Duties

Summary

This position is located in the Office of Litigation Support (OLS), one of six service offices within the Executive Office of the Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). OLS provides a full range of services including, but not limited to providing (1) budget/financial contract management, (2) automated litigation support, (3) oversight of contract litigation support services, and (4) guidance to trial attorneys, paralegals and legal support staff.
Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

This vacancy is also being announced concurrently with Announcement# ENRD-21-051-DE for applicants who DO NOT have Federal status. Please review that announcement to determine if you are eligible to apply. Note: Applicants must apply separately for each announcement.

As a Legal Administrative Specialist, you will be required to:

• Manage fiscal reporting on litigation support funds from unrelated funding sources (appropriated, Superfund, and reimbursable).
• Creates, compiles, organizes, and submits routine status reports and special financial reports
• Submits data and information for the Department's Financial Tracking System (FMIS)
• Serves as an automated litigation support liaison by providing quality customer service to Division, Department and partnering agency staff.
• Provides preliminary assessment of litigation support requests, scope, software applications and costs.
• Applies federal rules as they relate to all aspects of electronic discovery.
• Serves as Contracting Officers Representative for assigned vendors providing litigation support services under the MEGA contract.
• Prepares requests for proposal for vendor consideration and drafts scope of work documentation.
• Monitors contractor performance in terms of quality, timeliness, and cost.
• Serves on internal and external workgroups and special projects.

Travel Required

Not required

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
13

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen or national.
• You must complete a background investigation to include pre-employment drug testing.
• Selective Service Registration is required, as applicable.
• You must complete or have completed a one-year probationary period.
• You must maintain a bank account for direct deposit of salary.

Qualifications

COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement: As required by Executive Order 14043, Federal employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 regardless of the employee's duty location or work arrangement (e.g., telework, remote work, etc.), subject to such exceptions as required by law. If selected, you will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination by November 22, 2021, or before appointment or onboarding with the agency, if after November 22. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request of the agency a legally required exception from this requirement.

Due to COVID-19, the agency is currently in an expanded telework posture. If selected, you may be expected to temporarily telework, even if your home is located 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.

To qualify for GS-13 : You must have one year of specialized experience at, or equivalent to, the GS-12 Federal grade level providing automated litigation support for fiscal reporting, case management, contracting, and e-discovery processes.

Examples of specialized experience include the following:

• Using different types of software (e.g. eCapture, IPRO, Relativity, and Trial Director) for the collection, processing, and presentation of electronic evidence for cases
• Interpreting and applying rules related to e-discovery
• Working with client agencies to understand their information systems to coordinate the collection of responsive electronically stored data for filed cases
• Assisting in the design of document databases to effectuate review by agency attorneys and staff
• Coordinating review of large-scale document collections for production to opposing counsel in compliance with Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and court-filed discovery agreements
• Establishing off-site war rooms for trials, as well as assisting attorneys and witnesses with the electronic presentation of evidence in court
• Managing contractor-provided litigation support services, including assessing the functionality and cost of proposed activities

The candidate must have excellent communication/people skills and be customer service oriented as the position will require working closely with all Sections of ENRD, outside contract vendors, other Federal agencies, as well as various components of the U.S. Department of Justice.

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 skill and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Time in Grade : Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements (one year at the next lower grade) by the closing date of announcement.

YOUR RESUME MUST support your responses to the online questionnaire and provide specific details as to how your experience meets the specialized experience as described in the vacancy announcement if you are using experience to meet all or part of the qualification requirements. Please ensure that your resume includes the month and year that you began and ended each position held or that position will not be credited toward meeting the specialized experience requirement. Part-time employment will be prorated in crediting experience. Failure to provide details will result in an ineligible rating. Your latest resume submitted for this vacancy announcement will be used to determine qualifications and supersedes previous submissions.

Only experience obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.

To preview questions, please click here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11242875 ~

Education

There is no substitution of education for specialized experience for this grade level.

