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Government Information Specialist

Employer
USAJobs
Location
Washington, D.C
Closing date
Feb 25, 2021
Duties

Summary

What General Information Do I Need To Know About This Position?

The incumbent will serve as a Government Information Specialist (FOIA Officer) in the Office of the Solicitor.
Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

As the FOIA Officer for the Office of the Solicitor, located in the Division of Administration in Washington, DC your specific duties will include:
  • Interprets the scope of FOIA requests; oversees the search and collection of responsive records; conducts reviews to eliminate non-responsive records and performs comprehensive analyses of responsive documents to ensure all records are reviewed for consistency with government-wide and Departmental FOIA regulations, policy, and guidance; coordinates FOIA requests with congressional and court-ordered requests for the SOL, as required.
  • Utilizes a variety of document collection tools to assemble and review the proposed release of completed FOIA packages by subordinate staff for accuracy and compliance with the FOIA; performs legal analyses under FOIA to determine which documents should be released or withheld from disclosure under any FOIA exemption; conducts quality control reviews of all proposed withholdings before the agency response is issued, ensuring that any releases and withholdings are legally justified.
  • Assists DOI's Chief FOIA Officer in the development of SOL FOIA processes that conform with the procedures and policies established by the DOI's Chief FOIA Officer with regard to the administration of the FOIA.
  • Serves as the SOL contact to external FOIA requesters and internal DOI employees to clarify and resolve issues relating to specific FOIA requests and advises on overall FOIA processes and procedures.
  • Prepares FOIA correspondence in accordance with DOI policy and guidance, and in coordination with legal staff and management, and conducts reviews and briefs management on requests of legally sensitive, controversial, or politically sensitive nature.
  • Maintains accurate and complete records, ensures that determinations and actions relating a search for responsive documents are documented; such documents may be produced to a court as exhibits to a sworn declaration executed by the SOL FOIA Officer. Maintains records necessary for the preparation of DOI's FOIA annual report.
  • Assists SOL or other government attorneys in the preparation of the Department's defense in litigation. Works with DOI counsel and the United States Attorney's Office to develop reasonable production schedules for the release of agency records. Prepares Vaughn Indices as required to support the defense of withholdings. Serves as a declarant or witness as needed on behalf of the agency during FOIA litigation.
  • Provides FOIA training to SOL staff and coordinates with other bureau FOIA officers to deliver guidance and assistance.
  • Performs related duties as assigned.

SOL has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework in accordance with the DOI Telework policy and with supervisor approval. The official worksite for the selectee is the duty station identified in this vacancy announcement. The selectee will typically report to this duty location on a regular and recurring weekly basis.

For additional information on telework you may access the Department of Interior's Telework Handbook at https://www.doi.gov/telework/policies .

Travel Required

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

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
14

Requirements

Conditions of Employment


Key Requirements:
  • Applicants must be U.S. Citizens.
  • Suitable for Federal employment, as determined by background investigation.
  • Selectee may be subject to serving a one-year probationary period.
  • More requirements are listed under Qualifications and Other Information.

  • Are There Any Special Requirements For This Position?
    • A background investigation will be required for this position. Continued employment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet these requirements will be grounds for termination.
    • If you are a Federal employee applying for a promotion (under merit promotion procedures) you must meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of the announcement.
    • Throughout the recruitment and hiring process we will be communicating with you via email; therefore, it is imperative that the email address you provide when applying for this vacancy remains active. Should your email address change, please notify the point of contact identified in the vacancy announcement as soon as possible so that we can update our system.
    • Because this position requires travel for official business, the selectee will be required to apply for a charge card within 30 calendar days of appointment. Individuals who have delinquent account balances from a previous Government charge card will be required to satisfy their existing obligation before a new card can be issued.


    Qualifications

    For GS-14 :

    To qualify for the GS-14, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 level in the Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service. Specialized experience is that which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled.

    The specialized experience for this position is defined as: (1) extensive demonstrated experience and knowledge of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request processing, (2) advanced technical knowledge of FOIA-related and/or e-discovery technology systems and information resource management principles, and (3) strong program and project management skills.

    You must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements for the position by the closing date of the announcement.

    Education

    • Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g. Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
    • Education completed in colleges or universities outside the United States may be used to meet the above requirements. You must provide acceptable documentation that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. For more information on how foreign education is evaluated, visit: https://www.usgs.gov/about/organization/science-support/human-capital/how-foreign-education-evaluated-federal-jobs .


