Director Employee Relations Jobs in Reston, VA (NOW HIRING)

Summary
This is a Detail Not to Exceed One Year, however, the detail may be made permanent without additional competition.
This position serves as an Associate Director for a team of HR Specialists and HR Assistants in the VACO Human Resources Service Center's (HRSC) Employee Relations & Labor Relations (ER/LR) section. The AD serves as an expert advisor and leader responsible for managing the day-to-day responsibilities of the ER/LR and Performance Management (PM) programs for VACO Staff Offices.
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Duties
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Duties include:

• Manage day to day operations for Employee Relations & Labor Relations (ER/LR) and Performance Management (PM) section activities;
• Function as principal advisor to all levels of management within the VACO Staff Offices in functional areas related to ER/LR and PM; advising leadership on related controversial and difficult matters.
• Serve as a subject matter expert representing HRSC as a liaison with other federal agencies; Advising senior leadership in policy review, communication and the implementation of institutional priorities;
• Establish clearly communicated guidelines and performance expectations for staff members; resolve informal complaints and grievances, and develop work improvement plans, recommending personnel actions as necessary.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm
Compressed/Flexible: May be available at Manager's discretion.
Telework: May be authorized in accordance with agency policy.
Virtual: This detail opportunity may be authorized for Virtual Work.
Definition of Virtual Work: Employee works outside of original hiring duty station at a VA owned or leased space.
Return to Office (RTO): RTO mandate requires selectee to report in person unless an approved exemption is already in place.
Position Description/PD#: PD09048-0
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Requirements
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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• You may be required to serve a probationary period
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
• Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents).
• Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a one year probationary period or two year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your one year probationary period or two year trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
Qualifications
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 08/20/2026.
Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-14 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-13. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to some former Federal employees applying for reinstatement, as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. See the Required Document section below for more information regarding the SF-50s needed to verify time-in-grade.
The BASIC REQUIREMENT for the HR Specialist GS-0201 series is presumed met if found qualified at the GS-0201-7 level and above.
To qualify for this position at the GS-14 level, you must meet one of the following listed Criteria:
Criteria 1- Graduate Degree and Specialized Experience: Successful completion of a graduate level degree or higher and three years of progressive specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level. Such experience may be gained in administrative, professional, technical or other responsible work positions in the public (i.e., Government or military) or private sector. Qualifying specialized experience includes:

• Performing as a subject matter expert in ER/LR/PM and serve as a liaison with VA and other Federal Offices to implement related HR programs and practices.
• Functioning as a principal advisor to all levels of management within the VACO Staff Offices and to subordinate staff, in HR functional areas related to Employee Relations/Labor Relations (ER/LR) and Performance Management.
• Serving as a key member with various services working directly with leadership to develop an HR strategy for ER/LR and Performance Management program administration that strongly supports and facilitates meeting organizational goals.
• Managing the day-to-day operations of ER/LR/PM section activities; supervising a group of employees performing work from the GS-07 to GS-13 levels and providing administrative and technical supervision necessary for accomplishing the work.
• Establishing guidelines and performance expectations for staff members; resolving informal complaints and grievances; developing work improvement plans and effecting disciplinary measures as appropriate.

~OR~
Criteria 2- Specialized Experience: You must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 grade level in federal service that demonstrates HR management knowledge, concepts and principles and the performance of work in one or more of the HR specialty areas. Such experience may be gained in administrative, professional, technical or other responsible work positions in the public (i.e., Government or military) or private sector. Qualifying specialized experience includes:

• Performing as a subject matter expert in ER/LR/PM and serve as a liaison with VA and other Federal Offices to implement related HR programs and practices.
• Functioning as a principal advisor to all levels of management within the VACO Staff Offices and to subordinate staff, in HR functional areas related to Employee Relations/Labor Relations (ER/LR) and Performance Management.
• Serving as a key member with various services working directly with leadership to develop an HR strategy for ER/LR and Performance Management program administration that strongly supports and facilitates meeting organizational goals.
• Managing the day-to-day operations of ER/LR/PM section activities; supervising a group of employees performing work from the GS-07 to GS-13 levels and providing administrative and technical supervision necessary for accomplishing the work.
• Establishing guidelines and performance expectations for staff members; resolving informal complaints and grievances; developing work improvement plans and effecting disciplinary measures as appropriate.

Reference: VA Handbook 5005/156, Part II, Appendix F1; Human Resources Specialist Qualification Standards GS-0201
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; religions; 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.
Note: Resume must include job title and employer name, number of hours worked per week, start and end dates (including month and year), list of duties and responsibilities for each position held. In addition, if the experience was a federal position, you must list series and grade for each position held. Failure to include this information may result in an ineligible rating. A full year of work is considered to be 40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.
Physical Requirements: Work is primarily sedentary.
For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at http://://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.
The Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be found well qualified, applicants must meet the following qualifications: Serve or has served as in a Supervisory/Lead role with demonstrated experience leading complex teams and initiatives in support of federal program operations. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.
Local Commuting Area: The local commuting area for this position is defined as a radius of 50 miles from Washington, DC. This includes all locations that fall within a 50-mile driving distance from 810 Vermont Ave NW, Washington, DC 20420.
Education
A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.
Qualifying education for the GS-0201 series includes courses and programs in Human Resources, Human Resources Development, Human Resources Management, Business, Business Management, Business Administration, Industrial Relations, Labor Relations, Industrial Psychology, Organizational Psychology, Organizational Development, Management, Organizational Behavior, Pre-Law/Law, Legal Studies, Health Care Management/Administration, Public Administration, Public Policy, Human Services, Leadership and/or Humanities.
Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office.
Additional information
Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration (HRA) at The Fair Chance Act.
Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.
It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.
For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.