Human Resources Specialist (Benefits)

Summary

Joining the Secret Service, Office of Human Resources, Benefits and Payroll Division will allow you to serve as an advisor and provide expert technical advice and assistance to managers and employees, of varying levels on employee benefits. You will provide expert guidance, operational, and implementation of a broad spectrum of program functions assigned to benefits.

For definitions of terms found in this announcement, please click

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

Current competitive service Federal employees with career or career-conditional tenure, Agency/ lnteragency Career Transition Assistance a Program eligibles (CTAP/ICTAP), Reinstatement, Land and Base Management, Schedule A (Persons with Disabilities), 30% or More Disabled Veterans, Military Spouses, OPM Interchange Agreements, Veterans Employment Opportunities Act eligibles.

Duties

The selectee will serve as a Human Resources Specialist (Benefits) in the Office of Human Resources, Benefits and Payroll Division. Typical work assignments include:

Interpreting policies and procedures for management, supervisors, and staff members related to different types of retirement and benefits.

Presenting and explaining benefit information to employees, former employees, spouses, former spouses, survivor annuitants and eligible family members.

Overseeing the benefits decisions of employees.

Making recommendations to employees (including annuitants) regarding retirement issues under Federal systems. Apply for this exciting opportunity to impact the Secret Service mission by providing quality human capital services for a premiere workforce. This Human Resources Specialist (Benefits) position starts at a salary of $101,401.00, GS - 12 step 1, with promotion potential to $156,755.00 GS-13 step 10.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

U.S. Citizenship is required.

Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for Selective Service If selected for this position, you will be required to:

Obtain and maintain a Top-Secret Tier 5 clearance secret. For more information visit OPM Page.

Submit to a drug test prior to your appointment and random drug testing while you occupy the position.

Submit a credit check after a conditional offer of employment has been accepted. NOTE: The person selected for this position may be subject to a one-year probationary period.

Qualifications

To be considered qualified for this position you must meet the following qualification requirements for the respective grade level in which you are applying.

You qualify for the GS-12 level (starting salary $101,401) if you possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level performing the following duties:

Recommending solutions to human resources problems related to benefits.

Using automated systems to process claims for items such as survivor benefits, life insurance claims and/or annuitant claims.

Providing guidance to stakeholders concerning retirement and insurance programs in accordance with human resources policy and regulations.

You qualify for the GS-13 level (starting salary $120,579) if you possess one year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-12 level performing the following duties:

Resolving human resources problems related to benefits.

Developing training and orientation programs for management and employees to explain health benefits, life insurance, and retirement programs.

Providing staff advisory services for human resources management functions, including employee benefits and retirement.

Conducting human resources studies utilizing qualitative and quantitative methods to propose solutions on program issues.

Time-in-Grade Requirements: Under competitive merit promotion procedures, any individual who is currently holding, or who has held within the previous 52 weeks, a General Schedule position under a non-temporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service, must meet "time-in-grade" requirements (have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade of the grade for which you are applying). Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to current competitive service employees applying for a Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. NOTE: All current or former Federal employees must provide a copy of their SF-50, "Notice of Personnel Action" that indicates proof of status and time-in-grade eligibility. The SF-50 must include your position, title, series, grade, step, tenure (1 or 2), and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). You may need to submit more than one SF-50 to comply.

The qualification requirements listed above must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

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. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

Education

Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify. For this job, you must meet the qualification requirement using experience alone--no substitution of education for experience is permitted.

Additional information

DHS uses E-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about, including your rights and responsibilities.

If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment.

The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Homeland Security and its Components from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with and certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to .

More than one selection may be made from this announcement if additional identical vacancies in the same title, series, grade and unit occur. Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for DHS to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions.

The Department of Homeland Security encourages persons with disabilities to apply, to include persons with intellectual, severe physical or psychiatric disabilities, as defined by 5 CFR 213.3102(u), and or Disabled Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more as defined by 5 CFR 315.707.,,, and possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs. To determine your eligibility for non-competitive appointment and to understand the required documentation, click on the links above or contact the servicing Human Resources Office listed at the bottom of this announcement.

