HR Specialist (Employee Relations/Labor Relations)

Summary

Announcement may be used to fill similar positions within 90 days of the closing date. About this agency

Duties

• The incumbent is responsible for establishing and maintaining an effective Labor Management Relations (LMR) program for the agency.
• Provides expert advice and assistance in the most complex areas of negotiating and administering labor agreements to include bargaining unit determinations, consolidation of bargaining-units, mediation, arbitration, questions of negotiability, and unfair labor practices.
• Under the direction of the Assistant Director of HR (Deputy Chief Human Capital Officer), drafts agency policy and guidance that are designed to provide optimum emphasis, leadership, and staff guidance that ensures continuous improvement in personnel management throughout the agency.
• Duties include, but are not limited to: Plans and develops programs for labor relations negotiation.
• Provides comprehensive and direct advice and guidance to agency personnel in person and/or by telephone or written correspondence on all facets of the labor relations program.
• Provides continuing advice on all aspects of labor relations.
• Provides research, analysis and application of law, regulations, standard procedures, case law and guidance from EXIM, OPM, MSPB, Department of Labor, courts, and other competent authorities to determine applicable requirements and best methods or techniques to be practiced in labor employee relations functions.
• On matters of dealing with the exclusive representative of the various bargaining unit, directly represents the Agency in negotiating substantive personnel policy and other matters affecting working conditions Under tight time constraints, the incumbent prepares responses to sensitive correspondence including, Congressional and union inquiries by obtaining information from the various sources.
• Evaluates, conducts, or participates in staff studies on programs to determine trends, problems, and corrective action.
• Counsels, advises, and assists on actions concerning employee/management communications, grievances and appeals, disciplinary actions, and performance-based actions for both management and employees.
• Works with managers, supervisors, and employees in resolving highly controversial and politically sensitive problems.
• Advisory services, technical support, and policy guidance responsibilities include, but are not limited to suitability determinations, disciplinary and adverse actions, performance management, performance-based actions, grievances (administrative), appeals, special inquiries, and leave administration.
• Decides and/or develops consensus as to what actions will be taken in response to union demands for specific contract provisions, and for developing provisions to be proposed to the union for the purpose of resolving problems that have been experienced or to achieve more effective operations.
• Maintains a sensitivity to the roles, authorities, prerogatives, and responsibilities to all parties, both union and management, and strives to maintain a rapport where often divisive influences are involved.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents) and the responses you provide on the application questionnaire.

If you are found qualified for this position and meet or exceed a predefined rating threshold from your questionnaire responses, a Subject Matter Expert (SME) will review your resume to determine if your technical competencies meet the proficiency requirements established for this position. You will be notified by email if your application is forwarded to the hiring official for further consideration.

If you do not meet the rating threshold to move forward to the next evaluation stage or it is determined that your technical competencies do not meet the proficiency requirements for this position, you will be notified by email.

Required Documents

Your application package should include the following documents:

• Your
• Resume (applicants are required to submit a resume with job title, series/grade (if federal employee), duties and accomplishments, employer’s name, starting and ending dates of employment, number of hours worked per week, and annual salary).
• If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as incomplete and you will not receive consideration for this position.
• Effective September 27, 2025, federal agencies will only accept resumes up to two pages in accordance with the Merit Hiring Plan.
• If you have not already done so, please update your resume under your profile before applying for any federal job.
• For additional details, visit click the following link.
• Copy of your most recent SF-50 which shows your position title, series, grade, step, salary, position occupied, and tenure to verify Time-in-Grade/competitive status.
• If you have previously held a higher grade and are applying based on that grade you must provide a copy of the SF-50 showing you held the higher grade and/or have promotion potential to the grade being advertised.
• Examples of appropriate SF50s include: Appointments, Reassignments, Within-grade/range increases or Promotion actions.
• NOTE: Pay adjustments and award SF-50s do not include the length of time in your current position, therefore, they are NOT acceptable SF-50’s on their own.
• You may need to provide more than one SF-50.
• Unofficial Transcripts, if the position has an education requirement or if you are using education to qualify.
• If selected for the position, you must provide an official transcript before appointment.
• Proof of U.S. accreditation for foreign study, if applicable.
• Special Priority Selection rights under CTAP or ICTAP: Copy of your agency notice (RIF Separation Notice, Notice of Proposed Removal, etc); Copy of your most recent performance appraisal (with at least a satisfactory rating), Most current SF-50 showing career/conditional tenure competitive status, position title, grade level, and duty location.
• Proof of Veteran’s Preference – DD-214 (Member 4 Copy), if you are a veteran.
• Additionally, applicants claiming 10-point preference must complete Standard Form (SF)15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, as well as additional documentation required by the SF-15, such as a VA letter, if applicable.
• If a DD-214 (Member Copy 4) is not available, other documentation listing the beginning and ending dates of active service and the type of discharge must be submitted to verify eligibility.
• Submission of any required documents listed in vacancy announcement, if applicable.
• Please note that if you do not provide all required information/documents, as specified in this announcement, you may not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible).