Position Classification

Position classification 

done right: accurate, 

compliant, and defensible.

Tools to

Strategize

Determine your 

agency’s human 

capital master plan.

Organization

Design

Position

Classification

Succession

Planning

Understand Your Resources

In today’s dynamic business environment, organizations must continually assess their ability to fulfill

their mission. Precise classification is critical for accurate position descriptions, which form the 

foundation of your employees’ work. Position descriptions should evolve with technologies, missions, and 

responsibilities. But too often, they aren’t updated because organizations lack the specialized resources and 

technical expertise to classify positions. We have the position classification professionals who can assist you 

in reviewing existing resources and processes to align your position management with your mission. 

How HR Solutions Can Help 

Your organization has a unique workforce and specialized needs, which is why we use a consultative 

approach to understand your work and requirements fully. Our Federal experts provide an unmatched 

scope of services, including creating new position descriptions; reviewing and updating existing 

descriptions; conducting desk audits; recommending titles, series, and grades; analyzing organizational 

charts; and assessing supervisor-to-employee ratios. As a neutral third party, our solutions are:

• Accurate: Develop position descriptions that capture primary duties for positions and facilitate 

specific task requirements. 

• Compliant: Make certain your position documents reflect your requirements while keeping you 

compliant with all applicable guidelines and standards, including those you may not know exist. 

• Defensible: Verify accuracy and make appropriate determinations for cybersecurity codes, position 

sensitivities, and the Fair Labor Standards Act.

As a part of OPM, we are uniquely positioned to address questions and complexities, giving you complete 

confidence in the accuracy, compliance, and defensibility of your position descriptions.
Position Classification

Support for Mission-Aligned Hiring and Restructuring

Accurate position classification enables your senior leaders and frontline managers to align their 

employees’ skills to evolving mission needs as part of the modernization process. This alignment 

requires agile workforce management, including reorganizing and reskilling existing employees. 

Position classification informs organization design, workforce and succession planning, 

performance management, and employee development.

Analysis

Understand position pay plans, titles, series, grade levels, position sensitivities, 

and each position’s competitive level within the agency’s mission.

Recruiting

Identify qualifications for the job and the critical knowledge, skills, and abilities 

required to perform the work, including any security clearance or physical 

requirements.

Performance Appraisals

Understand the position’s responsibilities, critical performance elements, and 

work plans to set goals and evaluate performance accurately.

Training

Identify areas where training can align skills to job requirements and improve 

employees’ abilities to deliver mission outcomes.

Why Choose OPM 

HR Solutions? 

We are the single largest 

provider of human capital 

management and training 

solutions across the 

human capital life cycle, 

and the only Federal 

organization entirely 

focused on making people 

and organizations better. 

Because of our mission 

focus, “by government, 

for government,” we offer 

a unique combination 

of human capital 

management and 

training and procurement 

expertise. Coupled with 

ease of acquisition, subject 

matter expertise, Federal 

compliance, and speed of 

access, we are the right 

choice for your position 

classification needs 

and more.

Align your position 

management with your 

mission. 

Get started by visiting 

opm.gov/HRS, or contact us at 

HRStrategy@opm.gov

for a consultative discussion 

about your needs.

1900 E Street NW, Washington, DC 20415 | opm.gov/HRS | AskHRS@opm.gov | 816-426-7010