Duties

• Paralegal Specialist for the Special Victims Counsel (SVC) Program, Office of the Judge Advocate General.
• Provide guidance and knowledge of various victim services available.
• Assist the SVC Program Manager in ensuring SVC personnel stay informed of changes in law and policy.
• Perform vetting and management of incoming SVC nominations, registration for the SVC Certification Course, and requests for exception to policy to certify SVCs prior to course attendance.
• Responsible for managing the SVC Program MilSuite page, distributing information, updates, and resources to the community.
• Maintain a comprehensive understanding of the policies pertaining to the representation of special victims throughout the investigative and military justice processes.
• Exercise effective oral and written communication and superior interpersonal skills.
• Draft documents utilizing a computer with word processing, database, and spreadsheet applications to create, record, manage, and update data and information.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
• Pursuant to EO 14043, all Federal employees, regardless of duty location or work arrangement, must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 before entrance on duty, subject to exceptions as required by law.
• If selected, the agency will provide information regarding what documentation is needed and how to request any legally required exceptions from this requirement.
• Proof of vaccination will be required. To ensure compliance with this mandate, review the vaccination requirements, to include timelines for receiving required doses, at the following: https://www.saferfederalworkforce.gov/faq/vaccinations/
• Term Positions: One year trial period may be required.

Qualifications

TERM POSITION:
*Position may be filled as a temporary promotion or temporary reassignment NTE 2 years by a current permanent Army employee. Temporary promotions or reassignments, for current Army employees, may be extended up to a maximum of five years, and may be made permanent without further competition.
*Position may be filled as a term appointment NTE 2 years, if the candidate is not a current permanent Army employee. Term appointments may be extended up to a maximum of eight years. NON- Army employees will be converted from your permanent appointment to the non-status, time-limited appointment and Return Rights are not granted from your current activity and cannot be made Permanent without further competition.

Who May Apply: Only applicants who meet one of the employment authority categories below are eligible to apply for this job. You will be asked to identify which category or categories you meet, and to provide documents which prove you meet the category or categories you selected. See Proof of Eligibility for an extensive list of document requirements for all employment authorities.

• 30 Percent or More Disabled Veterans
• Current Department of Army Civilian Employees
• Current Permanent Department of Defense (DOD) Civilian Employee (non-Army)
• Executive Order (E.O.) 12721
• Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan
• Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act
• Military Spouses, under Executive Order (E.O.) 13473
• Non-Appropriated Fund Instrumentality (NAFI)
• Non-Department of Defense (DoD) Transfer
• Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Interchange Agreement Eligible
• People with Disabilities, Schedule A
• Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Eligible
• Reinstatement

In order to qualify, you must meet the EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE requirements described below. 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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document .

Specialized Experience: I have one year of Specialized Experience equivalent to the GS-09 in the Federal service which includes: conduct legal research, analysis and or/interviews on topics such as; Military Justice and/or Special Victim Counsel programs; prepare reports and information papers utilizing legal resources such as; Uniform Code of Military Justice, Manual for Courts Martial and/or DODi (Dept of Defense Instructions) and coordinate and manage agency information using automated systems such as; DTS (Defense Travel System) and /or Client Information System. Specialized Experience is defined as experience typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level in the federal service (GS-09).

OR

Education: PhD or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M. in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as: Law.

OR

Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the second year (total graduate semester hours minus 36) by 18. Add the two percentages.

You will be evaluated on the basis of your level of competency in the following areas:

• Communications and Media
• Legal, Government and Jurisprudence
• Manages and Organizes Information

Time in Grade Requirement: Applicants who have held a General Schedule (GS) position within the last 52 weeks must have 52 weeks of Federal service at the next lower grade or equivalent (GS-09).

Education

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

• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
• You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship.
• Two year trial/probationary period may be required.
• Direct deposit of pay is required.
• Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees.
• If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet.
• This is a Career Program (CP) 56 - LEGAL position.
• You may claim military spouse preference (MSP).
• If a MSP applicant is determined best qualified and selected, placement must be at the full performance level for priority consideration.
• Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
• Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement.
• If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application .
• Payment of Permanent Change of Station (PCS) costs is NOT authorized, based on a determination that a PCS move is not in the Government interest.
• 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 a designated time frame identified by the organization. At that time, you may be eligible to request to continue to telework one or more days a pay period depending upon the terms of the agency's telework policy.