Federal

HR Specialist (Compensation)

Office of Personnel Management ยท Other Agencies and Independent Organizations
๐Ÿ“ Washington, District of Columbia GS-13 $63,795 - $99,404/yr
Posted: May 1, 2026 Deadline: May 14, 2026 (Closes in 13 days days left)

About This Position

Join the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Shared Service Center! We're looking for talented professionals to help deliver solutions that support federal agencies nationwide. As an HR Specialist (Compensation) at the GS-0201-13, you will be part of OPM's Federal Talent Management Center. If selected, you will be responsible for serving as a senior compensation and payroll advisor, overseeing pay and leave policy, payroll operations, and customer projects for serviced Federal agencies.

Qualifications

For the GS13: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service or equivalent, performing all of the following: Providing authoritative guidance on Federal pay, leave, payroll, and time and attendance, leveraging automated systems (e.g., EPP, MyPay, GovTA, QuickTime) to research, interpret, and apply applicable laws, regulations, and policies; Managing or coordinating compensation, payroll, time and attendance or leave administration for organizations, including tracking deliverables, resolving complex issues, analyzing performance, and recommending process improvements; Independently analyzing complex pay, leave, payroll, or compensation records to identify discrepancies, validate determinations, resolve overpayments or debts, address retroactive corrections, or support waiver or hardship determinations; and Leading audits, reviews, or quality assurance activities involving pay setting, leave accounts, incentive payments, time and attendance records, or related HR transactions to ensure accuracy, compliance, and effective internal controls.

You must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement. 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.

Major Duties

Serves as the senior Human Resources Specialist for compensation, payroll, and time and attendance operations for assigned customer agencies.

Manages customer projects related to compensation and payroll services, including developing project plans, coordinating deliverables, tracking actions, and ensuring timely resolution of issues.

Provides authoritative guidance to employees and management on pay and leave laws, regulations, policies, including advanced pay setting, special pay matters, leave entitlements, incentives, retirement contributions, and associated benefits impacts.

Investigates and resolves complex payroll issues such as overpayments, underpayments, improper deductions, debt and garnishment actions, and time and attendance discrepancies.

Leverages automated payroll, time and attendance, and inquiry systems (e.g., EPP, MyPay, GovTA, QuickTime) to analyze data, monitor, and research and resolve complex issues, ensuring timely and accurate resolution.

Leads audits, debt processing, payroll estimates, and data calls by providing accurate information and ensuring the integrity and reliability of payroll records.

Collaborates with agency officials, HR specialists, payroll technicians, timekeepers, quality assurance staff, counsel, and other stakeholders to resolve complex pay issues, strengthen internal controls, and improve service delivery.

Conditions of Employment

Must be a U.S. Citizen or National Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service Suitable for Federal employment, determined by a background investigation May be required to successfully complete a probationary period Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin Complete the initial online assessment and USAHire Assessment, if required You will be required to report to an OPM assigned office.

This position is not eligible for inclusion in a bargaining unit

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement.

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.

You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Accountability Attention to Detail Customer Service Decision Making Flexibility Influencing/Negotiating Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Reading Comprehension Reasoning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork The USA Hire Assessment includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies.

You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered.

You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

Career Transition Assistance Programs: These programs apply to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; 2) be rated well-qualified for the position (obtain a score of 85 or higher on the assessments); and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. For more information visit: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp.

Additional Information

This announcement will be used to fill vacancies through OPM-authorized Direct Hire Authority due to Critical Hiring Need/Severe Shortage of Candidates. Veteran preference and traditional rating/raking of applicants do not apply. For more information on OPM's authorization of Direct Hire Authority, please visit: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/direct-hire-authority/ .Relocation assistance and/or incentives may be offered at the discretion of the supervisor.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional similar vacancies across OPM. If you are unable to apply online and would like to request information about the Alternate Application process, please use the contact information at the bottom of this announcement. Reasonable Accommodation Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 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, based on your adjudication decision.

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 As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary 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 period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

How to Apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section.

The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: 1.

Click the Apply Online button.

  1. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.

3.

Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.

  1. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
  2. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
  3. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments.

You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.

  1. Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.

8.

Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused. For more general information, system requirements, reasonable accommodation information, and to request assistance regarding the USA Hire Assessments, review the following resources: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=USA_Hire_Assessments To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application.

This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To view the announcement status or your application status: Click on this: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.

Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.

You may preview the assessment questionnaire by clicking here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12949069

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes: Your Resume showing the applicant's name, email address, work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment, and duties performed to include pay plan, series, and grade level for relevant federal experience.

Your resume must show complete information for each job entry to support minimum qualifications. Only the first 2 pages of the resume/application will be used to verify minimum qualifications. Please be sure to include specific dates of employment and work schedule(s).

Do not include the following types of information in your resume: Classified or government sensitive information Social Security Number (SSN) Photos of yourself Personal information, such as age, sex, religious affiliation, etc. Encrypted and digitally signed documents. Other supporting documents: Cover Letter, optional Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP)Documentation, if applicable (e.g., Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; SF-50 that documents the RIF separation action; and most recent performance appraisal.) If you are requesting a reasonable accommodation to the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, submit documentation to support your request, including the Reasonable Accommodation Request Form found here.

Failure to submit any of the above-mentioned required documents may result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted.?

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the salary for the HR Specialist (Compensation) position at Office of Personnel Management?
The salary range for this position is $63,795 - $99,404/yr. This is a GS-13 position on the General Schedule pay scale. Actual pay may vary based on locality adjustments.
Where is the HR Specialist (Compensation) job located?
This position is located in Washington, District of Columbia. This is an on-site position.
What qualifications do I need?
For the GS13: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service or equivalent, performing all of the following: Providing authoritative guidance on Federal pay, leave, payroll, and time and attendance, leveraging automated systems (e.g., EPP, MyPay, GovTA, QuickTime) to research,...
How do I apply for this position?
Apply through USAJobs.gov by clicking the 'Apply on USAJobs' button. You'll need a USAJobs account, a federal-style resume, and supporting documents. The deadline is May 14, 2026.
Is a security clearance required?
No security clearance is required for this position.
What does GS-13 mean?
GS-13 refers to the General Schedule grade level. Higher grades require more experience and offer higher pay. Visit our GS Pay Scale page for full salary tables by grade and locality.
What benefits do federal employees receive?
Federal employees receive comprehensive benefits including health insurance (FEHB), retirement through FERS, Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) with government matching, paid annual and sick leave, paid parental leave, life insurance, and student loan repayment programs.