Supervisory Human Resources Specialist (ER/LR)

Veterans Affairs$80K — $100K *
Education, Government & Non-Profit
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 5-7 years of progressive human resources experience in employee and labor relations
  • Comprehensive knowledge of federal HR policies, procedures, and labor law
  • Demonstrated experience in negotiating and administering labor agreements
  • Analytical skills for case management and dispute resolution
  • Effective communication skills for advising management and staff
  • Ability to establish relationships with labor organizations

Responsibilities

  • Plan and oversee employee and labor relations activities
  • Administer labor relations programs and conduct policy research
  • Manage complex case assignments in employee discipline and attendance
  • Negotiate and advise on labor agreements with employee representatives
  • Provide technical guidance to senior management in ER/LR issues
  • Conduct training and foster communication on HR policies
  • Act as a point of contact for labor management matters

Benefits

  • Comprehensive benefits package for federal employees
  • Access to various health and wellness programs
  • Annual leave earning based on years of service
  • Retirement savings options available
  • Eligibility for telework arrangements
Full Job Description
Summary

Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 22 Desert Pacific Healthcare Network is recruiting a Supervisory HR Specialist (ER/LR). The primary purpose of this position is to plan work and carry out activities to manage employee/labor relations for an integrated healthcare network.

Duties

The Employee and Labor Relations Service is part of VISN 22 and this Supervisor will report to the VISN 22 Desert Pacific Healthcare Network Employee Labor Relations Chief. The selectee will perform the full range of program administration, research, and case management in employee relations related to policy, conduct, performance, discipline, attendance, and dispute resolution; Perform the full range of Labor Relations (LR) duties. Establish and maintain effective relationships with labor organizations that represent Federal employees, negotiate and administer labor agreements, and provide guidance and consultation to management on a variety of labor relations matters. Perform complex assignments and is considered the expert in ER/LR programs and is consistently relied upon by senior management to provide skilled, technical and definitive advisory services in these critical ER/LR program areas.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 08:00 am - 04:30 pm (negotiable upon selection), must be able to accommodate customers in the Pacific Standard Time zone.

Telework: This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Supervisory Human Resources Specialist (ER/LR)/PD99980S

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
  • Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
  • Subject to background/security investigation
  • Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
  • Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP


As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary 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.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 07/28/2026.

Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-13 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-12. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade.

Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.

The BASIC REQUIREMENT for the HR Specialist GS-0201 series is presumed met if found qualified at the GS-0201-7 level and above.

To qualify for this position at the GS-13 level, you must meet one of the following listed Criteria:

Criteria 1- Graduate Degree and Specialized Experience: Successful completion of a graduate level degree or higher AND three years of progressive specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level. Such experience may be gained in administrative, professional, technical or other responsible work positions in the public (i.e., Government or military) or private sector. Qualifying specialized experience includes: applying laws, executive orders, regulations, policies, collective bargaining agreements, concepts, and various HR policies, practices, procedures, and management controls of the labor and employee relations functions in a regionalized operation sufficient to: provide comprehensive employee and labor relations services onsite; coordinate with and advise supervisors and managers on technical issues involving disciplinary, adverse and all other relevant corrective actions. In addition, the incumbent must possess a knowledge of, and skill in applying, collective bargaining agreements and related principles, concepts, laws, regulations, techniques, and guidelines sufficient to support an organization's employee and labor relations program, including negotiation with labor representatives; deploying research and analytical techniques to gather, document, and analyze information to develop strategies and action plans.

~OR~

Criteria 2- Specialized Experience: You must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in federal service that demonstrates HR management knowledge, concepts and principles and the performance of work in one or more of the HR specialty areas. Such experience may be gained in administrative, professional, technical or other responsible work positions in the public (i.e., Government or military) or private sector. Qualifying specialized experience includes: expert-level knowledge, skill in applying and analytical skill to advise management and employees on employee relations concepts, principles, practices, and case law (e.g., related to reasonable accommodation, prohibited HR practices, and third-party powers and procedures); skill in researching case law, research facts in order to create solutions to problems; skill in applying, the full range of labor relations theories, principles, methods and techniques to conduct studies for management and respond to union interests at the bargaining table; provide training and communication to management on agency-wide labor relations and employee relations policies and procedures; independently represent management in third-party proceedings; knowledge of how other government agencies' rules and regulations impact the Department of Veterans Affairs; skilled in fact-finding, interviewing, and case management techniques to advise on and/or conduct investigations; advise and provide technically accurate interpretations of local negotiated agreements and provisions to reconcile conflicting technical viewpoints; serves as principal point of contact on labor management matters of overall concern to established bargaining units at the local level.

Education

Qualifying education for the GS-0201 series includes courses and programs in HR, HR development, HR management, business, business management/administration, industrial relations, labor relations, industrial psychology, organizational psychology, organizational development, management, organizational behavior, pre-law/law, legal studies, health care management/administration, public administration, public policy, human services, leadership and/or humanities.

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Superior Academic Achievement S.A.A. (S.A.A. is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average, or (3) honor society membership. The full provision for Superior Academic Achievement (S.A.A.) is described in the OPM General Schedule Operating Manual.

  1. Class standingApplicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses.
  2. Grade-point average (G.P.A.)Applicants must have a grade-point average of: 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on their official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum. Grade-point averages are to be rounded to one decimal place. For example, 2.95 will round to 3.0 and 2.94 will round to 2.9.
  3. Election to membership in a national scholastic honor societyApplicants can be considered eligible based on membership in one of the national scholastic honor societies listed below. These honor societies are listed in the Association of College Honor Societies: Booklet of Information (1992-95) and/or Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities (1991). Agencies considering eligibility based on any society not included in the following list must ensure that the honor society meets the minimum requirements of the Association of College Honor Societies. Membership in a freshman honor society cannot be used to meet the requirements of this provision. (UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED)


Reference: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix F1; Human Resources Specialist Qualification Standards GS-0201. This can be found in the local Human Resources

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

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

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.

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