Job opening: Government Information Specialist (FOIA)
Salary: $53 105 - 84 441 per year
Published at: Sep 21 2023
Employment Type: Full-time
Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of the Commissioner, Privacy and Diversity Office, Freedom of Information Act, located in Washington, District of Columbia.
Duties
This position starts at a salary of $53,105.00 (GS-7, Step 1) to $84,441.00 (GS-9, Step 10) with promotion potential to $122,459 (GS-12 Step 10).
GS Salary: Visit this link to view the locality pay tables by geographic area. If you do not see your geographic area listed, select the "Rest of United States" pay table. Some positions fall under a special pay rate depending on the series, grade level and location of the position.Please visit this link to view special pay rate charts.
While serving as a Government Information Specialist (FOIA), your duties will include:
Applying FOIA policies and procedures to ensure compliance with FOIA laws, DHS regulations and DOJ policies;
Assists in developing and conducting Department-wide FOIA training programs;
Conducting research and reviewing the content of the records to make disclosure determinations
under FOIA; and
Applying applicable statues, rules, regulations, and executive orders as they pertain to FOIA requests.
Qualifications
GS-7 Experience: You qualify for the GS-7 grade level if you possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing duties such as:
Providing draft reports, assisting in developing standard operating procedures and written guidelines, maintaining statistics, inputting data into tracking system, monitoring and reporting to higher echelons;
Processing basic FOIA requests;
Assisting senior leadership in developing and conducting Departmentwide training programs; and
Ensuring that requisite forms are received before providing requested information.
GS-9 Experience: You qualify for the GS-9 grade level if you possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing duties such as:
Assisting senior FOIA specialist implement, maintaining privacy policies and procedures; assessing privacy risks associated with programs, operations, and technology;
Reviewing and preparing draft responses to all requests for release of information;
Applying applicable statues, rules, regulations, and executive orders as they pertain to FOIA requests; and
Making recommendations to the supervisor when action at variance with policy is indicated.
NOTE: Your resume must explicitly indicate how you meet this requirement, otherwise you will be found ineligible. Please see the "Required Documents" section below for additional resume requirements.
GS-7 Education Substitution: Successful completion of one year of full-time graduate education from an accredited college or university may substitute for the experience required at this level. This education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. Check with your school to determine how many credit hours comprise a year of graduate education. If that information is not available, use 18 semester or 27 quarter hours. OR
Superior Academic Achievement (SAA) may also substitute for the experience required. It is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average (i.e., GPA 3.0 or higher of a possible 4.0, excluding pass/fail credits. Pass/fail credits cannot be more than 10% of total credits), or (3) honor society membership. Review Superior Academic Achievement (SAA) to see if you qualify under this provision. Please see www.opm.gov for additional information.
GS-9 Education Substitution: Successful completion of a master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in an accredited college or university, or a J.D. or LL.B. degree may be substituted for experience at the GS-9 grade level. Such education must demonstrate the skills needed to do the work. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 36 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 2 years of full-time study requirement.
Combining Education and Experience: Combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements and may be computed by first determining the applicant's total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level; then determining the applicant's education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level; and then adding the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for that grade level. Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be used to qualify applicants for positions at the GS-9 grade level.
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.
You must:
Meet all qualification requirements, including education if applicable to this position, subject to verification at any stage of the application process; and
Meet all applicable Time in Grade requirements (current federal employees must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade or equivalent grade band in the federal service) by 09/27/2023.
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.
Background Investigation: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is a federal law enforcement agency that requires all applicants to undergo a thorough background investigation prior to employment in order to promote the agency's core values of vigilance, service to country, and integrity. During the screening and/or background investigation process, you will be asked questions regarding any felony criminal convictions or current felony charges, the use of illegal drugs (e.g., marijuana, cocaine, heroin, LSD, methamphetamines, ecstasy), and the use of non-prescribed controlled substances including any experimentation, possession, sale, receipt, manufacture, cultivation, production, transfer, shipping, trafficking, or distribution of controlled substances. For additional information, review the following links: Background investigation and the e-QIP process.
Residency: There is a residency requirement for all applicants not currently employed by CBP. Individuals are required to have physically resided in the United States or its protectorates (as declared under international law) for at least three of the last five years. If you do not meet the residency requirement and you have been physically located in a foreign location for more than two of the last five years, you may request an exception to determine if you are eligible for a residency waiver by meeting one or more of the following conditions:
Working for the U.S. Government as a federal civilian or as a member of the military
A dependent who was authorized to accompany a federal civilian or member of the military who was working for the U.S. government
Participation in a study abroad program sponsored by a U.S. affiliated college or university
Working as a contractor, intern, consultant or volunteer supporting the U.S. government
Probationary Period: All employees new to the federal government must serve a one year probationary period during the first year of his/her initial permanent federal appointment to determine fitness for continued employment. Current and former federal employees may be required to serve or complete a probationary period.
Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) Eligibles: If you have never worked for the federal government, you are not CTAP/ICTAP eligible. View information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibilityon OPM's Career Transition Resources website. To be considered well qualified under CTAP/ICTAP, you must be rated at a minimum score of 85 for this position. In addition, you must submit the supporting documents listed under the Required Documents section of this announcement.
Education
Please see the Qualifications and Required Documents sections for more information if education is applicable to this position.
Contacts
- Address Office of the Commissioner
Please read entire announcement
Please apply online
Washington, DC 20229
US
- Name: CBP Hiring Center
- Phone: 952-857-2932
- Email: [email protected]
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