HQ USAF and Support Elements

HUMAN RESOURCES SPECIALIST (EMPLOYEE RELATIONS)

Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia $85447 - $158322 PA GS Closes Oct 23, 2026

This announcement is sourced from the official USAJOBS API. Federal Job Alerts is not affiliated with OPM, USAJOBS, or any U.S. government agency.

Summary

In order to qualify, you must meet the specialized experience requirements described in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions, Administrative and Management Positions, GS-0201 series. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE GS-11: Applicants must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience at the next lower grade GS-09, or equivalent in other pay systems. Examples of specialized experience include knowledge of a wide range of in-depth employee relations concepts, principles, practices, and legal and regulatory requirements sufficient to provide a broad expertise in advising senior management and supervisors on a myriad of complex and frequently contentious issues; Knowledge of complex concepts, principles, practices, and case law regarding third party powers and procedures sufficient to research facts, legal precedents, and define legal and factual parameters/issues of cases; assist in the preparation, maintenance, and filing of necessary documents and files; and represent management before third parties in quasi-judicial boards and commissions. Note: Resume must show supporting details. OR EDUCATION: I have successfully completed 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. in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the work of the position. NOTE: You must submit copies of your college transcripts. OR COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: I have less than the full amount of specialized experience described in the job opportunity announcement; however, and I have at least 2 years of progressively higher-level graduate education but have not obtained a Ph.D or equivalent graduate degree. Therefore, I have a combination of experience and education. Note: You must submit a copy of transcripts SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE GS-12: knowledge of a wide range of in-depth employee relations concepts, principles, practices, and legal and regulatory requirements sufficient to provide a broad expertise in advising senior management and supervisors on a myriad of complex and frequently contentious issues; Knowledge of complex concepts, principles, practices, and case law regarding third party powers and procedures sufficient to research facts, legal precedents, and define legal and factual parameters/issues of cases; assist in the preparation, maintenance, and filing of necessary documents and files; and represent management before third parties in quasi-judicial boards and commissions. Note: Resume must show supporting details. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE GS-13: mastery of advanced employee relations laws, regulations, principles, precedents, policy, legal and regulatory principles, concepts, practices, techniques, consultative skill, and seasoned judgment sufficient to: (1) provide authoritative advisory services for a variety of Employee Relations programs; (2) plan, organize, and conduct research of legal case facts, laws, regulations, precedent decisions to advise managers on the procedural and legal requirements for correcting complex conduct problems and administering disciplinary and adverse actions; (3) review, troubleshoot, and resolve difficult employee relations issues, characterized by their breadth, importance, and severity, many of which are unique and not covered by available precedents; (4) direct, plan, evaluate and make recommendations concerning overall plans and proposals for special studies and projects affecting major Employee Relations programs and/or policies in order to resolve substantive organizational and program issues or complex problems not susceptible to treatment by standard methods; (5) research and evaluate impact of new or proposed regulations, policies, and/or laws to provide technical guidance and advise on issues; and (6) review draft regulations, directives, and other guidance and prepares recommendations and comments reflecting impact on local policy or practices. Note: Resume must show supporting details. FEDERAL TIME-IN-GRADE (TIG) REQUIREMENT FOR GENERAL SCHEDULE POSITIONS: Merit promotion applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements to be considered eligible. One year at the GS-09 level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-11 level. One year at the GS-11 level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-12 level. One year at the GS-12 level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-13 level. TIG applies if you are in a current GS position or held a GS position within the previous 52 weeks. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas: GS-11/12 In-depth knowledge of a wide range of employee relations concepts, case law, principles, practices, and regulatory requirements sufficient to perform detailed analyses; draw conclusions on complex legal issues, problems, and situations; and advise senior managers regarding corrective techniques in response to a wide range of conduct and performance problems Knowledge and understanding of complex Federal HR management functions, theories, and techniques; and the basic relationships of the various HR disciplines Knowledge of in-depth legal research methods, information-gathering techniques, and analytical techniques sufficient to locate, interpret, and analyze for applicability and appropriateness, precedent and substantive decisions, and/or legal opinions that various courts and administrative bodies have rendered Knowledge of conflict resolution techniques sufficient to interact in highly charged, emotional situations which arise due to delicate or highly contested case matters and determinations Skill in gathering facts and using effective, analytical, and evaluative methods to accurately assess information and make sound decisions Ability to communicate with others, both orally and in writing, sufficient to formulate and present arguments and advisory opinions and prepare case documents GS-13 Knowledge of organizational structures, missions, objectives, operating programs, key positions, and administrative policies and procedures across the Air Force to conduct studies, which are frequently ad hoc team efforts, to identify, consider, and recommend options for the resolution of substantive organizational and program issues or complex problems not susceptible to treatment by standard methods. Knowledge at an expert level of analytical and evaluative methods, including a wide range of qualitative and quantitative techniques, plus a thorough understanding of how regulatory programs are administered to measure compliance, assess effectiveness, identify deficiencies, analyze trends, and make recommendations for enhancements and improvements of programs and the resolution of problems. Mastery knowledge and experience with Title 5 and Title 10 personnel systems and current DoD and Air Force Human Resources database systems and applications (to include DCPDS, DPMAP, and BusinessObjects), as well as Cyber feds, to query, retrieve, research, and analyze information in order to complete assignments. Mastery of and skill in applying policies, procedures, methods, and publicity techniques of business operations to develop, revise, and advise on Human Resources employee relations programs to meet goals and objectives within available resources. Mastery of and skill in applying federal laws, executive orders, regulations, policies, directives, principles, and practices to advise and assist with the Employee-Management Relations program at the Headquarters Air Force level. Skill in justifying, defending, and recommending course of action on an end-to-end employee relations program within serviced organizations. Qualifications Continued in Education

