Personnel Psychologist (Industrial Organizational Psychologist)
About This Position
This position is in the Office of Human Resources, the Associate Director for Human Capital Management and Strategic Recruitment within the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The incumbent works with the Associate Director and other staff members involved in Agency work culture, job competency assessments, hiring assessments, performance management assessments, and organizational development assessments.
Qualifications
All qualifications and eligibility requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement. IDEAL CANDIDATE STATEMENT The ideal candidate for the Personnel Psychologist (Industrial Organizational Psychologist) position will have experience applying psychological principles and quantitative methods to workforce planning, recruitment, employee engagement, and organizational development. The candidate should demonstrate strong analytical skills, including experience with data analysis, research design, and interpreting workforce metrics to inform decision-making.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills are essential to effectively collaborate with stakeholders, facilitate assessments, and present findings to leadership. The ideal candidate will also be detail-oriented, able to manage multiple projects, and skilled in using data-driven insights to improve organizational performance and employee outcomes. BASIC REQUIREMENT Education: Applicant must demonstrate the successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree that included a major field of study or specific course requirements in Psychology.
Major or equivalent in psychology for all specializations except clinical psychology and counseling psychology. These two specializations have additional educational requirements, as stated below: Clinical psychology: For positions at grades GS-11 and above, satisfactory completion of all the requirements for the doctoral degree (Ph.D.
OR
equivalent) directly related to full professional work in clinical psychology is required. Counseling psychology: For positions at grades GS-9 and above, satisfactory completion of 2 full academic years of graduate study directly related to professional work in counseling psychology, or satisfactory completion in an accredited educational institution of all the requirements for a master's degree directly related to counseling psychology is required. Transcripts must be submitted at the time of application.
In addition to the BASIC REQUIREMENT, applicants must also meet the following: MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS Applicants must have one year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-12 grade level, which has provided them with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the Personnel Psychologist (Industrial Organizational Psychologist), GS-13 grade level. Specialized experience includes: Experience developing measurement concepts, tools and methods for measuring and evaluating experience, employment references, current job achievement, employee morale and attitudes, etc.; and Experience participating in climate assessments, focus groups, interviews, strategic planning and action planning sessions with stakeholders.; and Experience planning and working on study/research projects including developing the project plan, objectives and milestones, implementing the plan, controlling scope, meeting milestones, overcoming barriers and obtaining support and cooperation with stakeholders. This experience must be fully supported and articulated in your resume to receive consideration.
Please do not cut and paste the specialized experience from this announcement into your resume, as this will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.
NOTE: 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
As a Personnel Psychologist (Industrial Organizational Psychologist), GS-0180-13, your typical work assignments may include: Developing measurement assessments, tools and methods for measuring and evaluating experience, employment references, current job achievement, employee morale and attitudes, etc., Conducting environment scans, monitors workforce trends, staffing and competency assessments to verify that recruitment, retention, and human capital policies and initiatives address current and future strategic human capital needs. Developing cognitive ability assessments, personality inventories, structured interviews, and climate assessments, and advises on focus groups, interviews, strategic planning and action planning sessions with stakeholders; Planning and working on study/research projects including developing the project plan, objectives and milestones, implementing the plan, controlling scope, meeting milestones, overcoming barriers and obtaining support and cooperation with stakeholders. Identifying best practices in organizational assessments and methodologies to support employee engagement and organizational culture action planning and facilitate implementation of best practices and action recommendations from study findings.
Education
This position has a basic education requirement listed under the Qualifications section of this announcement.
You must meet all qualification requirements. 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 www.ed.gov. All education claimed by applicants will be verified by the appointing agency accordingly. Special Instructions for Foreign Education If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in accredited U.S. education programs; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.
For further information, visit Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | U.S. Department of Education.
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) and your responses to all assessments required for this position.
You will be assessed on the following competencies: Human Factors Research Workforce Planning Organizational Performance Analysis Technical Competence Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials may result in your removal from consideration. To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12959272 Optional Four Essay Questions At the time of application, applicants will be provided with four short, free-response essay questions designed to ascertain their dedication to public service for the hiring manager and agency leadership (or designee) to review. Responses are not required and will not be scored.
If applicants choose to provide a response to the essay questions, they will be required to certify that they are using their own words and did not use a consultant or AI (such as a large language model [LLM]). The responses to each question cannot exceed 200 words per question. In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process.
For evaluating the quality of applicants for referral to the selecting official, a four-phased process will be used. Phase 1: Applicants resume and supporting documents are reviewed by Human Resources (HR) to ensure they meet the basic qualification requirements. Phase 2: Applicants who are minimally qualified will be advanced to a Structured Resume Review assessment conducted by a Subject Matter Expert (SME) panel.
SME will review your resume to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the required specialized experience. Phase 3: Applicants passing the Structured Resume Review assessment will be advanced to a Structured Interview conducted by a Subject Matter Expert (SME) panel. SMEs will assess your ability to perform the required competencies.
Phase 4: A final score which combines the scores from all assessments will be determined. The scores will be used to identify the top-rated applicants. The top-rated applicants will be referred to the selecting official for consideration and may be required to participate in one or more interviews as part of the hiring process.
Additional Information
SUPPLEMENTARY VACANCIES Supplementary vacancies may be filled
in addition to the number stated in this announcement. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY / REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION The National Labor Relations Board is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for appointment without regard to race; color; religion; sex; national origin; age; disability; genetic information; pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition.
