This position is in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Office of Human Resources and Administration (HRA), Office of Chief, Human Capital Officer (OCHCO), Office of Labor-Management Relations. The mission of the office is to promote labor management cooperation throughout the Department to improve the delivery of service of Veterans and their families and create a positive work environment for employees.

Duties

Serve as the agency technical expert and or chief negotiator on program, policy, or practices at the national level. Provide managers and employees with information about the organization's personnel policies, procedures, and guidelines. Provide agency management with interpretations of policy and procedures when issues involved are new, highly controversial, precedent setting and/or involve more than one area of personnel policy. Evaluate labor-management relations programs of the Department, major primary organizational segment or subordinate organizations to recommend changes to policy and practices. Work closely with Senior Officials to anticipate and resolve controversies that arise between actions and coordinating office responses. As the agency technical expert, responds to personnel program situations where there is the potential for serious impact on the agency's mission. Review third party involvement in negotiations and represents the agency in appropriate cases. Serve as a point of contact on third party proceedings arising from the labor management program, such as Unfair Labor Practices charges, negotiations, and arbitrations. Serve as a subject-matter-expert (SME) in the development and delivery of training to include various modalities such as live virtual classrooms, computer-based, as well as face to-face training..

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job
• Selectees are subject to a background/suitability investigation
• Selective Service registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• A probationary period may be required for employees and supervisors

Qualifications

Specialized Experience: To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs and other organizations 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. To qualify for the HR Specialist (Labor Relations) position, candidates must meet the following basic requirements AND grade level qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement. The BASIC REQUIREMENT for the HR Specialist GS-0201 series is presumed met if found qualified at the GS-0201-7 level and above. 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 public (i.e., Government or military) or private sector. Qualifying specialized experience includes: serving as the subject matter expert and technical advisor for human resources systems and automated technologies; highly skilled in human resource systems and analysis; expert knowledge and skill in program evaluation techniques; designing comprehensive studies to validate theories or proposed solutions for new system functionalities or enhancements; providing expert advisory services and/or policy interpretation on complex issues; knowledge of VA human resources, manpower management, and workforce planning strategic objectives, major issues, and program goals; leading system-level initiatives and/or workgroups; planning, organizing, monitoring and reviewing work of a workgroup or team; completing database retrieval and manipulation; developing a training plan, training materials (user guides/job aides), conducting training, and incorporating feedback into future training sessions. Submit legible transcripts with conferred date. ~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. Such experience may be gained in administrative, professional, technical, or other responsible work positions in the public (i.e., Government or military) or private sector. Qualifying specialized experience includes: (1) Working knowledge of the national bargaining agreements affecting operational and personnel issues. (2) Utilizing applicable case law, arbitration case decisions, and skill in applying these decisions and principles to complex situations. (3) Applying the concepts, principles, and methods of labor relations programs, to develop broad guidelines or regulations, or conduct projects to resolve complex systemic problems. (4) Participating in collective bargaining and negotiations to resolve various conflicts within an organization. To qualify for this position at the GS-14 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-12 grade level. Such experience may be gained in administrative, professional, technical, or other responsible work positions in the public (i.e., Government or military) or private sector. Qualifying specialized experience includes: serving as the subject matter expert and technical advisor for human resources systems and automated technologies; highly skilled in human resource systems and analysis; expert knowledge and skill in program evaluation techniques; designing comprehensive studies to validate theories or proposed solutions for new system functionalities or enhancements; providing expert advisory services and/or policy interpretation on complex issues; knowledge of VA human resources, manpower management, and workforce planning strategic objectives, major issues, and program goals; leading system-level initiatives and/or workgroups; planning, organizing, monitoring and reviewing work of a workgroup or team; completing database retrieval and manipulation; developing a training plan, training materials (user guides/job aides), conducting training, and incorporating feedback into future training sessions. Submit legible transcripts with conferred date. ~OR~ Criteria 2- Specialized Experience: You must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 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. Such experience may be gained in administrative, professional, technical, or other responsible work positions in the public (i.e., Government or military) or private sector. Qualifying specialized experience includes: (1) Advising management and employees on requirements and effects of labor management agreements. (2) Utilizing applicable case laws, arbitration case decisions, and skill in applying these decisions and principles to complex situations. (3) Applying the concepts, principles, and methods of labor relations programs, to develop broad guidelines or regulations, or conduct projects to resolve complex systemic problems. (4) Participating in collective bargaining and negotiations to resolve various conflicts within an organization. (5) Serving as Chief Negotiator for term bargaining with nationally recognized labor unions GRANDFATHERING PROVISION HR Specialists, GS-0201, employed in VA on the effective date (2/26/2023) 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. Qualification Standards Used: VA Handbook 5005/156, Part II, Appendix F1, Dated 1/13/2023. For more information on these qualification standards, please reach out to the Human Resources Office.

Education

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for federal employment. You can verify your education here. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education.

Contacts

• Address DAS Human Resources Management 810 Vermont Ave Washington, DC 20420 US
• Name: Diane Bates
• Phone: (313) 471-3936 X2396
• Email: [email protected]