The 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. 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. Selectees will be assigned to a specialty area in HR Management.

Duties

This Human Resource Position will be within one of the two career tracks: Workers Compensation Employee Benefits Information Systems Specific duties include Workers Compensation: Supports technical review, analysis and collaboration among internal and external stakeholders to ensure accurate processing of WC claims. Provides guidance and counsel to facility and VISN employees, managers and supervisors regarding their rights, responsibilities and requirements under the Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA). Evaluates all claims against the five required elements of a compensable claim, i.e., Time elements, federal employee status, Fact of Injury (factual), Fact of Injury (medical, diagnosis), Performance of Duty, and Causal Relationship. Prepares a written statement of challenge to notify OWCP of the deficiencies when any of the five elements are not met with factual and objective evidence. Evaluates all claims against the nine factors for continuation of pay and prepares a letter of controvert, as necessary. Evaluates, authorizes, and approves requests for Continuation of Pay (COP), or annual and sick leave used in lieu of COP. Monitors the medical progress and duty status of all injured workers by obtaining periodic medical reports to determine duty status or clarify medical work restrictions imposed to assist the injured worker in progressing to full duties of the pre-injury position. Employee Benefits: Responsible for administering and providing advisory services on the Federal employee group life insurance, health benefits, and the Thrift Savings Plan programs, leave administration and other worklife benefits. Serves as the specialist on benefits issues, retirement benefits issues, health benefits issues, and insurance coverage options. Training employees and supervisors regarding the latest information on all Federal benefits. Assisting supervisors in planning and carrying out worklife projects to inform employees regarding a range of available worklife programs regarding child care, emergency back-up dependent care, employee assistance, health and wellness promotion, flexible work schedules, etc. Developing worklife benefit's program information materials. Planning and carrying out efforts to initiate, streamline, or modify worklife programs to optimize their usefulness in meeting employee needs Information Systems Conducts in-depth analysis complicated by conflicting or insufficient data, user complaints, or other relevant factors. Conducts substantial problem analysis to identify adverse trends, ineffective practices or procedures, and system shortcomings. Tests, troubleshoots, and analyzes results based on product performance. Develops, collects, compiles, analyzes, publishes, maintains and properly presents to HR and other shareholders any related data and information related to a wide variety of needs of the office including but not limited to: Analyzes, designs, develops, and maintains database structure and database applications to effectively manage organizational data assets and ensure that the database collects, stores, and processes data that supports current and future organizational business needs. Modifies database operations to ensure optimization of all applications. Manages internal and outward facing electronic platforms (such as internet, SharePoint, intranet, Pulse, Leaf etc.) 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. The grade progression for this position is GS-07, GS-09, GS-11, GS-12. Work Schedule: Full time, Monday through Friday Compressed/Flexible: May be Authorized Telework: May be Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• Required to sign a Pathways Program Participant Agreement and serve a one-year trial period.
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement:12/20/2023. RECENT GRADUATE REQUIREMENT: You must have obtained a qualifying bachelors and/or advanced degree from a qualifying educational institution within the previous two years. Degree must have qualifying education for the GS-0201 series that 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. Preference eligible veterans who were precluded from applying due to their military service obligation begin their 2-year eligibility period upon release or discharge from active duty. Eligibility for these veterans cannot exceed 6 years from the date on which the degree (or certification) was completed. 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: One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level in the Federal service; experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is described as: Workers Compensation: HR management knowledge, understanding of HR concepts and principles and the performance of work in one or more of the HR specialty areas. Experience with business processes, rules, regulations, and laws; responding to customer inquiries. Employee Benefits: HR management knowledge, understanding of HR concepts and principles and the performance of work in one or more of the HR specialty areas. Experience with business processes, rules, regulations, and laws; responding to customer inquiries. Information Systems: HR management knowledge, understanding of HR concepts and principles and the performance of work in one or more of the HR specialty areas. Experience with business processes, rules, regulations, and laws; responding to customer inquiries. 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. 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: One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7 grade level in the Federal service; experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is described as: Workers Compensation: Knowledge of Employee Relations and Labor relations rules and regulations concerning Workers Compensation files; Performing clerical and customer service work to support a Employee Relations and Labor Relations office; Obtaining, inserting and correcting missing or incorrect data in Workers Compensation files and automated HR systems; Advising employees, resolving routine or procedural problems, and providing basic information on Workers Compensation related topics; and Ability to research rules and regulations pertaining to Workers Compensation. Employee Benefits: Applying basis laws, regulations, policies of Federal Employee retirement, group life insurance, health benefits, and Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) programs to counsel management, employees, and beneficiaries on program coverage. Conducting New Employee Orientation for employees and managers to include internal notifications, benefits consultation, and all required paperwork assistance and completion. Information Systems: knowledge and understanding of Data contained in HR information Systems, ability to translate HR business practices into information system requirements, design, integrate, retrieve, and provide HR reports to the serviced population, process transactions and record updates to a portion of the databases that are part of the HR information system sufficient to and maintain data quality for the HR database maintain a portion of a large database or a module supporting a business process 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 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. GS-11 QUALIFICATIONS CONTINUED IN THE EDUCATION SECTION BELOW TRANSCRIPTS SHOWING DEGREE CONFERRED ARE REQUIRED TO DETERMINE ELIGIBILITY.

Education

***Continued from the Qualification Section***

To qualify for this position at the GS-11 level, you must meet one of the following:
Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience (below) equivalent to the GS-9 grade level in the Federal service; experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is described as:

• Workers Compensation: Working knowledge of laws, regulations, Executive Orders, HR policies and procedures, court decisions, collective bargaining agreements, and issues as they pertain to workers compensation programs; Knowledge of and skill in applying legal research methods, information gathering techniques, and analytical skill to locate, interpret and analyze legal opinions; Provides administrative support and explanation of HR policy related to workers compensation issues; Maintaining and updating a wide variety of computerized databases and statistical data; Basic knowledge of, and skill in applying a wide variety of workers' compensation, benefits entitlements, health and insurance programs operations and systems; and Functional knowledge in the areas of EEO and MSPB laws and regulations.
• Employee Benefits: Eligibility and enrollment for benefits, to include health insurance, life insurance, vision, dental, long term care, leave, and retirement; Advice and processing Leave Flexibilities, assisting with troubleshooting errors that occur within operating platforms; researching cases and preparing detailed documentation; utilizing automated computer programs designed to process and maintain personnel actions; consulting with managers and employees with information and interpretations of the organization's policies, procedures and guidelines; providing consultation on benefits issues; reviewing new or proposed HR policies, procedures and guidance; ensuring compliance with all local policies, procedures, and guidelines as well as OPM guidance.
• Information Systems: Conduct systematic studies to identify long and short term needs of serviced organizations, provide advice and guidance to management officials on a variety of complex HR problems as hey relate to the automated HR system, understand the limitations and capabilities of the infrastructure and how it can support a particular modification or enhancement, design, implement, and maintain and/or operate an automated HR information system(s) for assigned facilities, make complex retrievals from multiple sources of data and make complex retrievals from multiple sources of data

Education: You may substitute education for specialized experience required for the GS-11 level: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; or Three (3) full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree; OR, LL.M. can be substituted for specialized experience when the education is in a related field (Transcript Required).
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.



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.

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to be credited towards qualifications. Provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
All education claimed by applicants will be verified upon appointment. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript to receive credit.

TRANSCRIPTS SHOWING DEGREE CONFERRED ARE REQUIRED TO DETERMINE ELIGIBILITY.

Contacts

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