HR Specialist Benefits

U.S. Coast Guard; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 102,000 - 133,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental & Vision insurance

Retirement plan

Job summary

U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security, is seeking an HR Specialist Benefits at the Headquarters Human Resources Service Center in Washington, DC. The role covers CSRS and FERS retirement programs, TSP, FEHB, FEGLI, and related benefits, with emphasis on accurate processing and policy compliance.

Applicants should anticipate USA Hire assessments and may need to provide transcripts. The department offers federal benefits and retirement options, with opportunities for career development.

Qualifications

• No formal education requirement.
• Official college transcript required prior to appointment.
• Foreign education may be used with credential evaluation.

Responsibilities

• Administer CSRS and FERS retirement programs; process and certify retirement packages.
• Explain Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), FEHB, PSHB, FEGLI and related benefits.
• Audit historical personnel records for enrollment discrepancies and life insurance payouts.

Education

No formal education requirement

College transcript required

Foreign education considered with evaluation

Job description

• Department: Department of Homeland Security

This vacancy is for a GS-0201-13, HR Specialist Benefits located in the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Coast Guard, HUMAN RESOURCES SERVICE CENTER HEADQUARTERS in WASHINGTON, District of Columbia.

Key Responsibilities

You will serve as a/an HR Specialist Benefits and be responsible for technical support to field representatives, employees, management officials, or the public when needed. Being a Coast Guard civilian makes you a valuable member of the Coast Guard team. Typical work assignments include: Administering all aspects of federal civilian retirement programs under both the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS).

Computing complex, non-standard service histories, verifying military deposits, and managing the end-to-end processing and certification of immediate, deferred, and disability retirement packages. Explaining complex program dynamics including the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB), Postal Service Health Benefits (PSHB), and Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance (FEGLI).

Auditing historical personnel records to clear enrollment discrepancies and processing life insurance payouts, unpaid compensation accounts, and monthly survivor annuities. Analyzing and interpreting evolving Title 5 statutes, OPM directives, and new legislative mandates to maintain strict internal policy alignment.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application.

Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis.

If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement.

To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. Reasonable Accommodation Information.

Requirements & Education

This position does not have a positive education requirement. If you are including education on your resume, report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. See Required Documents section for detail. Are you qualifying based on education? Submit a copy of your college transcript (unofficial is acceptable) from an accredited institution.

Once selected & prior to appointment, applicants must provide an official college transcript. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet Federal qualification requirements if you can show that your foreign education is comparable to education received in accredited educational institutions in the U.S. (see FOREIGN EDUCATION below).

College Transcript: If this position requires specific educational course work to qualify, or you are qualifying based in whole or part on education, you are required to provide all unofficial transcripts (undergraduate, graduate, etc.) by the closing date of this announcement or you will be disqualified from further consideration.

Transcripts should be legible and detailed, showing course number and department (i.e., bio 101, math 210, etc.), course title, number of credit hours, and grade earned. If course content cannot be easily identified from the title of the course as listed on your transcript, you must submit an official course description from the college/university that reflects the content at the time the course was taken.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet Federal qualification requirements if you can show that your foreign education is comparable to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States. To receive this credit, you must submit evidence of equivalency as provided by a credentialling evaluation service. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence with your application.

See Recognition of Foreign Qualifications click here Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.

DHS offers competitive salaries and an attractive benefits package, including health, dental, vision, life, and long-term care insurance; retirement plan; Thrift Savings Plan [similar to a 401(k)]; Flexible Spending Account; Employee Assistance Program; personal leave days; and paid federal holidays. Other benefits may include flexible work schedules; tuition reimbursement; transportation subsidies; uniform allowance; health and wellness programs; and fitness centers.

DHS is committed to employee development and offers a variety of employee training and developmental opportunities. For more information, go to the DHS Careers website and select "Benefits." Disabled veteran leave will be available to any federal employee hired on or after November 5, 2016, who is a veteran with a service- connected disability rating of 30 percent or more.

Which agency is hiring for this position?

This position is with U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security.

What is the salary for this position?

The posted pay range is $102415 – $133142/yr.

What security clearance is required?

This position requires a Confidential security clearance.

What is the application deadline?

Applications close on 2026-11-06.

How many openings are available?

There are 6 openings for this position.

Who is eligible to apply?

This position is open under the 'Fed Transition' hiring path.