Human Resources Specialist (Employee Benefits)

Full Job Description

This position is located in the Bureau of Human Resources, Office of Retirement (HR/RET).

RET administers the Foreign Service retirement system for 18,000 annuitants and 15,000 active duty participants from the Department of State and all foreign affairs agencies in the U.S. Government.

This office also helps the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) administer the Civil Service retirement system for 10,000 Department of State employees.

Applicants must meet all the required qualification requirements described below by the closing date of this announcement.

NOTE: Applicants must meet time-in-grade and time after competitive appointment requirements, by the closing date of this announcement.

Time-In-Grade Requirements: Federal applicants must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade to satisfy time-in-grade restrictions, per 5 CFR 300, Subpart F.

Applicants must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level in the Federal service which provided the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position.

Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following: Experience providing consultative advice and services to employees and managers on the Foreign Service Retirement System and federal employee benefit programs.

Experience analyzing sensitive and classified segments of a retirement program, identifying irregularities, and recommending solutions that align with current policies.

Experience planning and/or conducting retirement presentations and training sessions for internal and external audiences (e.g., Retirement Seminars at the National Foreign Affairs Training Center (NFATC), outside Foreign Affairs agencies, Union and Affinity Group briefings, and new employee orientation programs).

There is no substitute of education for specialized experience for the GS-13 position.

To be considered well-qualified, in addition to meeting minimum qualification, candidates must demonstrate proficiency in some, but not all of the major aspect of the position. Major Duties:

• Serves as the client Bureaus' primary point of contact and authoritative source of information to provide advice and guidance on a wide range of benefit issues, as well as sensitive and potentially controversial matters.
• Analyzes and resolves complex pay and benefit discrepancies by researching policies, coordinating with payroll officials, and implementing corrective and retroactive actions as needed.
• Plans and conducts comprehensive analyses and evaluations of Foreign Service retirement program processes and retirement matters.
• Evaluates retirement plan coverage by planning and conducting detailed reviews, interpreting and applying regulations, laws, and policies pertaining to the Federal Erroneous Retirement Coverage Corrections Act (FERCCA).
• Plans and conducts internal and external retirement presentations at the Office, Bureau and Department level(s).