HR Specialist (Employee Benefits)
What you'd do
This position is located in the Department of Health and Human Services, Assistant Secretary for Administration, headquartered in Washington, District of Columbia. This announcement will close at 11:59 PM, on the day that 75 applications have been received or on the closing date, whichever is first.
Major duties
WHAT YOU'LL BE DOING DAY TO DAYAs an HR Specialist (Employee Benefits), you will: Provide orientation on the Federal benefits and retirement programs. Information includes the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS), FERS-Revised Employees (FERS-RAE), FERS-Further Revised Annuity Employee (FERS-FRAE), Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS), Civil Service Retirement System-Offset (CS-Offset), the Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance Program (FEGLI), Federal Employees' Health Benefits Program (FEHB), Federal Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP), Federal Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAFEDS), Federal Long care Insurance Program (FLTCIP) and the Savings Plan (TSP), and Social Security, Beneficiary, etc. Calculate annuity estimates for employees to use as a basis in making the decision whether to retire. Provide advice to HR Specialists (Employee Relations, etc.) and supervisors of the advantages/disadvantages of retirement versus adverse action for employees who qualify for retirement. Handle sensitive to difficult situations where the death of an employee occurs and family members require advice/counseling. Monitor processed retirement cases through the various systems used for retirement processing within HR Ops Div and DFAS to assure compliance with timeframes of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) for case processing. Interpret federal laws, regulations, and agency policies governing retirement and benefits programs; develop operating procedures and policy recommendations; monitor legislative and regulatory changes; and advise management on their impact to agency programs. Design and deliver retirement and benefits training, including new employee orientations, pre-retirement seminars, and educational workshops; develop informational materials; and provide guidance and training to HR staff and other stakeholders on benefits programs and procedures.
What you need to qualify
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR GS-12 Minimum Qualifications: You must have one year of specialized experience to perform successfully the duties of the position. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service performing ALL of the following: Participating in the development and conducting of federal benefits and retirement training sessions for employees; Performing retirement eligibility determinations, annuity computations, and retirement estimates; Providing technical guidance to employees, managers, and HR staff by interpreting retirement laws, regulations, and agency policies; Counseling employees on disability retirement, including eligibility, benefit elections, and continuation of FEHB and FEGLI coverage; and Reviewing retirement and benefits cases to resolve issues and ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and policies. GS-13 Minimum Qualifications: You must have one year of specialized experience to perform successfully the duties of the position. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service performing ALL of the following: Administering complex Federal retirement and benefits programs, including FERS, CSRS, TSP, FEHB, FEGLI, disability retirement, and reemployed annuitant programs, in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, OPM guidance, and agency policies; Performing retirement eligibility determinations, annuity computations, retirement estimates, and retirement actions, while providing expert counseling on retirement options, survivor benefits, disability retirement, death-in-service benefits, health and life insurance continuation, and reemployed annuitant requirements; Serving as a senior technical advisor to employees, managers, and Human Resources staff by interpreting Federal retirement laws, regulations, and OPM guidance; resolving complex retirement and benefits issues; and coordinating with OPM and other Federal agencies to resolve retirement actions; and Providing technical leadership by reviewing complex retirement cases, recommending process improvements, developing operating guidance or training materials, and ensuring consistent application of retirement laws, regulations, and agency policies. Documenting experience: IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Qualifications are based on breadth/level of experience. In addition to describing duties performed, applicants must provide the exact dates of each period of employment (from MM/YY to MM/YY) and the number of hours worked per week if part time. As qualification determinations cannot be made when resumes do not include the required information, failure to provide this information may result in disqualification. Applicants are encouraged to use the USAJOBS Resume Builder to develop their federal resume. Do not copy and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational application questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position. In accordance with Office of Personnel Management policy, federal employees are assumed to have gained experience by performing duties and responsibilities appropriate for their official series and grade level as described in their position description. Experience that would not normally be part of the employee's position is creditable, however, when documented by satisfactory evidence, such as a signed memorandum from the employee's supervisor or an SF-50 or SF-52 documenting an official detail or other official assignment. The documentation must indicate whether the duties were performed full time or, if part time, the "percentage of times" the other duties were performed. It is expected that this documentation is included in the employee's official personnel record. In order to receive credit for experience in your resume that is not within the official series and grade level of your official position, you must provide a copy of the appropriate documentation of such experience as indicated above. 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; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to gain employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. If such experience is on a part-time basis, you must provide the average number of hours worked per week as well as the beginning and ending dates of the experience so it can be fully credited. OPM Qualification General Policies Website
Before you apply
Federal applications are different: your resume should be 3–5 pages and mirror the language of this announcement. Read our federal resume guide first — it's the #1 reason qualified people get screened out.
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