Summary

This position is located in the Small Business Administration, Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer in Washington DC. The incumbent will serve as a developmental Human Resources Specialist performing assignments in employee relations, labor relations workers' compensation and performance management under the guidance of a higher-graded specialist.

Duties

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As a/an Human Resources Specialist (Employee & Labor Relations) at the GS - 0201 - 9/11, some of your typical work assignments may include:

• Providing advisory services to managers, supervisors, and HR staff on employee relations matters involving conduct, discipline, administrative grievances, performance deficiencies, leave, attendance and workplace disputes, as well as labor relations workers compensation program and/or performance management.
• Developing draft notices, reports, briefing materials, correspondence, and standardized templates for employee relations, labor relations, and performance management matters.
• Analyzing case files, labor relations background materials, data and trends, reports, and program activity to advise others or make improvements to programs.
• Planning and delivering training for managers, supervisors, HR staff on Employee and labor relations topics, performance management topics, and/or workers compensation program.

GS-09 Pay Scale

$70,623 - $91,815

GS-11 Pay Scale

$85,447 - $111,087

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen
• You must successfully complete a background investigation.
• You may be required to serve a one year probationary period.

Qualifications

GS-9: One year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-7 grade level in the Federal service, obtained in either the private or public sector: performing (2) out of the (4) of the following:

1. Gathering information to support employee or labor relations activities.
2. Drafting routine human resources ER and LR documents with supervision.
3. Researching HR laws, regulations, or policies to support team members.
4. Using various computer programs and software applications.

These qualifications must be clearly referenced in your resume.

GS-11: One year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-9 grade level in the Federal service, obtained in either the private or public sector, performing (2) out of the (4) of the following:

1. Assisting with researching and applying ER/LR principles, practices, legal and regulatory requirements.
2. Advising team members on ER/LR issues and problems throughout an organization.
3. Drafting routine human resources ER and LR documents.
4. Participating in third party hearings in labor and employee relations matters (FMCS, Arbitrations, ULP, FSIP, MSPB, OCS, EEO).

These qualifications must be clearly referenced in your resume.

OR

GS-9 : 2 academic years of progressively higher-level graduate education.

OR

Master's degree (or equivalent graduate degree such as LL.B. or J.D. as specified in qualification standards or individual occupational requirements) directly related to the position. Education must be in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the duties of the position.

OR

A combination of education and experience. For example, 1 full year (18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours) of graduate-level education (i.e. 50% of education required) and 6 months of creditable specialized experience (i.e. 50% of the required experience) would equal 100% of the required experience for the position.

GS-11: 3 academic years of progressively higher-level graduate education.

OR Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree

OR A combination experience as described in "A" and graduate level education as described in "B", when combined, are equivalent to 100% of the qualification requirement. Only graduate level education in excess of two full years (36 semester hours) may be used in this calculation. To compute, first determine the total number of graduate level hours that exceed 36 semester hours, and then divide that number by 18 to arrive at a percentage. Then, divide the total number of months of qualifying experience by 12 to arrive at a second percentage. Add the two percentages together. The sum of the percentages must equal at least 100% to qualify.

Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions. It is available for your review on OPM's Qualifications web site:

Human Resources Management Series 0201

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.

Generally, time in Non-Pay status as a federal employee is not creditable towards the specialized experience requirement listed above.

All qualification requirements must be met by 11:59 pm (Eastern Time) on 09/03/2026.

Education

APPLICANTS PLEASE NOTE: Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications (particularly positions with a positive education requirement.) Therefore, applicants must report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Verify School accreditation. All education claimed by applicants will be verified by the appointing agency accordingly.

If you are selected for this position and qualified based on education (i.e. basic education requirement and/or substitution of education), you will be required to provide an OFFICIAL transcript prior to your first day on duty.

*** If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. *** For further information, click on: Foreign Education.

Additional information

Reasonable Accommodation Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a reasonable accommodation in your online application. Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a Reasonable Accommodation, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments

Career and InterAgency Career Transition Assistance Programs: Are programs that applies to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) is a program that helps "surplus" or "displaced" federal employees improve their chances of finding a new job in their current agency (intra-agency, i.e. SBA employees only).

Inter-Agency Career Transition Assistance (ICTAP) is a program that helps "surplus" or "displaced" federal employees improve their chances of finding a new job at another agency (inter-agency; i.e. not applying to their current or former agency).

You are eligible for CTAP/ICTAP if:

1. You are a current federal employee who meets the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee meaning you have received official notice that your job is no longer needed or that you will lose your job by Reduction-in-Force (RIF).

2. Your agency, or the agency to which you are applying, is accepting applications from within or outside of the permanent workforce.

3. The position to which you are applying MUST BE in the Local Commuting Area of the position of record from which you are being displaced.

4. You meet the qualifications and other requirements of the job for which you are applying. This includes being rated as well-qualified for the position (score of 85 or better based on your responses to the competencies and associated questions listed within the assessment).

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.

Review our 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.