This position is within the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General (DoD OIG), Office of General Counsel (OGC), FOIA, Privacy and Civil Liberties Office located in Alexandria, VA. *Please note there is an applicant limit for this job announcement. The announcement will close after the first 50 applicants have been received.*

Duties

As a Government Information Specialist, GS-0306-9/11, your typical duties may include the following: Reviews, analyzes, and processes initial Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Privacy Act (PA) requests, FOIA appeals, litigation, and whistleblower reprisal investigations for disclosure of information contained in DoD OIG sensitive records. Advises the requester of the legal stipulations under which records/information are withheld. Assembles final response packages for both initial FOIA cases and appeals (redacted documents, final responses letter, and referral memos, if necessary) for review by the Initial Denial Authority (IDA) or supervisor. Upon approval by the IDA or supervisor, and Appellate Authority for appeal cases, prepares final redacted copies of documents and signed letters for release to the requester. Interprets the FOIA, PA, and pertinent regulations to determine which Act provides the greater benefit for release of information to the requester.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Position has been designated as Critical-Sensitive. Incumbent is required to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see http://www.sss.gov).
• Incumbent is required to submit to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment and is subject to random drug testing for the duration of service with DoD OIG.
• Current DoD civilian employees are not required to submit to drug testing if moving from one Testing Designated Position (TDP) to another with no break in service, unless deemed appropriate on a case-by-case basis.
• All qualifications and time-in-grade requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
• Applicants who have held a non-temporary General Schedule (GS) position within the last 52 weeks must meet the time-in-grade restriction.
• Relocation allowance WILL NOT be authorized.
• The incumbent must adhere to the DoD Standards of Conduct.

Qualifications

Time in Grade GS-09 Level: For entry at the GS-09 level, status applicants must have served 52 weeks as a GS-07 or equivalent or higher grade, in the Federal Service. Time in Grade GS-11 Level: For entry at the GS-11 level, status applicants must have served 52 weeks as a GS-09 or equivalent or higher grade, in the Federal Service. Specialized Experience (GS-09): Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized at the GS-07 level in the federal service or at an equivalent level. Specialized experience is defined as possessing working knowledge and understanding of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), Privacy Act (PA), and corresponding Federal Regulations, Executive Orders, Department Of Justice guidance and FOIA exemptions. Applicant must also have customer service experience in communicating with the public. OR Education: Master's Degree or equivalent 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such degree or LL.B or J.D., if related. OR A Combination of experience and education as are described in 1 and 2 above; however, percentage of the education and experience which when combined totals 100% of the necessary education and experience to qualify for this position. (You MUST submit transcripts or proof of education to verify your claim. All education must be accredited by accrediting body or organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education). Specialized Experience (GS-11): Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized at the GS-09 level in the federal service or at an equivalent level. Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience drafting public correspondence, analyzing documents for equities and responsiveness, reviewing documents for release determination, and redacting information that is exempt pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), and Privacy Act (PA). OR Education: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M if related. OR A Combination of experience and education as are described in 1 and 2 above; however, percentage of the education and experience which when combined totals 100% of the necessary education and experience to qualify for this position. (You MUST submit transcripts or proof of education to verify your claim. All education must be accredited by accrediting body or organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education). You must meet the minimum qualification requirements as stated in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Operating Manual, Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions: http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/Standards/group-stds/gs-prof.asp. 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) is qualifying. Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience. Qualification and time-in-grade requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Applicants who have held a non-temporary General Schedule (GS) position within the last 52 weeks must meet the time-in-grade restriction.

Education

Substitution of Education for Specialized Experience:

GS-09 Two full years of progressively higher level graduate education, Master's or equivalent graduate degree, may be substituted to meet the specialized experience requirement.

GS-11 Three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree may be substituted to meet the specialized experience requirement.

Equivalent combinations of education and experience may be used to substitute for the specialized experience requirement.

Only experience and/or education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.

If you are using education to substitute for the qualifying experience, you must submit transcripts at the time you apply. Failure to do so may disqualify you from consideration.

Due to the education requirement of this position, an unofficial transcript must be submitted at the time of application. If transcripts are not received, you will be rated as ineligible.

Using Education to Qualify: You MUST provide unofficial transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: (1) unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all of your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement.

Pass/Fail Courses: If more that 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society.

Graduate Education: One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.

Accreditation: Only degrees from an accredited college or university recognized by the Department of Education are acceptable to meet positive education requirements or to substitute for experience. For additional information, please go to the Office of Personnel Management website at http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/ and U.S. Department of Education website at http://www2.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html

Special Instructions for Foreign Education: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities. Applicants educated in whole or in part in foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree. A listing of these accredited organizations can be found on the Department of Education's website. You must provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course by course listing along with your application. If you fail to provide the required documentation, by the closing date of this announcement, you will not receive consideration.
For further information, visit: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

Contacts

• Address DoD OIG - OFFICE OF GENERAL COUNSEL 4800 Mark Center Drive Alexandria, VA 22350 US
• Name: Jacquis Taylor
• Phone: (703) 699-0293
• Email: [email protected]