DutiesMajor duties for this position include but are not limited to:Asses and define complex issues, questions, and factual situations; research, analyze, interpret, and apply relevant laws, regulations, policies, and precedential court decisions; and arrive at sound, well-reasoned decisions.Participate in the technical review of material dealing with group health plans to ensure conformance with ERISA and the pertinent regulations.
Understand the purpose and functions of the organization and work to promote organizational goals. Accurately identify and apply relevant guidelines, regulations, precedents, interpretations, etc.Provide technical advice and guidance to other OHPSCA and EBSA personnel regarding interpretation and application of the exemption provisions of ERISA, and related legislation.
Maintain liaison with officials of other Federal agencies to work on joint projects, secure and furnish technical advice or assistance, provide interpretive guidance regarding Part 7 of ERISA, and discuss and resolve problems of mutual concern.Provides oral and written technical advice and guidance to other OHPSCA and EBSA personnel regarding interpretation and application of the Part 7 provisions of ERISA, and related legislation. Provides oral technical advice to the public regarding interpretation and application of Part 7 of ERISA, including the Market reform provisions added by the Affordable Care Act.
Ability to conceptualize, frame resolve, and present technical issues and accompanying recommendations in order to develop and write organized, concise, and effective opinions, and technical guidance.Knowledge and application of the laws, regulations, court proceedings, precedents, interpretations, and exemptions governing the employee benefit plan community.Develop technical presentations regarding Part 7 of ERISA to train other OHPSCA and EBSA personnel.
Review complex group health plan materials and guidance requests and develops recommendations for disposition for consideration by the Director and other senior Agency officials. Requirements Conditions of EmploymentMust be a U.S. Citizen.Must be at least 16 years old.
Candidate required to obtain the necessary security/investigation level.Requires a probationary period if the requirement has not been met.Subject to financial disclosure requirements.
Requires a supervisory probationary period if the requirement has not been met. QualificationsYou must meet the IOR (Individual Occupational Requirement) andSpecialized Experience to qualify for the Supervisory Employee Benefits Law Specialist position, as described below.Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level GS-14, in the Federal Service.
Individual Occupational Requirements:Education: Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study in one or a combination of the following fields - finance, banking, business administration, economics, mathematics, accounting or auditing, pension plan administration, law, industrial relations, public administration, or other related fields.ORExperience: Progressively responsible experience that demonstrated the ability to perform work in the field of pension and welfare plans. Such experience may have been gained in (1) management, administration, development, analysis, audit, financial management, or termination of such plans or their funds; or (2) in closely related work such as taxation, securities, and investments.
Specialized experience may have been gained in government, employee benefit plan administration or consulting firm, a law firm, an actuarial or accounting firm, labor union, a relevant trade association or research service, or an insurance company. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include:Analysis and application of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and related laws, regulations, court decisions, and precedent rulings.Development of employee benefit plans, petitions for exemptions, or requests for rulings under governing law.
Legal work, a substantial portion of which required interpretation of Federal laws and legal requirements concerning employee benefit plans, or in related fields as health insurance Auditing or accounting work that involved determining compliance with Federal and State laws governing employee benefit plans, or insurance.Analysis of Federal laws or regulations, development of policy, and drafting of proposed changes in an employee benefit plan or a related function.Specialized Experience is the experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform the duties of the position successfully, 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.Specialized Experience for this position is defined as: experience managing analytical work regarding the group health plan provisions of one of the following: Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), the Internal Revenue Code, the Public Health Service Act, the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, the No Surprises Act, and/or the Affordable Care Act; As well as experience preparing complex, concise, and effective regulations, guidance, and/or technical memoranda.EducationThere is no substitution of education for experience at the GS-15 level for this position.
Additional informationThe mission of the Department of Labor (DOL) is to protect the welfare of workers and job seekers, improve working conditions, expand high-quality employment opportunities, and assure work-related benefits and rights for all workers. As such, the Department is committed to fostering a workplace and workforce that promote equal employment opportunity, reflects the diversity of the people we seek to serve, and models a culture of respect, equity, inclusion, and accessibility where every employee feels heard, supported, and empowered.Refer to these links for more information: GENERAL INFORMATION, REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION, ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION, FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEESAs a condition of employment, all personnel must undergo a background investigation for access to DOL facilities, systems, information and/or classified materials before they can enter on duty: BACKGROUND INVESTIGATIONClick here for Career Ladder Promotion InformationYou may not be aware, but in the regulations for agency ethics programs, there are requirements for supervisors. Section 2638.
103 of Title 5 of the CFR states: Every supervisor in the executive branch has a heightened personal responsibility for advancing government ethics. It is imperative that supervisors serve as models of ethical behavior for subordinates. Supervisors have a responsibility to help ensure that subordinates are aware of their ethical obligations under the Standards of Conduct and that subordinates know how to contact agency ethics officials.
Supervisors are also responsible for working with agency ethics officials to help resolve conflicts of interests and enforce government ethics laws and regulations, including those requiring certain employees to file financial disclosure reports. In addition, supervisors are responsible, when requested, for assisting agency ethics officials in evaluating potential conflicts of interest and identifying positions subject to financial disclosure requirements.Supervisory Financial Disclosure: This position is subject to the confidential financial disclosure requirements of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (P.L. 95-521).
Therefore, if selected, you will be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450) to determine if a conflict or an appearance of a conflict exists between your financial interest(s) and your prospective position with DOL. This information will be required annually.Click here for Telework Position InformationBased on agency needs, additional positions may be filled using this vacancy.
This position is Outside the bargaining unit.This job is not 100% telework; it requires employee to report on a regular basis to their assigned office location.The Fair Chance Act (FCA) prohibits Federal agencies from requesting an applicant's criminal history information before the agency makes a conditional offer of employment.
If you believe a DOL employee has violated your rights under the FCA, you may file a complaint of the alleged violation following our agency's complaint process Guidelines for Reporting Violations of the Fair Chance Act. Note: The FCA does not apply to some positions specified under the Act, such as law enforcement or national security positions. Help A career with the U.S.
government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Review our benefitsEligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.How You Will Be EvaluatedYou will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Evaluation Factors (Competencies) - All qualified applicants will be evaluated on the following key competencies:Interpersonal SkillsOral CommunicationProblem SolvingTechnical CompetenceWritten CommunicationClick here for evaluation details. You may preview questions for this vacancy here: The information you provide may be verified by a review of your paid, unpaid, volunteer, and other lived experience, as it demonstrates the competencies or skills required for the position to be filled. Your evaluation may include an interview, reference checks, or other assessment conducted by HR specialists, subject matter experts, or panel members and may include other assessment tools (ex.
interview, structured interview, written test, work sample, etc.). The examining Office of Human Resources (OHR) makes the final determination concerning applicant ratings. Your resume MUST provide sufficient information to substantiate your vacancy question responses.
If not, the OHR may amend your responses to more accurately reflect the level of competency indicated by the content of your resume.INFORMATION FOR CTAP ELIGIBLE(S) ONLY: If you are eligible for special priority selection under CTAP, you must be well-qualified for the position to receive consideration. CTAP eligible(s) will be considered well-qualified if they attain at least a rating score of 85 in a numerical rating scheme.
Be sure to review the eligibility questions to reflect that you are applying as a CTAP eligible and submit supporting documentation