Summary Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 22 Desert Pacific Healthcare Network is seeking a Human Resources Specialist (Employee & Labor Relations). The primary purpose of this position is to serve as an expert who provides technical guidance and draft disciplinary actions for management officials to all Network employees. Responsibilities VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package: HR Specialist Total Rewards Duties: Employee Relations - 50% Incumbent provides technical guidance, advice and counseling to management officials and supervisors to address issues with workforce-related conduct and performance. Advises on employee relation matters to include coordination and oversight of fact finding, technical advisor to investigation boards, contract/master agreement interpretation, state licensure reviews, Drug Free Workplace, and third-party hearing representation. Provides local training to supervisors. Represents management on labor topics to include issue grievances, demand to bargain, unfair labor practice, arbitration. Labor Relations - 50% Provides technical guidance, advice and counseling to management officials and supervisors on labor law and master agreement interpretation. Develops management strategies to respond to labor issues. Offers technical guidance, information and assistance to management and senior leadership officials on sensitive, serious, and controversial labor relations issues regarding employees in a wide variety of administrative and clinical occupations with substantial differences in working conditions, entitlement, and occupational practices and policies. Responds to issue grievances, demands to bargain, impasse proceedings, local bargaining, unfair labor practices, drug testing and related functions. Provides management with interpretation of policies, procedures, and collective bargaining agreements. Researches and interprets legal and regulatory program guidance, including case law, United States Code, Code of Federal Regulations, and VA Handbooks and Directives. Serves as subject matter expert regarding policies and procedures pertaining to Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) and Federal Services Impasses Panel (FSIP). Plans and implements actions to satisfy obligations to bargain in good faith, performs thorough analysis of policies and practices, and ensures that policies and practices promote partnering to prevent unfair labor practices. Negotiates local labor agreements and drafts memorandum of understanding. Represents management at arbitrations and in situations involving proceedings before other third-parties, as appropriate. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm Pacific Time Zone (Tour of Duty may be negotiable upon selection) Compressed/Flexible: Yes upon supervisor's discretion Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Human Resources Specialist (ER/LR)/PD99976S Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary or 2-year trial period 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 your probationary or trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 07/28/2026. 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 by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: 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. The BASIC REQUIREMENT for the HR Specialist GS-0201 series is presumed met if found qualified at the GS-0201-7 level and above. To qualify for this position at the GS-12 level, you must meet one of the following listed Criteria: Criteria 1- Graduate Degree and Specialized Experience: Successful completion of a graduate level degree or higher and three years of progressive specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 grade level. Such experience may be gained in administrative, professional, technical or other responsible work positions in the public (i.e., Government or military) or private sector. Qualifying specialized experience includes: Expert-level knowledge and skill to advise management on employee relations concepts, principles, practices, and case law; Conduct analyses on a variety of complex issues utilizing research, interviews, and observations; Determines appropriate corrective actions; Provide training and communication to management on agency-wide labor relations and employee relations policies and procedures; Independently represent management in third-party proceedings/arbitration; Knowledge of performance management concepts, principles and practices related to planning, monitoring, rating and rewarding employee performance. ~OR~ Criteria 2- Specialized Experience: You must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in federal service that demonstrates HR management knowledge, concepts and principles and the performance of work in one or more of the HR specialty areas. Such experience may be gained in administrative, professional, technical or other responsible work positions in the public (i.e., Government or military) or private sector. Qualifying specialized experience includes: Expert-level knowledge, skill in applying and analytical skill to advise management and employees on employee relations concepts, principles, practices, and case law (e.g., related to policy development, prohibited HR practices, and third-party powers and procedures); Skill in researching case law, research complex facts in order to draw conclusions and solutions to complex legal issues, problems and situations; Skill in applying the full range of labor relations theories, principles, methods and techniques to conduct studies for management and respond to union interests at the bargaining table; Provide training and communication to management on agency-wide labor relations and employee relations policies and procedures; Independently represent management in third-party proceedings; Knowledge of how other government agencies' rules and regulations impact the Department of Veterans Affairs; Skilled in fact-finding and investigation boards, interviewing, and case management techniques to advise on and/or conduct investigations; Advise and provide technically accurate interpretations of local negotiated agreements and provisions to reconcile conflicting technical viewpoints; Serve as principal point of contact on labor management matters of overall concern to established bargaining units at the local level. . Education Qualifying education for the GS-0201 series includes courses and programs in HR, HR development, HR management, business, business management/administration, industrial relations, labor relations, industrial psychology, organizational psychology, organizational development, management, organizational behavior, pre-law/law, legal studies, health care management/administration, public administration, public policy, human services, leadership and/or humanities. A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Superior Academic Achievement S.A.A. (S.A.A. is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average, or (3) honor society membership. The full provision for Superior Academic Achievement (S.A.A.) is described in the OPM General Schedule Operating Manual. Class standing--Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses. Grade-point average (G.P.A.)--Applicants must have a grade-point average of: 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on their official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum. Grade-point averages are to be rounded to one decimal place. For example, 2.95 will round to 3.0 and 2.94 will round to 2.9. Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society--Applicants can be considered eligible based on membership in one of the national scholastic honor societies listed below. These honor societies are listed in the Association of College Honor Societies: Booklet of Information (1992-95) and/or Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities (1991). Agencies considering eligibility based on any society not included in the following list must ensure that the honor society meets the minimum requirements of the Association of College Honor Societies. Membership in a freshman honor society cannot be used to meet the requirements of this provision. (UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) Reference: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix F1; Human Resources Specialist Qualification Standards GS-0201. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
