Senior Human Resource Specialist (51431)

Position Objective:  As a Senior Human Resource Specialist, apply a broad range of advanced skills and expertise in the full range of federal HR areas including but not limited to staffing, classification, processing, benefits, recruitment, compensation, SES programs, work life programs, policy and employee and labor relations.  In support of the Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Office of Human Capital (OHC), Human Resources Operations Center (HROC). 

Staffing Activities

• Review position applications to determine basic qualifications, adjudicate veterans’ preference, and prepare selection certificates for issue.
• Apply pay setting calculations for use by to extend job offers.
• Perform law enforcement pay setting to include accurate conversion of general pay and special pay schedules to the law enforcement pay schedule.
• Develop and review standard operating procedures (SOP) and job aids for existing, new, or emerging staffing programs.
• Develop and build specialized ad-hoc applicant metrics, reports, and associated spreadsheets.
• Validate applicant selections.
• Interpret and apply laws, rules, and regulations, to include Executive Orders (EO’s) Title 38, Delegated Examining Unit (DEU) regulations, 5 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), the Vet Guide, and other regulatory guidance to federal hiring actions.
• Respond to applicant and internal customer concerns and inquiries.
• Review applicant status determinations when challenged by internal/external candidates and managers.
• Monitor, revise, and maintain reports and files.
• Develop staffing process checklists and maintain tracking spreadsheets.
• Coordinate and serve as a liaison with customers as required.
• Perform data entry into position management and other related ICE systems as required.
• Prepare, issue, and track tentative selection notices.
• Coordinate job offers, release requests, setting of enter-on-duty (EOD) dates, and coordinate training classes for applicants.
• Coordinate issuance and return of security paperwork for applicants including Electronic Questionnaires for Investigations Processing (e-QIP) initiations and conduct regular status checks with the ICE Personnel Security Division (PSD).
• Familiarity with USA Staffing Record EOD actions in ICE databases as required.
• Assist with audit of staffing and recruitment case files.
• Perform quality assurance for the oral interview process and enter results into appropriate ICE databases.
• Advise and assist hiring managers in performing job analyses to fill existing or new positions: draft vacancy announcements, develop interview questions, score benchmarks based on job analysis results, and guidance on forming interview panels.
• Participate and/or contribute as an active member of a team for human capital initiative(s).
• Provide support for HR specialists who perform recruitment and staffing duties for an assigned block of services.
• Instruct candidates on the proper way to complete and submit employment applications and review for complete and accurate information.
• Explain basic merit promotion procedures to employees.
• Maintain merit promotion folders to keep accurate logs.
• Initiate the pre-employment process to include security, medical, drug and/or fitness tests as required for the position.
• Download and transmit SF75 information to other Federal agencies as required.

Operational Classification Activities

• Lead a group of contractor staff with the daily processing of Position Management System Online (PMSO) Builds, SF-52 routing, and SF-corrections as applicable.
• Operate several independent HR processing systems (e.g., TOPS, NFC, ESP).
• Assign SF-52s and HC Link service tickets ensuring a balance of tickets among contractor staff.
• Monitor ESP and HC Link work request submissions and timely assign for processing.
• Keep abreast of the status and progress of work, and make day-to-day adjustments in accordance with established priorities, and obtain assistance from the Section Chiefs on problems that arise, such as backlogs.
• Aid contractor staff with specific tasks and job techniques.
• Perform routine work in progress checks.
• Run system generated reports from numerous HR systems for use by various HR Units and ICE program office.
• Coordinate with other HROC Units in the correction of SF-52’s.
• Respond to program office

Operational Processing Activities

• Process Personnel Actions (SF52) in compliance with Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and National Finance Center (NFC) rules and procedures, processes recruitment, Career Ladder Promotion (CLP), Change to Lower Grade (CLG). Detail actions, Temporary Promotions (TPRO), Law Enforcement Pay Actions, Administratively Uncontrollable Overtime (AUO), Reassignment actions etc.
• Apply a wide range of personnel, payroll and benefit concepts, laws, policies practices, analytical and diagnostic methods to address technical issues:
• Development of SOPs for existing, new, or emerging personnel functions.
• Provide administrative support by responding to questions, complaints, problems, or situations, and providing explanation of policy and procedures.
• Support audit – KPMG, A-123, ICU, Internal and external audits – provide guidance, documentation.
• •Provide technical assistance to end users on HR automated systems, procedures, and applications.
• Review, assign, and route SF52s to process personnel actions in ESP related to the duties of the section.
• Train and monitor the workload of HRAs to ensure they perform duties accurately and timely.
• Perform daily monitoring of personnel systems for actions related to the duties of the section, following up with the employee and or services for missing information.
• Process complex settlement case/tasking requiring History Correction Process (HCUP) by providing analysis of alternative options on a full range of pay-related issues.
• Support research and investigation of facts involving personnel problems and other projects.
• Test enhancements projects with the Human Resources Information Technology (HRIT) team.
• Monitor and maintain human resources reports and files.
• Research discrepancies with benefits, veterans’ preference, and SCDs, etc.

Operational Retirement & Benefits Activities

• Provide federal benefits expertise to advise current and former employees, annuitants, eligible family members, and managers on complex benefits problems and inquiries.
  • Provide individual employee counseling on retirement options; Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) and worker’s compensation/injury benefits; and eligibility requirements for life, health, and long-term health insurance.
  • Research employee eOPF issues/errors related to benefits and conduct service audits.
  • Provide solutions and develop corrective guidance or operating procedures to know concerns.
  • Assist to process documents related to benefits to include retirement packages.
  • Process SF52 documents for retirements and death in service actions.
  • Prepare retirement and survivor benefits computation for law enforcement and non-law enforcement employees.
  • Assist employees and survivors in preparing retirement applicants, ensuring documentation is accurate and submitted within required deadlines.
  • Provide counseling to employees on all aspects of the TSP to include participation eligibility, eligibility for retroactive TSP error corrections, and to employees leaving federal service (or their survivors) on the benefits available from their TSP accounts.
  • Provide validation of retirement coverage to pay technicians.
  • Prepare communication related to employee benefit and retirement materials to ensure supervisors and employees are fully and currently informed.
  • Administer the Federal Employees Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) and the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) programs for serviced activities.
  • Establish local procedures, publicity, and informational materials related to the FEGLI and FEHB programs.
  • Advise employees and supervisors on difficult questions relating to FEGLI and FEHB (Typical issues involve interpreting provisions of the Spouse Equity Act, and the Temporary Continuation of FEHB Coverage Program; interpretation and applicability of Comptroller General decisions pertaining to retroactive payments; and determining enrollment eligibility for initial coverage outside the normal enrollment periods).
  • Provide advisory services on various leave entitlement matters such as the Family and Medical Leave Act and the Family Friendly Leave Act; annual, sick, restored, administrative, and military leave; Voluntary Leave

Employee Engagement & Selection Support Activities

• Contribute to the design and administration of studies, surveys, and projects.
  • Coordinate activities in alignment with strategic business needs and established project timelines
  • Develops and coordinates internal review systems to track planning activities and external review systems to monitor adherence to established business standards and processes.