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Employee Relations Specialist

National Institute of Standards and Technology
6 days ago
Full-time
On-site
Gaithersburg, Maryland, United States
Human Resources & Workforce Development

Duties

  • Provides operational employee relations, labor relations, awards, and reasonable accommodation (RA) activities for routine or structured cases.
  • Provides advice, technical services, and regulatory guidance to managers and employees based on established case law and precedents, preparing a standard range of work products.
  • Conducts initial fact-finding inquiries and collaborates with peers on intersecting HR issues (e.g., leave, performance management, wellness).
  • Assists higher-level specialists in researching complex or sensitive employee issues, drafting components of outreach or training materials, and gathering data to help evaluate program effectiveness.
  • Ensures all individual deliverables comply with Federal regulations, Department policies, and agency processes.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

  • U.S. citizenship
  • Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service
  • Suitable for Federal employment
  • Must meet time-in-grade/band requirements, as applicable
  • Bargaining Unit Position: No

Qualifications

BASIC REQUIREMENTS

Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-7 level (ZA-I at NIST). Specialized experience is defined as experience providing advice and general guidance to supervisors and managers on employee relations, labor relations, reasonable accommodation, awards, and other related HR matters.

OR

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

OR

Equivalent combination of education and experience.

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.

The qualification requirements in this vacancy announcement are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook.

If requesting reconsideration of your qualification determination, please refer to the following site:
Applicant Reconsideration

Education

This position allows applicants to qualify with education. Transcripts must be submitted to validate that the education requirement has been met. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application package. However, an official copy will be required before a final offer of employment.

Foreign Education Evaluation: If your education was completed outside of the United States, it must be evaluated by an accredited organization to ensure it is comparable to education received in accredited U.S. institutions.

  • Required Documentation: You must include a copy of your foreign education evaluation-including a course-by-course listing-with your application.

  • Resources: You may click here to view a listing of accredited organizations from the Department of Education's website. A copy of the foreign education evaluation (containing the results with a course-by-course listing) is required with your application.

Additional information

This position is covered under NIST's Alternative Personnel Management System (APMS), a pay-for-performance system with excellent HR flexibilities to help NIST recruit and retain top talent. Learn more about the APMS here!

  • We may share your application package with other selecting officials at NIST with opportunities like this one. Additional selections may be made through this vacancy.
  • Click all links in this vacancy announcement to view additional information or instructions.
  • You MUST select at least ONE ELIGIBILITY to be considered for this position.
  • All documents submitted for this announcement must be legible to make qualification or eligibility determinations.
  • A probationary period may be required.
NIST strives to build a flexible and encouraging work environment to bring out the best in our employees. To help our employees balance responsibilities at home and at work, NIST offers a variety of work-life flexibilities. For more information, please visit our Careers website.

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.