Employee Benefits Law Specialist

Employee Benefits Law Specialist

Department: Department of Labor

Location(s): Washington, District of Columbia

Salary Range: $85447 - $111087 Per Year

Job Summary: EBSA plays a vital role in protecting the retirement, health, and other job-based benefits of America's workers, retirees, and their families. We issue effective regulations, offer comprehensive education and assistance to workers, plan sponsors, fiduciaries, and service providers, and rigorously enforce the law. We serve workers, families, and the broader employee benefits community by protecting the security and integrity of the nation's benefit systems.

Major Duties:

• This position is located in the Office of Exemption Determinations (OED). OED is responsible for analyzing individual and class exemption applications which involve a wide array of financial transactions, preparing interpretive letters and Federal Register notices, and reviewing petitions or good faith waiver's of penalties, drafting advisory opinions and information letters. Major duties include but are not limited to the following: Provides verbal advice and guidance to internal and external stakeholders on the interpretation and application of ERISA prohibited transaction provisions and related Code requirements. Engages in public hearings by presenting information, listening to testimony, summarizing proceedings, and discussing recommendations related to proposed exemptions. Participates in or leads denial conferences by verbally presenting case issues, answering questions, and communicating final determinations to stakeholders. Prepares written case summaries that outline key factors, issues, guidelines, precedents, and recommended courses of action for supervisory review. Drafts Federal Register notices, denial letters, and other formal written documents in response to decisions on exemption requests. Prepares written replies to Congressional inquiries and public requests, providing explanations regarding exemption applications, filing procedures, and the application of ERISA or Code provisions. Collaborates with supervisors and senior specialists to discuss analytical findings, seek guidance, and reach consensus on recommended actions for exemption requests and expedited exemption procedure submissions. Maintains liaison with officials of other Federal agencies to work on joint projects, secure and furnish technical advice or assistance, provide interpretive guidance regarding ERISA, and discuss and resolve problems of mutual concern. Evaluates complex exemption applications and expedited exemption procedure submissions by synthesizing diverse financial, legal, and technical information to determine appropriate outcomes. Conducts thorough research of statutes, regulations, precedent cases, and technical documentation, integrating findings to support sound fiduciary and prohibited transaction determinations. Applies technical knowledge to interpret financial statements, actuarial certifications, CPA reports, and other case materials to identify compliance issues, fiduciary risks, and potential prohibited transactions.

Qualifications: Education - Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study in one or a combination of the following fields - finance, banking, business administration, economics, mathematics, accounting or auditing, pension plan administration, law, industrial relations, public administration, or other related fields. OR Specialized Experience: Progressively responsible experience that demonstrated the ability to perform work in the field of pension and welfare plans. Such experience may have been gained in (1) management, administration, development, analysis, audit, financial management, or termination of such plans or their funds; or (2) in closely related work such as taxation, securities, and investments. Specialized experience may have been gained in government, a welfare and pension plan administration or consulting firm, law firm, actuarial or accounting firm, labor union, welfare and pension association or research service, banking trust department, or investment firm. Applicants must demonstrate 52 weeks of qualifying specialized experience equivalent to the GS-9 level in Federal service. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include: Analysis and application of fiduciary, reporting and disclosure, bonding, funding, vesting, administration, and termination provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and related laws, regulations, court decisions, and precedent rulings. Development of proposals for new or revised pension or welfare plans, petitions for exemptions, or requests for rulings under governing law. Legal work, a substantial portion of which required interpretation of Federal laws and legal requirements concerning employee benefit plans, or in such related fields as taxation, securities, real estate, corporations, trusts, bankruptcy, and investments. Auditing or accounting work that involved determining compliance with Federal and State laws governing welfare and pension plans, securities, banking, insurance, or corporations. Analysis of Federal laws or regulations, development of policy, and drafting of proposed changes in an employee welfare and benefit plan or a related function.

How to Apply: Persons who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or have speech disabilities, please dial 711 to access telecommunications relay services. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, including submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section. Your application and ALL required supplemental documents MUST be received by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on the vacancy closing date to receive consideration. Important - Save your information before the 30-minute system timeout! For help, go to the USAJOBS Help Center. STEP 1 - Create USAJOBS Account on www.usajobs.gov, including Resume and Saved Documents. For each employment period, include start/end month & year and note full-time or part-time (if part-time, include # of hours worked per week) otherwise, your application may be considered incomplete. NOTE: In alignment with the Presidential Memorandum titled Merit Hiring Plan, dated May 29, 2025, applicants may only submit a resume limited to two (2) pages. Only the résumé uploaded under the 'Resume" document type in USAJOBS will be reviewed. If the resume submitted exceeds two (2) pages, the application will be deemed ineligible for further consideration. STEP 2 - Complete the 1st part of the application process (USAJOBS). Once you have identified a job on USAJOBS that you wish to apply for, click on the job title and then click the Apply button. For questions about the vacancy, contact the Agency Contact at the bottom of the announcement. Proceed through the steps noted at the top of the USAJOBS page. You will be able to select a resume and documents from your USAJOBS Account that you can submit as a package as part of your DOL application. In the final step, once you have certified your application, click the Continue to agency site button. STEP 3 - Complete the 2nd part of the application process (DOL). On the Department of Labor (DOL) page, create a DOL Account if you have not already and click Apply to this vacancy. Continue through the progress steps at the top of the DOL page. The 2nd progress step is where you answer the vacancy-specific questions. The 3rd progress step Documents is where you submit the required documents (only if applicable to you) specified in the Required Documents section of this vacancy. STEP 4 - On the Review and Submit step, verify each section of your application is complete and correct. In order to submit your application, you must have a check mark next to each section listed. If there is an X, return to the appropriate section and follow the prompts. When it is ready for submission, certify your application and click the Submit Application button. STEP 5 - Edit Application as needed by 11:59 pm Eastern Time of Closing Date by returning to USAJOBS, clicking the vacancy, then Update Application. To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date. For more detailed information on applying for positions with DOL click here to view the U.S. Department of Labor, How to Apply website.

Application Deadline: 2026-03-20