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Human Resources Specialist (Employee Benefits)

Employer
USAJobs
Location
Sterling, Virginia
Closing date
Sep 23, 2020
Duties

Summary

The Bureau of Safety & Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) works to promote safety, protect the environment, and conserve resources offshore through vigorous regulatory oversight and enforcement. For information about our bureau go to: http://www.bsee.gov/
Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

This position is located within the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), Human Resources Division, Human Resources Benefits & Support Branch in Sterling, VA.

At the full performance level (GS-13) the major duties of this position include, but are not limited to the following:
  • Provides expert advice and counseling services to employees and peers concerning retirements. Handles complex retirement cases (i.e., political appointees, disability retirement, retirement of military annuitants, discontinued service, etc.) working directly with OPM, other applicable agencies, and the Payroll Operations Division to resolve problems.
  • Responsible for making accurate determinations of employee retirement plan coverage and determines employee eligibility for retirement service credit through research and contact with authorities from OPM, the Department of Defense, the Veteran's Administration and other appropriate sources.
  • Researches and provides guidance on issues related to employee entitlement to health benefits, including children, former spouses, legal dependents, and retirees.
  • Provides technical guidance to employees and their families concerning the FEGLI Program.
  • Provides technical guidance to employees on the provisions of and regulations governing all aspects of the TSP.
  • Calculates and resolves discrepancies in service computation dates. Researches and makes determinations on creditable service for leave, retirement, creditable active duty military service, TSP enrollment and vesting eligibility. Corrects benefits entitlements based on changes in SCD.
  • Is responsible for the monitoring and quality control of FPPS data elements related to retirement, FEHB, FEGLI, TSP, SCD's, etc. Reviews quality control reports on FPPS benefits data and leads efforts to review and correct erroneous data.
  • This vacancy may be used to fill additional positions as vacancies become available.

    BSEE determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.

    Travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will not be paid. Any travel, transportation, and relocation expenses associated with reporting for duty in this position will be the responsibility of the selected employee.

    Travel Required

    Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.

    Supervisory status
    No

    Promotion Potential
    13

    Requirements

    Conditions of Employment

    • You must be a U.S. Citizen.
    • You will be subject to a background/suitability investigation/determination
    • You will be required to have federal payments made by Direct Deposit.
    • You must submit ALL required documents and a completed questionnaire.
    • Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service system, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See http://www.sss.gov/.


    Qualifications

    Minimum Qualification Requirements:

    Specialized Experience: Applicants must possess at least one year of specialized experience to the next lower grade level(GS-12) in federal service that provides the specific knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position. Specialized experience must demonstrate your experience in:
  • Calculating creditable civilian service deposits/redeposits;
  • Counseling employees on federal employee health benefits;
  • Preparing annuity estimates;
  • Processing voluntary and disability retirement applications;
  • Provide survivor counseling and claims processing; AND
  • Identify retirement coverage errors.
  • Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualification Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions and is available at OPM's website: https://www.opm.gov/qualifications/standards/indexes/num-ndx.asp

    All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

    Merit Promotion candidates must also meet Time-in-Grade requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

    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

    Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position.

    Identification of promotion potential in this announcement does not constitute a commitment or an obligation on the part of management to promote the employee selected at some future date. Promotion will depend upon administrative approval and the continuing need for and performance of higher-level duties.

    The application contains information subject to the Privacy Act (P.L. 93-579, 5 USC 552a). The information is used to determine qualifications for employment, and is authorized under Title 5, USC, Section 3302 and 3361.

    Important Note: All Department of the Interior (DOI) employees are subject to the conflict of interest restrictions imposed upon all employees of the Executive Branch of the Federal Government and may be required to file a Financial Disclosure Report. In addition, DOI employees, GS-15 and above, who work in the Office of the Secretary; along with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) employees (at ALL grade levels), are further restricted concerning their interests in Federal lands and resources administered or controlled by the Department of the Interior. This includes holding stock in energy corporations which lease Federal lands (e.g.: oil, gas, coal, alternative energy resources, etc.). If you have any such investments you should contact the DOI, BOEM or BSEE Ethics Office before accepting employment. DOI employees are held to the highest level of integrity. Employees must be objective and impartial in the performance of their work. All potential issues (e.g.: work-related interactions with friends, family members, or previous employers) must be disclosed at the time of application or during the interview process.

