Summary The FRTIB is looking for a highly qualified and motivated individual to serve as a Benefits Specialist. This Job Opportunity Announcement (JOA) may be used to fill other Benefits Specialist, GS-0301-12 positions within the FRTIB in the same geographical location with the same qualifications and specialized experience. Responsibilities This vacancy is also being announced concurrently with vacancy announcement FRTIB-25-DE-013-12640730 under delegating examining procedures. NOTE: Applicants must apply separately for each announcement in order to be considered. The major duties of the position are: Receives escalated inquires that TSP participants, beneficiaries, and third parties have sent to the FRTIB via a variety of communication channels including emails, letters, phone calls, and social media. Reviews exception processing and appeal requests forwarded by recordkeeper and retirement plan participants, gathers pertinent case data and facts to present recommendations to FRTIB management. Memorializes precedent decisions for recordkeeper's future use in deciding exception processing requests. Escalates priority cases to recordkeeper for urgent attention and initiates root causes analysis. Maintains internal log of priority escalated cases to track and report recordkeeper resolution status and root cause analysis results to FRTIB stakeholders. Analyzes escalated inquires to determine level of priority, logs the escalated inquiries into the recordkeeper's case management system to create an escalated case, and monitors the recordkeeper's workflow tasks to ensure the recordkeeper's resolution outcomes are accurate, complete, timely and responsive to issues raised, and are consistent with TSP rules and regulations and Agency policies, procedures, and objectives. Requirements Conditions of Employment U.S. citizenship is required. All qualification requirements must be met by 01/09/2025. Your application package will not be considered if it is missing any of the required documents listed under the "Required Documents" tab. Failure to submit required documentation will impact your eligibility for this position. If you have any concerns or questions regarding required documents, please contact FRTIB Operations (contact information is noted below in this announcement) prior to the closing date of this announcement. Probationary Period. One-year probationary period may be required. Selective Service. If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. Background Suitability Investigation. Continued employment is contingent upon satisfactory completion of a background investigation and the granting of a federal suitability or security clearance. If selected, you may be offered tentative employment until the background investigation has been fully adjudicated. Applicants who have held a General Schedule (GS) position within the last 52 weeks must meet the Time-in-Grade Requirement, which is 52 weeks of federal service at the next lower grade, GS-11. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet the Specialized Experience as described below. Specialized Experience: Applicants must have at least one year of full-time specialized work experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the next lower level (equivalent to the GS-11) in the federal government. Specialized experience is defined as: (1) Ability to research, compile, and analyze retirement plan participant information and data from a variety of sources; and (2) draw conclusions, summarize results, and make appropriate recommendations; and (3) In-depth knowledge of retirement plan recordkeeping case management systems, or retirement plan contact center service processes, or retirement plan loan, or withdrawal, or death benefit transaction processes. *Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations. 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. Specialized experience must meet 52 weeks equivalent to the next lower grade level. A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Education Education may not be substituted for experience for this series and grade combination. Additional Information The FRTIB offers wonderful benefits and work/life-balance flexibilities to help empower and reflect respect for our employees. Our comprehensive benefits package includes paid time off*, life insurance, health benefits, and participation in the federal retirement system. We offer, as applicable, flexible work hours, telework, annual and sick leave, transit and childcare subsidies, free and confidential employee assistance and occupational health referral services, free on-site fitness center, and off-site fitness membership reimbursement. Further benefits and flexibility details are located here: FRTIB Employee Benefits. The FRTIB offices are conveniently located within a few blocks of the Union Station metro station. In addition, private parking is available in the building at the posted daily and monthly rates. Relocation expenses are not authorized for this position; however, other recruitment incentives may be authorized. Special selection priority consideration will be given under the Career Transition Assistance program (CTAP) and the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) to well-qualified surplus or displaced candidates within the local commuting area. Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). The ICTAP provides eligible displaced federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If you have never worked for the federal government, you are not ICTAP eligible. View information about ICTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if this vacancy is within your ICTAP eligibility, you apply under the instructions in this announcement, and you are found Well Qualified for this vacancy. Well Qualified means you must meet all the minimum qualification standards listed above and be assessed and assigned the rating of at least Well Qualified to receive special selection priority. Well Qualified is further defined as possessing the Basic Qualifications and meeting the specialized experience noted above.