Other Agencies and Independent Organizations

HR Specialist (Compensation)

Washington, District of Columbia, Macon, Georgia, Kansas City, Missouri, Durham, North Carolina, Boy Full time

HR Specialist (Compensation)

Department: Other Agencies and Independent Organizations

Location(s): Washington, District of Columbia, Macon, Georgia, Kansas City, Missouri, Durham, North Carolina, Boyers, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, San Antonio, Texas, Norfolk, Virginia

Salary Range: $63795 - $99404 Per Year

Job Summary: Join the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Shared Service Center! We're looking for talented professionals to help deliver solutions that support federal agencies nationwide. As an HR Specialist (Compensation) at the GS-0201-13, you will be part of OPM's Federal Talent Management Center. If selected, you will be responsible for serving as a senior compensation and payroll advisor, overseeing pay and leave policy, payroll operations, and customer projects for serviced Federal agencies.

Major Duties:

  • Serves as the senior Human Resources Specialist for compensation, payroll, and time and attendance operations for assigned customer agencies.
  • Manages customer projects related to compensation and payroll services, including developing project plans, coordinating deliverables, tracking actions, and ensuring timely resolution of issues.
  • Provides authoritative guidance to employees and management on pay and leave laws, regulations, policies, including advanced pay setting, special pay matters, leave entitlements, incentives, retirement contributions, and associated benefits impacts.
  • Investigates and resolves complex payroll issues such as overpayments, underpayments, improper deductions, debt and garnishment actions, and time and attendance discrepancies.
  • Leverages automated payroll, time and attendance, and inquiry systems (e.g., EPP, MyPay, GovTA, QuickTime) to analyze data, monitor, and research and resolve complex issues, ensuring timely and accurate resolution.
  • Leads audits, debt processing, payroll estimates, and data calls by providing accurate information and ensuring the integrity and reliability of payroll records.
  • Collaborates with agency officials, HR specialists, payroll technicians, timekeepers, quality assurance staff, counsel, and other stakeholders to resolve complex pay issues, strengthen internal controls, and improve service delivery.

Qualifications: For the GS13: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service or equivalent, performing all of the following: Providing authoritative guidance on Federal pay, leave, payroll, and time and attendance, leveraging automated systems (e.g., EPP, MyPay, GovTA, QuickTime) to research, interpret, and apply applicable laws, regulations, and policies; Managing or coordinating compensation, payroll, time and attendance or leave administration for organizations, including tracking deliverables, resolving complex issues, analyzing performance, and recommending process improvements; Independently analyzing complex pay, leave, payroll, or compensation records to identify discrepancies, validate determinations, resolve overpayments or debts, address retroactive corrections, or support waiver or hardship determinations; and Leading audits, reviews, or quality assurance activities involving pay setting, leave accounts, incentive payments, time and attendance records, or related HR transactions to ensure accuracy, compliance, and effective internal controls. You must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

How to Apply: Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: 1. Click the Apply Online button. 2. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. 3. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date. 4. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice. 5. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. 6. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. 7. Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link. 8. Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused. For more general information, system requirements, reasonable accommodation information, and to request assistance regarding the USA Hire Assessments, review the following resources: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=USA_Hire_Assessments 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. To view the announcement status or your application status: Click on this: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application. You may preview the assessment questionnaire by clicking here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12949069

Application Deadline: 2026-05-14