Duties

Summary

This vacancy is for a Human Resources Specialist position in the Staffing and Consulting Division located at the U.S. Census Bureau Headquarters in Suitland, MD. This Job Opportunity Announcement is an amendment to the HRD-2019-0116, HR Specialist, GG-0201-9/11/12 position.

This announcement may be used to fill other HR Specialist, GG-0201-9/11/12, (FPL, GG-12) positions within the Census Bureau in the same geographical location with the same qualifications and specialized experience.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

• Provide guidance and assistance to internal and external customers in the areas of staffing and recruitment, to include the development of job analyses, providing applicant updates, and responding to inquiries.
• Research federal human resource regulations, procedures, policies/practices to ensure compliance and completion of various hiring transactions.
• Correspond with customers throughout the recruitment process via email, telephone, or in person.
• Utilize automated systems such as Hiring Management, electronic SF-52 systems, and database programs.

Travel Required

Not required

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
12

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• U.S. citizen.
• Suitable for Federal employment.
• Time-in-grade requirements must be met by the announcement closing date.
• Registered for Selective Service, if applicable. (www.sss.gov)
• You may be required to complete a financial disclosure (OGE-450).

This announcement is an amendment to the Human Resources Specialist, GG-0201-9/11/12, HRD-2019-0116.

Applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

This positon is being advertised nationwide. Candidate(s) selected outside of the Suitland, MD commuting area (50 mile radius) may be eligible for 100% telework with expected occasional travel to the Suitland Federal Center in Maryland, or other locations. Candidate(s) selected within the Suitland, MD commuting area will be eligible for telework on an agreed schedule.

This position may be filled as a competitive temporary promotion opportunity not to exceed (NTE) 09/26/2020 by a current career or career-conditional Department of Commerce employee. This temporary promotion may be extended or terminated earlier. At the conclusion of the temporary promotion, the employee will return to their position of record.

NOTE: Current Census Bureau employees holding a permanent position (competitive or excepted service) will have return rights to their permanent position of record. Employees outside of Census Bureau will not have return rights back to their permanent position of record.

A trial period may be required.

This position is ELIGIBLE for telework; additional criteria will be required (e.g., supervisory approval).

This is a NON-BARGAINING unit position.

Relocation expenses may be paid.

Qualifications

Specialized Experience: For the GG-09, you must have one year of experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service. Experience for this position includes: performing staffing and recruitment duties; posting vacancy announcements and reviewing applications to make qualifications determinations; setting pay; coding personnel actions; providing assistance to applicants regarding the application process; extending job offers; and corresponding with hiring managers throughout the recruitment process.

OR

Master's or equivalent graduate degree OR 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree OR LL.B. or J.D., if related.

OR

A combination of education and experience.

For the GG-11, you must have one year of experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service. Experience for this position includes: performing analytical activities related to staffing of personnel; carrying out studies and analyses; preparing reports to provide updates on personnel activities; advising managers on legal, regulatory, and procedural processes related to, position management, staffing, recruitment, pay setting and other human resources activities (i.e., posting vacancy announcements, qualifications determinations; and coding personnel actions).

OR

Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree OR 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree OR LL.M., if related

OR

A combination of education and experience.

For the GG-12, you must have one year of experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service. Experience for this position includes: providing technical guidance and assistance to managers during the recruitment process, to include, participating in strategic consultations, conducting job analysis, posting vacancy announcements, reviewing applications to make qualifications determinations, and issuing referral certificates; setting pay; coding personnel actions; utilizing automated systems to enter human resources data and generate reports; providing assistance to applicants regarding the application process; and collaborating and corresponding with hiring managers throughout the recruitment process.

Education cannot be substituted for experience at this grade level.

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.

Education

Additional information

The following links provide information on various hiring authorities that may enable you to apply through merit assignment procedures, or be eligible for a non-competitive appointment.