    NOTICE: This employer participates in E-Verify and will utilize your Form I-9 information to confirm you are authorized to work in the U.S.
    A preliminary background check must be completed before a new employee can begin work with the U.S. Department of the Interior. The preliminary background check consists of a search of Office of Personnel Management and Department of Defense background investigation files and an FBI National Criminal History Fingerprint Check; it may take up to 3 weeks to complete. If selected for this position, you will be extended a tentative offer of employment pending a satisfactory background check. Current Federal employees or individuals with an existing completed background investigation may not be required to undergo another background check; these will be handled on a case-by-case basis in coordination with the Bureau security office.

    How You Will Be Evaluated

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

    Once the application process is complete, we will review your application to ensure you meet the job requirements. To determine if you are qualified for this job, a review of your resume, supporting documentation and responses to the online questionnaire will be made. Your responses to the online assessment will be used to measure the degree to which your background matches the requirements for this position. However, your resume 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.

    Your answers to the on-line assessment will be used to evaluate your competencies in the following areas:

    Technical Competence - Knowledge of HR concepts, principles, and practices related to retirement, insurance, and other employee benefits programs.
    Oral Communication - Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.
    Written Communication - Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience.
    Customer Service - Anticipates and meets the needs of both internal and external customers. Delivers high-quality products and services; is committed to continuous improvement.

    DUE WEIGHT
    Please submit 1) a copy of your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation and 2) a list of any awards (e.g. superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increase, etc.) you received in the last 5 years. Any performance appraisal/evaluation and award documentation you provide will be forwarded to the selecting official. The selecting official will review this documentation and give it due weight consideration during the overall selection process.

    If you do not have your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation, please submit a statement as to why it is not available. Please indicate if any prior performance appraisals/evaluations were at an acceptable level.

    To preview the assessment questionnaire click: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/10911655

    Background checks and security clearance

    Security clearance
    Other

    Drug test required
    No

    Position sensitivity and risk
    Moderate Risk (MR)

    Trust determination process
    Suitability/Fitness

    Required Documents

    Your resume must contain information sufficient to make a valid determination that you fully meet the specialized experience requirements as stated in this vacancy announcement and OPM qualification standards for each grade level(s) for which you are applying. It is strongly recommended that you use the USAJobs Resume Builder as it was designed to ensure that your resume includes the standard information needed. The Resume Builder is available at
    https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/How_to_create_your_resume

    Your application package must include: (1) Resume showing relevant experience as written in your own words; (2) Completed online Assessment Questionnaire; (3) SF-50's showing (1) your highest FPL, and (2) most current SF-50 noting position, grade level, tenure, and duty station. Please note that all SF-50's submitted must show that you are a status candidate or eligible under this announcement. Please refer to the eligibility in the online questionnaire for more information; (3) College transcript (if applicable) for verification of qualifying education. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable; (4) Certificates, license, etc. (if applicable); (5) Form DD-214 OR VA letter and Standard Form 15, if eligible under VEOA or VRA; (6) Proof of eligibility if applying under a special appointing authority; (7) Current or former Government employees are strongly encouraged to submit a recent performance appraisal.
    NOTE: Applicants claiming eligibility under VEOA or VRA, must submit a copy of your DD-214, "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty," (Member 4 copy is preferred), showing the dates of active duty, type of discharge, and character of service (must be honorable); OR acceptable proof of verification of your preference (i.e., official document, dated 1991 or later, from the Department of Veterans Affairs, or from a branch of the Armed Forces, certifying that the veterans total combined serviced-connected disability rating is 10% or more).
    NOTE: Applicants claiming eligibility based on 30% or more service connected disability, you are required to submit documentation that is indicated on the SF-15 as acceptable proof of verification of your preference (i.e., official document, dated 1991 or later, from the Department of Veterans Affairs, or from a branch of the Armed Forces, certifying that the veterans total combined serviced-connected disability rating is 30% or more.
    You will find additional information on the following topics: (1) e-Verify; (2) Selective Service; (3) CTAP/ICTAP; (4) Education - accreditation; (5) Foreign education; (6) Veterans preference; (7) Special appointing authority documentation; and more can be found on our web site: https://www.bsee.gov/careers/usajobs-assistance OR http://www.boem.gov/USAJobs-Assistance/ .

    If you are claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility, you must submit proof by the closing date of the announcement that you meet the requirements of 5 CFR 330.605(a) for CTAP and 5 CFR 330.704 for ICTAP or you will not receive priority consideration. The proof includes a copy of the agency notice, your most recent Performance Rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty station. To be considered well-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, you must earn a minimum score of 85 or above (prior to the assignment of veteran's preference) on the rating criteria for this position.

    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.

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