Additional information

Career Transition Programs: The Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) provides eligible surplus and displaced competitive service employees in DOJ with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If you have received written notification of your eligibility for CTAP/ICTAP, you may receive special priority consideration for this position, if this vacancy is within your CTAP/ICTAP eligibility and you are well-qualified for the position with a score of 85 or better on established ranking criteria.

Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA): VEOA allows eligible veterans to apply and compete for positions announced under merit promotion procedures when the hiring agency is recruiting from outside its own workforce. To be eligible, a veteran must be honorably separated and either a preference eligible or have substantially completed three (3) or more years of continuous active military service. If you are applying for a Merit Promotion announcement and wish to be considered under the VEOA, you must submit a copy of the Member Copy 4 of your DD-214, in addition to any other required documents listed on this announcement. You can find additional information at: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/veterans-services/vet-guide/

Military Spouses:If you're a military spouse, you may be eligible to apply using a non-competitive process designed to help you get a job in the federal government. You're eligible if you are a spouse of an active duty member of the armed forces; a spouse of a service member who is 100% disabled due to a service-connected injury; or a spouse of a service member killed while on active duty. You must meet certain criteria for each of these eligibility categories. Learn more about the specific criteria for military spouses

Schedule A: DOJ welcomes and encourages applications from persons with disabilities and is firmly committed to satisfying its affirmative obligations under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to ensure that persons with disabilities have every opportunity to be hired and advanced on the basis of merit within the Department. DOJ also encourages eligible Schedule A applicants to submit their resumes to resume@benderconsult.com, and reference "Federal Career Opportunities" in the subject line. Additional information is found at: www.benderconsult.com

Land Management applicants on a time-limited appointment are eligible to apply. The Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act, P.L. 114-47 was signed into law on August 7, 2015, allowing certain individuals who currently are or formerly were under time-limited competitive appointments at certain land management agencies to compete for permanent positions in the competitive service at a land management agency, or any other agency, under merit promotion procedures.

Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See www.sss.gov

Benefits: DOJ offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation; sick leave; holidays; telework; life insurance; health benefits; 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.

Your resumé 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 online assessment 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. All applicants' qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, and other characteristics):

• Contracting/Procurement
• Financial Management
• Litigation Support
• Oral Communication
• Performance & Awards
• Writing

Please Note: Additional candidates may be selected if more positions in the Division become available within 90 days after the HR office issues the selection certificate.

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Other

Drug test required
Yes

Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)

Trust determination process
Credentialing

Required Documents

• Resumé demonstrating relevant experience and dates the experience was obtained (cover letter is optional).
• SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action which shows career or career-conditional tenure in the competitive service or Federal reinstatement eligibility, such as an appointment action, change in tenure, within-grade increase, or promotion, whichever is most recent . An Award or General Pay Adjustment action will not suffice.
• For Federal employees, a performance appraisal issued within the last 12 months.
• Veteran preference documentation, if applicable for VEOA consideration.
• Schedule A documentation, if applicable.
• For Land Management Eligibles, submit a copy of your most recent SF-50 or equivalent proving eligibility for appointment under the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act.
  Supporting documentation for other special appointment authorities, if applicable.
• CTAP/ICTAP documentation, if applicable.
• Your online responses to the Occupational Questionnaire.

Your resumé MUST include full employment information such as periods of employment with day/month/year started and ended, title of position(s), PT hours worked, and description of duties. If you have Federal employment, you must include the grade of the position(s) .

Do not include the following types of information in your profile or resume:

• Classified or government sensitive information
• Social Security Number (SSN)
• Photos of yourself
• Personal information, such as age, gender, religious affiliation, etc.
• Encrypted and digitally signed documents

To prove eligibility for the special CTAP selection priority, you must submit a copy of your latest performance appraisal showing a rating of at least fully successful AND one of the following :

• A separation notice;
• A "Notice of Personnel Action" (SF-50) documenting separation;
• An agency certification that you cannot be placed after injury compensation has been terminated;
• An OPM notification that your disability annuity has been terminated; or
• A Military Department of National Guard Bureau notification that you retired under 5 U.S.C. 8337(h) or 8456.

Additional information about CTAP eligibility can be found at http://www.opm.gov/ctap/index.asp