Federal
LEAD HUMAN RESOURCES SPECIALIST (LABOR RELATIONS/EMPLOYEE RELATIONS)
United States Fleet Forces Command Β· Department of the Navy
About This Position
You will serve as a LEAD HUMAN RESOURCES SPECIALIST (LABOR RELATIONS/EMPLOYEE RELATIONS) in the LABOR & EMPLOYEE RELATIONS DIVISION of FLEET HRO NORFOLK NAVAL SHIPYARD.
Qualifications
to qualify for a GS-13, your resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-12 grade level or pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector. Specialized experience must demonstrate the following: Experience demonstrating expert knowledge of advanced legal and regulatory principles, concepts, analytical methods, techniques, and consultative skills in the areas of Labor and Employee Relations (LER). Experience conducting research of complex legal problems, identify appropriate course of action. Experience coordinating cases with command attorneys and other stakeholders, resolve most difficult unfair labor practice charges, complaints, arbitration and grievances. Experience applying employee relations laws, regulation and precedents. Experience analyzing and solving complex, unique and sensitive problems, involving cases where laws are conflicting or other untested areas of case laws. Experience utilizing broad labor and employee relations concepts, non-traditional collaborative approaches of labor relations, labor-management partnership, interest-based bargaining and facilitation. Experience preparing reports, training materials to high level NNSY leaders, supervisors, management officials. Experience providing training, mentoring to junior specialists on LER related cases, assist with balancing workload, monitor work progress to ensure deadline has been met. Additional qualification information can be found from the following Office of Personnel Management web site: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/#url=List-by-Occupational-Series Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (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.
Major Duties
You will assist the team in balancing workload in accordance with established workflow, skill levels, and specializations; adjusts for priorities and timeliness; and ensures each employee has an integral role in developing the final team product.
You will monitor and report on work progress, check work in progress and reviews completed work to see that supervisor's priorities, instructions, quality criteria, and deadlines have been met.
You will provide advice and guidance to management in all matters relating to labor relations; serves as liaison between labor organizations and management; and represents management in third-party proceedings.
You will serve as an advisor to management during comprehensive and mid-term contract negotiations, post-negotiations and on managementβs obligation to negotiate decisions, directives, and agreements.
You will assist with the review and assignment of union grievances involving HRO matters for acceptance/rejection, investigating, discussions with the unions and preparing the necessary decision letters for the Commander's signature.
You will investigate complaints, research precedent cases, participating in informal/formal resolutions and is a representative in Unfair Labor Practices hearings before the FLRA as necessary.
You will prepare reports or position papers on a variety of subjects for internal and external use.
You will provide guidance and instructions to lower-level specialists in a variety of functional/technical areas.
You will monitor and report on work progress, check work in progress and reviews completed work to see that supervisor's priorities, instructions, quality criteria, and deadlines have been met.
You will provide advice and guidance to management in all matters relating to labor relations; serves as liaison between labor organizations and management; and represents management in third-party proceedings.
You will serve as an advisor to management during comprehensive and mid-term contract negotiations, post-negotiations and on managementβs obligation to negotiate decisions, directives, and agreements.
You will assist with the review and assignment of union grievances involving HRO matters for acceptance/rejection, investigating, discussions with the unions and preparing the necessary decision letters for the Commander's signature.
You will investigate complaints, research precedent cases, participating in informal/formal resolutions and is a representative in Unfair Labor Practices hearings before the FLRA as necessary.
You will prepare reports or position papers on a variety of subjects for internal and external use.
You will provide guidance and instructions to lower-level specialists in a variety of functional/technical areas.
How You Will Be Evaluated
In order to qualify for this position, your resume must provide sufficient experience and/or education, knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of the specific position for which you are being considered. Your resume is the key means we have for evaluating your skills, knowledge, and abilities as they relate to this position. Therefore, we encourage you to be clear and specific when describing your experience. When the application process is complete, we will review your resume to ensure you meet the hiring eligibility and qualification requirements listed in this announcement. You will be rated based on the information provided in your resume and application package, along with your supporting documentation to determine your ability to demonstrate the following competencies: Accountability Attention to Detail Customer Service Decision Making Flexibility Influencing/Negotiating Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Reading Comprehension Reasoning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork DEVELOPING OTHERS EMPLOYEE RELATIONS LABOR RELATIONS ORAL COMMUNICATION PROBLEM SOLVING This recruitment will utilize the following technical assessment tools: USA Hire/Structured Resume Review. You should list any relevant performance appraisals and incentive awards in your resume as that information may be taken into consideration during the selection process. If selected, you may be required to provide supporting documentation. If after reviewing your resume and supporting documentation, a determination is made that you inflated your qualifications and/or experience, your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities or you may be found ineligible/not qualified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment. All eligibility, qualifications, and time-in-grade requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
Additional Information
This position is covered by the Department of Defense Priority Placement Program. Additional vacancies may be filled by this announcement. A tentative offer of employment will be rescinded if the selectee fails to meet the pre-employment requirements, including failure to report to any of the scheduled appointments. During the application process you will have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions in the local commuting area. Depending on the hiring organization and the position being filled, job requirements (e.g., security clearance, travel, drug testing, financial disclosure filing, bargaining unit status, etc.) may vary. Other hiring managers filling similar positions may offer relocation expense reimbursement and/or may offer recruitment incentives for new employees, depending on funding availability and in accordance with policy. If you opt-in and are referred on a certificate, your resume will be available to other hiring managers for 180-days from the date the job announcement closes. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. Federal annuitant information: The selection of an annuitant is subject to the Department of Defense and Department of the Navy policy on the employment of annuitants. Policy information may be found at: http://www.secnav.navy.mil/donhr/Documents/CivilianJobs/FedCivAnnuitants.pdf ICTAP Applicants: To be considered well-qualified and exercise selection priority as an ICTAP candidate, displaced Federal employees must satisfy all qualification requirements for the position and receive a rating in the highly qualified category (score 85) or higher. ICTAP candidates must provide copies of all of the following documentation at the time of application: 1) agency notice; 2) most recent performance appraisal; and 3) most recent SF-50 or notification of personnel action that includes position, grade level, and duty location. Applicants who do not provide this documentation will not receive consideration as an ICTAP candidate. For more information about ICTAP eligibility please review the following link: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/federal-employees/career-transition/ Military Spouse Preference applicants will be placed at the highest grade for which they have applied and are determined Best Qualified (BQ). A BQ military spouse possesses knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies comparable to others who meet the competitive referral criteria for the specific position. PPP applicants will be placed at the FPL, if determined Well Qualified (WQ). To receive priority consideration, the FPL must be the same grade level or equivalent of the retained grade or the grade held immediately prior to separation. Are you an active duty service member? Active Duty Service Members are required to submit a statement of service printed on command letterhead and signed by the command. The statement of service must provide the branch of service, rate/rank, all dates of service, the expected date of discharge and anticipated character of service (Honorable, General, etc.).
