Senior HR Specialist (ER)
Who may apply
Limited to the following applicant groups:
- Federal employees - Competitive service
- Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)
- Veterans
- Individuals with disabilities
- Military spouses
Washington, District of Columbia
2 days left to apply
Salary: $143,913 – $187,093
per year
(GS-14)
Salary context
Based on 157 annual-salary jobs in the same occupational series. This role pays above most similar positions.
Job Details
Position Overview
Are you seeking a rewarding and challenging career? Join the SBA Office of Inspector General as a Senior Human Resources Specialist (Employee Relations), where you will advise leaders on complex conduct and performance matters, manage disciplinary and adverse actions, and support fair, consistent, and legally supportable personnel decisions.Duties
This position will serve as a Senior Human Resources Specialist (ER) and, as such will:
- Serve under the direction and oversight of the Human Resources Officer, providing senior-level employee relations advice and support to OIG executives, managers, and supervisors on complex and sensitive matters involving conduct, performance, leave, attendance, and workplace issues.
- Manage complex employee relations casers from initial review through final resolution, including disciplinary and adverse actions, performance-based actions, grievances, and probationary or trial-period actions.
- Conduct comprehensive case analyses by evaluating evidence, applicable laws and regulations, due process requirements, penalty considerations, procedural compliance, and organizational risk, and recommends appropriate courses of action to the Human Resources Officer and management officials.
- Draft and review proposed and final action notices, performance improvement plans, reprimands, grievance decisions, settlement agreements, case analyses, and other employee relations documents for completeness, consistency, and procedural compliance.
- Coordinate with OIG Counsel regarding employee relations cases, administrative investigations, third-party proceedings, and the defensibility of proposed personnel actions.
- Assist the Human Resources Officer in developing and evaluating OIG-wide employee relations policies, procedures, templates, guidance, training, internal controls, and program improvements that promote accountability and consistent application of federal requirements.
Qualifications & Requirements
Applicants must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as:- Providing authoritative advice to senior leaders, managers, and supervisors on complex employee relations matters involving employee conduct, performance, leave, attendance, grievances, or workplace issues;
- Managing complex disciplinary, adverse, or performance-based actions, including analyzing evidence and applicable requirements, evaluating procedural and organizational risks, and recommending appropriate courses of action;
- Interpreting and applying federal employee relations laws, regulations, case law, policies, and precedents; and
- Drafting or reviewing legally and procedurally supportable employee relations documents, such as proposed and final action notices, performance improvement plans, grievance decisions, settlement agreements, case analyses, or agency responses for third-party proceedings.
TIME-IN-GRADE: If you are a current career or career-conditional federal employee applying for promotion under Merit Promotion you must have completed a minimum of 52 weeks in positions at the next level lower than the position being filled.
Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions. It is available for your review on OPM's Qualifications web site:
Human Resources Management Series 0201
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.
Generally, time in Non-Pay status as a federal employee is not creditable towards the specialized experience requirement listed above.
All qualification requirements must be met by 11:59 pm (Eastern Time) on 08/21/2026.
Education
For this position you must meet the qualification requirement using experience alone -- no substitution of education for experience is permited.Conditions of Employment
- You must be a U.S. Citizen
- You must successfully complete a background investigation.
- You may be required to serve a one-year probationary period.
Evaluations
Applicants meeting basic eligibility requirements will be further evaluated based on additional assessments. One of these assessment is USA Hire. Based on your application and your responses to the application questionnaire, you may be presented with instructions on how to access the USA Hire system to complete the online assessments. The online assessments must be completed within 48 hours following the close of this announcement. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation for the assessment should you have a disability covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).Your USA Hire assessment results will be kept on record for one year and used toward future positions for which you might apply that require the same assessments.
The assessments relate to the following Competencies required to do the work of this position:
- Employee Relations
- Oral Communication
- Problem Solving
- Writing
All qualified Non Competitive applicants and the best qualified Merit Promotion applicants will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration.
