Equal Employment Specialist

Summary

You will serve as a Equal Employment Specialist with Office of the Secretary of Interior.

This position may be filled in Washington D.C or current employee duty station.

Location negotiable after selection clarification: This is not a remote position, selectee will remain in their current duty station.

Duties

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This position is located within the Department of the Interior, Office of the Secretary (OS), Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management, and Budget (ASPMB), Office of Civil Rights.

At the full performance level (GS-14) the major duties of this position include, but are not limited to the following:

• Independently manage complex EEO complaints throughout the complaint lifecycle, from intake and informal counseling through resolution, including preparing legally sufficient acceptance and dismissal decisions, and ensuring accurate and timely case management in the DOI tracking system.
• Independently assess Reports of Investigation (ROIs) for legal sufficiency, conduct comprehensive legal research and analysis, and prepare legally sound Final Agency Decisions (FADs), appellate briefs, procedural dismissals, compensatory damages decisions, and settlement breach determinations involving complex EEO matters.
• Serve as a senior EEO subject matter expert, providing authoritative guidance to DOI leadership, supervisors, and employees on complex EEO laws, regulations, judicial decisions, and emerging issues, and developing strategies to prevent and address workplace discrimination.
• Provide Department-wide oversight of the implementation and compliance of EEO settlement agreements, Final Agency Decisions, EEOC Administrative Judge orders, and Office of Federal Sector rulings, independently monitoring corrective actions, resolving compliance issues, and ensuring timely and complete execution of required remedies.
• Design, develop, and deliver comprehensive EEO training for DOI managers, employees, and OCR practitioners on the EEO complaint process, sexual harassment, reasonable accommodation, accessibility, and applicable anti-discrimination laws, ensuring consistent understanding and compliance with Department-wide requirements.
• Analyze EEO complaint trends and program data to identify systemic issues and opportunities for improvement; lead cross-functional special project teams to enhance program efficiency and effectiveness; and develop comprehensive management documents, briefing materials, and mandatory compliance reports for OCR Leadership, DOI leadership and the EEOC.

The Office of the Secretary has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and may be allowed with supervisory approval.

Salary Information

Washington D.C.: GS-14 (Step 1) $143,913 - (Step 10) $187,093 per annum.

OR

Salary will vary based on current duty station: Link to OPM Pay Tables: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/2026/general-schedule/.

This vacancy may be used to fill additional positions as vacancies become available.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
• Direct Deposit participation required.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more, visit https://www.e-verify.gov/.
• You must submit ALL required documents and a completed questionnaire.
• You are required to complete training, obtain and maintain a government credit card with travel and purchase authority.

Probationary/Trial Period

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 to evaluate your fitness and whether your continuation of employment advances the public interest.

This probationary or trial period is an extension of the appointment process and therefore requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest, meet the organization goals and mission of the agency, and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the service. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, the agency will 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.

Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary or trial period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized. In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period, such appointments are terminated. Upon completion of your probationary period -OR-trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement - 11/06/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. Competitive candidates must also meet Time-in-Grade requirements as defined in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F.

For current Federal employees, if hours worked per week are not included on your resume, you must submit a non-award SF-50 as part of your application to be used to validate your work schedule and determine the amount of specialized experience that you will be granted. An award SF-50 will not be acceptable documentation for which to consider your amount of qualifying experience. For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the work schedule requirement as the service dates will be reflected. For all other applicants who are not current federal employees, your resume must state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience.

Minimum Qualification Requirements: To qualify for this position, you must meet the specialized experience for the series to which you are applying.

Specialized Experience:

To qualify for the GS-14. you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-13 grade level in the Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service. Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience:

• Collaborating with EEO staff and other stakeholders to complete assigned cases, projects, and program initiatives; contribute substantive recommendations, resolve work-related issues, incorporate feedback, and deliver required products within established deadlines.
• Providing timely and accurate EEO guidance to managers, supervisors, employees, and EEO staff; explain applicable requirements, recommend appropriate actions, and elevate complex or sensitive issues to management when necessary.
• Conducting legal research using current EEO statutes, regulations, EEOC decisions, guidance, and directives, and apply the findings to draft legally supported FADs, briefs, reports, and other EEO documents.

Must meet all to qualify.

Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualification Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions and is available at OPM's website: https://www.opm.gov/qualifications/standards/indexes/num-ndx.asp

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.

Education

This position does not allow substituting education for experience.

Additional information

Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position.

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Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.