Senior Staffing Specialist - DEU Certified - AvantGarde, LLC

AvantGarde, LLC (AG) seeks to engage a Senior Human Resources (HR) Staffing Specialist provides expert level comprehensive staffing, recruitment, and placement services to the Employment Divisions for the US Patent and Trademark Office.  The incumbent will work closely with the Federal HR team in a variety of functional areas including, but not limited to, advisory services, some tangential personnel action processing, and related human resources operational work. The Senior Specialist may work in tandem with Federal Specialist(s), other AG HR Specialist(s), Senior Specialist(s), and Senior Human Resources Assistant(s) team remotely. The Senior Specialist will also provide guidance for lower-level employees as applicable/relevant.

** Please note that this position will be 100% remote based. **

The WORK

• Provide expert level consultative services on the full range of recruitment activities from beginning to end (full hiring life cycle) to include recruitment, staffing, job analysis, applicant assessment questionnaire, vacancy announcement posting, qualifications determination, application of Veterans preference, pay setting, onboarding, and separation.  Advise on available special appointing authorities or other hiring flexibilities.
• Collaborate with the hiring manager to determine the proper source of candidates such as all sources (delegated examining, merit promotion, and other excepted appointing authorities), special hiring programs such as the Pathways Program, or other staffing avenues.
• Develop and gain approval for valid, defensible candidate assessment questionnaires that will distinguish best qualified candidates.
• Use USA Staffing to score assessment questionnaires and post vacancy announcements ensuring that all required elements are included in accordance with USPTO and OPM requirements.
• Review and validate candidate basic eligibility and make minimum qualifications determinations for all vacancy announcements; evaluate candidates for details or intern/extern opportunities based on minimum criteria as found in the opportunity posting.
• Adjudicate veterans’ preference eligibility for delegated examining cases and non-competitive veterans’ appointment authorities.
• Manage applicant pools in accordance with USPTO policy and guidance to ensure that candidates are viable and current, including removing candidates who decline, ask to be removed from consideration, or are otherwise ineligible.
• Issue selection certificates for all hiring authorities and ensure that certificates are accurate, contain best qualified/minimally qualified candidates, and for delegated examining certificates, that veterans receive preference in the appropriate category.
• Provide guidance to hiring managers on USPTO policy regarding interviews and selection procedures; follow up with hiring managers to ensure that actions are completed prior to certificate expiration dates.
• Support supplemental candidate review (SME) evaluation processes, issue offers of employment, and perform quality review of other team members’ staffing actions.
• Code and process staffing- and placement-related personnel action requests (PAR) using relevant systems (e.g., HR Connect/NFC) to ensure that they are coded accurately in accordance with relevant regulations (e.g., the OPM Guide to Processing Personnel Actions).
• Provide expert level staffing guidance to federal hiring managers, employees, and job applicants regarding recruitment and placement practices, procedures, policies, and guidelines.
• Analyze and respond to difficult staffing and placement inquiries/issues and propose appropriate solutions.
• Input work performed for all case work into AG HR Tracker which supports the AG PM in tracking of performance metrics.
• Contribute to Monthly Report processes and develop new concepts and strategies related to the development, improvement and evaluation of HR programs.
• Maintain and close out vacancy case files for filled positions in accordance with record retention requirements. 
• Conduct case file audits in preparation for external, third-party audits of delegated examining or merit promotion

The REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of relevant technical knowledge, training, and expert experience in federal staffing, relevant rules and regulations, laws, pay setting, and processing the full range of personnel actions is strongly preferred.
• Current Delegated Examining (DE) certification required.
• 7+ years of hands-on experience supporting a federal agency including federal recruitment and staffing equivalent to the GS-12 level or higher.
• Competency using a variety of automated personnel systems (e.g., USA Staffing, National Finance Center (NFC)).
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite
• Advanced oral and written communication skills with the ability to communicate effectively with all levels of an organization.
• Detail orientation to ensure that staffing documents including vacancy announcements, selection certificates, offer letters and other case file documentation are accurate, thorough and technically accurate.
• Exceptional organizational skills, excellent writing skills with specific attention to detail, and strong customer service skills.
• Excellent analytical, time management, and decision-making skills. 
• Ability to multi-task effectively and prioritize and re-prioritize as needed in a fast-paced environment. 
• Flexibility in the approach to delivering work.
• Other Specifications*
• Must be effective working in a fully remote work environment and have current experience using collaboration and communication tools.
• Must be able to report for work M-F, 5 days a week. Alternative flex schedule is allowed within normal work hours (i.e., between the hours of 7 a.m. – 6 p.m.).
• Must be able to obtain a Public Trust Clearance following Agency fingerprint/criminal background check process.

The CLIENT /  AGENCY

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is the federal agency for granting U.S. patents and registering trademarks. In doing this, the USPTO fulfills the mandate of Article I, Section 8, Clause 8, of the Constitution that the legislative branch "promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries." The USPTO registers trademarks based on the commerce clause of the Constitution (Article I, Section 8, Clause 3). Under this system of protection, American industry has flourished. New products have been invented, new uses for old ones discovered, and employment opportunities created for millions of Americans. The strength and vitality of the U.S. economy depends directly on effective mechanisms that protect new ideas and investments in innovation and creativity. The continued demand for patents and trademarks underscores the ingenuity of American inventors and entrepreneurs. The USPTO is at the cutting edge of the nation's technological progress and achievement.

The USPTO advises the president of the United States, the secretary of commerce, and U.S. government agencies on intellectual property (IP) policy, protection, and enforcement; and promotes the stronger and more effective IP protection around the world. The USPTO furthers effective IP protection for U.S. innovators and entrepreneurs worldwide by working with other agencies to secure strong IP provisions in free trade and other international agreements. It also provides training, education, and capacity building programs designed to foster respect for IP and encourage the development of strong IP enforcement regimes by U.S. trading partners.

The COMPANY

To learn more about AG click here: https://www.avantgarde4usa.com/about/

Since its establishment in 2011, AG has executed 110+ federal contracts as Prime Contractor. For nearly a decade, we have provided extensive expert support to clients in the areas of human capital strategy, organizational transformation, workforce planning, workload assessment, talent management, training, and other areas of human capital management and organizational development. AG’s list of federal clients includes: the U.S. Departments of Justice, Transportation, Treasury, Agriculture, and Commerce, and Defense (Army, Navy, and National Guard) as well as the U.S. House of Representatives, Architect of the Capitol, the National Science Foundation, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the Corporation for National and Community Service, and to name a few.

AG’s core competencies bring together solutions that address the holistic needs of our clients in four key areas: People, Process, Strategy, and Technology. Our consulting solutions and service offerings extend across four distinct areas: Human Capital Management, Organizational Development, Business Operations Support, and Information Technology. We offer a comprehensive scope of services that are specifically designed to enhance organizational efficiency, effectiveness, and adaptability.

When you consider joining AG learn about our Culture  click here : https://www.avantgarde4usa.com/careers/culture/

The LAW

 
As an Equal Employment Opportunity employer, AvantGarde LLC makes all recruitment and employment decisions without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex (including gender and transgender status), national origin, disability status, marital status, veteran status, registered domestic partner or civilian union status, medical condition, genetic information, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic or status protected by federal, state and local laws. AvantGarde hires and promotes individuals solely on the basis of their qualifications for the job to be filled