Personnel Psychologist (Industrial Organizational Psychologist)

Summary

This position is in the Office of Human Resources, the Associate Director for Human Capital Management and Strategic Recruitment within the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The incumbent works with the Associate Director and other staff members involved in Agency work culture, job competency assessments, hiring assessments, performance management assessments, and organizational development assessments.

Duties

As a, Personnel Psychologist (Industrial Organizational Psychologist), GS- 0180-12, your typical work assignments may include: Assisting with developing measurement assessments, tools and methods for measuring and evaluating experience, employment references, current job achievement, employee morale and attitudes, etc. Conducting environment scans, monitors workforce trends, staffing and competency assessments to verify that recruitment, retention, and human capital policies and initiatives address current and future strategic human capital needs. Assisting with developing cognitive ability assessments, personality inventories, structured interviews, and climate assessments, and advises on focus groups, interviews, strategic planning and action planning sessions with stakeholders. Assisting with planning and working on study/research projects including developing the project plan, objectives and milestones, implementing the plan, controlling scope, meeting milestones, overcoming barriers and obtaining support and cooperation with stakeholders. Assisting with survey development, deployment, and administration to include demonstrated skill in survey methodology, sampling, weighting, analysis, and reporting. Identifying best practices in organizational assessments and methodologies to support employee engagement and organizational culture action planning and facilitate implementation of best practices and action recommendations from study findings.

Qualifications

All qualifications and eligibility requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement. IDEAL CANDIDATE STATEMENT The ideal candidate for the Personnel Psychologist (Industrial Organizational Psychologist) position will have experience applying psychological principles and quantitative methods to workforce planning, recruitment, employee engagement, organizational development and survey development, deployment and administration. The candidate should demonstrate intermediate analytical skills, including experience with data analysis, research design, and interpreting workforce metrics to inform decision-making. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills are essential to effectively collaborate with stakeholders, facilitate assessments, and present findings to leadership. The ideal candidate will also be detail-oriented, able to manage multiple projects, and skilled in using data-driven insights to improve organizational performance and employee outcomes. BASIC REQUIREMENT Education: Applicant must demonstrate the successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree that included a major field of study or specific course requirements in Psychology. Major or equivalent in psychology for all specializations except clinical psychology and counseling psychology. These two specializations have additional educational requirements, as stated below: Clinical psychology: For positions at grades GS-11 and above, satisfactory completion of all the requirements for the doctoral degree (Ph.D. or equivalent) directly related to full professional work in clinical psychology is required. Counseling psychology: For positions at grades GS-9 and above, satisfactory completion of 2 full academic years of graduate study directly related to professional work in counseling psychology, or satisfactory completion in an accredited educational institution of all the requirements for a master's degree directly related to counseling psychology is required. Transcripts must be submitted at the time of application. In addition to the BASIC REQUIREMENT, applicants must also meet the following: MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS Applicants must have one year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-11 grade level, which has provided them with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the Personnel Psychologist (Industrial Organizational Psychologist), GS-12 grade level. Specialized experience includes: Experience assisting with developing measurement concepts, tools and methods for measuring and evaluating experience, employment references, current job achievement, employee morale and attitudes, etc.; Experience participating in climate assessments, focus groups, interviews, strategic planning and action planning sessions with stakeholders.; Experiencing assisting with survey development, deployment, and administration to include demonstrated skill in survey methodology, sampling, weighting, analysis, and reporting; and Experience working on study/research projects including developing the project plan, objectives and milestones, implementing the plan, controlling scope, meeting milestones, overcoming barriers and obtaining support and cooperation with stakeholders. This experience must be fully supported and articulated in your resume to receive consideration. Please do not cut and paste the specialized experience from this announcement into your resume, as this will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position. TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENTS All current and former Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements to be considered eligible. One year of experience at the GS-13 or equivalent grade level of the federal service, is required to qualify for this position. (NOTE: All current and former Federal employees must provide a copy of their SF-50 "Notice of Personnel Action" that indicates proof of status and time-in-grade eligibility. The SF-50 must include your position, title, series, grade, step, tenure code (1 or 2), and type of service (Competitive). You may determine your current status by checking block 24 on your SF-50. Block 24 must reflect "1" or "2". Also, block 34 must reflect "1". NOTE: Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Evaluations