Required Documents
Failure to submit any of the required documents by the closing date/time of the vacancy will result in your removal from consideration for this position. Please review your application prior to final submission and ensure you have submitted all appropriate documents. Uploading documents to USAJOBs does NOT ensure inclusion with your application to our system. You must verify that the documents are in the system with your application prior to final submission.1. Your Resume must not include photographs. Resume length may not exceed 2 pages and must contain the following information:
- Name, address, telephone number, email address;
- Job Title (if Federal Service, provide series and grade; if not in GS plan, provide GS equivalent grade);
- If qualifying based on related unpaid (e.g. volunteer service) experience, you must provide hours worked per week and beginning/ending dates (mm/dd/yyyy to mm/dd/yyyy);
- If other than full time you must provide hours worked per week.
- PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your resume must contain sufficiently detailed information upon which to make a qualification determination. You must address the specific specialized experience required for each grade level of this position on your resume or application or you will be rated "Ineligible" for that grade level.
- Should you submit multiple resumes, only the latest uploaded resume will be reviewed.
2. In addition to the online application (resume and responses to the occupational questionnaire), you are required to submit the following forms, if applicable. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure all documents are legible:
- Federal employees must submit proof of your permanent career/career-conditional competitive status ("1" or "2" in Tenure, block 24 and "1" in Position Occupied, block 34). Submit SF-50 showing current grade and tenure and an SF-50 showing highest (permanent) grade ever held, if different. NOTE: An award or detail SF-50 will not be accepted as proof of status.
- If you are using education as a substitution for experience (the announcement will state whether this is allowed), or if there is an educational requirement for this position, you must submit a copy of your transcripts (unofficial or official) that clearly describes your qualifying education. If selected, official transcripts will be required;
- If you are claiming Veteran status, you must submit a copy of all required documents to support your claim (e.g.: DD-214 Member Copy 4 showing type of discharge/character of service; Current Active Duty members must submit a certification of expected discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions dated within 120 days; SF-15 Form and related documentation; VA disability letter)--see VetGuide;
- Veterans who are still in the service may be granted tentative preference on the basis of information contained in their applications, but they must produce a DD-214 (showing the character of service) or other proof of service to receive consideration for veterans' preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit FedsHireVets.gov.
- CTAP/ICTAP/RPL Applicants: Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP priority must provide proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), SF-50 documenting separation (if applicable), your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330, and your most recent performance appraisal.
How to Apply
Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions will affect your rating. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience your rating may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities.Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include the initial online assessment and submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. 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. To begin the application process, 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 11:59PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
4. After submitting an online application, you will be notified whether or not you are required to take additional online assessments through the USA Hire Competency Based Assessment system. This message will be delivered to you both on screen and via email notification.
5. If you are asked to take the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be presented with a unique URL to access the USA Hire system. Access to USA Hire is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Be sure to review all instructions prior to beginning your USA Hire Assessments. Click here for Computer System Requirements
6. Note, set aside at least 3 hours to take these assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue at a later time, you can re-use the URL sent to you via email and also found on the Additional Application Information page that can be located in the application record in your USAJOBS account.
To update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account. There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Update Application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account at https://www.usajobs.gov/
All of your applications will appear on the Welcome page. The application record in your USAJOBS account provides an Additional Application Information page that provides information regarding the documentation you submitted and any correspondence we have sent related to this application. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/ SUITABILITY, CLEARANCE & REQUIREMENTS: A background investigation may be required for all new hires. Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet these requirements will be grounds for termination.
As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period (depending on type of appointment authority) during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:
- your performance and conduct;
- the needs and interests of the agency;
- whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
- whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
Upon completion of this period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. For additional information visit www.sss.gov.
Telework may be available. For information on Telework visit: http://www.telework.gov/
Additional vacancies may be filled from this vacancy announcement if additional vacancies occur within 180 days of the date the certificates were issued.
Source: Data sourced from USAJOBS