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 required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. Resumes are restricted to no more than 2 pages. Illegible/unreadable resumes will not be considered. 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. 2. 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. 4. 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. 5. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. 6. 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. 7. 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. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) 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 RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA 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 RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://appsupport.usastaffing.gov/hc/en-us/sections/28980686389652-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information For more general information, system requirements and to request assistance regarding the USA Hire Assessments, review the following resources: https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us 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.
Required Documents
You are required to provide documentation that supports the eligibility and qualification claims made in your resume. You must submit the applicable documents listed here and those listed with the eligibilities you select in the announcement questionnaire with your application package. Applicants who do not provide supporting documentation that fully support their claims will not be referred to the hiring manager. Cover letter is optional. A complete resume is required. Resumes are restricted to no more than 2 pages. Illegible/unreadable resumes will not be considered. Your resume must show relevant experience, job title, duties and accomplishments. Your resume must show complete information for each job entry to support minimum qualifications. The following information should be provided in your resume: employer's name, starting and end dates (Mo/Yr), hours per week if experience was less than full time (35-40 hours per week), and pay plan, series and grade level (e.g. GS-0201-09) for relevant federal experience. TIP: A good way to ensure you include all essential information is to use the Resume Builder in USAJOBS to create your resume. Are you applying for a promotion? For GS positions, to be considered for promotion, you must provide SF-50(s) that shows you held the next lower GS grade for at least one year. SF-50s that have an effective date within the past year (e.g., General Adjustment SF-50 from this year or Within Rate/Grade Increases (WRI/WGI) SF-50 within a year) do not clearly show that you meet the one-year time-in-grade requirement. That means if you submit an SF-50 dated within the last year, you must submit another SF-50 that is dated more than one year ago to clearly demonstrate you meet the time-in-grade requirements. If you are a DoD employee, you can obtain a copy of your SF- 50(s) from MyBiz. Are you claiming membership in any professional organizations, or possession of a license, certificate or credentials? Check the Conditions of Employment section above to see if any are required. If you claim membership, license, certification, or credentials, you must submit a copy of said document in your application package. Are you using education as a substitute for some or all of the experience requirement? Is there a basic education requirement for this position? Check the Education section above to see what is allowed and what is required. Any claims you make in your resume regarding education or degrees MUST be supported by submitting with your application official or unofficial transcripts or a list of courses, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned issued from your school. While unofficial transcripts are acceptable for initial application, an official transcript will ultimately be required if you are selected for the position. You may submit a copy your degree(s) if specific coursework does not have to be verified. Are you a veteran claiming 5-point veterans' preference or claiming sole survivorship preference? You must submit a copy of your latest DD-214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (any copy that shows all dates of service, as well as character of service [Honorable, General, etc.] is acceptable) OR a VA letter that shows dates of service or service connected disability AND character of service. If you have more than one DD-214 for multiple periods of active duty service, submit a copy for each period of service. If you were issued a DD-215 to amend aforementioned information on the DD-214 you must submit that too. If you are not sure of your preference eligibility, visit the Department of Labor's website: Veterans' Preference Advisor Are you a disabled veteran or claiming 10-point veterans' preference? If you are eligible to claim 10 point veterans preference you must submit a DD-214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty as described above for 5-point preference. You must also provide the applicable supporting documentation of your disability (e.g. disability letter from the VA) as described on Standard Form-15 (SF-15). http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf. Application documents, including supplemental ones, may be shared outside the Human Resources Office. Supplemental documents may contain your SSN, DOB, or personal information of others (e.g., on military orders, marriage certificates). You may redact this information before submitting; however, if selected, you must provide unredacted originals.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the salary for the LEAD HUMAN RESOURCES SPECIALIST (LABOR RELATIONS/EMPLOYEE RELATIONS) position at United States Fleet Forces Command?
The salary range for this position is $108,019 - $140,426/yr. This is a GS-13 position on the General Schedule pay scale. Actual pay may vary based on locality adjustments.
Where is the LEAD HUMAN RESOURCES SPECIALIST (LABOR RELATIONS/EMPLOYEE RELATIONS) job located?
This position is located in Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Virginia. This is an on-site position.
What qualifications do I need?
to qualify for a GS-13, your resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-12 grade level or pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector. Specialized experience must demonstrate the following: Experience demonstrating expert knowledge of advanced legal ...
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 Feb 27, 2026.
Is a security clearance required?
Yes, a Secret clearance is required.
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.