Summary
As a Program Specialist (Regional Office Human Resources Liaison) you will be assigned to the Office of the Director and report to the Assistant Director, who serves as the immediate supervisor. The incumbent is responsible for providing performance management and technical support for the regional office Human Resources program. The incumbent is the key advisor to the Director and the Division Chiefs on all human resources issues and coordinates directly with the HR Center.
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Duties
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- Provides training to leadership and employees in all HR matters.
- Process and track Office of Worker's Compensation Program (OWCP) cases.
- Conducts in-processing and out-processing employee interviews.
- Provides information to all employees on matters pertaining to federal employee benefits to include FEHB, FEGLI, TSP, EAP, leave and the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
- Provides leaders and managers with strategic counsel and advice interpreting and implementing provisions of agency policy, management of programs, collective bargaining agreements, and practices as they apply to individual cases.
- Performs other duties, as assigned.
Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. The grade progression for this position is GS-09/11/12.
Work Schedule: Full time, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday. As determined by the hiring office: Hours to be determined by hiring office.
Compressed/Flexible: As determined by the hiring office: Hours to be determined by hiring office.
Telework: This position is eligible for situational (ad hoc) telework only. The selectee is required to report to the official duty station each scheduled workday. Telework may be approved only on a case-by-case basis with supervisory approval. Routine or recurring telework is not authorized for this position.
Remote/Virtual: This is
not a remote/virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Program Specialist (Regional Office Human Resources Liaison), 39565A, 39564A, 393563A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required
Bargaining Unit: No
Requirements
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Conditions of employment
As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-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 probationary period , your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Additional Conditions of Employment are as follows:
- You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
- Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
- You may be required to serve a probationary or trial 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 I-9 Acceptable Documents.
- Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
- A complete application package must be submitted: Resume, transcripts, etc.,
- You will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application.
Qualifications
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement: 07/13/2026.
TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENT: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade at any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
- For a GS-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07 level.
- For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09 level.
- For a GS-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11 level.
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. 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 former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT:You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:
GS-09 Grade Level:
Specialized experience: To qualify, applicants must have one (
1) year (
52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to at least the
GS-07 grade level or higher in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is defined as: Assisting staff and managers to develop and implement policies, procedures, and guidelines; interpret local, state, and/or federal laws; and provide information related to benefits and leave programs (i.e. Heath Insurance, FMLA, annual leave).
OR
Education: A master's or equivalent graduate degree (such as an LL.B. or J.D., if related) from an accredited college or university, or two full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, may be substituted for experience at the GS-09 level. This graduate education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform he duties of the position.
Note: A transcript must be submitted with the application if all or part of the qualifications is based on education.
OR
Combining Education and Experience: If you do not fully meet the length of experience and education described for a specific grade level (e.g. have six months of experience and some coursework but not a degree), the two can be combined to total 100% of the requirement. Click here for more information.
Note: A transcript must be submitted with the application if all or part of the qualifications is based on education.
GS-11 Grade Level:
Specialized experience: To qualify,applicants must have one (
1) year (
52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to at least the
GS-09 grade level or higher in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is defined as: Assisting staff and managers to develop and implement policies, procedures, and guidelines; interpret local, state, and/or federal laws; provide information related to benefits and leave programs (i.e. Heath Insurance, FMLA, annual leave); and provide advice in Human Resources areas of recruitment, classification, staffing, and collective bargaining.
OR
Education: A Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree (such as an LL.M., if related) from an accredited college or university, or completion of three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, may be substituted for the required experience. The graduate education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the duties of the position.
Note: A transcript must be submitted with the application if all or part of the qualification is based on education.
OR
Combining Education and Experience: If you do not fully meet the length of experience and education described for a specific grade level (e.g. have six months of experience and some coursework but not a degree), the two can be combined to total 100% of the requirement. Click here for more information.
Note: A transcript must be submitted with the application if all or part of the qualifications is based on education.
GS-12 Grade Level:
Specialized experience: To qualify,applicants must have one (
1) year (
52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to at least the
GS-11 grade level or higher in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is defined as:
Assisting staff and managers to develop and implement policies, procedures, and guidelines; interpret local, state, and/or federal laws; provide information related to benefits and leave programs (i.e. Heath Insurance, FMLA, annual leave); provide advice in Human Resources areas of recruitment, classification, staffing, and collective bargaining; and analyze complex issues to provide recommendations to leadership.
There is no educational substitution for the GS-12 level.
Volunteer Experience: 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.
Full vs. Part-Time Employment: Full-time employment is considered to be at least 35 hours per week. Part-time experience will be credited on a pro-rated basis. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.
Physical Requirements: The position is primarily in an office setting. Some travel may be necessary on occasion for training, meetings, or customer interactions.
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/.
Education
A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.
There is no educational substitution for the GS-12 level.
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to be credited towards qualifications. Provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. All education claimed by applicants will be verified upon appointment. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript to receive credit.
Note: You may submit unofficial transcripts when applying. However, if you are selected for the position, you will be required to provide an official transcript or a statement from the institution (e.g., from the registrar, dean, or other appropriate official) or equivalent documentation prior to the start date.
Additional information
Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator.
Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) provides eligible displaced Federal/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 your current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 85 or more) for this vacancy. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at ICTAP/CTAP - OPM.
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. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
It is the policy of the VA