Duties

Summary

This position is located in the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), Office of Outreach Education and Assistance (OEA), Quality Assurance Unit (QA).

- This position is inside the bargaining unit.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

Office of Outreach Education and Assistance (OEA), Quality Assurance Unit (QA) office activities ensure accomplishment of the education, outreach, technical assistance, and customer service responsibilities mandated by Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1986 (COBRA), Savings Are Vital to Everyone's Retirement Act of 1997 (SAVER), Health insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), and related laws and regulations. The Office provides leadership in the development and implementation of national health and retirement education campaigns, consumer outreach efforts, and authorship and dissemination of educational materials which: (I) address the rights and obligations of employers and employees as they pertain to employer-based retirement and health care benefits: (2) inform consumers about various health and retirement issues; and (3) promote the participation of the public in personal savings for retirement.

Major duties for this position include but are not limited to, the following:

Assists in the development of strategic and immediate plans and strategies for customer service.

Relays information on Agency policy, legislated mandates, and procedural guidance to Agency technical assistance staff.

Helps to create and presents customer service training in order to keep managers and participant staff apprised of the customer service goals, staff responsibilities, and performance expectations.

Assesses the adequacy, effectiveness, and responsiveness of the technical assistance, outreach, and customer service plans and programs in each assigned office.

Identifies and analyzes office accomplishments, operational problems, and unique regional needs and concerns.

Acts as liaison between assigned national and regional offices and other OEA components. Deals with national and field office senior staff to provide assistance in program planning administration, problem identification/resolution, and coordination of program evaluation efforts.

Reviews regulations and interpretations developed in other EBSA components as well as the outcome of enforcement cases and research studies in order to determine their impact on the customer assistance and advocacy programs.

Travel Required

Not required

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
12 - This position is at the Full-Performance Level (FPL).

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Requires a probationary period if the requirement has not been met.
• U.S. Citizenship.
• Must be at least 16 years of age.
• Position requires Public Trust-Low Risk Background Investigation.

Applicants must meet all legal and regulatory requirements. Reference the "Required Documents" section for additional requirements.

Qualifications

GS-12: Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to GS-11, in the Federal Service.

Specialized experience is defined as: Giving information and assistance to the public or clients on rights and obligations under laws in accordance with legal documents such as trusts, contracts, or employee benefit plans; ability to communicate complex technical issues to individuals in plain language; experience in fact-finding and problem solving to ensure conformity to applicable rules and regulations.

Specialized experience may have been gained in government, or working with employee benefit plans or employee benefit plan third party administrators or a consulting firm, law firm, research service, banking trust department or an investment firm.

Education

Education is not a substitute for experience at the GS-12 grade level.

Additional information

DOL seeks to attract and retain a high performing and diverse workforce in which employees' differences are respected and valued to better meet the varying needs of the diverse customers we serve. DOL fosters a diverse and inclusive work environment that promotes collaboration, flexibility and fairness so that all individuals are able to participate and contribute to their full potential.

Additional vacancies may be filled using this announcement, if authorized.

Refer to these links for more information: GENERAL INFORMATION , ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION , FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

If you meet the minimum qualifications, you will be evaluated against the evaluation factors below and will be placed into a category based on your vacancy question responses.

Categories

Category A -Best Qualified - Meets the basic qualification requirements for the vacancy and has successful experience in the same or similar job that has demonstrated superior proficiency in applying critical competencies required by this position to work of increased levels of difficulty and complexity.

Category B - Well Qualified- Meets the basic qualification requirements for the vacancy and demonstrates satisfactory proficiency in the critical competencies required by this position.

Category C - Qualified - Meets the specialized experience described in the minimum qualifications requirements section of this announcement and demonstrates proficiency in the basic competencies.

Evaluation Factors (Competencies) - All qualified applicants will be evaluated on the following key competencies:

Oral/Written Communication - Expresses information to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately. Uses correct English grammar, punctuation, and spelling to communicate information (for example, facts, ideas, or messages) in a clear, succinct, and organized manner.

Decision Making/Problem Solving - Employs strategic and critical approaches to decision- making and/or problem solving, e.g. identifying, and considering issues/problems, determining accuracy and relevance of information, as well as generating, identifying, evaluating, and implementing alternative solution approaches, to resolve issues/problems, deliver services and provide value.

Interpersonal Skills - Shows understanding, professionalism, courtesy, tact, empathy, concern, and politeness, even with individuals who are difficult, hostile, or distressed. Demonstrates team effectiveness with sensitivity to the differences of others; e.g. diversity, race, gender, disabilities, and other individual differences .

Technical Competence - Experience with the implementation of a customer service or technical assistance program.

The information you provide may be verified by a review of your work experience and/or education, by checking references and through other means (ex. interview). The examining Human Resources Office (HRO) makes the final determination concerning applicant ratings. Your resume MUST provide sufficient information to substantiate your responses to the vacancy questions. If not, the HRO may amend your responses to more accurately reflect the level of competency indicated by the content of your resume. Your evaluation may also include a review by a Human Resources Specialist or panel and may include other assessments (ex. interview, panel review, written test, writing sample, etc.)

INFORMATION FOR ICTAP/CTAP ELIGIBLES ONLY: If you are eligible for special priority selection under ICTAP/CTAP, you must be well-qualified for the position to receive consideration. ICTAP/CTAP eligibles who are placed into Category B or higher will be considered "well-qualified".

Click Application of Veterans Preference for Category Rating Jobs for more information.

To preview questions please click here .

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Other

Drug test required
No

Required Documents

The following documents must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on the vacancy closing date. You are not required to submit a document if it does not apply to you. Warning: If you submit a document using the same document title, the 2nd submission will OVERWRITE the 1st submission. Also, do not upload password protected documents.

- Veterans Documents (if applicable): To be considered as a 5-point preference eligible, you must submit a copy of your Certificate of Release or Discharge From Active Duty, DD214. Your DD-214 must show the type of discharge and dates of active duty. To claim 10-point preference, you must submit a copy of your DD214; an Application for 10-point Veteran's Preference, SF15; and the proof of entitlement of this preference which is normally an official statement, dated 1991 or later, from the Department of Veterans Affairs certifying to the present existence of the service-connected disability and indicating the percentage of your disability. (For active duty service members expecting honorable or general discharge or release within 120 days, click Active Duty ). Without this documentation, you will not receive veteran's preference. For more information, go to: http://www.fedshirevets.gov/hire/hrp/vetguide/index.aspx

- Displaced Employee Placement Documents - Only required if requesting priority consideration under CTAP or ICTAP eligibility.

- Cover Letters are not mandatory and will not be used to verify experience, but may be submitted

Applicants selected for employment who are not current DOL employees will be required to provide proof of citizenship , and the E-Verify system will be used to confirm the employment eligibility of all new hires.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education .

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.