    Additional information

    Other Information :
    • Under Executive Order 11935, only United States citizens and nationals (residents of American Samoa and Swains Island) may compete for civil service jobs. Agencies are permitted to hire non-citizens only in very limited circumstances where there are no qualified citizens available for the position.
    • The application contains information subject to the Privacy Act (P.L. 93-579, 5 USC 552a). The information is used to determine qualifications for employment, and is authorized under Title 5, USC, Section 3302 and 3361.
    • DOI uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit www.dhs.gov/E-Verify .
    • THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.
    Agency Benefits :
    • Working for the DOI, Office of the Solicitor offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes paid vacation, sick leave , and holidays ; health, life, dental, vision, and long term care insurance, flexible spending accounts , and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System .


    How You Will Be Evaluated

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

    Vacancy Related Questions: As part of the online application process, you will need to respond to a series of questions designed to assess your possession of the following knowledge skills, abilities and/or competencies:Management Advisory; Regs/Procedural Guidance; Program/Project Management; Written and Oral Communication; and Compile/Analyze data; Interpersonal Communication.

    Basis of rating: Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the additional assessment required for this position. Your responses must be substantiated by your resume. If you do not respond to the application questions you may be rated ineligible.

    Additional Assessment Required: If you meet the eligibility and basic qualification requirements for this position and score above the pre-determine cut-off score based on your responses to the occupational questionnaire, a subject-matter-expert will perform a structured review of your resume to evaluate your knowledge, skills, abilities, and competences as they directly relate to the duties of this position.

    NOTE: If it is determined that you have rated yourself higher than is supported in your description of experience and/or education as described in your resume/application, or that your resume or application is incomplete, you may be rated ineligible, not qualified, or your score may be lowered.

    To preview the announcement questionnaire, click here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11036166

    Background checks and security clearance

    Security clearance
    Not Required

    Drug test required
    No

    Position sensitivity and risk
    Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk

    Trust determination process
    Suitability/Fitness

    Required Documents

    Required documents may be:
    (1) faxed to the Agency Contact listed in the vacancy announcement; or
    (2) uploaded directly from your desktop; or
    (3) uploaded directly from your USAJOBS stored attachments; or
    (4) hand delivered to the servicing Human Resources Office listed in the vacancy announcement.

    Transcripts:

    If this position requires specific educational course work to qualify, or you are qualifying based in whole or part on education, you are required to provide all unofficial transcripts (undergraduate, graduate, etc.) or list of course work, which includes semester hours earned and grade received, by the closing date of this announcement or you will be disqualified from further consideration. Please ensure that all documentation is legible.

    Current & Former Federal Employees

    If you are a current career or career-conditional Federal employee OR a former Federal employee who has reinstatement eligibility? you must submit the following by the closing date of this announcement, or you will not receive consideration as such:
    • a copy of a recent SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action" documenting proof of competitive status, tenure, position title, occupational series, grade level and step?; and
    • your most recent performance appraisal (if you do not have your most recent performance appraisal, please submit an explanation as to why it is unavailable); and
    • if applicable, a list of any awards you received in the last 5 years (i.e., superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increase, etc.).
    Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)

    If you are claiming CTAP eligibility, the Servicing Human Resources Office must receive proof by the closing date of this announcement that you meet the requirements of 5 CFR 330 Subpart F for CTAP or you will not receive priority consideration. This includes:
    • copy of the agency notice;
    • your most recent Performance Rating; and
    • your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location.
    If you are a CTAP eligible, you will be considered well qualified if you earn a minimum score of 85 (prior to the assignment of veteran's preference points). For more information on CTAP please click here .

    Eligibility for Special Appointing Authorities

    If you are applying for this position based on eligibility under a special appointing authority, you must submit proof that supports your claim by the closing date of the announcement. If you fail to submit proof, you will not receive consideration under the special appointing authority. Below is a list of the most common authorities and the documentation requirements. If you're eligible for an authority not listed, you are responsible for submitting documentation that's appropriate for that specific authority.

    30% or More Disabled Veteran - Submit a legible copy of your DD-214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, member 4 copy; and an official statement from the Department of Veterans Affairs (dated 1991 or later) or from a branch of the Armed Forces certifying the existence of a service-connected disability, , etc. Additional information can be found in the VetGuide .

    Individuals with Disabilities - Submit documentation issued by a licensed medical professional; a licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist; or any Federal agency, State agency, or an agency of the District of Columbia or a U.S. territory that issues or provides disability benefits. Additional information can be found here .

    Military Spouse - Submit Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders issued within the last 2 years, that lists you as authorized to accompany the Military member to the new duty permanent station; OR verification of the member's 100% disability (official statement from the Department of Veterans Affairs (dated 1991 or later)); OR verification of the member's death while on active duty (DD-1300 and Death Certificate) AND verification of the marriage to the service member (i.e., a marriage license or other legal documentation verifying marriage). Additional information can be found here .

    REQUIRED DOCUMENTS CONTINUED BELOW INTHE HOW TO APPLY SECTION.

    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.

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