Human Resources Specialist (CL-27)

Priority consideration to applicants who apply by February 5, 2025

The Northern District of California seeks a talented, full-time Human Resources Specialist to support various local and national human resources programs for both the Clerk’s Office and Chambers staff.  The district is searching for a self-starter who will perform and coordinate administrative, technical, and professional duties as an integral member of the Human Resources Team.  This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring compliance with the appropriate guidelines, policies, and internal controls as well as providing top-notch customer service to both internal and external clients.  This position reports to the Director of Human Resources.

• Implement and administer human resources policies, procedures, and standards. Research, draft, and recommend human resources policies for the court unit. Provide information and guidance to judges, executives, senior managers, and court staff on human resources matters, procedures, and practices.
• Assist with developing and maintaining all recruitment related records, including position announcements, interview information and applicant demographic statistics, and recruitment files. Assist with processing recruitment requests including, prepare notice of vacancy, screening applications, coordinating interviews, and preparing required documentation for job offers.
• Coordinate and conduct onboarding, orientation and training for new clerk’s office and chambers’ employees.
• Administer law clerk program by working with our District and Magistrate Judges to coordinate pre-hire requisites for incoming law clerks including required paperwork, fingerprinting, and background investigations.  Ensure compliance with Chamber staffing guidelines.  Coordinate onboarding and offboarding with key departments and individuals.  Process system transactions related to new hires and terminations.  
• Assist and advise new and existing employees on payroll and benefit related matters and ensure requested actions meet applicable policies and requirements. Assist with organizing and conducting annual benefits open season fair and corresponding information workshops.
• Process a variety of personnel and payroll actions such as appointments, promotions, separations, terminations, within-grade increases, and changes to employee benefits. Monitor and ensure all staffing and payroll actions are processed in a timely and correct manner.
• Serve as the back-up timekeeper for the court unit. This includes monitoring and processing employees’ time and attendance related records and ensuring that transactions and records adhere to appropriate rules and regulations.
• Manage background check and fingerprinting program by verifying applicant employment, checking references, taking employee fingerprints, completing and filing necessary forms, tracking and reporting results, and developing and maintaining record keeping systems.
• Help develop and maintain the content for the human resources section of the court unit’s Intranet website.
• Oversee court-sponsored human resources programs.  
• Establish and maintain a wide variety of personnel related records, including individual personnel files and records, in accordance with the relevant record retention guidelines.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

The successful applicant must have one-year specialized experience, including at least one year at or equivalent to work at CL-25.

For placement at salary levels above minimum up to and including step 25, (considering court- preferred skills and an evaluation of quality of experience), at least two years specialized experience at or equivalent to work at CL-26.

Specialized Experience is progressively responsible clerical experience involving the routine use of specialized terminology, and demonstrated ability to apply a body of rules, regulations, directives, or laws. Such experience is commonly encountered in law firms, legal counsel offices, banking and credit firms, educational institutions, social service organizations, insurance companies, real estate and title offices, and corporate headquarters or personnel/payroll operations.

The successful candidate will also possess:

• Ability to consistently demonstrate sound ethics and judgment.
• Ability to be flexible and adapt to unanticipated needs and manage multiple tasks and priorities. Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills, which include the ability to manage multiple tasks and stringent deadlines are essential. 
• The ability to interact effectively and appropriately with others; provide customer service; and resolve difficulties while complying with regulations, procedures, and court confidentiality requirements is necessary.
• Skills in using Windows-based applications, including MS Word, SharePoint, and Adobe Acrobat.
• Ability to research complex issues and maintain familiarity with a variety of internal and external resources.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

Compensation will be set based on experience and qualifications pursuant to the policies and guidelines set forth in the Court Personnel System (CPS). Employees qualify for retirement plans, federal employee's group health insurance, life insurance, dental/vision insurances, and flexible benefits. For more information about federal court benefits, please visit: www.uscourts.gov/careers/benefits.

 The successful candidate for this position is subject to a FBI fingerprint check and background investigation (employment will be provisional and contingent upon the satisfactory completion of the required background investigation), will be required to adhere to a code of conduct , and is subject to mandatory direct deposit of federal wages.  The court is not authorized to reimburse travel expenses for interviews or relocations.  A salary verification is required for all candidates in the final stage of the recruitment process.

Non-citizens may be interviewed and considered for employment, but employment offers will only be made to individuals qualifying under one of the exceptions in 8 U.S.C. § 1324b(a)(3)(B). In most cases, an offer of employment cannot be made unless the candidate is a lawful permanent resident who is seeking U.S. citizenship. Contact Human Resources at 415-522-2147 for more information.

Equal Focused Employer

We value diversity and are committed to equity and inclusion in our workplace. The Court encourages applications from all qualified individuals and seeks a diverse pool of applicants in terms of race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, languages spoken, veteran’s status, disability, religion, and socio-economic circumstance.

The court provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. Notify Human Resources at 415-522-2147 to request a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process. Human Resources will determine requests on a case-by-case basis.