Qualification requirements in the vacancy announcements are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook, which contains federal qualification standards. This handbook is available on the Office of Personnel Management's website located at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/#url=Occupational-Series Applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the next lower grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular competencies/knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. This experience need not have been in the federal government. 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. To qualify at the GS-15 level: You must meet the specialized experience as described below. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: You must possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-14 in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as: Providing authoritative, strategic guidance and recommendations to senior leadership, bureau executives, senior human capital officials, and other management officials, on personnel accountability matters with significant legal, operational, organizational, reputational, or policy implications; Analyzing documents and advising supervisors and managers on a wide range of employee relations issues; Applying expert judgment to resolve complex cases, ensuring compliance, and supporting high-quality human capital decisions; AND Experience with employee relations, discipline, appeal, telework, and other personnel management concepts, laws, rules, principles, and practices to research, interpret, develop, and advocate personnel policies, programs, and initiatives that affect the agency. Education can not be substituted for experience at this grade level.