Human Resources Specialist

We seek only the best. With a talented workforce of over 100,000 people, the mission of the Department of Justice is to uphold the rule of law, keep our country safe, and protect civil rights. You will be part of a dedicated team enforcing Federal criminal laws to protect life, liberty, and the property of citizens. This position is located in Detroit, MI. As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement.

Duties

If selected, you will serve as a Human Resources (HR) Specialist within the United States Attorney's Office - Eastern District of Michigan. The work involves providing a variety of human resources management services in two or more of the following functional areas: recruitment and placement, position classification, employee relations and performance management, employee benefits, labor relations, and human resources development. Assignments include both day-to-day case processing, advice and assistance to management and staff, and special projects.

Duties may include:

• Providing management with a wide range of flexible and innovative strategies in administering staffing and placement activities for the district.
• Providing advice and assistance in situations requiring extensive analysis.
• Providing a full range of classification and position management services for the district.
• Providing advice and assistance on the processes and procedures of performance management systems and incentive award programs.
• Planning, developing, and administering programs to train and develop district employees.

Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.

Salary

• $55,658 - $128,350/year

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory pre-employment adjudication. This includes fingerprint, credit and tax checks, and drug testing. Continued employment is subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation.
• You must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable.
• If selected, you may be required to complete a one year probationary period.
• Time-in-Grade: Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements within 30 days after the closing date of this announcement.
• You must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements within 30 days after the closing date of this announcement and before placement in the position.

Qualifications

GS07: To be eligible at the GS-07 level, you must have at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service as defined below; or education; or a combination of both specialized experience and education.

Specialized experience is defined as experience advising on various benefits programs to include, but not limited to the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB), Federal Employees Group Life Insurance (FEGLI), or the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP); providing customer support to internal and external customers; providing office automation support (e.g. creating, copying, editing, storing, retrieving a variety of documents); maintaining electronic official personnel files; processing personnel actions; using computers and software programs in an office environment to extract, revise, or sort information from files, records, or databases; or researching regulations, policies, and/or personnel guidance.

Education: One full year of graduate level education or a bachelor's degree (or expect to complete within 9 months all the requirements for a bachelor's degree) AND meet one of the following Superior Academic Achievement provisions listed in the Education section below.

GS-09: To be eligible at the GS-09 level, you must have at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service as defined below; or a master's degree or an equivalent graduate degree or two full years of progressively higher level graduate degree or LL.B or J.D. from an accredited college or university in a related field; or a combination of both specialized experience and education as explained below.

Specialized experience is defined as experience performing a variety of recruitment and placement tasks such as, preparing job analyses and job announcements; maintaining electronic official personnel files; processing personnel actions; providing advisory services to management and employees regarding recruitment, classification, employee benefits, retirement, compensation or performance management; researching, interpreting and applying applicable laws, regulations, and policies related to HR matters; or communicating factual and procedural HR information clearly both orally and in writing.

Education: master's or equivalent graduate degree or two (2) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, or an LL.B. or J.D from an accredited college or university in a field of study that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of Human Resources.

GS-11: To be eligible at the GS-11 level, you must have at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service as defined below; or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education, or LL.M.,from an accredited college or university in a related field; or a combination of both specialized experience and education as explained below.

Specialized experience is defined as experience advising management officials on various HR processes and procedures governing HR functions such as recruitment and placement, classification, employee relations, benefits, HR development, or performance management; researching, interpreting and applying applicable laws, regulations, and policies related to HR subjects; planning, developing, and managing a personnel records program; ensuring accurate processing of all personnel actions; experience analyzing data and proposing solutions to HR matters; preparing detailed documentation and/or responses for resolution of formal and informal inquiries; or communicating factual and procedural HR information clearly both orally and in writing.

Education: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such degree, or LL.M.,from an accredited college or university in a field of study that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of Human Resources.

GS-12: To be eligible at the GS-12 level, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the federal service as defined below.

Specialized experience is defined as experience providing a wide range of services across varies HR components such as recruitment and placement, pay and compensation, classification, employee relations, performance management, federal benefits and entitlements, or HR development; applying qualification standards; applying category rating procedures; adjudicating veterans preference; performing highly structured work designed to develop and enhance HR practices; communicating factual and procedural HR information clearly both orally and in writing; experience independently gathering, researching, and analyzing data or facts to identify and propose solutions to HR matters; preparing/providing detailed documentation and responses for resolution of formal and informal inquiries, grievances, or complaints; experience advising management officials on various HR processes; advising on the procedural and regulatory requirements governing HR functions and or processes; or experience supporting and training other HR personnel.

To determine how to combine education and experience for the pay grades above, please review the requirements listed below in the Education section.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): The ICTAP provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your ICTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in the announcement; and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and receive a score of 85 or better on established ranking criteria. You must provide proof of eligibility to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of ICTAP eligibility or a copy of your separation personnel action form. Additional information about ICTAP eligibility is at: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP):The CTAP provides eligible surplus and displaced competitive service employees in the Department of Justice with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your Department of Justice component has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your CTAP eligibility, 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement, and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and receive a score of 85 or better on established ranking criteria. You must provide a copy of your written notification of CTAP eligibility with your application. Additional information about CTAP eligibility is at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.

Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) & Special Employment Consideration: Additional information and eligibility criteria may be found in the Additional Information section below.

