5 C.F.R. § 576.101
In this part:
Employee , as defined in 5 U.S.C. 3521 , means an employee as defined under 5 U.S.C. 2105 employed by an agency and an individual employed by a county committee established under section 8(b)(5) of the Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act (16 U.S.C. 590h(b)(5) ) who-
(1) Is serving under an appointment without time limitation; and
(2) Has been currently employed for a continuous period of at least 3 years.
Specific designee means a senior officer or official within an agency who has been specifically designated to sign requests for authority to offer Voluntary Separation Incentive Payments for, or in place of, the head of the agency. Examples include the Chief Human Capital Officer, the Assistant Secretary for Administration, the Director of Human Resources Management, or a deputy of one of these persons.
5 C.F.R. §576.101