Human Resources Specialist (Payroll & Processing)

Internal Revenue Service • Birmingham, AL • Full Time • $89,508–$89,508 / year

Posted on Wed, Sep 16, 2026

Summary

With nearly 1,700 attorneys, IRS Chief Counsel is the largest tax law firm nationwide. Our attorneys are among top tax law practitioners and some of the very best legal minds found anywhere. Together with the IRS, we serve the public by applying the tax code with fairness and integrity. After pausing hiring in 2025, we are seeking administrative professionals to support our legal work.
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Duties

Are you looking for a rewarding career where your expertise directly impacts the federal workforce? The Payroll, Processing, and Benefits Branch is seeking professionals who are committed to excellence in customer service and operational accuracy. Our team ensures Chief Counsel employees receive timely pay and benefits while resolving complex payroll issues, administering employee benefits programs, maintaining official personnel records, and serving as the agency's liaison with the National Finance Center.
As a Human Resources Specialist, you will build expertise in federal payroll, personnel processing, and human resources systems while providing mission-critical support to the Office of Chief Counsel. Through training, mentoring, and progressively responsible assignments, you will have the opportunity to:

Provide authoritative policy and technical advice, consultation, and assistance to all levels of Chief Counsel management on the full range of personnel/payroll systems, products, and services. The work involves matters that are contentious and/or susceptible to widely varying interpretations;
Utilize payroll and personnel systems, to include coding personnel actions, review documentations and justifications, and inputting all personnel and payroll actions using the appropriate Federal Guide to Processing Personnel Actions (GPPA);
Develop, interpret, and analyze data extracts and reports from various HR databases and develops the most efficient and effective automated systems approaches for presenting HR reports and graphics for management; and
Provide expert technical assistance on the HR automated information system's procedures and applications and/or extraction and development of management information reports. Use various data sources and understands the quality of the data available. Develop, interpret, and analyze multiple sources of complex data and/or reports from automated HR databases.

The duties listed are not all-inclusive. Other related duties may be assigned as required to meet organizational needs.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

Refer to "Other Information"
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Must be a U.S. Citizen or National

Qualifications

Who May Apply: Only applicants who meet one of the employment authority categories below are eligible to apply for this job. You will be asked to identify which category or categories you meet, and to provide documents which prove you meet the category or categories you selected. See "Required Documents" for a list of document requirements for all employment authorities.

Career Transition Assistance Program
Current Chief Counsel Employee
Current IRS Employee

In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or experience requirements described below. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application.
To qualify for this position of Human Resources Specialist you must meet the qualification requirements listed below by the closing of this announcement:
For GS-12:
Your resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-11 grade level or pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector.
Specialized experience is defined as: Applying federal personnel and payroll laws, regulations, policies, and procedures to process personnel and payroll actions; Utilizing federal human resources and payroll systems, such as HRConnect, National Finance Center (NFC) payroll system, and the Treasury Integrated Management Information System (TIMIS); Administering federal human resources programs, such as the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program, Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance (FEGLI), the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), or federal leave programs; Analyzing and resolving complex personnel and payroll issues using qualitative and/or quantitative methods and Providing technical guidance, policy interpretation, or consultative services to management, employees, or other human resources personnel. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-11).
Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify. For this job, you must meet the qualification requirement using experience alone--no substitution of education for experience is permitted.
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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week, on your resume.
Time in Grade Requirement for GS-12: Applicants who have held a General Schedule (GS) position within the last 52 weeks must have 52 weeks of Federal service at the next lower grade or equivalent (GS-11).

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies.
Relocation expenses are not authorized.
This is a non-bargaining unit position.
We offer opportunities for flexible work schedules.
The salary range indicated in this announcement covers multiple locality areas. Your salary will be adjusted based on the post of duty for which you are selected.

Conditions of Employment Continued:

Subject to a 1-year probationary period (unless already completed).
Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency
If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so.
Have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer.
Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S.
Obtain and use a Government-issued charge card for business-related travel.
Undergo an income tax verification.
The employment of any candidate, including a current employee or a new hire, selected for this position may be conditional upon classification and/or audit of federal tax returns. This audit may include up to 2 years of returns.
This position requires that the successful candidate undergo personnel vetting, which includes a background investigation and enrollment upon onboarding into "Continuous Vetting." Enrollment in Continuous Vetting will result in automated record checks being conducted throughout one's employment with Treasury. The successful candidate will also be enrolled into FBI's Rap Back service, which will allow Treasury to receive notification from the FBI of criminal matters (e.g., arrests, charges, convictions) involving enrolled individuals in near real-time. For more information about individual rights, Noncriminal Justice Applicant's Privacy Rights - FBI, FD-258 Privacy Act Statement - FBI, and SEAD-3-Reporting-U.pdf (dni.gov).

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

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