Human Resources Assistant (Employee Benefits) - HR Navigator

Summary

These HR Navigator positions support the White River Junction VA Medical Center, in White River Junction, VT by providing in-person onboarding assistance, employee HR support, benefits education, and HR systems processing. The role ensures timely hiring, accurate HR data, regulatory compliance, and quality customer service. The position is aligned to the local strategic unit and located on-site, offering direct HR navigation support to staff, managers, and leadership.

Duties

• The Human Resources (HR) Navigator serves three primary functions: (1) As a centralized onboarding and workforce navigation resource within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA); (2) providing Tier 1 HR support to current employees, connecting customers with appropriate HR teams responsive to customers' queries; and (3) providing education, researching and correction of discrepancies, and full range assistant level support for benefits and leave programs across the facility. The role ensures timely hiring, regulatory compliance, workforce readiness, benefits enrollment education, HR system data accuracy and positive employee experiences for the on-site workforce it serves. Major duties include, but are not limited to the following: Onboarding and Pre-Employment Coordination Serves as the primary point of contact for selectees from tentative job offer through Entry on Duty (EOD). Coordinates pre-employment steps with new hires. Helps new employees submit required forms and completes pre-hire checks. Supports scheduling and communication throughout the onboarding process. Monitors and tracks onboarding progress, identifies delays, and ensures timely completion of requirements. Supports the completion of pre-employment requirements such as background checks, fingerprinting, physical exams, drug testing, and driving record reviews, and helps new hires finish any additional steps needed before starting work. Employee HR Support & Customer Service Conducts New Employee In-Processing and prepares first-day documentation. Serves as an on-site HR customer support representative handling inquiries via walk-in, phone, email, and ticketing systems. Provides assistance with pay processes, payroll briefings, tax withholding, and direct deposit. Reviews employee records, identifies discrepancies, and gathers information for resolution. Provides assistance to employees regarding HR-related questions and processes. Helps resolve basic HR issues and directs employees to the correct resources. Submits and tracks payroll service requests. Screens and resolves routine HR inquiries and refers complex issues to HR Specialists. Benefits Program Support Provides guidance and support to employees on their federal benefit programs, including health insurance, life insurance, dental and vision coverage, retirement savings plans, childcare assistance, and transit benefits. Meets with employees to explain benefits options and provide individualized guidance. Conducts new hire benefits enrollment, reviews forms for accuracy, and uploads required documentation. Supports Open Season communications and enrollment activities. Assists employees with benefits-related changes tied to qualifying life events. HR Systems Processing Uploads and verifies documentation in HR systems and the electronic Official Personnel Folder (eOPF). Uses HR systems to submit tickets, process benefits updates, and maintain HR data accuracy. Ensures records and documentation meet compliance requirements. Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8am-4:30pm Telework: This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Human Resources Assistant (Employee Benefits) - HR Navigator/PD99237-S and PD99238-A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/21/2026. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience GS-5: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-04 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Assisting with tasks such as, collecting documentation or reviewing forms for accuracy. Providing customer service through phone, email, or walk-in support. Using automated systems to enter or retrieve data. Supporting administrative processes such as payroll documentation, form completion, or employee inquiry intake. Prepares and types various correspondence, follow-up meeting arrangements, and similar functions required to administer operations. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 4 years above high school OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education in excess of the first 60 semester hours (i.e., beyond the second year) is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirement. One full academic year of study (30 semester hours) beyond the second year is equivalent to 6 months of specialized experience Specialized Experience GS-6: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Serving as an onboarding point of contact for selectees and coordinating pre-employment requirements. Reviewing personnel documents and identifying discrepancies. Providing benefits guidance such as Health, Life, Dental, Vision, Retirement, and other benefit programs. Conducting benefits enrollment and reviewing forms for accuracy/compliance. Providing HR customer support and triaging inquiries. Submitting and tracking HR troubleshooting tickets. Using HR information systems to upload documents, maintain data integrity, and process actions. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Requirements

You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 Physical Requirements: The work requires regular and recurring physical activity, including walking throughout the facility to escort candidates and employees to various locations, standing for extended periods during onboarding activities, and navigating between offices and service points. These physical demands are essential to performing the in-person components of the role. The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required. Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary 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; the needs and interests of the agency; 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 period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Education

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

How to apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include the initial online questionnaire and submission of the required documentation specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. To preview the application questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13068366. The application process is as follows: To begin, click Apply Online to create a USA JOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date, 09/21/2026. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link. NOTE: Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused. Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us. To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To view the announcement status or your application status: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application. Beginning September 27, 2025, Federal agencies will only accept resumes up to two pages in length to comply with the Merit Hiring Plan. Resumes longer than two pages will result in ineligibility for further consideration for the position. USAJOBS will not allow you to upload or build resumes longer than two pages, and you will need to update the resumes in your profile before applying for a job. Resumes should include information relevant to the knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies of the position to which you are applying. VA is unable to make assumptions about qualifications if not clearly listed. Resumes must be legible so they can be reviewed for eligibility, minimum qualifications and other position requirements listed in the job announcement. Your resume must be 5MB or less. We recommend saving and uploading your resume as a PDF to maintain formatting and number of pages. We also accept GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, TXT, PDF, ODT or Word (DOC or DOCX). We do not accept PDF portfolio files. We recommend using a sans-serif font size like Lato, if available. Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open San Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans. Make your page margins 0.5 inches. Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text in your resume. The resume builder can help you create a resume using these recommendations and uses the information in your USAJOBS profile to help you get started. Helpful Hints for Creating a Two-Page Resume: Prioritize most relevant and recent experience Use concise, results focused language Align language from the job announcement Focus on demonstrating skills and competencies Remove outdated or unrelated experience Use the USAJOBS resume builder Additional guidance on this new requirement and resume building tools can be found at https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/page-limit.