Summary

By law, this Office of Inspector General has continued oversight responsibility for United States funded foreign assistance activities across multiple agencies, to include the Millennium Challenge Corporation, the Inter-American Foundation, the US African Development Foundation, USAID and the Department of State. Responsibilities may additionally include oversight of and/or oversight coordination for foreign assistance programs with other interagency partners throughout the US Government.

Duties

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As a Human Resources Specialist (Benefits) at the full performance level, you will;

• Serve as the Office of Inspector General's principal technical authority responsible for administering and overseeing the agency's comprehensive employee benefits program for Civil Service and Foreign Service employees located domestically and overseas.
• Serves as the agency's principal functional administrator and technical authority for the Office of Personnel Management's Online Retirement Application (ORA), ensuring retirement applications are initiated, validated, adjudicated, routed, and completed in accordance with OPM requirements, agency procedures, and payroll provider processing standards.
• Plans, develops, administers, evaluates, and continually improves agency-wide employee benefits programs to ensure compliance with statutory, regulatory, and policy requirements.
• Administers and provides authoritative guidance and liaises with internal and external entities concerning: Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS), Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS), CSRS Offset, Foreign Service Pension System (FSPS), Foreign Service Retirement and Disability System (FSRDS), Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB), Federal Employees Group Life Insurance (FEGLI), Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP), Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAFEDS), Federal Long-Term Care Insurance (when applicable), Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), Leave administration, Workers' Compensation (OWCP/FECA), Survivor benefits, Military service credit, Deposits and redeposits, Retirement service computation, Employee entitlement programs and Post-retirement benefits.
• Plans and coordinates annual and recurring employee benefits events, including Benefits Open Season campaigns, retirement seminars, benefits expos, and informational sessions in collaboration with OPM, FEHB carriers, FEGLI providers, occupational health providers, Employee Assistance Program (EAP) representatives, and other Federal and private-sector benefits partners.
• Establishes internal operating procedures, standard operating procedures (SOPs), desk guides, workflow documentation, quality assurance procedures, and internal controls governing employee benefits administration.
• Provides comprehensive retirement counseling to employees throughout every stage of Federal employment, from initial appointment through retirement and post-retirement.
• Prepares and certifies highly complex retirement estimates involving Mixed retirement systems, Foreign Service conversion, Intermittent service, Temporary service, Military retirement, Law enforcement retirement, Dual retirement eligibility, Breaks in service and Service computation adjustments.
• Researches and resolves disputed retirement determinations requiring extensive legal and regulatory interpretation.
• Serves as the principal advisor regarding Foreign Service (FS) employee benefits and retirement administration in collaboration with the Foreign Service team.
• Advises FS employees and management concerning Time-in-Class Expirations (TIC), retirement, and Foreign Service pension calculations in collaboration with the Foreign Service team.
• Develops agency implementing guidance ensuring compliance while supporting mission requirements. Ensures agency policy remains aligned with Government-wide requirements and recognized human capital best practices.
• Performs internal control reviews to identify organizational risks affecting employee benefits administration.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• United States Citizenship is required.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret clearance.
• Males born after 12/31/1959, must be registered with the Selective Service.
• You may be required to serve a one-year probationary/2 years trial period.
• Completion of Financial Disclosure may be required.
• Designated and/or random drug testing required

Qualifications

To qualify for the GS-13 grade level, you must have one year of specialized experience at the GS-12 level in the Federal service or equivalent. Specialized experience is defined as:

• Manage 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; and
• Serving as technical advisor to civil service and/or foreign service 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.

Time in Grade Requirement: Time-in-grade requirements must be met by the closing date. This means that you must have served at least 52 weeks at the next grade level (or equivalent) below the grade advertised on this vacancy announcement.

ICTAP/CTAP: If you are requesting special employment consideration under the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) or CTAP, you must provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP or CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your ICTAP or CTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy.

To be well-qualified you must meet the following: OPM qualification requirements for the position, all selective factors, where applicable; special OPM approved qualifying conditions for the position; is physically qualified with reasonable accommodation, where appropriate, to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry; and receives a rating of at least "well-qualified" on the questionnaire. You must provide proof of eligibility with your application to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of ICTAP or CTAP eligibility, or a copy of your separation personnel action form. Additional information regarding ICTAP or CTAP eligibility is available from Career Transition (opm.gov).

Education

This position does not have a positive education requirement.

Additional information

These are Testing Designated Positions (TDPs) under the Agency's approved Drug-Free Workplace Program. All applicants selected for this position will be subject to random drug testing once they begin working for the Agency.

As condition of employment for accepting this position, New federal employees (and in some cases reinstated or transferred employees) in the competitive or excepted service will 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 or trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

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.

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.