Human Resources Assistant
What you'd do
This position is located in the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM), Office of Human Resources. In this position, you will be performing human resources (HR) assistance work requiring substantial knowledge of civilian HR terminology, requirements, procedures, operations, functions, and regulatory policy and procedural requirements applicable to Federal HR transactions.
Major duties
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is a federally chartered, nonpartisan institution that was created by the US Congress to serve as America's national memorial to the victims of the Holocaust and an educational institution dedicated to the history and lessons of the Holocaust. The Museum seeks to educate Americans from all 50 states and all walks of life as well as international audiences. The Museum has three areas of expertise: Holocaust remembrance, Holocaust scholarship and education, and genocide prevention. In carrying out its important memorial and educational mission, the Museum is guided by its institutional values for our workplace: Honor the memory of the victims; carry out our work with dignity, humility, integrity and respect for others; and strive for excellence through teamwork, rigor, and a culture of continuous learning. Consistent respect for others is the foundation for trust, collegiality and inclusion. Duties include: Processing personnel actions, including all of those required by OPM including, but not limited to, appointments, separations, promotions, reassignments, transfers, etc. The personnel actions are reviewed for accuracy, adequacy of supporting documentation, and existence of administrative approvals. Working with Human Resource Specialists to acquire and/or complete missing items and resolve discrepancies. Using FPPS to process personnel actions and generate reports. This includes capturing, reviewing, and recording essential employee data elements needed for employee entitlement and pay determinations, aggregate analysis, reporting, and personnel action processing (i.e., service computation date, veteran's preference, tenure code, etc.), and resolves any questionable data by conferring with HR Specialists after researching OPM guidelines (i.e., Guide to Personnel Data Standards, Guide to Processing Personnel Actions, etc.) and automated systems guidelines (i.e., the FPPS Data Dictionary, FPPS Relational Data Tables, etc.). Conducting new employee orientation, reviewing and processing a wide variety of payroll and personnel forms such as tax forms, payroll allotments, bond deductions, Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) elections, Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) elections, Federal Employees Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) elections, etc. Responsible for the management of Official Personnel Folders (OPFs), electronic as well as hard copy. Using the OPM Guide to Personnel Record Keeping, the HR Assistant establishes and/or acquires employee records for new hires, audits records, and merges records as necessary. Troubleshooting and correcting errors in pay related matters and provides technical advice and assistance to employees and HR specialists regarding pay problems and procedures necessary for the correction, back-pay entitlements, or money owed based on the error.
What you need to qualify
Qualification requirements in the vacancy announcements are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook, which contains federal qualification standards. This handbook is available on the Office of Personnel Management's website located at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards. 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. Specialized Experience: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-06 level in the Federal service or private sectors which is directly related to the work of this position, and which has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. The specialized experience requirements for this position are: processing personnel actions, coding and documenting personnel actions through the Federal Personnel Payroll Systems (FPPS) and other required personnel management systems; managing employee records (Official Personnel Folders) electronic and hard copy; supporting Human Resource Specialists with staffing and recruitment actions; conducting new employee orientation; processing payroll and personnel forms; and preparing regular and special personnel reports. Time-in-Grade Requirements: Under competitive merit promotion procedures, any individual who is currently holding, or who has held within the previous 52 weeks, a General Schedule position under a non-temporary appointment in the competitive or expected service, must meet "time-in-grade" requirements (have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade of the grade for which you are applying). Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to current employees applying for a Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. NOTE: All current or former Federal employees must provide a copy of their SF-50 (you may need to submit more than one), "Notice of Personnel Action" that indicates proof of status and time-in-grade eligibility. The SF-50 must include your position, title, series, grade, step, tenure (1 or 2), and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). ***Failure to submit required documentation will result in an ineligible rating.***
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