Summary
This position is located in the Office of Inspector General, Office of Mission Support - Human Resources Directorate. The Office of Inspector General is an independent office within EPA that helps the agency protect the environment in a more efficient and cost-effective manner. We consist of auditors, program analysts, investigators, and others with extensive expertise. Although we are a part of EPA, Congress provides us with our funding separate from the agency, to ensure our independence.
Duties
As a HUMAN RESOURCES SPECIALIST (EMPLOYEE RELATIONS & PERFORMANCE) GS-0201-13 your typical work assignments may include the following under supervision: Serves as technical expert on performance and conduct-based actions and related employee relations program policies and practices. Responds to program issues where there is the potential for serious impact on the OIG's mission. Assesses the impact of new practices and/or the pursuit of certain actions that could have a perceived impact on the OIG or the Federal government. Develops solutions to extremely complicated, complex or non-standard problems that may have the potential to impact numerous employees and/or major OIG programs; Prepares reports and makes recommendations and decisions that involve precedent-setting cases that may affect the policies and programs of outside organizations. Conciliates remedies in cases that are likely to result in precedent decisions. Prepares comprehensive investigation reports that summarize investigative activities; Serves as advisor and consultant on performance management issues. Provides managers with interpretation of the agency's performance management procedures, practices, policies, and guidelines. Counsels managers on performance situations, including cases with the potential to generate administrative or negotiated agreement grievances, EEO complaints, performance-based adverse actions, etc.; Plans, coordinates and conducts special studies of employee relations policies, issues, and practices, including performance evaluation ratings, awards and adverse actions; Researches case law to ensure that actions are appropriate and legally defensible. Devises organizational case strategies, prepares and/or reviews documentation of adverse action cases and presents and defends the agency's technical position before third parties; Provides expert level advice in the area of performance management. Serves as a trouble-shooter, providing authoritative advice and guidance on problems not susceptible to treatment by accepted methods; recommendations and decisions are characterized by breadth and importance; Provides key consultative performance management advice and services to managers, supervisors, senior level officials, and employees involving the full spectrum of human resources policies, programs, processes, and procedures; Reviews and advises management on performance plans and provides technical information on performance management systems. Interprets agency policies and provides advice on other human resources issues that align with performance management; and Provides expert advice on policy, directives, and guidelines on a full range of matters pertinent to performance management and/or performance management. Recognizes recurrence of similar unprecedented and highly controversial problems. Develops or proposes new or revised agency approach. Anticipates problems that management may encounter, and accomplishes preventive human resources management projects to best serve management's goals.
Education
ARE YOU USING YOUR EDUCATION TO QUALIFY? You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: (1) official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement. PASS/FAIL COURSES: If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society. GRADUATE EDUCATION: One academic year of graduate education is the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study. FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: https://www.ed.gov/laws-and-policy/higher-education-laws-andpolicy/college-accreditation.
How you will be evaluated
All applicants: Your application will be reviewed in three phases to determine how you move forward in the hiring process. Phase I: Your resume will be reviewed to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the required specialized experience. ONLY two (2) pages of your resume will be reviewed. Additional information beyond your resume (e.g., cover letter, links embedded in your resume) will not be reviewed. Applicants passing "Phase I" will move on to the "Phase II" of the assessment process where your application will be reviewed and rated based on the competencies listed in the vacancy announcement by a Subject Matter Expert (SME). Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents). Applicants who do not respond to the application questions may be rated ineligible. Applicants passing "Phase II" of the assessment process will be invited to participate in a structured interview, as part of "Phase III". A SME panel will conduct the structured interview and assign a score for each of the required competencies listed below, based on your responses to the interview questions. You will be assessed on the following competencies: Accountability Attention to Detail Customer Service Decision Making Flexibility Influencing/Negotiating Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Reading Comprehension Reasoning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork If you are referred for consideration, you may be subject to additional assessments by the selecting official (e.g., technical writing sample or other work sample, job knowledge test, case scenario analysis, scientific data assessment, structured interview, etc.). NOTE: If you exaggerate or falsify your experience, education and/or your responses to questions, your ratings are subject to change, or you may be removed from employment consideration. Applicants who apply under this job opportunity announcement agree to have their application, associated documents and applicable personal information shared with other Offices within the OIG community who have vacancies with the same occupational series, grade, full performance level and in the same geographic location(s). Applying to this announcement does not replace the need to apply to other job opportunity announcements for which you wish to receive consideration. You may choose to opt in of having your information shared with other agencies when applying for this position. If an agency requests a copy of a certificate, you are on, you will be notified.