• VRA (GS-11 or below)
• 30% or more disabled veteran
• Persons with disabilities
• CTAP
• ICTAP

The Department of Commerce provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the Human Resources Office. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-case basis. TTY users can contact the Human Resources Office via the Federal Relay Service, 1-800-877-8339.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

Your resume, optional cover letter and supporting documentation will be reviewed to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications for the position. If you meet the minimum qualifications stated in the job opportunity announcement, we will compare your resume, optional cover letter and supporting documentation to your responses on the scored occupational questionnaire (True/False, Yes/No, Multiple Choice questions). Your resume and/or optional cover letter must support your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire, or your score may be lowered. The best-qualified candidates will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be invited for an interview.

Due weight shall be given to performance appraisals and awards in accordance with 5 CFR § 335.103(b)(3), during the interview/selection process conducted by the hiring manager.

The scored occupational questionnaire will evaluate you on the following competencies; please do not provide a separate written response:

• Experience performing staffing and hiring activities including; conducting and documenting a job analyses; making qualification and eligibility determinations, posting vacancy announcements via automated tracking system, and issuing certificates of eligibles.
• Experience researching and interpreting regulations.
• Experience working with customers of various levels; providing assistance to applicants; and corresponding with hiring managers throughout the recruitment process.
• Experience utilizing automated systems to post vacancy announcements, enter data, generate reports, and coding personnel actions.

We recommend that you preview the online questions for this announcement before you start the application process.

Do NOT include the following types of information in your application:

• Social Security Number (SSN)
• Date of Birth (DOB)
• Photos of yourself (if included on your resume you will not be considered for this position)
• Personal information: such as age, gender, religious affiliation, etc.

To preview questions please click here .

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Other

Drug test required
No

Required Documents

A complete application consists of the following:

• Resume showing relevant experience; cover letter optional. Your resume should list your educational and work experience including the dates (mm/dd/yy) of each employment along with the number of hours worked per week. For work in the Federal service, please include the grade level for the position(s). Your resume may be used to validate your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire. Your resume should also indicate your citizenship and if you are registered with the Selective Service System if you are a male born after 12/31/59.
• SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action," supporting your eligibility, with the exception of current Census Bureau employees.
• Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) documentation, if applicable (see other information).
• Documentation supporting eligibility for non-competitive appointment, (Schedule A disability, 30 percent disabled veteran, certain military spouses, etc).
• Education Documentation: If this position requires proof of higher education, or you are substituting education for experience, you must submit an unofficial transcript or a list of courses that includes the following information: name of accredited institution, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. This also applies to Census Bureau employees. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. Please refer to http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/policy/ApplicationOfStds-04.asp for more information.

You are not required to submit official documents at this time; copies are sufficient.

Special Instructions for Foreign Education: Qualifying education from colleges and universities in foreign countries must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities. Applicants educated in whole or in part in foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree. A listing of these accredited organizations can be found on the Department of Education's website - http://www.ed.gov/international/usnei/us/workrecog.doc You must provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course by course listing along with your application. Failure to provide such documentation when requested will result in lost consideration.

CTAP and ICTAP candidates:

CTAP and ICTAP candidates will be eligible for selection priority if it is determined that they have exceeded the minimum qualifications for the position by attaining at least a rating of 85 out of 100. Information about CTAP and ICTAP eligibility is on the Office of Personnel Management's Career Transition Resources website at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/ctap_guideline.pdf .

CTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents:

A copy of your RIF separation notice; notice of proposed removal for declining a directed geographic relocation outside of the local commuting area; a Certificate of Expected Separation (CES); or certification that you are in a surplus organization or occupation (this could be a position abolishment letter, a notice of eligibility for discontinued service retirement, or similar notice).

A copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action" noting current position, grade/band level, and duty location;

A copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and

Any documentation from your bureau/operating unit that shows your current promotion potential.

ICTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents:

A copy of your RIF separation notice; notice of proposed removal for declining a directed geographic relocation outside of the local commuting area; notice of disability annuity termination; certification from your former agency that it cannot place you after your recovery from a work-related compensable injury; or certification from the National Guard Bureau or Military Department that you are eligible for disability retirement.

A copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action", documenting your RIF separation, noting your position, grade/band level, and duty location, and/or Agency certification of inability to place you through RPL, etc.;

A copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and

Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential.

NOTE: You will not be considered if you fail to provide all required documents.

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.