The Secret Service prohibits employees from having visible body markings (including but not limited to tattoos, body art, and branding) on the head, face, neck, hand and fingers (any area below the wrist bone) (exception: a single conservative and unobtrusive tattoo in the form of a ring is authorized on one finger).

DHS offers competitive salaries and an attractive benefits package, including health, dental, vision, life, and long-term care insurance; retirement plan; Thrift Savings Plan [similar to a 401(k)]; Flexible Spending Account; Employee Assistance Program; personal leave days; and paid federal holidays.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. Upon review, your resume and/or supporting documents need to support your answer choices and reflect the one year of specialized experience requirement, in order to be considered. If the one year of specialized experience, equivalent to the next lower grade level cannot be identified in your resume, you will be considered not qualified. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

Accountability

Attention to Detail

Customer Service

Decision Making

Employee Benefits

Flexibility

Influencing/Negotiating

Integrity/Honesty

Interpersonal Skills

Learning

Reading Comprehension

Reasoning

Self-Management

Stress Tolerance

Teamwork

Technical Competence The USA Hire Assessment includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) Eligibles: If you have never worked for the Federal government, you are not ICTAP eligible. View information about on OPM's Career Transition Resources website. To be considered well qualified under ICTAP, you must be rated at a minimum score of 85.0 for this position. In addition, you must submit the supporting documents listed under the required documents section of this announcement.

Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA): To be eligible for a VEOA appointment, the veteran must be 1) a preference eligible; or 2) be a veteran separated after 3 or more years of continuous active service performed under honorable conditions. In addition, you must submit the supporting documents listed under the required documents section of this announcement. Veteran's preference does not apply under Merit Promotion procedures. View VEOA information on .An interview may be required for this position. If an interview is required, failure to complete the interview may result in removal from further consideration.

An interview may be required for this position. If an interview is required, failure to complete the interview may result in removal from further consideration.

Due weight will be given to performance appraisals and incentive awards in merit promotion selection decisions in accordance with 5 CFR 335.103(b)(3).

Any offers of employment made pursuant to this announcement will be consistent with all applicable authorities, including Presidential Memoranda, Executive Orders, interpretive U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance, and Office of Management and Budget plans and policies concerning hiring. These authorities are subject to change.

Required Documents

In addition to addressing the vacancy specific questions, you must also submit the following documentation:

Resume - In order to receive credit for experience contained in an uploaded resume, your employment history should show work experience in month/year format (MM/YYYY), reflecting starting date and ending date, and include the number of hours worked per week.

If tentatively selected for the position, the applicant may be required to provide additional documentation (SF50s) to validate their eligibility for the position.

Are you claiming special priority selection rights under the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP)? Submit a copy of your agency notice, copy of your most recent performance appraisal (with at least a satisfactory rating), and your most current SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location.

Are you a veteran? Submit Member Copy 4 of your DD-214 or other (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) and/or documentation of service-connected disability. If claiming 10-point preference, you will need to submit a Standard Form (SF-15), Application for 10-point Veterans' Preference. If applying based on eligibility under the Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) Act, you must submit certification from the Armed Forces that you will be discharged or released from active duty within 120 days from the date on the certification. This must indicate your dates of service, your rank, and confirm that you will be separated under honorable conditions. View VEOA information on .

Are you a current or former federal employee? Submit a copy of your SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, showing your tenure code as career or career-conditional (codes 1 or 2, in block 24), and position occupied in the competitive service (code 1, in block 34) In addition, the SF50s must show the highest grade or promotion potential level attained competitively. An award SF-50 does not contain the required information. If you are applying for a higher grade, please provide the SF-50s which shows the length of time you have been in your current/highest grade and that supports one year of experience (i.e., With-in Grade Increase (WRI) SF-50). You may need to submit more than one SF-50 to comply. Also submit your performance appraisals and/or incentive awards.

Are you claiming special appointing authority, such as Schedule A or VISTA/Peace Corps service? Submit proof of this eligibility. For additional information on special appointing authorities, click .

Are you a current or former political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee? Submit a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information regarding your most recent political appointment: Position title, Type of appointment (Schedule a, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee) Agency, beginning and ending dates of your appointment. You may be asked to provide a copy of your recent performance appraisal and or incentive awards.