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents) and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies: Human Factors Research Workforce Planning Organizational Performance Analysis Technical Competence Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials may result in your removal from consideration. To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13014624 Optional Four Essay Questions At the time of application, applicants will be provided with four short, free-response essay questions designed to ascertain their dedication to public service for the hiring manager and agency leadership (or designee) to review. Responses are not required and will not be scored. If applicants choose to provide a response to the essay questions, they will be required to certify that they are using their own words and did not use a consultant or AI (such as a large language model [LLM]). The responses to each question cannot exceed 200 words per question. In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. For evaluating the quality of applicants for referral to the selecting official, a multi-phased process will be used. Phase 1: Applicants' resume and supporting documents will be reviewed by Human Resources (HR) to determine whether they meet the basic qualification requirements. Phase 2: Applicants who are minimally qualified may be advanced to a Structured Resume Review assessment conducted by a Subject Matter Expert (SME) panel. SMEs may review applicants' resumes to evaluate technical qualifications for this position based on the required specialized experience. Phase 3: Applicants who successfully pass the Structured Resume Review assessment may be advanced to a Structured Interview conducted by a Subject Matter Expert (SME) panel. SMEs may assess applicants' ability to demonstrate the required competencies for the position. Phase 4: A final score, which may combine the results from one or more assessments, may be used to identify the top-rated applicants. Applicants meeting the established cut-off score may be referred to the selecting official for consideration and may be required to participate in one or more additional interviews as part of the hiring process.

How to apply To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package, which includes: Resume; and Any other documents needed to verify your qualifications or eligibility (see the Required Documents section). Please follow the instructions listed below for submitting your complete application package. Application procedures are specific to this vacancy announcement. Please read all instructions before you begin. To begin the process, click the APPLY ONLINE button at the right side of this screen to create an account or log into your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the assessment questionnaire. Please ensure you click the SUBMIT MY ANSWERS button at the end of the process. If you have never applied through USAJOBS for a position with the Federal Civil Service, you will need to create a USAJOBS account. To change or update your application, simply reapply through USAJOBS, before the closing date. New or updated resumes are considered "incomplete" applications until the required virus scan is cleared. To check the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account, select Application Status and click on the more information link under the application status for this position.

Other information SUPPLEMENTARY VACANCIES Supplementary vacancies may be filled in addition to the number stated in this announcement. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY / REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION The National Labor Relations Board is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for appointment without regard to race; color; religion; sex; national origin; age; disability; genetic information; pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition. Applicants with disabilities who need reasonable accommodations for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the Agency's Selective Placement Coordinator by email here. NLRB offers a wide array of reasonable accommodations and programs for individuals with disabilities. (Note: for additional information for job seekers with disabilities, please click on the following website here.) PLACEMENT POLICY The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by appointment, reassignment, change to lower grade, or promotion. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position. PROBATIONARY/TRIAL PERIOD As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period, or 2-year trial 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; and The needs and interests of the agency; and 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 or trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. ALTERNATE APPLICATION INFORMATION Applicants may contact the Office of Human Resources. The National Labor Relations Board offers career opportunities that feature competitive starting salaries and the potential for performance-based increases, flexible hours, and the ability to achieve and maintain a balanced lifestyle. You will enjoy a range of comprehensive and competitive employment benefits that include Work/Life Balance Programs (Alternative Work Schedules, Employee Assistance Program, and the Childcare Subsidy Program), the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program, Flexible Spending Accounts, Life Insurance, Long-Term Care Insurance, Thrift Savings Plan, and the Transit Benefit Program.