Employee Experience Liaison (O-6 Billet) Non-Supervisory – External

Summary

Employee Experience Liaison advises IHSC leadership on employee relations, disciplinary actions, grievances, and personnel issues for federal and USPHS staff. Handles complex cases, ensures compliance with regulations, prepares reports, and provides guidance and training. Requires strong analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills. This position is only open to current USPHS officers.

USPHS Call to Active Duty (CAD) candidates are not eligible for this position.

Duties

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provides consultation and assistance on complex and often controversial conduct-related issues within IHSC.
• Advises senior management and supervisors on the procedural and legal requirements for correcting complex conduct problems and administering disciplinary and adverse actions.
• Analyzes each situation and conducts extensive research of the case facts, laws, regulations, precedent decisions, and IHSC policies.
• Uses judgment, initiative, and resourcefulness in situations where there are no clear-cut guidelines or precedent decisions and develops workable solutions.
• Applies an in-depth knowledge of human resources concepts and a thorough understanding of the missions and structures of assigned IHSC organizations to resolve complex, controversial issues.
• Reviews, troubleshoots, and resolves difficult employee relations issues, many of which can be sensitive in nature, potentially escalating to classified issues that are unique and not covered by available precedents.
• Provides advice and assists IHSC CoA in the development of positions and responses to complaints matters in cases before arbitrators on issues involving complex personnel management issues and related matters.
• As assigned, represents the IHSC Chief of Administration as a technical advisor on these cases.
• Prepares or assists management with the preparation of written employee notifications, ensuring such documents are within regulatory compliance and are legally sufficient.
• Inform employees regarding their entitlements to use grievance/complaint/appeal procedures.
• Assists legal staff in preparing and presenting management’s case and represents management as a technical advisor during third-party proceedings such as arbitrations, mediations, and hearings (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Merit Systems Protection Board).
• Works directly with Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) counselors and/or the agency’s legal staff to resolve difficult, complex problems, issues, and conflicts.
• Identifies and proposes solutions to a broad range of IHSC problems and issues that are characterized by their breadth, importance, and severity and for which previous studies and established techniques are frequently inadequate.
• Conduct studies to develop management interests involve several interrelated issues, and/or are potentially of considerable cost to IHSC if unresolved.
• Interprets laws, executive orders, regulations, collective bargaining agreements, and policies both as general guides and in response to managers.
• Reviews agreements for compliance with Federal laws and government-wide rules and regulations.
• Investigations and attempts to resolve complex issues or problems occurring throughout IHSC, including those brought to management’s attention by the civilian employees.
• Assists HHS in representing IHSC management before HHS hearing examiners or litigators on complex cases.
• Assists in the preparation, presentation, and in carrying cases through to conclusion; to information and discovery requests, interviewing and preparing witnesses; and preparing briefs, exceptions, and appeals.
• Assistance could involve such activities as management representative or technical assistant in litigation.
• Provides advice and assistance in reviewing incoming disciplinary and adverse action cases of a complex nature and determines if the evidence provided is sufficient to warrant the action desired by management, and may write proposals, notices, and decisions consistent with the consolidated evidence.
• Assists in the development and distribution of written guidance and training on employee relations matters related to IHSC and assists in the development, coordination, and facilitation of training sessions.
• Works with Divisions and Branches within IHSC, Office of the Surgeon General, Office of Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH), and other uniformed services to identify and adopt best practices to improve efficiency and effectiveness, and for the purpose of developing systems to provide the highest quality service to the agencies and to the commissioned officer community.
• Performs other duties as assigned by the IHSC Chief of Administration or IHSC leadership.

Education

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES: KNOWLEDGE: Thorough understanding of employee relations principles, practices, and procedures applicable to both federal civil service employees and USPHS Commissioned Corps officers in a healthcare setting.

Comprehensive knowledge of federal regulations, labor laws, and ICE policies governing disciplinary actions, adverse actions, grievances, and personnel administration for diverse employee groups. Familiarity with USPHS Commissioned Corps personnel policies, standards of conduct, and disciplinary procedures.

Working knowledge of data analysis techniques and workforce planning as they relate to employee relations and personnel management within a complex, multidisciplinary healthcare organization. Proficiency in data management tools and HRIS systems (e.g., Excel, Access, SharePoint) for tracking, analyzing, and reporting employee relations cases and outcomes.

SKILLS: Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret complex personnel data, identify trends in disciplinary and adverse actions, and develop effective, evidence based recommendations.

Abilities: Advanced proficiency in preparing clear, accurate, and well-documented reports, case summaries, correspondence, and presentations related to employee relations matters for both federal employees and USPHS officers. Excellent written and verbal communication skills for conducting investigations, facilitating meetings, and communicating sensitive information to staff, management, and stakeholders.

High attention to detail and accuracy in managing confidential records, documentation, and ensuring data integrity throughout the disciplinary and grievance processes. Effective organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple cases and projects simultaneously, prioritize assignments, and meet strict deadlines in a fast-paced, mission driven environment.

ABILITIES: Ability to handle sensitive and complex personnel issues with discretion, professionalism, and sound judgment, respecting the unique requirements of both federal civil service and USPHS personnel systems. Ability to work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams, including healthcare professionals, union representatives, legal counsel, and management, to resolve employee relations matters.

Ability to remain impartial, objective, and fair in conducting investigations and making recommendations, while considering the distinct policies and procedures applicable to each employee group. Ability to adapt to evolving regulations, policies, and organizational needs, demonstrating flexibility and initiative in problem-solving and process improvement.

Ability to provide guidance and training to supervisors and staff on employee relations policies, procedures, and best practices specific to ICE Health Service Corps, federal civil service, and USPHS Commissioned Corps officers.

How You Will Be Evaluated

We will review your resume and supporting documentation to ensure you meet the minimum qualification requirements. You may be selected for an interview at the hiring authority’s discretion. You will be notified of selection or non-selection.

Required Documents

• To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package. Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, you may not be considered for this position. A complete application includes: U. S. Public Health Service Officers
• Cover Letter/Letter of Interest. Degrees.
• (Place under “Diploma/GED”) Professional license.
• (If applicable) Additional professional certificates.
• (If applicable) Three professional references.
• (i.e., name, title and contact information) Official USPHS Promotion CV – e.g., relevant experience, education, training.
• (Place under “USPHS Promotion CV”) You may provide a civilian resume in addition to the USPHS Promotion CV to capture all relevant work experience.
• A copy of your Certificate of Investigation (located in your eOPF). *Three most recent Commissioned Officer Effectiveness Reports (COER).
• (Place under “Performance Appraisal”) For current IHSC PHS officers, IHSC Recruiting requires applicants to provide a copy of your current Service Remaining Requirements Agreement.
• Indicate if you have an Assignment Pay (AP) Agreement and the date of the end of your AP Agreement.
• If you do not, please submit a memo attesting to no AP in the Assignment Pay (AP) Agreement section in the documents section of application.