Human Resources Specialist (Employee/Labor Relations)

Duties

As a Human Resources Specialist (Employee/Labor Relations) at the GS-0201-14 some of your typical work assignments may include:

• Serves as an authoritative technical expert and advisor to senior Department leadership, political appointees, and Component heads on significant, high-impact, and far-reaching labor and employee relations matters. Provides strategic counsel on issues that have systemic implications across the entire Department workforce.
• Systematically evaluates incoming civil service laws, federal regulations, third-party administrative decisions, Executive Orders, and OPM policy directives to determine their operational and strategic impact on the Department. Formulates and executes comprehensive, enterprise-wide implementation strategies to ensure seamless compliance.
• Drafts, reviews, and refines comprehensive, Department-wide civilian HR guidance, standard operating procedures, and technical directives. Focuses on addressing highly complex, sensitive, and difficult employee and labor relations problems, ensuring all issued guidance is legally compliant, operationally viable, and aligned with Department strategic goals.
• Supports LER community management initiatives to foster professional development, knowledge sharing, and standardized practices across all Department Components. Serves as a key liaison to cultivate a highly integrated, modern, and capable community of LER practitioners.
• Designs, develops, and delivers advanced professional credentialing curricula and technical training programs for Department LER specialists, HR professionals, and managers. Ensures that certification standards and educational materials reflect the latest civil service reforms, statutory updates, and industry best practices.
• Establishes, fosters, and maintains highly cooperative, productive working relationships with key internal and external partners. Collaborates closely with Component HR leaders, external federal oversight agencies, and labor organization representatives to negotiate solutions, build consensus, and address mutual HR and LER priorities.
• Coordinates, drafts, and packages formal, technically precise responses to high-level departmental, congressional, and executive inquiries. Ensures that all response packages meet strict approved standards and administrative requirements, executing reviews and submissions in an extremely expeditious manner under tight, high-priority deadlines.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. citizen
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service
• Resume and supporting documents (See How To Apply)
• Suitable for Federal employment, determined by a background investigation
• May be required to successfully complete a probationary period
• Work Schedule: Full Time
• Overtime: Occasionally
• Tour of Duty: Flexible
• Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
• Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): Exempt
• Financial Disclosure: Not Required
• Telework Eligibility: This position is telework eligible

Qualifications

You may qualify at the GS-14, if you fulfill the following qualifications:

A. One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 grade level in the Federal service:

• Expert experience writing and developing strategic guidance and evaluating/reviewing policy and program revisions to new and/or existing legislation for proposed legislative changes that impact an agency in the areas of labor and employee relations.
• Expert experience in applying a broad range of advanced employee relations laws, regulations, principles, precedents, and policy in order to serve as an agency or equivalent level senior advisor.
• Expert experience in analyzing and solving complex and sensitive problems and issues, in order to resolve conflicting laws or other requirements involving vague and untested areas of case laws, where policy decisions and case strategy guidance have impact across the Department.
• Expert experience consulting and providing guidance as a technical expert in labor and employees relations matters such as collective bargaining and negotiations, grievances, employee discipline, performance management, awards, and third party processes.
• Expert experience developing and delivering innovative and strategic solutions to policy problems in labor and employee relations, including the deployment of training and process change.

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.

Education

Substitution of education may not be used in lieu of specialized experience for this grade level.

Additional information

Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA): To be eligible for a VEOA appointment under Merit Promotion procedures, the veteran must be a preference eligible or a veteran separated after 3 years or more of continuous active service performed under honorable conditions.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Programs: This program applies to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet ICTAP eligibility criteria; 2) be rated well-qualified for the position; Well qualified is defined as possessing the type and quality of experience that exceeds the positions minimum qualifications. and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your ICTAP eligibility.

For more information: .

Noncompetitive Appointment Authorities: For more information on noncompetitive appointment authority eligibility requirements:

Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see )

The selecting official may choose to conduct interviews, and once the selection is made, you will receive a notification of the decision.
NOTE: Declining to be interviewed or failure to report for a scheduled interview will be considered as a declination for further consideration for employment against this vacancy.

Selective Service Requirement: Please visit for more information.

For more information, please visit:

Re-employed Annuitant: This position does not meet criteria for re-employed annuitant. The DoD criteria for hiring Re-employed Annuitants can be found at:

Status candidates must meet time-in-grade requirements (52 weeks at the next lower grade level).