Location: Alexandria,VA, USA
Summary This position is located in the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer, Office of Human Resources, Compensation and Benefits Division, Benefits and Worklife Branch. The purpose of the position is to perform routine work related to the administration of employee benefits programs including retirement, insurance, health benefits, and Thrift Savings. Responsibilities The physical worksite for this position is located in Alexandria, Virginia. This position is telework eligible per agency and business unit discretion/policy. Fully remote within 50 miles of the USPTO Alexandria, VA headquarters and the duty station is the authorized telework location (typically your home address). If selected for an interview, applicants are encouraged to discuss telework options and eligibility specific to the position in which they applied with the hiring manager. This position is located in the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer, Office of Human Resources, Compensation and Benefits Division, Benefits and Worklife Branch. This rewarding opportunity is the ideal next career step for you if: You are eager to perform assignments of average difficulty requiring the application of fundamental principles, concepts, techniques, and guidelines in the areas of retirement, insurance, health benefits, and employee work life programs. You are excited to conduct health benefits open season for employees and administer the Federal Employees Group Life Insurance, Health Benefit, and Thrift Savings Plan programs for the agency. You are confident determining the appropriate treatment of matters as they apply to moderately complex insurance benefits issues relating to the validity of marriage, divorce, and descent and distribution of property. You confidently use tact, diplomacy, and patience when communicating and dealing with others; e.g., co- workers, managers, supervisors, and internal/external customers Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications You must meet the United States Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) qualification requirements (including specialized experience and/or educational requirements) for the advertised position. You must meet all eligibility and qualifications requirements by the closing date of the job announcement. OPM Qualifications Standards are available at Administrative and Management Positions. Specialized Experience is experience that has equipped applicants with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the federal service. For this position, the next lower grade level is a GS-07. Specialized experience for this position includes: GS-09: Applicants must have 1 year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-07 grade level in the federal service. Specialized experience for this position Includes: Experience in resolving escalated benefits and work-life inquiries from employees; and Experience independently advising employees on complex benefits issues and options; and Experience identifying and coding personnel actions (e.g., Change in SCD, Change in Veterans Preference, LWOP, etc.) using an automated human resources system; and Experience in analyzing and interpreting benefits policies and regulations. 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. Education Education may be substituted for experience at the GS-09 grade level if the following is met: A 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 qualifying graduate education and experience. If this position requires proof of higher education, or you are substituting education for experience, you must submit an unofficial transcript or a list of courses that includes the following information: name of accredited institution, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. Please refer to General Schedule Qualifications Policies for more information. You are not required to submit official documents at this time; copies are sufficient. Special Instructions for Foreign Education: Qualifying education from colleges and universities in foreign countries must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities. Applicants educated in whole or in part in foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree. A listing of these accredited organizations can be found on the Department of Education's website - US Department of Education. Another listing of services that can perform this evaluation is available at the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) website. You must provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course-by-course listing along with your application. Failure to provide such documentation when requested will result in lost consideration. NOTE: Only education and experience acquired before the filing deadline will be considered. Report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Additional Information Time-in-grade/band requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement unless eligible for special hiring authority, reinstatement eligible, non-current Federal employee applying as a VEOA eligible which do not require time-in-grade/band. If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System. If you are exempt from registration under Selective Service Law, you must provide appropriate proof of exemption. Please visit the Selective Service System website for more information. This is a Non Bargaining Unit position. This is a Public Trust position and has a risk level designation of moderate . Background Investigation - If selected for this position, you may be required to complete a Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306), which includes a fingerprint and credit check, to determine your suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation. The USPTO participates in E-Verify. For more information on E-Verify, please visit the Department of Homeland Security Website. All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choice. Relocation Expenses are not authorized and will not be paid. CTAP and ICTAP candidates will be eligible for selection priority if it is determined that they have exceeded the minimum qualifications for the position by attaining at least a well qualified rating of 85 out of 100. Information about CTAP and ICTAP eligibility is on the Office of Personnel Management's Career Transition Resources website at: OPM CTAP/ICTAP. CTAP/ICTAP documentation requirements are listed in the 'Required Documents' section of this announcement. More than one selection may be made from this announcement if additional identical vacancies in the same title, series, grade, and unit occur within 90 days from the date the certificate was issued. All application materials become the property of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. USPTO Job Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should request accommodation(s) from the USPTO at USPTO Reasonable Accommodations. The United States Patent and Trademark Office is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factors. If you believe that you have been discriminated against and would like to file an EEO complaint, you must do so within 45 days of the date of the alleged discriminatory act. Claims of employment discrimination must be submitted to the attention of the USPTO's Office of Equal Employment Opportunity & Diversity via email (...@uspto.gov) or phone (571-###-####).