This position is located in the Bureau of Consular Affairs, Passport Services Directorate, Office of Adjudication, Restrictive Actions Division (PPT/S/A/RA). As a Passport Specialist (Passport and Citizenship Entitlement Specialist) you will focus on citizenship entitlement, with responsibility for reviewing, researching, analyzing, and examining or adjudicating the legal status of the most complex cases involving the denial, limitation, and revocation of U.S. passport products.

Duties

Reviews and examines a wide variety of the most complex, controversial, or sensitive cases referred to the office for decisions regarding the continuing eligibility of applicants to receive U.S. passports and hold Consular Reports of Birth Abroad. Provides advice, guidance, and direction to passport agencies/centers and U.S. embassies and consulates on the appropriate procedures to be followed and actions to be taken on the most complex cases where a passport is denied, limited, or revoked. Analyzes passport agency/center workload trends on passport restrictive actions based on data gathered from a wide variety of sources. Establishes and maintains liaison with a wide array of stakeholders and provides expert technical advice and guidance to ensure the uniform administration and interpretation of laws and regulations applicable to passport restrictive actions Prepares and disseminates correspondence, cables, and other written program-related materials on matters involving the denial, limitation and revocation of passports where the materials represent the official position of the Department.

Requirements

• U.S. Citizenship is required.
• Incumbent will be subject to random drug testing.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit: www.dhs.gov/E-Verify/

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all the required qualification requirements described below by the closing date of this announcement. If you are qualifying based on education OR if there are mandatory education requirements listed below, you MUST submit a copy of your college transcript with your application.    NOTE: Applicants must meet time-in-grade and time after competitive appointment requirements, by the closing date of this announcement. Time-In-Grade Requirements: Federal applicants must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade to satisfy time-in-grade restrictions, per 5CFR 300, Subpart F. To qualify for the GS-11, you must meet A, B or C as follows: A. At least one year of specialized experience, equivalent to at least the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service, that demonstrates the ability to plan and coordinate program activities and the ability to make decisions; the ability to communicate orally and to meet and deal; the ability to assemble data, analyze management problems and recommend solutions; the ability to research, interpret and apply regulatory and precedent material; the ability to communicate in writing; and the ability to interpret statistical data. Qualifying specialized experience may have been gained in work such as developing, examining, investigating, adjudicating, or authorizing claims arising under the immigration and/or nationality laws of the United States. Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following: Experience with the process of examining and resolving holds on passport. Experience with nationality and citizenship laws and interpreting/applying those laws to determine entitlement to a U.S. passport. Experience working with internal stakeholders and the general public. Experience meeting deadlines. B. A Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or have successfully completed three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree. Major field of study should be public administration, political science, or other field related to this position. C. A combination of specialized experience as described in A and more than two years of graduate education as described in B which totals at least one year. To compute, divide your total months of qualifying experience by 12. Then divide your semester hours of graduate education beyond two years by 18. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. If you are qualifying based on education, you must submit a copy of your college transcript with your application, and if selected, an official college transcript will be required to verify education prior to employment. Applicants must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level in the Federal service which provided the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position. Qualifying specialized experience may have been gained in work such as developing, examining, investigating, adjudicating, or authorizing claims arising under the immigration and/or nationality laws of the United States. Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following: Experience with automated passport systems, to access passport application-related information that is used in the adjudication of restrictive action cases. Experience analyzing and evaluating technical evidence or other documentation that may lead to the denial, limitation, or revocation of passports. Experience applying citizenship and nationality laws to determine U.S. citizenship. Experience liaising and establishing working relationships with a variety of stakeholders. Experience handling overseas workloads which may include drafting, clearing, and sending cables.   Experience establishing deadlines in order to ensure deadlines are met and assisting junior specialists with successful time/work management practices. Applicants must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level in the Federal service which provided the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position. Qualifying specialized experience may have been gained in work such as developing, examining, investigating, adjudicating, or authorizing claims arising under the immigration and/or nationality laws of the United States. Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following: Experience implementing regulations, legal precedents, and administrative decisions governing the denial, limitation and revocation of passports using Immigration and Nationality Act, Department passport policies, Titles 8, 18, and 22 of the United States Code. Experience conducting research into precedent cases, decisions, and opinions that are applicable to restrictive action cases received by the office. Experience completing and/or reviewing complex citizenship cases to determine if restrictive actions were appropriate and the correct laws and statutes used are clearly communicated.   Experience advising and training junior specialists on complex, overseas restrictive actions workload. Experience managing and prioritizing changing workloads in order to meet deadlines and ensure cases are successfully completed within 60 days with little or no guidance.  Experience being proactive and anticipating problems and solutions, managing the clearance process, and tracking multiple workloads successfully in order to provide accurate reporting data to management. 

Education

See the qualifications section of this vacancy announcement for education requirements.

Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. For a list of accredited organizations recognized as specializing in interpretation of foreign education credentials, visit: www.naces.org/members.php.

Contacts

• Address U.S. Department of State Defense Finance and Accounting Services (DFAS) 8899 East 56th Street Indianapolis, Indiana 46249 United States
• Name: LeeAnn Boyanowski
• Phone: 000-000-0000
• Email: [email protected]