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PARALEGAL SPECIALIST

Employer
USAJobs
Location
Washington, D.C
Closing date
Jun 22, 2021
Duties

Summary

If selected, you will assist attorneys in the processing of whistleblower award claims, including preparing correspondence with whistleblowers and their counsel, preparing award recommendation packages for the Commission and Claims Review Staff, applying appropriate redactions to protect whistleblower confidentiality, tracking award recommendations and developing reports to reflect the progress of award claims through various stages of the review process.
Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

The Office of the Whistleblower

Congress established the SEC's whistleblower program to incentivize individuals to report information regarding possible securities laws violations to the Commission. The Commission established OWB, an office within the Division of Enforcement, to administer the program.

Since the inception of the program, the Commission has:
  • issued more than $900 million in whistleblower awards to 163 individuals.
  • received over 40,000 tips from WBs from every state in the US and 130 foreign countries.
  • brought Enforcement actions based on information from whistleblowers in which over $4 billion in monetary sanctions was ordered against wrongdoers.

Responsibilities
  • Prepares all forms of various correspondence with whistleblowers and their counsel relating to the award claims process, including Preliminary Determination letters, confidentiality agreements, acknowledgement letters, and Final Order letters.
  • Assembles and circulates award recommendation packages for review by the Commission and the Claims Review Staff, calendars various deadlines associated with the claims, and updates tracking information reflecting the progress of the award claim recommendation.
  • Drafts meeting agendas and other email communications concerning award recommendations, and works with the Office of the Secretary in the processing of Final Commission Orders pertaining to whistleblower award recommendations.
  • Performs administrative support duties, such as scanning, logging, distributing and filing electronic and paper documents associated with the claims process.
  • Conducts legal or case research necessary to assess whether an enforcement action qualifies as a covered action for posting as well as information related to collections in a particular matter, which may include reviewing case dockets in CourtLinks, Pacer, or other databases.
  • Reviews administrative records and Final Orders for redaction purposes to protect whistleblower confidentiality.


Travel Required

Not required

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
11

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • You must be a US Citizen.
  • Application procedures are specific to this vacancy announcement. Please read all the instructions carefully. Failure to follow the instructions may result in you not being considered for this position.
  • Supplementary vacancies may be filled in addition to the number stated in this announcement.
  • This position has promotion potential to the SK-11.
  • PROBATIONARY PERIOD: This appointment may require completion of a one-year probationary period.
  • SECURITY CLEARANCE: Entrance on duty is contingent upon completion of a pre-employment security investigation. Favorable results on a Background Investigation may be a condition of employment or selection to another position.
  • DRUG TESTING: This position may be subjected to drug testing requirements.
  • PERMANENT CHANGE OF STATION (PCS): Moving/Relocation expenses are not authorized.
  • DIRECT DEPOSIT: All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
  • This position IS in the collective bargaining unit.
  • Due to COVID-19, the SEC is currently in a mandatory telework posture through September 7, 2021. If selected, you will be permitted to temporarily telework from a location outside the local commuting area.
  • Once employees are permitted to return to the office, you will be expected to report to the duty station listed on this announcement within 60 days. At that time, you will be eligible to request telework in accordance with the SEC 's telework policy.


Qualifications

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Time-in-grade for this announcement is one year at the GS/SK-9 level.

Qualifying experience may be obtained in the private or public sector. 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. Qualifying education must have been obtained from an accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT:

SK-11: To be qualified at the SK-11, you applicant must meet at least ONE of the following conditions, as defined below: Specialized experience, education or a combination of education and experience.

Specialized Experience: Applicant must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS/SK-9 level. Specialized experience includes all of the following:
  • Researching and analyzing established case laws, including researching the securities laws, preparing legal documents and memoranda, managing investigative documents and case files, and using application software and online legal research tools; AND
  • Assisting with preparation of a variety of legal documents and memoranda, managing investigative documents and case files including case-related data input, maintenance and data retrieval
  • Education: Applicant must possess a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree; or LL.M., if related. OR

    Combination of education and experience: Combinations of successfully completed graduate education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements. In order to qualify based on a combination, graduate education must be in excess of 1 full year.

    Education

    ARE YOU USING YOUR EDUCATION TO QUALIFY? You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: (1) official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all of your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement.

    FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

    Additional information

    Disability Employment: For information on disability appointments, please visit http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/disability-employment/

    IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR SURPLUS OR DISPLACED FEDERAL EMPLOYEES: Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) are available to individuals who have special priority selection rights under this plan. Individuals must be well-qualified for this position to receive consideration for special priority selection. CTAP or ICTAP eligibles will be considered well-qualified when receiving an adjudicated score of 80 or higher.

    Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA): To be eligible for a VEOA appointment under Merit Promotion procedures, you must be a preference eligible or a Veteran separated after 3 years or more of continuous active service performed under honorable conditions.

    LAND MANAGEMENT WORKFORCE FLEXIBILITY ACT (LMWFA): The LMWFA provides current or former temporary or term employees of federal land management agencies opportunity to compete for permanent competitive service positions. Individuals must have more than 24 months of service without a break between appointments of two or more years. Service must be in the competitive service and have been at a successful level of performance or better. For more information, click here .

    Noncompetitive Appointment Authorities: For more information on noncompetitive appointment authority eligibility requirements:
    • Persons with Disabilities-Schedule A
    • Special Hiring Authorities for Veterans
    • Special Hiring Authority for Certain Military Spouses
    • Other Special Appointment Authorities
    SEC COMPENSATION PROGRAM: For questions regarding SEC pay setting practices, please click here .

    Reasonable Accommodation: If you are an applicant who needs a reasonable accommodation for disability to participate in the application process at the SEC, submit the form for Reasonable Accommodation for Participation in Job Application Process here . Please be sure to submit your request at least 5 business days in advance of the date you need the requested accommodation.

    Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Information for SEC Job Applicants: Federal EEO laws protect all applicants from discrimination on the following bases: race, color, sex (not limited to conduct which is sexual in nature, includes pregnancy, gender identity, sexual orientation, transgender status), age (40 and over), religion, national origin, disability, genetic information, retaliation for participating in the EEO process or opposing discrimination. Applicants who believe they have been discriminated against on any EEO basis can seek recourse through the SEC's administrative complaints process. To be timely, an individual must enter the EEO process within 45 days from when they know (or should have known) of the alleged discrimination. Click here for additional information.

    TTY/ASCII: Video Relay Service users are welcome to contact the appropriate SEC office or employee via the contact information listed above. If you do not otherwise have access to a Video Phone or Video Relay service, you may send us an email or use the Federal Video Relay Service via the internet. For more information about using the Federal Relay Service and to create a new account, please see: https://www.federalrelay.us/

    How You Will Be Evaluated

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

    Your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed on this announcement. If you are basically qualified for this job, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses on the Occupational Questionnaire. If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job. If you are found to be among the top candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.

    Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):
    • Attention to Detail, Document Management and Control, Legal and Factual Research, and Written Communication
    The Occupational Questionnaire will take you approximately 10 minutes to complete. To preview the Occupational Questionnaire, click the following link https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11135601 .

    Background checks and security clearance

    Security clearance
    Other

    Drug test required
    No

    Position sensitivity and risk
    Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

    Trust determination process
    Suitability/Fitness

    Required Documents

    You must provide a complete Application Package, which includes:
    • Required: Your responses to the Occupational Questionnaire.
    • Required: Your complete and comprehensive resume that includes a complete history of your work experience and the applicable employment dates with months and years. If you are a current or former Federal employee, it is recommended that your resume include the title, series, and grade (e.g. SK-0301-12) for all relevant Federal experience . To determine if you qualify for this position, OHR will review your work history that is relevant to the specific position for which you applied. If you are an external candidate selected for this position, OHR will review your complete work history to establish your starting salary. If you are a current SEC employee selected for this position, the standard percentage increases will be applied (i.e., 6% for non-supervisory positions) if your selection results in a promotion. If your selection results in lateral movement (i.e. no change in grade) you will maintain your current salary. Note: Your resume must directly address the definition of specialized experience listed in the qualification section of this announcement and must NOT contain pictures. For external candidates: Information on how your resume will be used for pay setting purposes can be found here .
    • Required, if you meet qualifications based on education: An unofficial college transcript. (Note: If you are selected for this position, official transcript will be required.)
    • Required, if you are a current or former Federal employee*: Your most recent Promotion, Within Grade Increase (i.e. WGI), or Appointment/Conversion SF-50 or non-award Notification of Personnel Action (if applying as a current or former Federal Employee) must show you are/were in the competitive service and the highest grade or promotion potential held. Note: If you are in the excepted service, your current agency must have an interchange agreement with OPM - for a list of agencies with current interchange agreements please click here .
    • Required, if applicable: CTAP/ICTAP documentation (a copy of a separation notice or other proof of eligibility for priority selection; a copy of an SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, showing current position, grade, promotion potential, and duty location; AND a copy of your most recent performance appraisal.)
    • Required, if applicable: VEOA/VRA documentation (DD-214, member 4 copy or other documentation containing dates of service and character of discharge.)
    • Required, if applicable: Special Hiring Authority eligibility documentation (VA letter, Schedule A eligibility letter, Peace Corp letter, etc)
    • Required, if applicable: Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act supporting documentation.

    *SEC EMPLOYEES: OHR will verify your competitive service eligibility via the SEC's personnel database.

    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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