The VHA has adopted the HR Modernization and Shared Services Implementation, which is a new model of organizing and consolidating essential HR functions and services to the Network level. This improvement to HR service delivery will best support the needs of the VISN's diverse workforce and the expectations of management related to the acquisition, compensation, retention, and performance of staff.

Duties

This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until September 29, 2023. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be August 11, 2023, with subsequent cut-offs occurring every other Tuesday. Eligible applications received after August 11, 2023 will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until positions are filled.

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/29/2023. This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until September 29, 2023. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be August 11, 2023, with subsequent cut-off occurring every other Tuesday. Eligible applications received after August 11, 2023 will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until positions are filled. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-7 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-5. For a GS-9 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-9. For a GS-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. 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-7 level, you meet one of the following: Specialized Experience: You must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-5 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: basic knowledge and understanding of union contract and HR policies and regulations related to employee relation issues; processing procedures of office automation functions such as storing and retrieving documents, producing letters and memorandums, and entering and retrieving data from spreadsheets or databases; knowledge of standard processing procedures, formats, distribution and retention policies for correspondence or reports produced. ~OR~ Education: Successful completion of one full year of graduate level education or Superior Academic Achievement (S.A.A.). The S.A.A. provision is an educational achievement based on class standing, grade-point average or honor society membership. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. ~OR~ Combination: Combinations of successfully completed graduate level education (beyond a bachelors degree) and specialized experience, as described above, to meet the total requirements. The education portion must include graduate courses that demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do to the work of this position. To qualify for this position at the GS-9 level, you must meet one of the following: Specialized Experience: You must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7 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: applying advanced HR principles, concepts, and practices related to all aspects of employee and labor relations programs; researching and interpreting legal and regulatory program guidance to include case law, United States Code, Code of Federal Regulations, and VA Handbooks and Directives; providing technical guidance, information, and assistance to management on sensitive, serious, and controversial employee relations issues regarding employees in a wide variety of occupations with substantial differences in working conditions, entitlement, and occupational practices and policies; administrating performance management systems; writing responses to grievances. ~OR~ Education: Successful completion of a Master's or equivalent graduate degree, two full years of progressively higher- level graduate education leading to such a degree, or LL.B. or J.D., if related. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. ~OR~ Combination: Combinations of successfully completed graduate level education (beyond the first year) and specialized experience, as described above, to meet the total requirements. The education portion must include graduate courses that demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do to the work of this position. To qualify for this position at the GS-11 level, you must meet one of the following: Specialized Experience: You must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-9 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: applying collective bargaining agreements and related principles, concepts, laws, regulations, techniques, and guidelines sufficient to support an employee and labor relations program, including negotiation with labor representatives; and providing consultation on associated program areas, such as reasonable accommodation and leave management; presenting briefings and/or training sessions to management pertaining to Labor/Management Employee Relation Topics (e.g. performance appraisals, disciplinary actions); researching and interpreting legal and regulatory program guidance to include case law, United States Code, Code of Federal Regulations, and VA Handbooks and Directives; providing technical guidance, information, and assistance to management and senior leadership officials on sensitive, serious, and controversial employee relations issues regarding employees in a wide variety of occupations with substantial differences in working conditions, entitlement, and occupational practices and policies; administrating performance management systems which include employees covered executive and non-execute career field systems; writing responses to grievances, unfair labor practice charges, contract interpretations or contract bargaining proposals on behalf of management; and conducting fact findings or types of inquiries. ~OR~ Education: Successful completion of a Ph.D or equivalent doctoral degree, three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, or LL.M., if related. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. ~OR~ Combination: Combinations of successfully completed graduate level education (beyond the first two years) and specialized experience, as described above, to meet the total requirements. The education portion must include graduate courses that demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do to the work of this position. ***QUALIFICATIONS CONTINUED BELOW***

Education

To qualify for this position at the GS-12 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-09 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: applying advanced HR principles, concepts, and practices related to all aspects of employee and labor relations programs; researching and interpreting legal and regulatory program guidance to include case law, United States Code, Code of Federal Regulations, and VA Handbooks and Directives; providing technical guidance, information, and assistance to management on sensitive, serious, and controversial employee relations issues regarding employees in a wide variety of occupations with substantial differences in working conditions, entitlement, and occupational practices and policies; administrating performance management systems; writing responses to grievances.
~OR~
Criteria 2- Specialized Experience: You must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 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: Performing a wide variety of employee and labor relations issues that include: disciplinary and adverse actions, performance-based actions, bargaining unit status determinations, demands to bargain, impasse proceedings, local bargaining, basic employee rights/privileges, principles of labor management, status of laws and regulatory requirements, grievances, appeals, union issues, medical determinations, employee management issues, complex leave administration issues, hours of work, overtime and compensatory time; participates in arbitration, Merit System Protection Board hearings, Federal Labor Management Employee Relations Authority investigators and any other third-party disputes; providing technical and consultative guidance on unfair labor practices, performance management and recognition, employee counseling, appeals, complaints, drug testing and related functions and providing consultation on associated program areas, such as reasonable accommodation and leave management.

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Qualifying education for the GS-0201 series includes courses and programs in HR, HR development, HR management, business, business management/administration, industrial relations, labor relations, industrial psychology, organizational psychology, organizational development, management, organizational behavior, pre-law/law, legal studies, health care management/administration, public administration, public policy, human services, leadership and/or humanities.

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

Superior Academic Achievement S.A.A. (S.A.A. is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average, or (3) honor society membership. The full provision for Superior Academic Achievement (S.A.A.) is described in the OPM General Schedule Operating Manual.

1. Class standing--Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses.
2. Grade-point average (G.P.A.)--Applicants must have a grade-point average of: 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on their official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum. Grade-point averages are to be rounded to one decimal place. For example, 2.95 will round to 3.0 and 2.94 will round to 2.9.
3. Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society--Applicants can be considered eligible based on membership in one of the national scholastic honor societies listed below. These honor societies are listed in the Association of College Honor Societies: Booklet of Information (1992-95) and/or Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities (1991). Agencies considering eligibility based on any society not included in the following list must ensure that the honor society meets the minimum requirements of the Association of College Honor Societies. Membership in a freshman honor society cannot be used to meet the requirements of this provision. (UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED)

Reference: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix F1; Human Resources Specialist Qualification Standards GS-0201. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office.

Contacts

• Address VHA VISN 7 Human Resources 3700 CRESTWOOD PARKWAY NW SUITE 500 DULUTH, GA 30096-5046 US
• Name: Seve Irby
• Phone: (813) 614 -7811
• Email: [email protected]