and employees.
• Serve as a representative or key witness in complex third-party proceedings before various third parties.
• Provide assistance to management at various level of negotiations involving collective bargaining unit orally or in written form.
• Present managements position in a wide variety of labor and management-employee relations situations through written correspondence.

Requirements
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Conditions of employment

• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Requirement.
• Proof of U.S. Citizenship required.
• Direct deposit of pay is required.
• One year probationary period may be required.
• Appointment subject to a suitability/fitness determination, as determined by a background investigation.
• This position requires a Tier 3 (T3) investigation.
• You may be required to sign a transportation agreement.
• Must be able to satisfy the requirements of the 26JUL12 DODI 1400.25 V1230, DoD Civilian Personnel Management System: Employment in Foreign Areas and Employee Return Rights. Visit https://www.esd.whs.mil/DD/DoD-Issuances/140025/.
• Individuals hired from the Continental United States (CONUS) and their family members (who are US citizens) are required to obtain Official Passports prior to departure to the overseas area.
• This position requires the incumbent to obtain and maintain a Secret Security Clearance.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: Only applicants who meet one of the employment authority categories below are eligible to apply for this job. You will be asked to identify which category or categories you meet, and to provide documents which prove you meet the category or categories you selected. See Proof of Eligibility for an extensive list of document requirements for all employment authorities.

• 30 Percent or More Disabled Veterans
• Current Competitive Service Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) Civilian Employee
• Current Permanent Department of Defense (DoD) Civilian Employee
• Domestic Defense Industrial Base/Major Range and Test Facilities Base Civilian Personnel Workforce
• Excepted Service Overseas Family Member Appointment
• Family Member Preference (FMP) for Overseas Employment
• Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan
• Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act
• Military Spouse Preference (MSP) for Overseas Employment
• Non-Department of Defense (DoD) Transfer
• Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Interchange Agreement Eligible
• Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technician Eligible
• Priority Placement Program, DoD MR and NG Preference Eligible Tech Receiving Disability Retirement
• Priority Placement Program, DoD Retained Grade Preference Eligible
• Reinstatement
• Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) of 1998

In order to qualify, you must meet the experience requirements described below. 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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application.

GS-12 Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes providing guidance to management officials in resolving employee relations/labor relations (LMER) issues (e.g., grievances, collective bargaining agreements, unfair labor practices, representation proceedings, negotiability appeals, etc.); applying laws, rules, and/or regulations to effectively deal with LMER matters; presenting facts in support of management's position on LMER situations; and applying and/or interpreting collective bargaining agreements. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-11).

GS-13 Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes providing guidance to management officials in resolving employee relations/labor relations (LMER) issues (e.g., grievances, collective bargaining agreements, unfair labor practices, representation proceedings, negotiability appeals, etc.); developing operating guidance or conducting training related to LMER; conducting research into complex questions of program operations; and negotiating collective bargaining units or participating in third party proceedings. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-12).

Time in Grade Requirement for GS-12: Applicants who have held a General Schedule (GS) position within the last 52 weeks must have 52 weeks of Federal service at the next lower grade or equivalent (GS-11).

Time in Grade Requirement for GS-13: Applicants who have held a General Schedule (GS) position within the last 52 weeks must have 52 weeks of Federal service at the next lower grade or equivalent (GS-12).

The selecting official has requested a competitive and noncompetitive candidate list for this vacancy. If you are eligible for the noncompetitive list, you will be evaluated on basic and/or minimum qualifications, as applicable. While required to answer the assessment questions, non-competitive candidates will not be evaluated against the competitive rating & ranking criteria. The selecting official may select from any of the candidate lists.

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 here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire

• Status candidates subject to the 5 year overseas rotation, who are currently overseas, must have enough time to meet the initial tour stated in the job announcement. Waivers may not be granted to meet the 5 year limitation requirement.
• Status applicants in their fourth year of an overseas assignment cannot be selected unless a waiver of the 5 year overseas service limitation requirement is approved.
• Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees.
• Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement.
• Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
• Be advised that effective Jan. 1 2018, under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, most civilian employee relocation allowances became taxable. The Relocation Income Tax Allowance (RITA) reimburses eligible employees for the additional Federal, State, and local income taxes incurred as a result of receiving taxable travel income. RITA does not apply to new government employees or employees returning from an overseas assignment for the purpose of separation from Government service. For more information, visit https://www.dfas.mil/civilianemployees/civrelo/Civilian-Moving-Expenses-Tax-Deduction.html .
• Family member appointments will expire based on the sponsor's rotation date. Family member appointments may not exceed two months after an employee is no longer considered a family member within the local commuting area due to PCS or divorce of sponsor or, in the case of a child, the age of 23. Family members are defined according to the DODI 1400.25, Vol.1232 as: For a military member whose duty station is in a foreign area, the member's spouse or unmarried dependent child. For a civilian US employee as defined by section 2105 of Title 5, United States Code, the employee's spouse, domestic partner, or unmarried dependent child, or unmarried child of the employee's spouse or domestic partner. A family member must physically reside with his or her sponsor to receive family member preference.

Education

Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify. For this job, you must meet the qualification requirement using experience alone--no substitution of education for experience is permitted.

Additional information

• Management may select at any of the grade levels announced. This recruitment provides promotion opportunity to the target grade of the position without further competition when selectee is eligible and recommended by management. Duties described reflect the full performance GS-13 level. If not selected at the full performance level, duties will be performed in a developmental capacity under close supervision.
• Applicants must comply with the Exceptional Family Member Program requirements as outlined in the DoD Instruction 1315.19 .
• Applicants must be U.S. citizens who are not considered Ordinarily Resident under the applicable Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA). An ordinarily resident is anyone who has lived in the host country longer than the allowed number of days without being a member of the forces assigned, civilian component or a family member of either the aforementioned or who has obtained a work permit for any duration. Ordinarily Resident restrictions apply and vary depending on the host nation.
• Pay retention may be offered to selected applicants for positions at overseas locations. Pay retention will not be offered as an incentive for employees moving between overseas positions.
• Applicants who have family members with special medical needs should ensure that prior to accepting a position overseas their family members' medical needs can be met. Access to care in a military treatment facility may not be available to civilian employees except on a space available basis. Consequently, host nation medical facilities may be the only care available. The availability and level of care at host nation medical facilities will vary by location.
• Employees (and family members) who require medical or dental care in the overseas location will be responsible for obtaining and paying for such care. Access for civilian employees and their families to military medical and dental treatment facilities is on a space-available and reimbursable basis only.
• Medical and dental care may be provided by host nation providers. The availability and level of care at host nation medical and dental facilities will vary by location.
• Selectees initially recruited from the United States may receive certain foreign area benefits such as: Living Quarters Allowance (LQA) or government quarters, home leave, etc. (Subject to approval). Overseas allowances may be authorized in accordance with Department of State Standardized Regulation (DSSR) and DoDI 1400.25 volume 1250. http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/1400.25-V1250.pdf
• Selectees recruited outside the U.S. will have their eligibility for foreign area benefits determined at the time of hire.
• For positions in a foreign country, that country's laws or international agreements may have a direct impact on the ability of an employee's same sex domestic partner or spouse to accompany the employee and receive certain benefits. If you believe you may be affected by these laws and agreements, you should familiarize yourself with relevant information before applying for or accepting this position.
• The initial length of this overseas tour is 36 months.
• This position is not covered by a bargaining unit.
• If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet.

You will find additional information about this vacancy in the How You Will Be Evaluated section.