Duties

Summary

The incumbent analyzes Merit Systems Protection Board decisions and arbitration awards for decisions with substantial impact on civil service law, rule, or regulation under the jurisdiction of OPM in support of the Director's statutory authority to request reconsideration of erroneous decisions. The incumbent serves as a government-wide policy and technical expert in areas such as adverse actions, performance-based actions and employee relations implications of other Federal personnel policies.
Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

In this role, some of your typical work assignments may be to:

• Provide expert technical advice, support and recommendations on the development and interpretation of Government-wide Employee Relations statutory, regulatory and policy requirements for adverse and performance-based actions.
• Conduct research on Employee Relations case law, analyze findings and determine the relevance to current procedures and policies.
• Serve as the lead for analysis of policy and legal implications of proposed changes to existing policies or proposed new policies.
• Analyze MSPB decisions, court and selected arbitrator decisions and identify any that have a substantial impact on civil service law, rule or regulation under the jurisdiction of OPM. Make time-sensitive recommendations regarding OPM's intervention in specific cases.
• Provide Employee Relations advice to agencies using knowledge of legal and regulatory requirements, past practice and trends established by MSPB decisions.
• Provide presentations on Employee Relations topics before large and small groups often addressing complex issues.
• Assess the effectiveness of current Government-wide Employee Relations and appellate systems policies based on continuous monitoring and review of case law and analysis of studies by parties such as the MSPB and Government Accounting Office (GAO).
• Compose position papers, talking points, congressional testimony, regulations, or formal legislative proposals on Employee Relations topics.
• Lead OPM teams on a variety of assignments and projects relating to development and implementation of Employee Relations policies.
• Provide guidance to OPM policy offices on Employee Relations implications of proposed changes (legislative and regulatory) in all areas of Human Resources management policy.

Travel Required

Not required

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
None

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service
• Suitable for Federal employment, determined by a background investigation
• May be required to successfully complete a probationary period

Qualifications

Applicants must have one year of specialized experience at the GS-13 grade level (or equivalent) serving as an Employee Relations expert. This experience includes: researching of complex Employee Relations (ER) case law, providing authoritative policy interpretation on ER issues AND providing input on the development of new or revised ER policies.

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.

You must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

Merit promotion applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements to be considered eligible. One year at the GS-13 grade level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS -14 level.

Education

Additional information

Relocation expenses will not be paid. Current OPM employees may qualify as an exception.

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

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document that you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application: http://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Alternate_Application_Information

Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA): To be eligible for a VEOA appointment under Merit Promotion procedures, the veteran must be a preference eligible or a veteran separated after 3 years or more of continuous active service performed under honorable conditions.

Noncompetitive Appointment Authorities: For more information on noncompetitive appointment authority eligibility
requirements visit the following websites:

• Persons with Disabilities-Schedule A
• Special Hiring Authorities for Veterans
• Special Hiring Authority for Certain Military Spouses
• Other Special Appointment Authorities

Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see https://www.sss.gov/Home/Registration )

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, your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed on this announcement. If you are minimally qualified for this job, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses on the Occupational Questionnaire. If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job. Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):

• Employee Relations
• Oral Communication
• Technical Competence
• Writing

All qualified Non Competitive applicants and the best qualified Merit Promotion applicants will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration.

Career Transition Assistance Programs: These programs apply to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; 2) be rated well-qualified for the position with a score of 85 or above based on the competencies listed above; and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. For more information visit: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp .

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Other

Drug test required
No

Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)

Trust determination process
Credentialing , Suitability/Fitness

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

Your Resume listing work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment and duties performed.

Other supporting documents:

• Cover Letter, optional
• Your most recent Promotion, Within Rate Increase (WRI/WGI), or Appointment/Conversion SF-50 or Notification of Personnel Action (if applying as a current or former Federal Employee) showing you are/were in the competitive service and the highest grade or promotion potential held.
• Worker's Compensation Separation: Agency certification of inability to place employee AND Notification of Separation OR Separation SF-50.
• Disability Annuity Termination: Notification from OPM of disability annuity termination AND Separation SF-50 of the last position held.
• Military Reserve or National Guard Technician Special Disability Retirement Annuity under 5 U.S.C. 8337(h) or 8456: Certification of special disability retirement annuity from a military department or National Guard Bureau AND Separation SF-50 of the last position held
• Veterans Employment Opportunity Act, Veterans Recruitment Appointment, and 30% Disabled Veteran Eligible: DD-214, SF-15 Form and VA letter, or certification of expected discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions within 120 days
• Schedule A, Persons with Disabilities Appointment Eligibles: Schedule A letter from a physician, local, state or federal rehabilitation office citing your eligibility under 5 CFR 213.3102 (u).
• Certain Family Members Eligible under E.O. 12721: Your most recent non-award SF-50 and performance appraisal.
• Certain Military Spouses Eligible under E.O. 13473: Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders, that lists you as authorized to accompany the Military member to the new duty permanent station; OR verification of the member's 100% disability (VA Letter); and/or verification of the member's death while on active duty (DD-1300 and Death Certificate) AND verification of the marriage to the service member (i.e., a marriage license or other legal documentation verifying marriage).
• Interchange Agreement with Other Merit Systems Eligible: Documentation of eligibility as listed in each individual interchange agreement.

Failure to submit any of the above mentioned required documents may result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted.