Created at: October 21, 2025 00:15
Company: Office of the Secretary of Transportation
Location: Washington, DC, 20001
Job Description:
The position is in the Department of Transportation, Office of the Secretary, Departmental Office of Human Resource Management (DOHRM), Human Resources Operations Office. You will serve as a senior level HR Specialist (Labor Employee Relations), providing authoritative advice and services in the areas of LER, performance management and awards recognition, administrative investigations, reasonable accommodations, and suitability duties under the supervision of the Chief, LER.
To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must meet the specialized experience qualifications. To qualify for the Grade 14, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-13, it must include: Experience researching, interpreting, and applying human resource laws, cases, and regulations, to provide technical advice on labor and employee relations matters, to a variety of clients (e.g. attorneys, supervisors, and employees). Experience writing legal documents and correspondence. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas: Employee Relations: Knowledge of laws, rules, regulations, case law, principles, and practices related to employee conduct, performance, and dispute resolution. Labor Relations: Knowledge of laws, rules, regulations, case law, principles, and practices related to negotiating and administering labor agreements. Influencing and Persuading: Persuades others to accept recommendations, cooperate, or change their behavior; works with others towards an agreement; negotiates to find mutually acceptable solutions. Oral Communication: Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately. For all types of consideration, 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. For additional information about applying to Federal positions, please click on the following link: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-policies/#url=e4 All applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
The Human Resources Specialist (LER): Provides consultation and guidance to supervisors on disciplinary problems/actions to include both traditional and non-traditional labor relations issues and activities, and the full spectrum of disciplinary, adverse action, including performance-based adverse actions. Develops policy through research and analysis of law and regulations, evaluates proposed legislation and regulations, and formulates OST position drafting policy and guidance on issues relating to programmatic responsibilities associated with LER, performance management and recognition, and the Prevention of Harassment programs. Works in a confidential capacity and provides authoritative advice and guidance to top level political and career officials on a wide variety of sensitive and highly complex LER issues to include includes broad policy and program issues, actions related to specific casework, agency investigations, administrative and judicial complaints. Serves as OST technical expert in various third-party forums, including proceedings before the MSPB, FLRA, Federal Services Impasse Panel, Arbitrators, EEOC, State Unemployment Offices, and Federal Courts. Serves as office and/or DOT/OST representative in agency negotiations, discussions, working groups, and both formal and informal advisory forums to present, defend, and negotiate positions as the recognized representative of senior management. The ideal candidate for this position is a human resources professional with experience advising managers and senior leaders on complex labor and employee relations matters possessing strong research and analytical skills that can be applied when encountering non-routine issues/matters. The candidate must possess excellent communications skills (both verbally and in writing), which are leveraged to resolve conflicts, facilitate negotiations, and build relationships with internal and external stakeholders.