• HR Specialist - Benefits and Retirement

    AvantGarde, LLC (Washington, DC)


    **Project Overview:** Avant garde is seeking a HR Specialist. The HR Specialist will support the Workforce Relations Division (WRD), Benefits & Work/Life Branch at the U.S. Department of Education. This role is designed to assist with the administration and delivery of federal retirement and benefits programs. The position requires knowledge of federal regulations, project coordination, and employee engagement strategies to meet the evolving needs of a complex and diverse federal workforce, including both union and non-union staff.

    **Key Responsibilities:** - Serve as a primary point of contact for employee inquiries related to benefits and retirement, including FEHB, FEGLI, TSP, and Social Security. - Process and manage benefits enrollment, life event changes, and retirement packages in compliance with federal regulations. - Provide counseling on retirement eligibility under FERS, CSRS, and CSRS-Offset, annuity calculations, and options for survivors and death benefits. Provide counseling and advice in VERA/VSIP or other rightsizing/reorganization efforts.

     

    - Prepare and send benefit and retirement correspondence, packages, and certifications. - Collaborate with HR and payroll staff to ensure timely and accurate processing of benefit-related transactions. - Lead or support benefits and retirement-related projects, tracking progress and reporting outcomes. - Conduct benefits data audits and contribute to benefits communication strategies and materials. - Analyze federal benefit and retirement policies and recommend improvements to enhance service delivery.

     

    **Qualifications:** - Minimum of 5 years of experience in federal HR specializing in Federal benefits and retirement counseling and programs. - Strong knowledge of federal benefits and retirement systems and applicable CFR regulations (e.g., 5 CFR Parts 89, 870). Experience handling complex retirement cases including experience with FERCCA cases. - Excellent interpersonal and communication skills for engaging with employees and federal stakeholders. - Experience with federal HRIS systems and tools such as NFC/FPPS (NFC preferred) and

     

    GRB or similar retirement estimating software programs. - Ability to manage multiple administrative tasks while supporting broader HR projects. - High attention to detail and discretion when handling confidential information.