Human Resources Specialist

Position Overview

The Clerk’s Office for the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee is seeking a highly motivated, very organized, detail oriented, customer and team focused individual for a full-time Human Resources Specialist. The preferred duty station for the position is Chattanooga; however, the position may be filled in Greeneville or Knoxville. Limited travel may be required.

The Human Resources Specialist performs and coordinates administrative, technical, and professional work related to human resources programs for the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, supporting the judges, Clerk of Court, and court staff. The incumbent ensures compliance with appropriate guidelines, policies, and approved internal controls related to human resources management. The Human Resources Specialist conducts research, performs analyses, and assists with audits on data and trends to develop a variety of organizational, statistical, budgetary, and operational reports. The incumbent makes recommendations to the Clerk of Court on staffing and budget impact, hiring practices, and human resources policies and matters affecting court administration and operations.

Major Duties

The representative duties are intended to provide generalized examples of major duties and responsibilities that are performed by this position and do not reflect all duties assigned.

• Formulate, implement, and administer the full range of human resources policies, procedures, and standards with varying needs and priorities. Review, research, analyze, develop, and recommend human resources policies for the court unit supported.
• Ensure adherence to the Guide to Judiciary Policy and Human Resources Manual regarding human resources practices and separation of duties. Develop, monitor, and update internal controls policies and procedures.
• Research, review, and analyze data and information on employment practices, staffing, and other statistical data. Develop and analyze a variety of reports based on historical and current data and hiring trends and make recommendations to the Clerk of Court and senior managers.
• Assist with developing and reviewing recurring staffing plans with varying needs and priorities. Make recommendations to the Clerk of Court regarding staffing and budgetary impact. Provide advice on organizational structures and classification standards on staffing and other human resources related proposed changes.
• Coordinate with the judges, Clerk of Court, and supervisors on the assessment and evaluation of staff performance throughout the year and maintain a tracking system for employee evaluations and step increases. Assist in the development of performance management plans and compensation strategies.
• Advise the judges, Clerk of Court, and other court staff on human resources matters, procedures, and practices. Provide advice on employee relations, disciplinary actions, performance management, staffing and cost projections, benefits, and related issues. Participate in administrative meetings as required.
• Advise the judges, Clerk of Court, and other court staff on leave administration and tracking matters to ensure adherence to judiciary leave policies and procedures.
• Prepare and conduct training in HR-related areas such as benefits, performance management, etc. Manage, coordinate, and assist with developmental training for employees.
• Perform duties related to benefits administration, recruitment, classification, staffing budget, payroll, workers compensation, personnel action processing, records maintenance, etc.
• Maintain local personnel files, including payroll, leave records, and other accountability documents for audit purposes.
• Administer and utilize automated systems for human resources activities including leave tracking, personnel projections, HRMIS, electronic records management, performance management, etc.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
• Optional participation in Federal Employees Group Life Insurance; and
• Optional participation in a flexible spending pretax program for dependent care and medical care.

See https://www.uscourts.gov/careers/benefits for details.

Information for Applicants

This position is a full time, permanent appointment. Employees of the United States Bankruptcy Court are excepted appointments and serve at the pleasure of the Court; they are not included in the government competitive service classification system. The United States Bankruptcy Court is part of the Judicial Branch of the United States Government. Court employees are considered at-will and can be terminated with or without cause by the court. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or eligible to work in the United States. Direct deposit of pay is mandatory as well as participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System. As a condition of employment, a full background investigation consisting of fingerprint check and FBI background investigation is required. The Judiciary requires employees to adhere to a Code of Ethics and Conduct which is available to applicants for review upon request.

To apply for this position, submit the following items in a single pdf document:

(1) cover letter which addresses the applicant’s qualifications, skills, and experience;

(2) resume, including a list of professional references; and

(3) Federal Judicial Branch Application for Employment (AO78) which can be found on the court’s website (www.tneb.uscourts.gov/employment) or the U.S. Court’s website (www.uscourts.gov/careers).

Applicants selected for interviews must travel at their own expense or be interviewed via telephone and/or Microsoft Teams. Relocation expenses are not available. The United States Bankruptcy Court reserves the right to amend the conditions of this vacancy announcement or to withdraw the announcement at any time without prior written or other notice. The Court will only communicate with those qualified applicants selected for an interview.

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