Human Resource Specialist (Employee Benefits Specialist)

Summary

Corrections professionals who foster a humane and secure environment and ensure public safety by preparing individuals for successful reentry into our communities.

Duties

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This position is located in the Consolidated Benefits Unit (CBU) of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP).

Under the guidance and direction of the Deputy Chief, CBU, this position falls into program development, implementation of employee benefits programs, and providing benefit services for all staff of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Serves as an agency expert in CSRS and FERS retirement issues and develops, as well as monitors the Bureau's retirement policy.

Responsible for tracking mandatory retirements for issuance of notice letters, developing information and application packets, counseling staff about retirement and other benefits issues, assisting survivors of deceased employees with death claims and processing.

Provides advice to the Central Processing Unit and individual agency staff about benefits issues related to life events, creditable service, law enforcement coverage and eligibility, and other complex benefit issues.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• U.S. Citizenship is Required.
• See Special Conditions of Employment Section.

The Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provides eligible surplus and displaced competitive service employees in the Department of Justice with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your Department of Justice component has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP eligibility, you may receive selection priority if : 1) this vacancy is within your CTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) you are found well qualified for this vacancy. To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and score 85 or better on established ranking criteria. You must provide a copy of your written notification of CTAP eligibility with your application. Additional information about CTAP eligibility is at : Click Here

Qualifications

To be considered for the position, you must meet the following qualification requirements :

Education :

Master's or equivalent graduate degree; OR 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree; OR LL.B or J.D., if related.

NOTE : Graduate education must provide the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position.

Experience :

You must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the next lower grade level in the normal line of progress for the occupation in the organization. To be creditable, this experience must have equipped the applicant with the particular qualifications to perform successfully the duties of the position, and must typically be in or related to the position to be filled.

Some examples of this qualifying experience are :

Combination of Education and Experience :

Have a combination of education and experience. This experience must have equipped you with the qualifications to perform the major duties of this position as described above.

If applicable, credit will be given for paid and unpaid experience. To receive proper credit, you must show the actual time (such as number of hours worked per week) spent in the activities.

Education

See Qualifications Section for education requirements, if applicable .

ONLY if education is a requirement / substitution for specialized experience, applicant MUST upload legible transcripts as verification of educational requirement. Transcripts MUST be uploaded and electronically linked from USAJOBS at the time you apply and MUST include identifying information to include School Name, Student Name, Degree and Date Awarded (if applicable). All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, Click Here.

Foreign Education : For information regarding foreign education requirements, please see Foreign Diploma and Credit Recognition at the U.S. Department of Education website : Recognition of Foreign Qualifications.

If you are selected for this position and qualified based on education (i.e. basic education requirement and / or substitution of education), you will be required to provide an OFFICIAL transcript prior to your first day on duty.

Additional information

This position IS NOT included in the bargaining unit.

The representative rate for this position is $105,980 per annum ($50.78 per hour).

Special Conditions of Employment Section :

Appointment is subject to satisfactory completion of a urinalysis, physical, and background investigation. All applicants are subject to National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and credit checks.

The addresses listed on the USAJOBS account / resume must be the primary residence at the time of application. You may be required to provide proof of residence.

Additional selections may be made if vacancies occur within the life of the certificate.

Although competitive and non-competitive applications are being accepted, the selecting official may elect to have only one group reviewed.

Current Federal Law Enforcement Employees :

A prerequisite of the secondary law enforcement position is the completion of the mandatory courses in "Introduction to Correctional Techniques Phase I and Phase II". If you have not completed the mandatory courses in "Introduction to Correctional Techniques Phase I and Phase II", you are ineligible for secondary law enforcement position(s) and coverage but may still be considered for a non-law enforcement position.

If you are not a current Bureau of Prisons employee, you must submit training records demonstrating you have completed the mandatory courses in "Introduction to Correctional Techniques Phase I and Phase II" to your hiring Human Resource office prior to appointment.

Individuals selected who are under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) or Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and who have not had three years "primary" law enforcement retirement coverage, will not be covered by law enforcement retirement while in this position. To regain coverage, individuals must return to a position with "primary" coverage.

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Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.