The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has adopted the HR Modernization and Shared Services Implementation, which is a new model of organizing and consolidating essential Human Resource (HR) functions and services to the Network level.

Duties

This position is located within VISN 4's Employee and Labor Relations Shared Services Unit (SSU). Incumbent provides technical guidance, advice and counseling to management officials and supervisors to address issues with workforce-related conduct and performance. Provides services to an integrated healthcare network, ensuring strict adherence to all contractual and regulatory timeframes. Duties include, but are not limited to: Provides consultation on associated program areas, such as reasonable accommodation and leave management. Prepares a variety of correspondence on behalf of the agency to address complex employee relations matters including, disciplinary and adverse actions, settlement agreements, and congressional correspondence. Advises management officials about appropriate disciplinary or other corrective techniques in response to a range of conduct and performance problems. Conducts extensive analysis to identify obscure or underlying causes of misconduct or poor performance. Conducts and advises on ER matters, all proposed adverse actions, coordination and oversight, including OAWP, DAB, AIB, fact findings, grievance examiner, state licensure reviews, Workplace Violence Prevention Program, and third-party hearing representation. Offers technical guidance on sensitive, serious, and controversial labor relations issues regarding employees in a wide variety of administrative and clinical occupations with substantial differences in working conditions, entitlement, and occupational practices and policies. Provides interpretation of policies, procedures, and collective bargaining agreements. Researches and interprets legal and regulatory program guidance, including case law, United States Code, Code of Federal Regulations, and VA Handbooks and Directives. Plans and implements actions to satisfy obligations to bargain in good faith, performs thorough analysis of policies and practices, and ensures that policies and practices promote partnering to prevent unfair labor practices. Represent management at arbitrations and in situations involving proceedings before other third-parties. Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm Compressed/Flexible: May be authorized Telework: VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: Virtual considered for Highly Qualified Candidates Position Description/PD#: Hr Spec (Emp Rel/Lab Rel)/PD99976A and PD99976S Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Pending Approval Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/22/2023. 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-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. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. 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-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: Providing employee and labor relations services onsite, coordinating with and advising supervisors and managers on technical issues involving disciplinary, adverse and all other relevant corrective actions. In addition, the incumbent must possess a knowledge of, and skill in applying, collective bargaining agreements and related principles, concepts, laws, regulations, techniques, and guidelines sufficient to support an organization's employee and labor relations program, including negotiation with labor representatives. deploying research and analytical techniques to gather, document, and analyze information; knowledge of consulting methods and techniques sufficient to meet/deal tactfully and persuasively with others to resolve a wide range of issues, including those which are occasionally controversial or sensitive in nature, and to maintain harmonious relationships with all parties. 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. 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: Skill in applying a wide range of methods, principles, and practices commonly used in employee and labor relations; and knowledge of the occupational design of positions within assigned organizations sufficient to; advise management officials on various types of actions and their appropriate application in both the competitive and excepted services; advise on the procedural and regulatory requirements governing the employee and labor relations process; develop plans of actions; use a variety of standardized internal/external strategies to aid advisement on labor, performance or correction actions 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: Knowledge of and skill in applying laws, executive orders, regulations, collective bargaining agreements concepts and related principles, and guidelines sufficient to support an employee and labor relations program, including negotiation with labor representation; Coordinates and advise supervisors and managers on technical issues involving disciplinary, adverse and all other relevant corrective actions; Researches and interprets legal and regulatory program guidance, including case law, United States Code, Code of Federal Regulations, and VA Handbooks and Directives; Conducts and advises on ER matters, adverse actions, coordination and oversight, fact finding, grievance examining, suitability, Drug Free Workplace, Workplace Violence Prevention Program and third-part hearing representation; Analyzes changes to regulations and policies to determine the impact on the labor relations program; determines need for impact and implementation or full bargaining at the appropriate level.

Education

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.

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 4 Human Resources 1010 DELAFIELD ROAD BUILDING 70 PITTSBURGH, PA 15215-1802 US
• Name: Shanice Moore
• Email: [email protected]