Education Requirements for Combinations of Education & Experience: GS-07 combination of experience and education: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education beyond a bachelor's degree. Superior Academic Achievement provisions: (1) class standing in the upper one-third of the graduating class; (2) a grade point average (GPA)of 3.0 or higher 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 a GPA of 3.5 or higher 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; or (3) election to a membership in a national scholastic honor society. GS-09 combination of experience and education can be used if, when combined, are equivalent to 100% of the qualification requirement. Only graduate level education in excess of the first full year can be used in this calculation. To calculate your percentage of graduate education, first determine the total number of graduate level hours that exceed 18 semester hours (or your school's definition of one year of graduate study), then divide the total number of your excess graduate semester hours by 18 (or your school's definition of one year of graduate study). To calculate your percentage of specialized experience, divide the total number of months of qualifying experience by 12. Now, add the two percentages together. The sum of the percentages must equal at least 100%. GS-11 combination of experience and education can be used if, when combined, are equivalent to 100% of the qualification requirement. Only graduate level education in excess of the first two years can be used in this calculation. To calculate your percentage of graduate education, first determine the total number of graduate level hours that exceed 36 semester hours (or your school's definition of two years of graduate study), then divide the total number of your excess graduate semester hours by 18 (or your school's definition of one year of graduate study). To calculate your percentage of specialized experience, divide the total number of months of qualifying experience by 12. Now, add the two percentages together. The sum of the percentages must equal at least 100%. All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, see http://www.ed.gov OR Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the above education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to timely provide such evidence by submitting proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency with your application materials. More information may be found at http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html. All documentation must be in English or include an English translation. Other Information Payment of relocation expenses will not be authorized. The Department of Justice offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation; sick leave; holidays; telework; life insurance; health benefits; and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System. Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA): VEOA allows eligible veterans to apply and compete for positions announced under merit promotion procedures when the hiring agency is recruiting from outside its own workforce. To be eligible for a VEOA appointment, a veteran must be honorably separated and either a preference eligible or have substantially completed three (3) or more years of continuous active military service. If you are applying for a Merit Promotion announcement and wish to be considered under VEOA, you must submit a copy of the Member Copy 4 of your DD-214, in addition to any other required documents listed on this announcement. Special Employment Consideration: Persons with disabilities, veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more, certain other veterans, spouses of certain members of the armed forces, and returning Peace Corps volunteers are examples of individuals who are potentially eligible for non-competitive appointments. For further information, click on the links provided below . You must specify in your online questionnaire under what authority you wish to be considered and submit appropriate documentation to verify your eligibility. Noncompetitive Appointment Authorities Links: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/competitive-hiring/#url=Types-of-Appointments Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See http://www.sss.gov/. Reasonable Accommodation Statement: Federal Agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities, where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. EEO Statement/Policy: The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor. More information can be found here: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/media/1425556/dl?inline. Political Appointees (Current or Former): The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the HR Office. Failure to disclose this information could result in disciplinary action including removal from Federal Service. Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package, which includes:

Required: Your responses to the Online Occupational Questionnaire (This is completed automatically during the apply online process).

Required: Your resume cannot exceed two pages - you will be deemed ineligible and receive no further consideration if your resume exceeds two pages - see USAJOBS for formatting requirements. Include relevant employment history as outlined below for each job:

• Official position title (if Federal, include series/grade),
• Employer name and contact information,
• Start and end dates (for full consideration you must include month, day, and year),
• Indicate full-time or number of hours worked per week if part-time, and
• A list of duties performed and accomplishments.

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.

Required if you meet qualifications based on education: An unofficial college transcript (Note: If you are selected for this position, an official transcript will be required prior to your first day.) and foreign education evaluation documentation, if applicable, as described under the "Qualifications" section of this vacancy announcement.

Required if you are a current or former Federal employee: a recent copy of an SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, showing title, series, grade, and full performance level (FPL); AND a copy of your most recent performance appraisal. Please note your SF-50 must include your FPL in the remark section (e.g., appointment, reassignment, promotion actions), pay adjustments and awards do not include this information so they are not acceptable.

Required (if applicable): CTAP/ICTAP documentation (a copy of a separation notice or other proof of eligibility) for priority selection; a copy of an SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, showing current position, grade, promotion potential, and duty location; AND a copy of your most recent performance appraisal.

Required VEOA documentation (if applicable): In order to verify your Veterans' Preference entitlement, please submit a copy of the Member Copy 4 of your DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty); or if you are a current Active Duty member you must submit a certification on appropriate military branch letterhead that indicates: 1) your service dates, 2) expected discharge or release date from active duty with a release/discharge date no later than 120 days from the closing date of this announcement, and 3) the character of service (e.g., Honorable).

If you are requesting a reasonable accommodation to the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you must submit documentation to support your request, including the Reasonable Accommodation Request Form found at: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire

Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office by providing a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information regarding your most recent political appointment:

• Position title;
• Type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee);
• Agency; and
• Beginning and ending dates of appointment.

How to Apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include the initial online assessment and submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 08/20/2026 the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration.

The application process is as follows:
1. To begin the application process, click the Apply Online button.
2. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
3. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59PM (ET) on 08/20/2026.
4. After submitting an online application, you will be notified whether or not you are required to take additional online assessments through the USA Hire Competency Based Assessment system. This message will be delivered to you both on screen and via email notification.
5. If you are asked to take the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be presented with a unique URL to access the USA Hire system. Access to USA Hire is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Be sure to review all instructions prior to beginning your USA Hire Assessments.

Click here for Computer System Requirements
(https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=USA_Hire_System_Requirements)

6. Note, set aside at least 3 hours to take these assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue at a later time, you can re-use the URL sent to you via email and also found on the Additional Application Information page that can be located in the application record in your USAJOBS account.

To preview the Assessment Questionnaire, please click the following link:https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13037617To update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account (https://usajobs.gov). There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.

To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account: https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login. All of your applications will appear on the Welcome page. The application record in your USAJOBS account provides an Additional Application Information page that provides information regarding the documentation you submitted and any correspondence we have sent related to this application. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/

Reasonable Accommodation Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a reasonable accommodation in your online application. Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a Reasonable Accommodation, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire