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This position is located in the Talent Payroll, Benefits and Retirement Section, Talent Services and Systems Division, Human Capital Directorate, in the Retirement and Benefits area. This section is responsible for the administration of the full range of retirement and Federal employee benefits programs for the Library of Congress (LOC), Office of Compliance and Open World Leadership Center. Specific Federal benefits and retirement functions include health, dental, vision and life insurance, flexible spending accounts, federal long term care insurance, various retirement systems, all types of retirements (voluntary, early, deferred and disability retirement including Federal Medical Evidence of Record Program (FEDMER), service computation dates for retirement purposes, service credit payments, military deposits, Thrift Savings Plan, death cases, etc. The incumbent is responsible for providing technical expertise, advice/counseling and direction in retirement and employee benefits.
Provides orientation on the federal benefits and retirement programs. Information includes Federal Employees’ Retirement System (FERS), FERS-Revised Annuity Employees (FERSRAE), FERS-Further Revised Annuity Employee (FERS-FRAE), Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS), Civil Service Retirement System-Offset (CS-Offset), the Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance Program (FEGLI), Federal Employees’ Health Benefits Program (FEHB), Federal Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP), Federal Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAFEDS), Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP) and the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), and Social Security, Beneficiary, etc.
Provide guidance to employees returning to and/or transferring to the Federal Government who are eligible for coverage under either FERS, FERS-RAE, FERS-FRAE, or CS-Offset, as to the provisions of each retirement system and the advantage or disadvantage in their specific situation. Counsels employees who are possibly leaving Federal service on the retirement and benefits implication and options. Provides counseling with regard to particularly sensitive or complex benefits and retirement issues. Interprets existing policies and procedures in response to inquiries from employees throughout the agency. Prepares appropriate correspondence consistent with applicable regulations, policies and procedures.
Counsels retired military employees when it may be advisable to waive their military pension to permit the military time to be credited for civilian civil service annuity purposes. Provides advising to HR Specialists (Employee Relations) and supervisors of the advantages/disadvantages of retirement versus adverse action for employees who qualify for retirement. Provides counseling to those employees who may want to consider the retirement option.
Counsels families/beneficiaries of deceased employees concerning benefits payable. Provides expert technical information and/or assistance in the completion of the required forms. Handles sensitive to difficult situations where the death of an employee occurs and family members require advice/counsel.
Interprets and provides counseling on the complex Civil Service Retirement Spouse Equity Act (P.L. 98-615) which permits, with a qualifying court order, the awarding of a FERS-RAE, FERS, CSRS or CSRS-Offset survivor annuity to the former spouse of a Federal employee or retiree.
Provides detailed information on employees regarding the manner in which military service is credited for Federal retirement purposes. Computes and advises veterans of the amount of necessary deposit for post-56 military service (based on military pay received), counsels employees on the important decision of paying or not paying military deposit. Informs employees of the options available for making military service deposits.
The position description number for this position is 360786.
The salary range indicated reflects the locality pay adjustments for the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan area.
The incumbent of this position will work a flextime work schedule.
This is a non-supervisory, non-bargaining unit position.
Relocation expenses will not be authorized for the person(s) selected under this vacancy announcement.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
At present, the Library of Congress will not enforce an earlier policy to require all employees be vaccinated against COVID-19. However, employees are required to certify their vaccination status, which is used to plan and implement workplace safety protocols, such as those related to mask-wearing, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine. Upon request, new hires may be required to show proof of vaccination to the Health Services Division. Library employees who are not vaccinated may be required to undergo testing for COVID-19 every seven days.
Library of Congress employees are prohibited from using illegal drugs, including marijuana. The Library is part of the Federal Government and abides by federal law, so regardless of individual state or District of Columbia laws, marijuana use is illegal, considered criminal activity, and can affect your employment at the Library. In addition, past drug use and activities (e.g., selling or distributing) may deem you ineligible for employment.
No additional requirements to those listed above.
Qualifications
Applicants must have had progressively responsible experience and training sufficient in scope and quality to furnish them with an acceptable level of the following knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of the position without more than normal supervision.
Knowledge of Federal retirement rules, regulations, processes, and related employee benefits.**
Ability to coordinate and/or deliver employee benefits programs and activities.**
Ability to utilize information technology, automated personnel systems, and software applications.**
Ability to communicate in writing.
Ability to interact collaboratively with others to provide customer service and liaison support.
Ability to attend to detail.
Ability to communicate effectively other than in writing.
Additional information
Although it is the Library’s policy to afford the maximum pay benefit to employees when setting rates of pay, a new appointee who has had no previous Federal service will generally be paid the minimum step of the grade.
The Library of Congress is an equal opportunity employer. Women, minorities, and persons with disabilities who meet eligibility requirements are strongly encouraged to apply.
Applicants must submit a complete application package that is received by the closing date of this announcement.
This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please email [email protected]. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
Applicants with disabilities may be considered under special hiring procedures and must submit an appropriate certificate of eligibility when applying for this position. The proof or disability/certification may be issued by the State Vocational Rehabilitation Office, Disability Services or Career Services office of the applicant’s college or university, or the Department of Veterans Affairs. The letter must verify that the applicant has a severe disability and must be dated within three years of the date of the application. Certification from health care providers are not accepted. For more information contact the Library’s Office of EEO/Diversity Programs at 202-707-6024 or email [email protected]. FAILURE TO SUBMIT YOUR CERTIFICATION WILL CAUSE YOUR APPLICATION TO NOT BE CONSIDERED UNDER THE SELECTIVE PLACEMENT PROGRAM.
The Library of Congress is the national library of the United States and is part of the Legislative Branch of the Federal government. As such, all positions are in the excepted service.
Appointment/retention is subject to a favorable evaluation of an appropriate personnel security/suitability investigation.
The Library reserves the right to fill a lesser or greater number of vacancies indicated during the life of this vacancy announcement.
Initial appointments, permanent or indefinite, to the Library of Congress require completion of a one-year probationary period.
The Library of Congress may offer repayment for all or part of federally insured student loans. However, not all service units within the Library of Congress participates in the repayment of federally insured student loans. Therefore, determination to repay a federally insured student loan is subject to approval by the appropriate service unit.
A “Not to Exceed“ (NTE) status is used to identify an appointment with a specific ending date. However, the Library has the right to separate a NTE employee at any time due to either performance issues or budget constraints.
Are you a veteran? Please indicate the type of veterans’ preference you are claiming in your application materials and/or applicant profile and provide the appropriate supporting documentation to validate your claim. Those applying for 5-point preference must submit Member Copy 4 of your DD 214. Those applying for 10-point preference must fill out an SF-15 (click here for the form) and provide the required documentation listed on the back of the form. If required supporting documentation is not attached, Veterans’ Preference will not be considered in the application process.
Benefits
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 benefits
Eligibility 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 Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
The Library of Congress evaluates applicants through an applicant questionnaire and a structured interview. Applicants may also be screened for some jobs through licensing, certification, and/or education requirements, a narrative/application review, and/or a preliminary telephone interview. The knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) that are marked with a double asterisk (**) in the vacancy announcement and the applicant questionnaire are considered the most critical for a position. To be considered for final selection, applicants must demonstrate fully acceptable experience in these designated KSAs in the narrative/application review, preliminary telephone and/or full structured interview. The various assessment tools listed above are designed to verify or explore applicants’ experience, knowledge, and training directly related to the job in order to identify the best qualified applicants for selection.
For more information regarding eligibility requirements, please see the Library of Congress Merit Selection Plan, Section X.D, at: http://www.loc.gov/hr/employment/msp010909.pdf.
You may preview questions for this vacancy.
Benefits
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 benefits
Eligibility 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.
Required Documents
As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have – whether you’re a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you’re eligible under their policies.
Current or former federal employees must submit their most recent Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50 or equivalent).
Applicants with disabilities may be considered under special hiring procedures and must submit an appropriate certificate of eligibility when applying for this position. The proof or disability/certification may be issued by the State Vocational Rehabilitation Office, Disability Services or Career Services office of the applicant’s college or university, or the Department of Veterans Affairs. The letter must verify that the applicant has a severe disability and must be dated within three years of the date of the application. The program does not accept certification from health care providers. For more information contact the Library’s Office of Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity Programs at 202-707-6024 or email [email protected]. FAILURE TO SUBMIT YOUR CERTIFICATION WILL CAUSE YOUR APPLICATION TO NOT BE CONSIDERED UNDER THE SELECTIVE PLACEMENT PROGRAM.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
How to Apply
Please carefully follow all instructions under the How to Apply tab to ensure you are considered for the position.
You are required to apply online for this announcement. We are unable to accept mailed or emailed documents. You must complete the entire application process, including submission of all documents BEFORE this announcement closes. To do so, complete the following steps.
Step 1: If you do not already have one, create a resume on USAJOBS. Although you must enter your Social Security Number for USAJOBS, this information will not be provided to the Library of Congress.
Step 2: Review the Job Announcement. We recommend you go to the end of the Qualification and Evaluation section of the job announcement to preview the online questions that you will answer in Step 4. You may wish to customize your USAJOBS resume to ensure that it supports your responses to these questions.
Step 3: Click on the “APPLY ONLINE” button to the right of this announcement. Follow USAJOBS’ instructions to access your account and submit your resume. You will be redirected to the Hiring Management website to complete the application process. If this is your first time in Hiring Management, you will be asked to answer questions related to your eligibility for Federal employment. You will be able to update this information and save it to our account for future announcements.
Step 4: Once you have completed the eligibility questions, you will be taken directly to the vacancy application questions. Answer all questions honestly and thoroughly. Step 5: Hiring Management offers three options that will electronically attach your documentation to your online application once you finish answering the questions in the job announcement.
(1) You may select a document that you have already uploaded to USAJOBS for a previous announcement.
(2) You may electronically upload a document directly from your computer to your application. Be certain to review your complete application for confirmation of the document uploaded and click on “Finished” to be returned to USAJOBS.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you have multiple documents of the same kind, e.g. 2 undergraduate transcripts from different schools or 2 SF-50s, etc., be sure that they are all in the same file on your computer or in your USAJOBS profile before uploading them. If you try uploading them individually, only the last one sent will be visible in our system. If you have any questions about this information, please contact the person on this announcement BEFORE the closing date.
Step 6: Click on “Finish” after you have completed your application. Once you have submitted your application, you can check your status online through your Hiring Management or MY USAJOBS account. Your complete online application and any required supplemental documentation (e.g., SF-50, etc.) must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on the closing date of the announcement. It is your responsibility to ensure that all documents are received on time and that the materials are readable. Failure to do so will result in your application being excluded from consideration for this announcement.
If you are experiencing any technical difficulty with the online process, you MUST CONTACT THE POINT OF CONTACT FOR THIS ANNOUNCEMENT BEFORE THE CLOSING DATE. For all technical issues please contact [email protected] , no later than 4:30pm EST of the Closing Date. REQUESTS FOR EXTENSIONS WILL NOT BE GRANTED.
Agency contact information
Job Help Desk
Phone
202-707-5620
Fax
000-000-0000
Address
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
Human Resources Dept.
101 Independence Ave. SE
LM107
Washington, District of Columbia 20540-2700
United States
Next steps
Please review our evaluation process under Evaluation. You may check the status of your application for this position at any time by logging onto the USAJOBS “My USAJOBS” tab and clicking on “My Applications.” You will receive final notification via e-mail when the vacancy has been filled.
Fair and Transparent
The Federal hiring process is setup to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
Reasonable accommodation policy
Financial suitability
Selective Service
New employee probationary period
Signature and false statements
Privacy Act
Social security number request
Required Documents
Current or former federal employees must submit their most recent Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50 or equivalent).
Applicants with disabilities may be considered under special hiring procedures and must submit an appropriate certificate of eligibility when applying for this position. The proof or disability/certification may be issued by the State Vocational Rehabilitation Office, Disability Services or Career Services office of the applicant’s college or university, or the Department of Veterans Affairs. The letter must verify that the applicant has a severe disability and must be dated within three years of the date of the application. The program does not accept certification from health care providers. For more information contact the Library’s Office of Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity Programs at 202-707-6024 or email [email protected]. FAILURE TO SUBMIT YOUR CERTIFICATION WILL CAUSE YOUR APPLICATION TO NOT BE CONSIDERED UNDER THE SELECTIVE PLACEMENT PROGRAM.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Help
This job is open to
The public
U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
Clarification from the agency
Anyone may apply – By law, employment at most U.S. Government agencies, including the Library of Congress, is limited to U.S. citizens. However, non-citizens may be hired, provided that other legal requirements are met and the Library determines there are no qualified U.S. citizens available for the position.
