Human Resources Specialist (Employee Relations/Labor Relations) at White River Junction

JOB SUMMARY:

 Vacancy Identification Number (VIN) 924586

Our Mission: To fulfill President Lincoln’s promise – “To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan” – by serving and honoring the men and women who are America’s Veterans. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate care to Veterans?

As a VA professional, your opportunities are endless. With many openings in the multiple functions of VA, you will have a wide range of opportunities and leadership positions at your fingertips. Not only is it the largest, most technologically advanced integrated health care system in the Nation, but we also provide many other services to Veterans through the Benefits Administration and National Cemeteries. VA professionals feel good about their careers and their ability to balance work and home life. VA offers generous paid time off and a variety of predictable and flexible scheduling opportunities.  For more information on the Department of Veterans Affairs, go to http://www.vacareers.va.gov//”

Special Employment Consideration:  VA encourages persons withdisabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointmentof persons with disabilities [i.e.,intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatricdisabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connecteddisability of 30% or more.Contact the Agency Contact on the last page of the JOA for information on howto apply under this appointment authority via the Selective PlacementCoordinator.

KEY REQUIREMENTS

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job.
• Subject to a background/suitability investigation.
• time in grade requirements apply

DUTIES:Back to top

The VA Medical Center in White River Junction, Vermont is recruiting for a Human Resources Specialist (Employee/Labor Relations), that will perform a wide range of assignments involving the knowledge and skills of several major HR program areas. Assignments include Employee Relations, Performance Management, Incentive Awards, Disciplanary & Adverse Actions, and the Leave Program. 

 

Duties include but are not limited to:

• Decides, recommends, or negotiates a variety of employee relations problems, questions, and situations in conformance with established criteria, and recommends or negotiates resolution;
• provides counseling to employees on individual cases which involve sensitive or serious problems or controversial issues;
• provides complete labor management relations advisory services for a variety of different situations;
• performs complete assignments with widely varying duties including fact-finding, drawing conclusions, and making recommendations;
• provides customers with consistent information according to established policies and procedures;
• handles conflict and problems in dealing with customers constructively and appropriately;
• exercises judgment in planning and carrying out assignments including approach to be taken, degree of intensity, and depth of research in management advisories;
• frequently independently interprets regulations and applies new methods to resolve complex and/or intricate controversial cases, or significant issues or implications;
• recommends changes in local guides or drafts procedural guides and policies for employees and supervisors; 

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm

***RELOCATION EXPENSES AND/OR INCENTIVES ARE NOT AUTHORIZED***

Position Description Title/PD#: 4722-O

 

THIS IS A NON-BARGAINING UNIT POSITION. 

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:Back to top

Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. For this vacancy announcement, applicants must have completed:

GS-11: Candidates must have completed 52 weeks in a position no lower than GS-09. 

An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. NOTE: You must indicate on your application the time period that you meet these time-in-grade requirements. For example, state "I was employed as a GS-09 or higher in a permanent position for the period (list the period using month-day–year to month-day-year). IF YOU FAIL TO PROVIDE THIS INFORMATION, THIS OFFICE CANNOT VERIFY THAT YOU MEET THE TIME IN GRADE REQUIREMENTS and you may be found ineligible for this position.

Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.

Specialized Experience: negotiating and administering labor agreements; serving as a member of or technical advisor to negotiating teams; providing advice and assistance to employees and managers in matters related to conduct, performance, and attendance; attending grievance meetings, oral responses to proposed charges, or Summary Review Boards, etc., as a technical advisor to management; and conducting research on past precedents regarding employee relations matters; serving as a supervisor.

GS-11: (1) full year of specialized experience that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of this position successfully and that is equivalent to at least the GS-09 level in the Federal service

OR 

a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, from an accredited university or college OR a combination of the specialized experience as described above and the higher level education which, when combined, is equivalent to 100% of the qualification requirement. [Only graduate education in excess of the Masters level may be used in this calculation. To calculate your percentage of graduate education, first determine the total number of graduate hours that exceed the Masters level, and then divide the total number of your excess graduate semester hours by 18 (or your schools definition of one year of graduate study). To calculate your percentage of qualifying experience, divide your total number of months of qualifying experience by 12. Now, add the two percentages together. The sum of the percentages must equal at least 100%.

 

U.S. Office of Personnel Management Operating Manual Qualifications Standards for General Schedule Positions, Group Coverage Qualification Standards for Administrative and Management Positions. This standard is available for review in the local HR Liaison Office. You may also access this standard through the internet at the following address: http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/ 

You will be rated on the following competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position. Narrative responses are not required at this time. 

KSA 1 – Ability to manage a contemporary Employee Relations Program utilizing knowledge of Employee Relations and Labor Relations principles, concepts, programs, laws and systems to resolve complex operational and programmatic issues and to provide exceptional Human Resources (HR) advice to top management.

KSA 2 - Ability to gather information analyze and evaluate it, and make recommendations as well as, conduct thorough case law research and prepare legal documents for third party review.

KSA 3 - Ability to set work priorities, work under pressure, meet deadlines, and provide creative products and outcomes aligned with the needs of the organization. 

KSA 4 - Ability to communicate effectively, verbally and writing to clearly present complex issues, analyze facts, and make recommendations to resolve problems.

If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. 

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: The work is primarily performed while sitting though some work may require periods of standing. The regular and recurring work of the position involves sitting at a desk, conferences, meeting, etc. and occasional visits to activity work sites. Occasional use of automobile and public conveyance may be required. 

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume/application does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).

PLEASE NOTE:  Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications (particularly positions with a positive education requirement.)  Therefore, applicants must report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.  Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html All education claimed by applicants will be verified by the appointing agency accordingly.  If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education.

 

Veterans Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference on the Occupational Questionnaire in the section provided and provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) and/or documentation related to your active duty service which shows dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), or dates of impending separation.

Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veterans Preference" with required proof as stated on the form.  For more information, please review the information for disabled Veterans in the application checklist or visit http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx.

HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:

Your résumé and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

Country: USA, State: Vermont, City: White River Junction, Company: Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration.