Summary

This position is located in the Office of Human Resource (OHR), Pay, Benefits, and HR Systems (PBHRS) Division. The incumbent serves as the agency subject matter expert in matters of Human Resources benefits, time entry and pay within the Federal Government. The incumbent ensures benefits offered by the agency adhere to federal law and agency policy. The incumbent is also responsible for the full realm of federal payroll activities in support of domestic and international Agency personnel.

Duties

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The Human Resources Specialist (Payroll & Benefits) performs the following major duties:

• • Performed long-range planning and/or management of new substantive agency programs
  • Devised new analytical techniques to evaluate complex program issues.
  • Developed strategies for planning and/or implementing major Federal Benefits programs.
  • Ensure HR management is informed of any/all potential benefits related issues that may impact the agency, department or staff. Recommend improvements in processes and policies related to benefits.
  • Provided federal employee benefits guidance and consultation to employees and managers on sensitive or serious problems that were complicated by complex eligibility determinations or by the highly personal and sensitive nature of the issues.
  • Advises employees on retirement and develops retirement estimates utilizing on-line retirement calculations applications. Reviews files to ensure employees are assigned to the correct retirement system; analyzes civilian and military service for such issues as deposit requirements; and assists employees with deposit applications.
  • Processes retirement applications utilizing online systems, i.e. Fed Navigator HR, ORA (OPM Online Retirement Application).
  • Responsible for solving complex pay and time entry questions.
  • Utilize OPM tools such as the Federal Ballpark, FERCCA, and NAFI to estimate retirement benefits, manage coverage determinations, and track program data.
  • Develop and deliver training materials, webinars, or workshops on benefit topics, including Social Security integration, health benefits, and service deposits.
  • Serves as the Agency's primary resource for the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Retirement Benefits Program. Handles retirement cases and issues. Provides guidance and consultation to employees retiring or considering retirement regarding benefits, i.e., retirement, life insurance, and health benefits. Analyzes retirement laws, rules, and regulations related to retirement options and entitlements. Files retirement applications and associated documentation in the OPM Online Retirement Application (ORA).

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

Applicants selected for this position are subject to the following Conditions of Employment:

• You must be a U.S. citizen and at least 18 years old.
• Males born after December 31, 1959, must be registered with Selective Service (see www.sss.gov).
• Prior to employment, Peace Corps will review records for Returned Peace Corps Volunteers and former employees, as required by statutes 5 USC 3322 and 22 USC 2507b.
• You must submit a signed statement acknowledging adherence to the Peace Corps Conditions of Employment before your first day.
• You must successfully complete a Public Trust background investigation.
• A one year probationary period may be required.
• The initial appointment to this position cannot exceed five years.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualification requirements prior to the closing date of this announcement, 08/31/2026. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience demonstrated in your resume, including volunteer work. Qualification claims are subject to verification. This vacancy is being announced at the FP-03.

Specialized Experience at the FP-03(GS-13) Level: To qualify for this position at the FP-03 level, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower level in the normal line of progression, FP-04 or GS-12. This experience must be directly related to the work of the position and must have equipped you with the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to successfully perform the duties of the role. Specialized experience includes:

• Experience in providing comprehensive guidance to employees on federal benefits programs including FEHB, FEGLI, FSAFEDS, TSP, and the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS)
• Experience in delivering one-on-one retirement counseling sessions for employees preparing for early, postponed, disability, or voluntary retirements
• Experience in preparing complete retirement application packages for submission to OPM, ensuring accuracy and compliance with federal regulations
• Experience in utilizing federal HR systems such as GovTA, NFC, and EmpowHR to process FEHB, FEGLI, and TSP transactions
• Experience in conducting routine audits to identify and correct enrollment errors, mismatched effective dates, and payroll deduction issues.

~AND~

Time-in-Grade Requirements: Current or former Federal employees, including Peace Corps employees, must meet applicable Time-in-Grade requirements to be eligible for this position. For positions above the FP-09 (GS-05) level, you must have completed at least one year (52 weeks) at the next lower grade in the normal line of progression for the position to which you are applying.

All current or former Federal employees, including internal employees, must provide a copy of their SF-50(s), "Notification of Personnel Action," to demonstrate that you meet Time-in-Grade requirements. For more information, refer to the "Required Documents" section below.

What We're Looking for in Top Candidates

We are looking for an HR Specialist (Payroll & Benefits) who is detail-oriented, dependable, and highly knowledgeable in payroll processes and benefits administration. The ideal candidate will bring several of the following; however, we don't expect any one person to bring them all, we expect the ability to learn quickly:

• Strong communication skills
• Experience with Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS)
• Problem Solving
• Experience with retirement calculators and OPM tools
• Follow-up and interpersonal skill
• Experience with Microsoft Office skills
• Ability to explain complex retirement concepts clearly.

Please note:

• Experience that satisfies the Specialized Experience requirements must be clearly documented in your resume. Failure to provide this information may result in disqualification. Please review the "Required Documents" section of this announcement for further information on resume requirements.
• Specialized experience may be gained in the public sector, private sector, or through volunteer service (e.g., National Service programs such as Peace Corps or AmeriCorps, or other organizations such as professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, or social groups).
• One year of experience refers to full-time work. Part-time work will be credited on a prorated basis.
• For more details on qualification requirements, refer to the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook for General Schedule Positions, available on the OPM web site.

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

Position Information:

• This is not a bargaining unit position.
• The minimum and maximum salaries listed on this announcement includes locality pay.

Peace Corps Information:

• This is a federal civilian position in the Excepted Service, and the incumbent will serve as a member of the Foreign Service.
• Peace Corps employees are paid under the Foreign Personnel (FP) pay system, which differs from the General Schedule (GS) pay system. In the FP pay system, lower grade level numbers indicate higher levels of responsibility and pay. The FP-09 is the lowest, entry-level, grade and the FP-01 is the highest, senior-level, grade.
• If you are a current federal employee, your agency may grant you reemployment rights in accordance with Section 310 of the Foreign Service Act, 22 USC 3950. You must request and be granted reemployment rights prior to separation from your current federal agency.
• If this is your first federal appointment, you may request credit for prior applicable non-federal service toward your leave Service Computation Date. Approval of credit must be granted prior to your first federal appointment and is subject to agency review and documentation requirements.
• This position is eligible for situational telework only.
• Additional hiring needs may be filled through this vacancy.

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.