Major Duties

Manage the end-to-end processes for Employee Management Relations. Provides consultation and assistance on complex and often controversial conduct and performance-related issues. Manages one or more assigned programs. Special assignments, projects, or special subject areas such as multiple Performance Management Programs under both Title 5 and Title 10, virtual supervisory position builds in DCPDS, DCPDS hierarchy issues, developing and conducting targeted training for supervisors and managers on various employee and labor relations topics, the Voluntary Leave Transfer Program, medical issues in the workplace, and Disability Program Manager duties in reasonable accommodation requests. Provides employee relations assistance to managers for assigned organizations of a complex nature.

Required Documents

The following documents are required and must be provided with your application. Applicants who do not submit required documentation to determine eligibility and qualifications will be eliminated from consideration. Other documents may be required based on the eligibility/eligibilities you are claiming. Click here to view the AF Civilian Employment Eligibility Guide and the required documents you must submit to substantiate the eligibilities you are claiming. Online Application: Questionnaire Resume: Your resume may NOT exceed two pages, and the font size should not be smaller than 10 pts. You will not be considered for this vacancy if your resume is illegible/unreadable. Additional information on resume requirements can be located under "How To Apply". Transcripts/Registration/License: If qualifying based on education/position requires education, you must submit copies of your transcripts and if required for the position, submit an active, current registration/license. Veterans: If claiming VEOA, VRA or 30% Disabled Veteran - Submit VOW certification memo or copy of the official DD-Form 214, which must include the character of service (i.e., with an honorable or general discharge). This will be annotated in block 24 on member copy 2, 4, or 7 of the DD-Form 214. If claiming 30% Disabled Veteran, you must also submit a VA Letter or a disability determination from a branch of the Armed Forces. NOTE: All veterans claiming 10-point preference must also submit a SF-15. Current or Former Federal Civilian Employees (includes current Air Force employees): You must submit a legible copy of your most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, AND a SF-50 reflecting the highest grade held if different from your recent SF-50. The SF-50, block 24 must contain "1" or "2" AND block 34 must be a "1". Employees eligible under an OPM approved interchange agreement, block 34 may contain a "1" or "2". Promotion Consideration: If you wish to be considered as a promotion candidate and your SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you meet the one-year time-in-grade requirements. You will need to provide additional SF-50s which clearly demonstrate you meet the time-in-grade requirements (examples of appropriate SF-50s include Promotions, Within Grade/Range Increases, and SF-50s with an effective date more than one year old). If you are requesting a reasonable accommodation to the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, submit documentation to support your request, including the Reasonable Accommodation Request Form found here Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Eligible: MSP applicants, if determined best qualified, must be selected and placed at the highest grade for which they applied. You must include a completed copy of the DD Form 3145-4, Military Spouse PPP Self-Certification Checklist dated within 30 days along with the documents identified on the checklist to verify your eligibility for MSP. Click here to obtain/download a copy of the DD Form 3145-4, Military Spouse PPP Self-Certification Checklist. 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.

How to Apply

Please read the entire announcement and all instructions before starting the 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 10/23/2026, closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: To preview the Application Questionnaire, please click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13091462 Click the Apply Online button. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59PM (ET) on the announcement closing date, 10/23/2026. Your Resume. If you submit more than one resume, only the most recent will be reviewed. The "most recent" is considered the resume with the latest timestamp. Resumes may not exceed two pages. The two-page resume ensures the most relevant experience is reviewed and considered, which is a common practice in both the public and private sectors. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. Additional information on how to complete or update your resume may be located here For qualification determination your resume must contain hours worked per week and dates of employment (i.e., month/year to month/year or month/year to present). If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as insufficient, and you will not receive consideration for this position. If you are a current Federal employee or previous Federal employee, provide your pay plan, series and grade, i.e. GS-0301-09. Current Federal Civilian Employees may list any relevant performance related rating (given within the last three years) and/or incentive awards in your resume. Do NOT include photographs, inappropriate material, inappropriate content, nor personal information such as age, gender, religion, social security number, etc., on your resume. If the resume you submit contains such information you will not be considered for this vacancy. Your name, first and last, MUST be included on your resume. 5. A complete Application Questionnaire 6. Additional Required Documents (see Required Documents section). Ensure all submitted documents contain your full name. 7. Help recruiters find you. Make your resume and profile searchable, which means recruiters may contact you about possible jobs. Additional information may be located here 8. 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. 9. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. 10. 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. 11. 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. 12. 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. Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources, click here 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 here 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. Human Resources WILL NOT modify or change any answers submitted by an applicant.