Applicants with disabilities who need reasonable accommodations for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the Agency's Selective Placement Coordinator by email here. NLRB offers a wide array of reasonable accommodations and programs for individuals with disabilities. (Note: for additional information for job seekers with disabilities, please click on the following website here.) PLACEMENT POLICY The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by appointment, reassignment, change to lower grade, or promotion.
Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position. PROBATIONARY/TRIAL PERIOD As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period, or 2-year trial 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; and The needs and interests of the agency; and 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 or trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
ALTERNATE APPLICATION INFORMATION Applicants may contact the Office of Human Resources. The National Labor Relations Board offers career opportunities that feature competitive starting salaries and the potential for performance-based increases, flexible hours, and the ability to achieve and maintain a balanced lifestyle.
You will enjoy a range of comprehensive and competitive employment benefits that include Work/Life Balance Programs (Alternative Work Schedules, Employee Assistance Program, and the Childcare Subsidy Program), the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program, Flexible Spending Accounts, Life Insurance, Long-Term Care Insurance, Thrift Savings Plan, and the Transit Benefit Program.
How to Apply
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package, which includes: Resume; and Any other documents needed to verify your qualifications or eligibility (see the Required Documents section). Please follow the instructions listed below for submitting your complete application package. Application procedures are specific to this vacancy announcement. Please read all instructions before you begin. To begin the process, click the APPLY ONLINE button at the right side of this screen to create an account or log into your existing USAJOBS account.
Follow the prompts to complete the assessment questionnaire. Please ensure you click the SUBMIT MY ANSWERS button at the end of the process. If you have never applied through USAJOBS for a position with the Federal Civil Service, you will need to create a USAJOBS account.
To change or update your application, simply reapply through USAJOBS, before the closing date. New or updated resumes are considered "incomplete" applications until the required virus scan is cleared. To check the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account, select Application Status and click on the more information link under the application status for this position.
Required Documents
Please submit the supporting documents listed below for your claimed eligibility status. RESUME In compliance with Executive Order 14170, Reforming the Federal Hiring Process and Restoring Merit to Government Service resumes must not be longer than two pages in length. The resume must address minimum qualifications and other requirements listed in the job announcement. If the two-page resume criteria and/or the resume formatting requirement is not met, candidates will be rated as ineligible and will not be referred for hiring consideration.
Resumes must include all of the following information outlined below: Contact Information: Name and how best to contact you, including email address and phone number. Relevant Work Experience Job Title and Employer (including series and grade for any Federal positions) Start and end dates with month/year (e.g., 05/2019 -08/2022 or present) The number of hours you worked per week Ensure work experience descriptions are aligned with the job announcement and address all required qualifications. Brief descriptions should demonstrate your ability to perform the tasks at the required level stated.
TRANSCRIPT An unofficial copy of your transcripts is sufficient for this application package. The unofficial transcripts must be verifiable; contain the name of the institution, applicant's name, list of completed courses (with grades), semester hours, and GPA. If the position has a positive education requirement as indicated under the "Education" section, the unofficial transcripts must show type of degree and degree date received (conferred).
If selected, an official copy of the transcripts is required and must be received before employment. OTHER DOCUMENTS (if applicable). For more information, please click on the applicable link. Most Recent Performance Appraisal. (Current/Former Federal Employees).
If performance appraisal is not dated within the last 18 months or if you are unable to provide a performance appraisal, an explanation why must be provided. Please include a document in your application package explaining why the performance appraisal is not available. Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50). (Current/Former Federal Employees).
Most recent SF-50 showing current grade, tenure, and highest (permanent) grade ever held, if different from your current grade. Performance Award, Realignment/Reassignment, Name Change and Detail SF-50s will not be accepted as proof of grade and tenure. If applying for a higher grade, provide a SF-50 or SF-50s which show the length of time in current/highest grade (i.e.
Promotions, Within Grade Increases, and SF-50s with dates that show proof of you holding the grade for at least a year) to support meeting time-in-grade requirements. As a current or previous Career or Career Conditional employee in the Competitive Service, you may determine your current status by checking block 24 on your SF-50. The block must reflect "1" or "2".
Also, block 34 must reflect "1". A copy of your SF-50 must be provided for verification. Schedule A - Disability Letter Veterans - DD-214 (Member Copy 4) Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty Disabled Veterans - DD-214, SF-15, and proof of disability, Department of Veterans Affairs letter dated 1991 or later.
Certain Military Spouses - Copy of service member's PCS order authorizing the spouse to accompany the service member AND Proof of marriage to the service member; OR Proof the service member was released or discharged from active duty due to a service-connected disability AND documentation of the service member's 100% disability AND proof of marriage to the service member; OR Proof of the service member's death while on active duty AND proof of marriage to the service member. Family Member Preference (Derived Preference) Reinstatement Former Peace Corps or VISTA Volunteers Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) If requesting consideration under the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), you must meet the well qualified standards for this vacancy (meeting the minimum requirements for the position and scoring at least an 85) and provide all of the following documents: your most recent performance appraisal; AND the proof of eligibility letter from the Agency; AND your most current SF-50 displaying current series and grade. Failure to submit any of the required documents by the closing date of the vacancy will result in your removal from consideration for this position.
Please review your application prior to final submission to ensure you have submitted all appropriate documents. Uploading documents to USAJOBS does NOT ensure inclusion with your application to our system.
You must verify that the documents are in the system with your application prior to final submission.