Department of Health and Human Services

HR Specialist

Washington, District of Columbia Full time

HR Specialist

Department: Department of Health and Human Services

Location(s): Washington, District of Columbia

Salary Range: $85447 - $158322 Per Year

Job Summary: This position is located in the Department of Health and Human Services, Assistant Secretary for Administration, headquartered in Washington, District of Columbia.

Major Duties:

  • WHAT YOU'LL BE DOING DAY TO DAY As an HR Specialist you will use your knowledge of and experience with Office of Human Resources to optimize business results and customer experience by: *These are the duties performed at the full performance level Provides comprehensive HR management advisory services to managers and stakeholders on staffing, recruitment, and onboarding strategies, advising on Federal laws, regulations, policies, and hiring authorities to support effective talent acquisition and ensure compliance with merit system principles. Analyzes organizational workforce requirements, conducts job analyses, and develops hiring and succession plans based on mission needs, workforce data, and staffing trends to support effective recruitment and onboarding outcomes. Independently analyzes complex and sensitive HR issues related to staffing, recruitment, and onboarding, conducts studies and evaluations, and develops strategic recommendations and alternative solutions to improve HR programs and resolve organizational challenges Interprets and applies Federal HR laws, regulations, and policies to resolve complex HR issues, ensure compliance with merit system principles, and provide authoritative guidance on recruitment, placement, and compensation matters.

Qualifications: WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR GS-201-11 Minimum Qualifications: You must have one year specialized experience to perform successfully the duties of the position. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service performing ALL of the following: Researching, interpreting, and applying Federal human resources laws, regulations, and policies to support staffing, recruitment, and/or onboarding activities. Reviewing applications and related documentation to determine applicant eligibility and qualifications for Federal employment. Providing guidance to managers, employees, and/or applicants by responding to human resources inquiries. Utilizing automated HR systems to process and track staffing, recruitment, and/or onboarding actions. OR possess a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related in human resource or other field of study with course work directly related to the work of the position to be filled. OR have a combination of experience and education that meets 100% of the qualification requirements for this position. C. I do not possess the education or specialized experience as described above. GS-201-12 Minimum Qualifications: You must have one year specialized experience to perform successfully the duties of the position. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service performing ALL of the following: Researching, interpreting, and applying Federal HR laws, regulations, and policies to carry out staffing, recruitment, and/or onboarding activities in accordance with merit system principles. Preparing and processing personnel actions and/or recruitment documentation in support of hiring and onboarding functions. Determining applicant eligibility and qualifications for Federal positions. Providing guidance to managers and/or applicants on HR procedures related to staffing, recruitment, and/or onboarding. GS-201-13 Minimum Qualifications: You must have one year specialized experience to perform successfully the duties of the position. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service performing ALL of the following: Providing consultation and advisory services to managers and applicants on staffing, recruitment, and/or onboarding strategies in accordance with Federal HR laws and regulations. Evaluating position requirements and workforce needs to support effective hiring and onboarding outcomes. Analyzing complex human resources issues related to staffing, recruitment, and/or onboarding and recommending strategic solutions. Interpreting and applying Federal HR laws, regulations, and policies to resolve complex HR issues and ensure compliance with merit system principles. Documenting experience: IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Qualifications are based on breadth/level of experience. In addition to describing duties performed, applicants must provide the exact dates of each period of employment (from MM/YY to MM/YY) and the number of hours worked per week if part time. As qualification determinations cannot be made when resumes do not include the required information, failure to provide this information may result in disqualification. Applicants are encouraged to use the USAJOBS Resume Builder to develop their federal resume. Do not copy and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational application questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position. In accordance with Office of Personnel Management policy, federal employees are assumed to have gained experience by performing duties and responsibilities appropriate for their official series and grade level as described in their position description. Experience that would not normally be part of the employee's position is creditable, however, when documented by satisfactory evidence, such as a signed memorandum from the employee's supervisor or an SF-50 or SF-52 documenting an official detail or other official assignment. The documentation must indicate whether the duties were performed full time or, if part time, the "percentage of times" the other duties were performed. It is expected that this documentation is included in the employee's official personnel record. In order to receive credit for experience in your resume that is not within the official series and grade level of your official position, you must provide a copy of the appropriate documentation of such experience as indicated above. 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; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to gain employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. If such experience is on a part-time basis, you must provide the average number of hours worked per week as well as the beginning and ending dates of the experience so it can be fully credited. OPM Qualification General Policies Website

How to Apply: To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. Resumes must not exceed two (2) pages in length. Application requirements are clearly stated in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Failure to submit a resume and any other required documentation identified in this announcement will result in removal from further consideration. *To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire. *Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package. *It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date. ADDITIONAL USA HIRE INSTRUCTIONS: 1. 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. 2. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. 3. 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. 4. 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. 5. 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://appsupport-usastaffing.opm.gov/hc/en-us/articles/45063284864659-Contacting-the-OPM-USA-Hire... USA Hire Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us/articles/45424542500371-How-to-request-a-reasonable-accomm... To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account at https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link, and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account at https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete. The complete Application Package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 04/24/2026.

Application Deadline: 2026-04-24