Duties

Are you a Human Resources professional with strong technical, analytical and communication skills, coupled with a strong customer service orientation? If so, this may be the job for you.

The Office of the Solicitor is seeking a dynamic and highly motivated Human Resources Specialist to work in the Human Resources Office (HRO), Division of Management and Administrative Legal Services (MALS), Office of the Solicitor (SOL-HRO). The SOL-HRO provides a full range of personnel services to SOL management officials and staff in the national office and coordinates certain personnel management activities in the SOL regional offices throughout the United States. The person selected for this position will be part of a team with responsibilities for delivering services in Federal Staffing and Recruitment, Pay and Benefits administration (including retirement processing), Labor-Employee relations, Position Classification, Personnel Security and Processing Personnel Actions. This position offers an opportunity to work in a small HR Office, servicing positions in the competitive and excepted service, with the potential for advancement.

We are looking for candidates who can contribute to the work of the SOL-HRO by having:

- Excellent interpersonal communications, presentation, and customer service skills

- Experience managing and prioritizing multiple and varied assignments

- Experience working independently and as a member of a team

The following attributes are highly desired, but not required:

- Prior work experience in a legal environment serving attorneys

- Current or prior knowledge processing of HR actions in HR Connect.

- Works with managers and employees to advise and resolve issues regarding pay and benefits, including payroll, time & attendance, leave, benefits & retirements, performance and awards management.

This position has duties in four major areas - Benefits Administration, Payroll, Staffing, Classification and but may include duties in other functional areas.

Manages and implements the payroll and compensation functions for SOL. Enters payroll and personnel transactions, corrects transactions that have failed database edits, executes status and suspense reports, deletes and restores transactions, and views future and current payroll/personnel transactions to be processed.

Provide instruction, guidance, advice and assistance to management and employees throughout the Office of the Solicitor, concerning all phases of the employee benefits program, Thrifts Savings Plan, life insurance, and health benefits.

Provide assistance to SOL employees regarding password resets, access roles and identification of timesheet discrepancies. Reviews NFC suspense reports regarding HR actions on daily basis and recommends appropriate actions to the Human Resources Officer (HRO). Interpret HR information system requirements and changes as they impact payroll and civilian personnel policies and procedures. Assesses the impact of proposed regulations and policies on operations and evaluates human resources programs to ensure accuracy of system information.

Provides staffing services for positions in the National Office and for the GS-15 level in all SOL Regional Offices. Assists the Deputy HR Officer with actions of a more complex nature. Ensures that all actions fully comply with the policies and provisions of the Merit Staffing Plan, Delegated Examining Operations Handbook, OPM and DOL regulations, Executive Orders, negotiated labor agreements, and local office practices. Consults and partners with supervisors and managers in planning for all aspects of recruitment, staffing and placement. Advises on area of consideration for externally-advertised vacancies, prepares vacancy announcements, and performs qualifications analysis on all applicants. Issues and follows-up on selection certificates.

Drafts vacancy announcements in the Department of Labor's On-Line Recruitment System (DOORS), performs initial qualification analysis, generates hiring certificates, and closes out case files. Initiates, corrects, and researches personnel actions in HR Connect and the National Finance Center (NFC) system. Initiates actions for security processing of new employees using the Electronic Questionnaire for Investigation Processing (e-QIP). Confirms employee eligibility for employment through e-verify. Conducts employee orientation sessions for newly hired and transferred employees. Drafts SOL-HRO Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and identifies areas for improvement in existing SOPs.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• U.S. Citizenship.
• Appointment to this position may require a background investigation.
• This position is outside the bargaining unit.
• Relocation expenses will not be paid
• Requires a probationary period if the requirement has not been met.
• More than one selection may be made from this vacancy announcement.

Applicants must meet time-in-grade, time-after-competitive-appointment and qualifications requirements within 30 calendar days after the closing date of the vacancy to be eligible for consideration for selection.

Federal Employees Please Note: Your SF-50 must include enough information to be able to determine that time-in-grade requirements have been met and reflects your position title, pay plan/series/grade, tenure and the type of appointment (i.e. competitive/excepted). In some cases you may need to submit more than one SF-50.

Reference the "Required Documents" section for additional requirements.

Notification Concerning COVID-19 Vaccinations. As required by Executive Order 14043 , Federal executive branch employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 regardless of the employee's duty location or work arrangement (e.g., telework, remote work, etc.), subject to such exceptions as required by law. If selected, you will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and to submit documentation of proof of vaccination or to be in the process of requesting an exception to the vaccination requirement before appointment or onboarding with the agency. The agency will provide additional information regarding which forms of documentation can be accepted and how you can request to be considered for a legally required exception from this requirement.

Currently, implementation and enforcement of Executive Order 14043 has been suspended pursuant to an injunction pending further litigation.

Qualifications

Applicants for positions at the GS-11 level and above must have the amounts of education and/or experience required for the grade level shown below.

GS-11, Applicants who meet at least one of the following may qualify for positions at this grade level:

52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in the Federal service which provided the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position.

Specialized experience is defined as advising managers on federal civilian Human Resources laws and regulations related to one or more of the following functional areas: recruitment and placement, position classification, labor-employee relations and performance management, employee benefits, compensation and human resources development. Examples of specialized experience include: advising management on recruitment methods and strategies; generating vacancy announcements; issuing certificates of qualified candidates; coding and processing personnel actions; applying basic classification principles to review position descriptions; administering guidance on pay and leave; providing advice regarding employee benefits and retirement and conducting research to solve complex human resources situations.

OR

Education: One of the following types of education in a related field (e.g., Human Resources): a Ph.D. or equivalent doctorate degree (such as an LL.M.); OR 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree. Education at the graduate level must be in an accredited college or university and must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the duties of the position.

OR

Combining Education and Experience : Combinations of successfully completed graduate education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements. In order to qualify based on a combination, graduate education must be in excess of 2 full years or 3 full years (equivalent to 54 semester hours) of graduate education leading to a Ph.D or equivalent doctoral degree or LL.M. Qualifying education should be in a job-related field such as human resources, business, or law;

GS-12, Applicants who meet at least one of the following may qualify for positions at this grade level:

52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level in the Federal service which provided the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position.

Specialized experience is defined as advising managers on federal civilian Human Resources laws and regulations related to one or more of the following functional areas: recruitment and placement, position classification, labor-employee relations and performance management, employee benefits, compensation and human resources development. Examples of specialized experience include: advising management on recruitment methods and strategies; generating vacancy announcements; issuing certificates of qualified candidates; coding and processing personnel actions; applying basic classification principles to review position descriptions; administering guidance on pay and leave; providing advice regarding employee benefits and retirement and conducting research to solve complex human resources situations.

There is no substitute of education for specialized experience for the GS-12 position.

Education

Any applicant falsely claiming an academic degree from an accredited school will be subject to actions ranging from disqualification from federal employment to removal from federal service.

If your education was completed at a foreign college or university, you must show comparability to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States and comparability to applicable minimum course work requirements for this position. Click Evaluation of Foreign Education for more information.

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.

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

Position Telework eligibility is determined by management based on position duties during the recruitment process. Employee participation in telework on a routine or situational basis is determined by management primarily based on business needs. Employees participating in telework are subject to the terms and conditions of the Department of Labor's Telework Program.