Duties

Summary

This position is part of the National Archives and Records Administration, Office of the Chief Operating Officer (C), Research Services (R), Special Access and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Program (RF) serving as an archivist. The Special Access and FOIA Program is responsible for the physical and intellectual control of records of all closed Independent Counsels, the John F. Kennedy (JFK) Assassination Records Collection, and other sensitive records.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

The following are the duties of this position at the GS-13. If you are selected at a lower grade level, you will have the opportunity to learn to perform all these duties, and will receive training to help you grow in this position.

- Performs line-by-line review of records pursuant to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), making final release decisions relating to security classification, personal privacy, law enforcement issues, and other relevant access statutes.

- Conducts research and analyzes FOIA case law, including landmark Appellate and Supreme Court decisions. Interprets and implements laws and policies ensuring each situation is applicable to the policy of the agency and each interpretation is legally supportable. Serves as a technical authority in interpreting decisions made by the Department of Justice and the Courts, assessing their impact upon NARA FOIA policy in accordance with specific requests.

- Serves as official NARA representative in dealing with other agency officials, including legal counsels, FOIA officers, and other FOIA specialists, in order to resolve complex access issues.

- Performs reference service that requires an in-depth knowledge of the records of the Program and of the access provisions governing them, a broad familiarity with the history and mission of the originating agencies, and a detailed understanding of the significance of these records to the history of the United States.

Travel Required

Not required

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
13

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

The experience may have been gained in either the public, private sector or volunteer service . One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/day/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week on your resume.

• A one year probationary period may be required.
• Must successfully complete a background investigation.
• Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency.
• If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so.
• Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form i-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S.
• Designated and/or Random Drug Testing may be required.

Key Requirements:

Please refer to "Conditions of Employment."

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Must be U.S. Citizens or U.S. Nationals

Top Secret background investigation will be required.

Qualifications

You must meet the following requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

To be qualified for this position at the GS-13 level, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level that has equipped you 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. Specialized experience for this position includes:

-Independently reviewing records for information restricted by access statutes/policies and recommending release decisions; AND
-Communicating orally and in writing with the public and using time management to respond to requests within set deadlines; AND
-Independently performing analytical and research techniques to deliver reference and research assistance to individuals, agencies, and organizations.

OR

To be qualified for this position at the GS-12 level, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level that has equipped you 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. Specialized experience for this position includes:

-Reviewing records for information restricted by access statutes/policies and recommending release decisions; AND
-Communicating orally and in writing with the public and using time management to respond to requests within set deadlines; AND
-Independently performing analytical and research techniques to deliver reference and research assistance to individuals, agencies, and organizations.

In addition to the above requirements, you must meet the following time-in-grade requirement, if applicable:
For the GS-13, you must have been at the GS-12level for 52 weeks.
For the GS-12, you must have been at the GS-11level for 52 weeks.

Education

Education Requirements: The education generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Basic requirements for all grades:

A. Bachelor's degree in archival science or bachelor's degree with a major that includes 18 semester hours in archival science, history and/or in political science or government, and 12 semester hours in one or any combination of the following: archival science, history, American civilization, economics, political science, public administration, or government.
OR
B. Combination of education and experience - at least 30 semester hours that included courses as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

Additional information

• We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies.
• This announcement may be used to fill like positions in other organizations within the National Archives and Records Administration.
• This is a bargaining unit position.
• We offer opportunities for telework- per agency policy
• We offer opportunities for flexible work schedules.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

Your application includes your résumé, responses to the online questions, and required supporting documents. Please be sure that your résumé includes detailed information to support your qualifications for this position; failure to provide sufficient evidence in your résumé may result in a "not qualified" determination.

Rating : Your application will be evaluated in the following areas: Project Management, Problem Solving and Communication. Your application will be rated and ranked among others, based on your responses to the online questions, regarding your experience, education, training, performance appraisals and awards relevant to the duties of this position. Your rating may be lowered if your responses to the online questions are not supported by the education and/or experience described in your application.

Referral : If you are among the top qualified candidates, your application may be referred to a selecting official for consideration. You may be required to participate in a selection interview.

If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee (eligible for the Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) ) you must receive a score of 85 or better to be rated as "well qualified" to receive special selection priority

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Q Access Authorization

Drug test required
Yes

Position sensitivity and risk
Special-Sensitive (SS)/High Risk

Trust determination process
Suitability/Fitness

Required Documents

Required Documents for all applicants:

1. Resume - either by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one of their own choosing. (Cover letters are optional.) To receive full credit for relevant experience, please list the month/date/year and number of hours worked for experience listed on your résumé. We suggest that you preview the online questions, as you may need to customize your résumé to ensure that it supports your responses to these questions. Please view résumé tips .

2. Vacancy Question Responses - Completely answer the online assessment questionnaire associated with this job announcement.

3. Transcripts - For positions with an education requirement, OR if you are qualifying for this position by substituting education or training for experience, you MUST submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent. An official transcript will be required if you are selected.

A college or university degree generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools which meet these criteria, please refer to Department of Education Accreditation page .

If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. Refer to the OPM instructions .

Additional Required Documents if Applying Through the Hiring Authorities Listed Below:

4. If you are currently serving on a special hiring authority (e.g. VRA, Schedule A Disability, etc.), please see applicant guide for required documentation . In order to be eligible under one of these authorities, you must submit all required documentation as outlined in the applicant guide and that specific hiring authority.

5. CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (CTAP) DOCUMENTATION: If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee, click CTAP/ICTAP for eligibility and a detailed list of required documents you must submit in order to be eligible.

Optional Documents for all applicants:
In addition, we recommend that you submit copies of the following:

1. Current Performance Appraisal/Review/Evaluation, Etc. - Your most recently completed annual performance appraisal/review/evaluation (dated within 18 months from the closing date of the vacancy announcement), which identifies your official rating of record (must be at least "Fully Successful") and is signed by the supervisor.

2. SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, which shows your current (or most recent) grade and competitive service status. (The "position occupied" block on the SF-50 should show a "1" and your "tenure" block should show a "1" or "2".)
- If you are currently on a Veterans Recruitment Appointment (VRA), submit a copy of an SF-50 showing that. Also, you must submit a copy of your DD214 or other documentation showing dates of service and type of discharge and any other applicable documents such as SF-15, VA letters, etc.
- Indicate on your application the highest permanent grade you have held; if this grade is different from your current grade, submit a copy of an additional SF-50 showing this grade.

Failure to submit any of the applicable above-mentioned documents may result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted.

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.