Court Name/Organization: California Southern District Court
Overview of the Position
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Human Resources Specialist. The HR Specialist provides the full range of human resources services to the Clerk’s Office, Judges, and Chambers staff. This position is in the Clerk’s Office and reports to the Human Resources Supervisor.
Responsibilities
- Serve as a resource and provide guidance on a wide variety of human resources matters under the direction of the HR Supervisor.
- Process a variety of personnel and payroll actions such as appointments, promotions, separations, within-grade increases, and changes to employee benefits. Monitor and ensure all actions are processed in a timely and accurate manner.
- Conduct assigned recruitment efforts, including preparing and posting vacancy announcements, assisting in developing position descriptions, scheduling interviews, and maintaining local recruitment files. Research and recommend ways to ensure wide and diverse recruitment outreach.
- Assist with background check and investigation program, including taking employee fingerprints, completing and filing necessary forms, tracking and reporting results, and maintaining recordkeeping systems. Issue identification cards and facility access cards.
- Coordinate and conduct onboarding, orientation, and training for new employees. Meet with separating and retiring employees on benefits and exit procedures. Provide guidance on completing paperwork.
- Assist with benefits administration, including providing guidance to employees and judges, directing to the appropriate resources, and assisting with enrollments, changes, and other qualifying life events. Assist judges and employees during annual benefits open season, providing information and direction on changes.
- Assist in the administration of the office’s performance management system, including creating performance plans, sending out notices of upcoming employee appraisals, and maintaining records to ensure timely processing of all appraisals.
- Administer the Court’s judicial extern program, which includes conducting background processing, orientation, and separation procedures.
- Assist with time and attendance reporting, including biweekly review and processing of employee timesheets. Ensure proper leave documentation is on file and all time and attendance records adhere to local and judiciary policy.
- Assist supervisor and management with the processing of Reasonable Accommodation and Worker’s Compensation matters. Perform research and follow-up as requested.
- Provide assistance in reviewing and researching human resources procedures and processes to establish best practices and to ensure information and guidance remains accurate and updated.
- Assist with community outreach events as necessary.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Qualifications
To qualify for this position, applicants must possess a minimum of two years of specialized experience or completion of a bachelor’s degree.
Preferred Qualifications
- Current or prior federal judiciary human resources experience.
- Bachelor’s or graduate degree preferred.
Required Clearances
- Please note that this position is not covered by the Fair Chance Act and requires that applicants provide criminal history information prior to receiving any conditional offer of employment. This means that on the AO-78 Application Form, you must complete the “Optional Background Information” section on Page 5.
- The selected candidate will also be required to submit to a background investigation which includes fingerprinting and a credit check.
Specialized Experience
Specialized experience is defined as experience in at least one but preferably two or more functional areas of human resources management and administration (classification, staffing, training, employee relations, benefits administration, etc.) that provided knowledge of the rules, regulations, terminology, etc. of the area of human resources administration.
Additionally, this position requires the following:
- Ability to maintain strict confidentiality, demonstrate sound ethics and mature judgment, and handle sensitive material with a calm, professional, friendly, and patient demeanor.
- Ability to communicate information clearly and professionally with a variety of people, including judges, executives, court personnel, and candidates for employment.
Employee Benefits
Salary is just one component of the comprehensive compensation package offered by the Federal Court. Federal court employees are eligible for a full range of benefits that include 13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid holidays per year, a flexible work schedule, immediate matching Thrift Savings Plan, pre-tax programs (health, dependent care, and transportation), and insurance plans (i.e., health, life, disability, and long-term care), car-pooling options, and a transportation subsidy.
Employer benefit contributions equate to no less than 33% of an employee’s total compensation. Please see the chart below for an estimated total compensation based on a sample position and salary. Be advised that eligibility may vary by appointment type and length.
Application Info
Qualified candidates must submit a cover letter, resume, a minimum of three references with contact information, and the AO-78 Application Form (available for download in the application portal). All application materials must be submitted at the CASD HR Application Portal. More information on career opportunities may also be found at our website. Preference will be given to applicants who submit application materials before 4:30 p.m., Monday, March 17, 2025.
The federal Judiciary is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.