Duties

Summary

Office of Inspector General is ranked as the #1 agency in Health and Human Services by the Partnership for Public Service's "The Best Places to Work in the Federal Government" 2018 ratings.

For more information about the HHS Office of Inspector General, go to http://oig.hhs.gov/ .
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Responsibilities

This position is located in the Department of Health And Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Office of Counsel to the Inspector General. The incumbent will be responsible for performing the following duties and responsibilities:

• Contributing to the appropriate handling of the OIG's FOIA obligations by advising the OIG's FOIA staff in responding to requests for OIG records;
• Advising the OIG's FOIA staff so that its responses to requests for information are timely, legally correct, concise and clearly written, and that OIG, HHS and government-wide FOIA guidelines have been followed, as appropriate;
• Serving as a liaison with the litigation branches of the HHS Office of General Counsel (OGC) when the OIG is involved in a FOIA appeal or litigation (HHS/OGC represents OIG in FOIA litigation);
• Advising OIG employees concerning requests for information or testimony from OIG employees (Touhy requests) and representing the OIG during interactions with third parties concerning such requests;
• Advising attorneys in OCIG as well as criminal investigators in the OIG's Office of Investigations (OI) with respect OIG and grand jury subpoenas;
• Advising OIG employees with respect to obtaining access to information held by HHS, other government agencies, state local and private sector entities as well as individuals;
• Advising the OIG Privacy Officer and OIG employees concerning issues arising under, and compliance with, the Privacy Act (e.g., computer matches, privacy impact assessments, system of records notices) as well as other statutes and regulations (e.g., the OMB privacy breach guidance, privacy rules arising under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, etc.); and
• Advising the OIG Records Manager and OIG components on their document retention obligations, including, but not limited to those created by the National Archives and Records Act.

Travel Required

Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
15

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• U.S. Citizenship is required.
• Registration with the Selective Service (if applicable).
• Suitability for Federal employment determined by background investigation.
• Must submit a complete resume and application package, including writing sample.
• This is a non-bargaining unit position.
• This position is subject to a two-year trial period.
• The selectee must be a member of the Bar, in good standing (as described below).

Qualifications

Basic Requirement: You must meet all the following basic requirements in order to be considered eligible for this position:

• Education: Applicants MUST have successfully completed a full course of study in a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) and have the first professional law degree (JD or LLB). (Note: You must submit copies of your transcripts to verify that you meet this requirement); AND
• Bar Requirement: Applicants must certify that they are an active member of the Bar, in good standing, of any U.S. state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, or any Territorial Court under the U.S. Constitution by the closing date of the vacancy announcement. (Note: You must provide proof of active membership and good standing); AND

Specialized Experience:

• Specialized Experience for the GS-12: Applicants must have at least one year of professional legal experience post bar admission and one full-time year (12-months) of specialized work experience equivalent to the GS-11 in the Federal service (or private sector equivalent) advising Federal agencies, individuals or entities on matters concerning the interpretation of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and/or Privacy Act or advising on matters involving subpoenas; OR
• Specialized Experience for the GS-13: Applicants must have at least two years of professional legal experience post bar admission and one full-time year (12-months) of specialized work experience equivalent to the GS-12 level in the Federal service (or private sector equivalent) advising Federal agencies, individuals or entities on matters concerning the interpretation of the FOIA and/or Privacy Acts or advising on matters involving subpoenas.

Education

Please Note: Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications (particularly positions with a positive education requirement.) Therefore, applicants must report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html . All education claimed by applicants will be verified by the appointing agency accordingly. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education.

Additional information

Security and Background Requirements: A background security investigation will be required for all appointees. Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet these requirements may be grounds for appropriate personnel action. In addition, if hired, a background security reinvestigation or supplemental investigation may be required at a later time. Applicants are also advised that all information concerning qualifications is subject to investigation. False representation may be grounds for non-consideration, non-selection and/or appropriate disciplinary action.

E-Verify: If you are selected for this position, the documentation that you present for purposes of completing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Form I-9 will be verified through the DHS "E-Verify" System. Federal law requires DHS to use the E-Verify System to verify employment eligibility of all new hires, and as a condition of continued employment obligates the new hire to take affirmative steps to resolve any discrepancies identified by the system. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is an E-Verify Participant.

Direct Deposit: All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.

Career Transition Program (CTAP) and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) Documentation: If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee eligible for consideration under the CTAP or ICTAP, you MUST submit proof of eligibility. Appropriate documentation such as a reduction-in-force (RIF) separation notice, an SF-50 reflecting your RIF separation, or a notice of proposed removal for declining a directed reassignment or transfer of function to another commuting area. You MUST also submit documentation to reflect your current (or last) performance rating of record along with your application package. Those eligible for consideration will need to be rated as well-qualified at 85.0 or above on the rating criteria for this position in order to exercise selection priority. For more information about ICTAP, go to: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition .

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

We will review your resume and supporting documentation to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. If you meet the minimum qualifications, your experience, education, and training will be rated using a job questionnaire that is based on the following competencies or knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform this job:

• Technical Competence

If after reviewing your resume and any supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have rated yourself higher than is supported by your applications materials, your responses will be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job.

Application of Veterans' Preference: There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, OIG considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must indicate their preference in their cover letter or resume and they must submit supporting documentation (e.g., DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty and other supporting documentation) which verifies their eligibility for preference. Although the "point" system is not used, per se, applicants eligible to claim 10-point preference must submit Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, and submit the supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed (visit the OPM website, http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/sf15.pdf for a copy of SF 15, which lists the types of 10-point preferences and the required supporting document(s)). Applicants should note that SF 15 requires supporting documentation associated with service-connected disabilities or receipt of non-service-connected disability pensions to be dated 1991 or later except in the case of service members submitting official statements or retirement orders from a branch of the Armed Forces showing that his or her retirement was due to a permanent service-connected disability or that he/she was transferred to the permanent disability retired list (the statement or retirement orders must indicate that the disability is 10% or more).Your resume must document specialized experience and support your responses to the vacancy questions.

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Not Required

Drug test required
No

Position sensitivity and risk
Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk

Trust determination process
Suitability/Fitness

Required Documents

All applicants are required to submit the following supporting document type(s):

• Resume
• Cover Letter
• Submit copy of your law school transcript (unofficial is acceptable) - Applicants must be a graduate of a law school accredited by the American Bar Association.
• Proof of Bar membership (in good standing) - Applicants letter or card will serves as sufficient documentation.
• Completion of Assessment Questionnaire
• Writing Sample

Applicants may also submit the following supporting document type(s), which may not be required for all applicants:

• Other Supporting Documents: (Only submit if applicable to you)
• Veterans' Preference documentation - If you are a veteran, you must submit a copy of your DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (Member Copy - 4) and, if applicable, and Application for 10-Point Veterans Preference and an official document dated 1991 or later, from the Department of Veterans Affairs or from a branch of the Armed Forces that supports your claim.
• SF-15 (Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference)
• CTAP/ICTAP documentation

Financial Disclosure: This position may be subject to financial disclosure requirements and must be filed within 30 days of the appointment. For more information about Financial Disclosure and OGE Form 450, you may go to the Office of Government Ethics website at www.oge.gov and select Financial Disclosure. Frequently Asked Questions can be found at http://www.oge.gov/Financial-Disclosure/Confidential-Financial-Disclosure-450/OGE-Form-450-FAQs/OGE-Form-450-FAQs/ .

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APPLICATION MATERIALS MUST BE RECEIVED BY 11:59 pm (EASTERN TIME) ON 07/23/2019.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education .

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.