Summary The Office of the Administrative Officer, Office of Human Resources is seeking an enthusiastic HR Specialist to work in a cutting edge, environment developing and implementing initiatives to support the Compensation programs. Join USPTO, America's Innovation Agency supporting a nationwide workforce of 13,000 who work with innovators to protect their ideas and hard work! Responsibilities This position is located in the Office of Human Resources, Compensation and Benefits Division, Compensation Branch. This role is the ideal journey for a rewarding lifelong career for you if: You are excited to have agency-wide impact by providing authoritative advice to managers and employees on the interpretation of Title 5 compensation pay & leave policies and programs that has agency-wide impact. You are inspired to serve as a key member of HR workgroups responsible for resolving substantive compensation and pay, and leave and time and attendance administration policy issues, i.e. WebTA User Group. You have strong compensation technical skills to administer the compensation and pay programs involving the use of automated payroll/personnel and time and attendance systems. You can use tact, diplomacy, and patience when communicating and dealing with others, e.g., co-workers, managers, supervisors, and internal/external customers. The physical worksite for this position is located in Alexandria, Virginia. If selected for an interview, applicants are encouraged to discuss telework options and eligibility specific to the position in which they applied with the hiring manager. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications You must meet the United States Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) qualification requirements (including specialized experience and/or educational requirements) for the advertised position. You must meet all eligibility and qualifications requirements by the closing date of the job announcement. OPM Qualifications Standards are available at Administrative and Management Positions. Specialized Experience is experience that has equipped applicants with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the federal service. Specialized experience for this position includes: .GS-11: For this position, the next lower grade level is a GS-09. Specialized experience for this position includes: Experience applying compensation/pay principles, concepts, and practices, sufficient to provide advice and guidance to agency employees and managers. Experience utilizing a personnel/payroll system (Such as NFC, DFAS, FPPS) to research and analyze pay and personnel records. Experience providing guidance on leave regulations, policies, and programs. OR A Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree if related study such as human resources, public administration, organizational psychology, or other administrative and management fields. OR 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, if related. OR An LL.M., if related such as human resources, organizational psychology, public administration, or other administrative and management fields. OR Equivalent combination of qualifying experience and graduate education, if related. GS-12: For this position, the next lower grade level is a GS-11. Specialized experience for this position includes: Experience advising, interpreting or researching Federal pay and compensation program laws, regulations, policies, and practices to conduct regulatory analyses. Experience conducting analysis of personnel/payroll data in a payroll/personnel system (NFC, DFAS, FPPS), to address inquiries and identify when corrective action is needed. Experience with leave administration to include leave error analysis, leave programs and regulation, and time and attendance roles and processes. GS-13: For this position, the next lower grade level is a GS-12. Specialized experience for this position includes: Experience providing expert level advice in the full range of compensation and pay. Experience conducting expert level analysis of a personnel/payroll system (NFC, DFAS, FPPS), conducting complex analysis of data elements and records and advising on action required. Experience providing guidance on leave regulations and programs, conducting analysis of leave records, accounts, and programs; developing workflows and process guides. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Education Education may be substituted at the GS-11 grade level only. Education may not be substituted at the GS-12 and GS-13 grade levels. If this position requires proof of higher education, or you are substituting education for experience, you must submit an unofficial transcript or a list of courses that includes the following information: name of accredited institution, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. Please refer to http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/policy/ApplicationOfStds-04.asp for more information. You are not required to submit official documents at this time; copies are sufficient. Special Instructions for Foreign Education: Qualifying education from colleges and universities in foreign countries must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities. Applicants educated in whole or in part in foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree. A listing of these accredited organizations can be found on the Department of Education's website - US Department of Education. Another listing of services that can perform this evaluation is available at the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) website. You must provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course by course listing along with your application. Failure to provide such documentation when requested will result in lost consideration. NOTE: Only education and experience acquired before the filing deadline will be considered. Report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Additional Information Time-in-grade/band requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement unless eligible for special hiring authority, reinstatement eligible, non-current Federal employee applying as a VEOA eligible which do not require time-in-grade/band. If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System. If you are exempt from registration under Selective Service Law, you must provide appropriate proof of exemption. Please visit the Selective Service System website for more information. This is a Non Bargaining Unit position. This is a Public Trust position and has a risk level designation of "moderate". Background Investigation - If selected for this position, you may be required to complete a Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306), which includes a fingerprint and credit check, to determine your suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation. The USPTO participates in E-Verify. For more information on E-Verify, please visit the Department of Homeland Security Website. All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choice. Relocation Expenses are not authorized and will not be paid. CTAP and ICTAP candidates will be eligible for selection priority if it is determined that they have exceeded the minimum qualifications for the position by attaining at least a "well qualified" rating of 85 out of 100. Information about CTAP and ICTAP eligibility is on the Office of Personnel Management's Career Transition Resources website at: OPM CTAP/ICTAP. CTAP/ICTAP documentation requirements are listed in the 'Required Documents' section of this announcement. More than one selection may be made from this announcement if additional identical vacancies in the same title, series, grade, and unit occur within 90 days from the date the certificate was issued. All application materials become the property of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. USPTO Job Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should request accommodation(s) from the USPTO at http://www.uspto.gov/accommodation. The United States Patent and Trademark Office is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factors. If you believe that you have been discriminated against and would like to file an EEO complaint, you must do so within 45 days of the date of the alleged discriminatory act. Claims of employment discrimination must be submitted to the attention of the USPTO's Office of Equal Employment Opportunity & Diversity via email (oeeod@uspto.gov) or phone (571-272-8292).