Interested in becoming an FMCS Mediator?

Looking for a new and exciting career with a well-established independent agency whose mission is to preserve and promote labor-management relationships??

At the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS), we strive on providing mediation and conflict resolution services to industries, government agencies, and communities.

All FMCS external employment opportunities are posted to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) USAJOBS website.

Click here for Current Vacancies

Have you ever considered becoming a federal mediator??

As an FMCS Mediator, you will be responsible for promoting the development of sound and stable labor-management relationships by advocating for (a) the practice of collective bargaining, mediation, and arbitration, as well as for (b) the use of full-spectrum conflict management, prevention, and resolution services, in the private, public, and federal sectors.

Located throughout the United States, FMCS Mediators are full-time excepted service employees of the Federal government that perform duties in five major areas: collective bargaining mediation; grievance mediation; relationship development training; ADR services to government entities; and education, outreach, and advocacy.

Please click here to review the Mediator Minimum Qualification Requirements to see if you qualify.

Mediator Conditions of Employment:

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen
  • Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service
  • Selectee must meet/maintain suitability and security requirements, as determined by a background investigation
  • Selectee will be required to successfully complete a probationary (trial) period of up to two (2) years
  • Must have and retain an unencumbered driver’s license and the ability to operate a motor vehicle.
  • Working a non-standard work schedule
  • Accepting duty station assignments as determined by FMCS and accepting subsequent reassignments made for the good of FMCS
  • Living within the office commuting distance as designated by the hiring Field Operations Manager.

 How to Apply for mediator positions

FMCS is an equal opportunity employer committed to employing a highly qualified staff that reflects the diversity of our nation.

Note: We are currently recruiting for Mediators through an open continuous vacancy announcement.

Click here to view and/or apply the open continuous mediator job opportunity announcement.

Applicants will be referred periodically throughout the announcement period at any time a vacancy becomes available and selections may be made at any point during the announcement open period. Sign Up for FMCS Career Updates to receive vacancy notifications and cut off dates to submit an application for specific location(s). Applications received after the cut off dates may be considered on future referral lists.

If you are experiencing any issues using USAJOBS when applying for mediator or non-mediator job announcements, please contact the USAJOBS Help Center directly for assistance:

  1. Go to the Help Center to find a topic and answer related to your question. Look in the FAQsHow To’s and Working in Government
  2. Go to the page that best matches your question. If the information doesn’t answer your question, click the Contact Us button located on the right hand side of that page or the Still need help? Contact Us button towards the bottom of that page.
  3. Fill out the form and click Send.

Once you submit the Contact Us form, they will get back to you within one business day.

USAJOBS does not provide direct phone support. The Contact Us form will send an email to the USAJOBS Help Desk where you can ask for assistance by phone or email.

Next Steps

FMCS hiring managers are prohibited from engaging with applicants once the recruitment process begins. To avoid the perception of preference or advantage during the recruitment process, please refrain from contacting current FMCS employee(s) and direct your questions/concerns to the FMCS Office of Human Resources at (202) 606-5469 or FMCSRecruit@fmcs.gov.

After a job announcement closes or cut off date passes, each applicant’s resume and supporting documentation is reviewed to determine whether or not the specific job qualifications listed on the announcement have been met.

Once the review has been completed, a list of qualified applicants is referred to the hiring manager for further consideration. The application status of these applicants will change to “Referred”. All other applicants (not being considered) will see a “Not Referred” status.  You will also receive an email notification through USAjobs regarding your referred status. If your name is referred, you may be contacted for a possible interview. FMCS does not arrange travel or provide any reimbursement to candidates for expenses related to interviews.

Note: Beyond the system generated notifications sent via USAJOBS, FMCS does not provide additional information unless responding to a reconsideration request regarding an application status that has been reasonably demonstrated by the applicant.

Due to the number of qualified applications received for FMCS positions, the competitive nature of our structured interview process, and the varying factors that must be considered for each selection, additional feedback cannot be provided to applicants regarding their interview results.

Additional Info

Benefits of Working for FMCS

The FMCS provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As an FMCS employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits offered such as health, life, long term care, dental, and vision insurance. In addition, employees also have the option of enrolling in both Dependent and Health Care Flexible Spending Accounts. More information regarding Federal employee benefits can be found at: http://www.opm.gov/healthcare-insurance/Guide-Me/Federal-Employees/.

Information on the Thrift Savings Plan, the Federal government’s 401(k) type retirement plan, is at www.tsp.gov.

Pay & Leave

All FMCS employees are covered under the General Schedule (GS) pay system. The General Schedule has 15 grades–GS-1 (lowest) to GS-15 (highest). Each grade has 10 step rates (steps 1-10) that are each worth approximately 3 percent of the employee’s salary.

Note: The starting salary of any new GS employee is at the step one of the applicable GS grade, this is non-negotiable. Current Federal employees who move to a GS position and are not considered newly appointed may have pay set above step 1 based only on a previous Federal civilian rate of pay.

2023 Base Pay Tables

2023 Locality Pay Tables

Background Checks & Security Clearance

Designated by position, all FMCS employees are required to obtain and maintain a favorable background investigation. Failure to do so may result in the withdrawal of a position offer or removal.