HR Specialist (Employee Relations/Labor Relations)

Duties

At the full performance level, the duties of the position include, but are not limited to:

• Delivers training for management and employees on a variety of Employee and Labor Relations topics.
• Provides services to an integrated healthcare network, ensuring strict adherence to all contractual and regulatory timeframes.
• Resolves disputes and evaluates events and/or identifies aggravating or mitigating factors relevant to the case.
• Assists managers and supervisors with performance management processes, including planning, monitoring, developing, rating, and rewarding performance.
• Conducts extensive analysis to identify obscure or underlying causes of misconduct or poor performance.
• Advises managers on appropriate disciplinary/other corrective techniques in response to a range of conduct and performance problems; explains rules and procedures to employees and helps them understand their rights and obligations.
• Prepares a variety of correspondence on behalf of the agency to address complex Employee and Labor matters including, disciplinary and adverse actions, settlement agreements, and congressional correspondence.
• Provides consultation on associated program areas, such as Performance Management and leave management, etc.
• Advises management officials at all levels of the network about appropriate disciplinary or other corrective techniques in response to a range of conduct and performance problems.
• Provides professional advice to other Network HR Specialists presenting cases in similar venues (may serve as a SME representative or key witness in third-party proceedings as necessary; may be selected to chair or participate in administrative Investigative Boards (AIBs) or may coordinate with and/or represent the agency at arbitrations and in situations involving proceedings pending litigation in addition to other third parties as appropriate.)
• Provides staff level management advisory service to Network and field facilities on a full range of ER and LR issues.
• Determines appropriate FLSA and BUS codes for all positions.
• Conducts/advises on ER/LR matters, all proposed disciplinary adverse actions, coordination and oversight, including OAWP, DAB, AIB, fact findings, grievance examiner, state licensure reviews, suitability, Drug Free Workplace, Workplace Violence Prevention Program, and third-party hearing representation.
• Provides technical guidance, information and assistance to management and senior leadership officials on sensitive, serious, and controversial Employee and 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.
• Reviews requests and submits justification for those ER/LR actions requiring approval by Network Director, VHA, VA, or higher authority, then takes appropriate action, and prepares necessary correspondence.
• Provides technical and consultative guidance, including actions of a disciplinary or adverse nature, grievances, demands to bargain, impasse proceedings, local bargaining, unfair labor practices, performance management and recognition, employee counseling, appeals, complaints, drug testing and related functions.
• Researches and interprets legal and regulatory guidance, including case law, United States Code, Code of Federal Regulations, and VA/VHA Handbooks and Directives.
• Provides management with interpretation of policies, procedures, and collective bargaining agreements.
• Serves as subject matter expert regarding policies and procedures pertaining to Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) and Federal Services Impasses Panel (FSIP).
• Analyzes changes to regulations and policies to determine the impact on the Employee and Labor Relations program; determines need for impact and implementation or full bargaining at the appropriate level (local, network, or national bargaining).
• Reviews third-party involvement in negotiations and represents the network in appropriate cases, serves as a point of contact on third party proceedings arising from the labor management programs, such as unfair labor practice charges.

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, 8:00am - 4:30pm
Compressed/Flexible: May be available
Remote: This is a remote position.
Position Description/PD#: HR Specialist (Employee Relations/Labor Relations)/PD99976A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required
Physical Requirements: Work is sedentary. There are no special physical demands.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• You may be required to serve a probationary 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, 12/31/2023.

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.

Selective Placement Factor: Selective Placement Factors will be used to rate applications for this announcement. Applicants who do not meet the Selective Placement Factors will be rated as not qualified for the announcement. Such experience should reflect in your resume.

Selective Placement Factors GS- 11/12: You must possess experience in at least 6 of the following ER/LR roles or program areas: Drafting charges and writing disciplinary and adverse action proposal and decision letters; Advising management on complex labor and employee relations issues; Labor contract administration; Labor negotiations; Analyzing grievances (utilizing both administrative and negotiated processes) and ULPs; applying policies, regulations, laws, labor union contract provisions, and caselaw as applicable to draft management responses; Acts as the Senior Technical Advisor for Arbitrations ; Technical advisor for Administrative Investigative Boards (AIB); Title 38 Disciplinary Appeals Boards (DAB); Agency Representative and/or technical advisor for MSPB, EEO, FLRA or other 3rd party proceedings; Provides Employee and Labor Relations Training to Managers and Senior Leaders.

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: Provides technical guidance, advice and counseling to management officials and supervisors to address issues with workforce-related conduct and performance; analyzes changes to regulations and policies to determine the impact on the labor relations program; knowledge of, and skill in applying, employee relations concepts, principles, practices, and case law (e.g., related to reasonable accommodation, prohibited HR practices, and third-party powers and procedures) in order to advise management.
~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: Applying the principles, concepts, legal requirements, and methodology of an employee relations/labor relations program; interpreting, explaining, and applying a body of law, regulations, and procedures; analyzing facts, identifying problems, reporting findings, making conclusions, and recommending corrective or other appropriate action; and preparing correspondence that required research.
~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: Provides services to an integrated healthcare network, ensuring strict adherence to all contractual and regulatory timeframes. advises management officials at all levels of the network, including senior leaders, about appropriate disciplinary or other corrective techniques in response to a range of conduct and performance problems; explains rules and procedures to employees and management to help them understand rights and obligations while maintaining and encouraging objectivity in situations that may be charged with emotion and involve assumptions; conducts and Advises on ER matters, all proposed adverse actions, coordination and oversight, including OAWP, DAB, AIB, fact findings, grievance examiner, state licensure reviews, suitability, Drug Free Workplace, Workplace Violence Prevention Program, and third-party hearing representation; provides technical and consultative guidance, including actions of a disciplinary or adverse nature, grievances, demands to bargain, impasse proceedings, local bargaining, unfair labor practices, performance management and recognition, employee counseling, appeals, complaints, drug testing and related functions.

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.

Additional information

TheCareer Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified : applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/ " target="_blank">"http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.