Sr. HR Specialist - Benefits Systems

APV is seeking a Senior Benefits Specialist to provide advanced support to DHS OCHCO and component HR offices on the full range of federal benefits programs. The Senior Specialist independently handles complex retirement counseling and processing, service credit determinations, survivor cases, FECA/OWCP coordination, and complex FEHB and FEGLI matters, and serves as a senior point of contact for OPM, NFC, TSP, BENEFEDS, employees, retirees, and component HR partners.

This role requires deep working knowledge of CSRS, FERS, FECA, FEHB, FEGLI, FEDVIP, FLTCIP, TSP, and DHS policy. The Senior Specialist drafts SOPs, leads pre-retirement seminars, mentors journeyman specialists and HR assistants, and coordinates complex annuity estimates, disability retirement applications, and Open Season activities., * Provide complex retirement counseling for employees within five years of retirement, including CSRS, FERS, FERS-RAE, FERS-FRAE, CSRS Offset, and special category employees (LEO, FF, ATC).

• Process voluntary, deferred, early, and discontinued service retirement applications under SF-2801 (CSRS) and SF-3107 (FERS).

• Calculate complex annuity estimates, including high-three averaging, deposit and redeposit service, military service deposits, and unused sick leave credit.

• Process service credit determinations, including prior temporary service, intermittent service, and LWOP creditability.

• Lead disability retirement application processing under 5 CFR Part 844 and CSRS disability provisions, in coordination with OPM Retirement Services.

Survivor Benefits, Court Orders & Death Cases

• Process survivor annuity cases under 5 USC 8341 and 5 USC 8442, including current spouse, former spouse, and children's annuities.

• Apply court orders affecting retirement under 5 CFR Part 838 (COAPs), including former spouse survivor annuities and division of retirement benefits.

• Process Qualified Medical Child Support Orders (QMCSOs) affecting FEHB coverage.

• Process death cases, including unpaid compensation under SF-1152, FEGLI claims under SF-2823, FERS death benefits, and TSP beneficiary coordination.

• Coordinate complex survivor cases with OPM, NFC, TSP, OFEGLI, and OGC.

Health, Life & FECA/OWCP Program Operations

• Process complex FEHB enrollment cases under 5 USC Chapter 89, including Open Season, qualifying life events (QLEs), TCC, Self Plus One, premium conversion, and coverage during military service or LWOP.

• Process complex FEGLI determinations under 5 USC Chapter 87, including Basic, Option A, B, and C elections, beneficiary designations under SF-2823, and continuation of coverage under SF-2818.

• Coordinate FEDVIP and FLTCIP cases through BENEFEDS.

• Lead FECA/OWCP coordination, including CA-1, CA-2, and CA-7 cases, continuation of pay (COP), light duty coordination, and disability retirement transitions.

• Coordinate TSP cases, including loans, hardship withdrawals, in-service withdrawals, and post-separation distributions.

Open Season, Pre-Retirement Programs & Counseling

• Lead Open Season administration, including communications, seminars, enrollment processing, and exception handling.

• Lead pre-retirement seminars and mid-career retirement planning sessions for assigned populations.

• Process VERA and VSIP coordination during reorganization or workforce restructuring activities.

• Counsel employees on phased retirement options under 5 CFR Part 848.

• Maintain accurate and audit-ready counseling notes and supporting documentation.

Stakeholder Engagement, SOP Development & Mentorship

• Serve as a senior consultative resource to component HR partners, OPM, NFC, TSP, BENEFEDS, employees, retirees, and survivors on benefits matters.

• Mentor journeyman specialists and HR assistants; review their work products for quality, consistency, and policy compliance.

• Draft and maintain SOPs, desk guides, job aids, and training materials for benefits operations.

• Prepare briefings, decision papers, executive summaries, and recurring leadership updates on assigned program areas.

• Build and maintain SharePoint-based knowledge repositories, intake forms, automated workflows, and tracking dashboards.

Do you have a valid SHRM Senior Certified Professional certification?, Do you have experience in Stakeholder management?, Do you have a Bachelor's degree?, * Bachelor's degree in human resources, Public Administration, Information Management, Records Management, Business Administration, or related field.

• Equivalent federal personnel records experience may substitute based on contract terms.

Required Qualifications

• Active DHS Public Trust or favorably adjudicated investigation; ability to obtain and maintain required suitability/access throughout the period of performance.

• Minimum 8-10 years of progressive federal HR or personnel records experience, including significant responsibility for eOPF management, QA, or reconstruction work.

• Working knowledge of the OPM Guide to Personnel Recordkeeping; the Privacy Act of 1974; 5 CFR Parts 293, 294, and 297; and NARA-approved records schedules.

• Hands-on experience with OPM eOPF, NFC/EmpowHR, USA Staffing, and DHS-approved document management environments.

• Demonstrated experience with reconstruction, inter-agency transfers, and complex filing decisions.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to produce defensible, audit-ready documentation.

• Demonstrated ability to manage competing priorities, deadlines, and stakeholders in a fully remote environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience supporting DHS or DHS component HR or benefits offices.

• OPM Federal Retirement Benefits Officer (RBO) certification or completion of OPM's federal benefits and retirement training curriculum.

• Certified Federal HR Professional (FedHR), CEBS, or comparable benefits credential.

• SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, IPMA-CP, IPMA-SCP, or federal HR certification.

• Experience leading pre-retirement seminars or large-scale Open Season activities.

At APV, we're more than a technology company - we're a mission-driven powerhouse transforming organizations through advanced technology and human ingenuity. Our expertise spans AI/ML, data architecture, low-code/no-code development, Agile DevSecOps, and cloud services, delivering scalable and meaningful solutions. In our Emerging Technology Lab, innovation drives progress. Our teams create intelligent chatbots, AI-powered assistants, robotic process automation (RPA), essay graders, and data analytics platforms. If you're passionate about solving complex challenges and shaping the future, APV is the place for you. Since 2007, we've partnered with federal and state agencies to deliver IT, training, and consulting solutions that achieve mission-critical outcomes. Built on accountability, integrity, and quality, we go beyond expectations. With 70+ prime contracts and a proven record of client success, APV continues to grow - and we're looking for exceptional talent to grow with us.