This position is located in the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Office of the General Counsel, located in Chicago, Illinois.

Duties

If selected for this position, you will join a well-respected team that is responsible for supporting a full range of Paralegal Specialist duties within the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Office of the General Counsel. Typical work assignments include: -Evaluating the sufficiency of evidence to obtain all necessary evidentiary documentation using a wide range of qualitative and/or quantitative methods to analyze and synthesize intricate evidence. -Assisting attorneys with processing, investigating, adjudicating, and asserting claims under various authorities, such as the Federal Medical Care Recovery Act (FMCRA), the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA), the Federal Claims Collection Act (FCCA), Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) program, the Military Personnel and Civilian Employees Claims Act (MPCECA). -Assisting with petitions for remission of criminal or civil forfeitures. -Preparing documents necessary to the effective administration of claim functions, including correspondence, statements of claims, releases and closing documents.

Requirements

• U.S. Citizenship required
• Registered or exempt from Selective Service (www.sss.gov)
• If not previously completed, a background security investigation will be required for all appointees. Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication.
• One year probationary period may be required
• If you are selected for this position, the documentation that you present for purposes of completing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Form I-9 will be verified through the DHS "E-Verify" System.
• All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choice.
• Financial disclosure statement may be required.
• Bargaining Unit Position: No
• Drug Screening Required: No
• Research position: No

Qualifications

Specialized Experience:GS-09: You must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the GS-07 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors) performing (3) of the (4) duties listed below: 1) Providing legal analyses on policy and legal issues; 2) Assisting in drafts memoranda, briefs, pleadings, and correspondence; 3) Managing administrative and litigation case workflows, tracking deadlines and facilitating communication with internal stakeholders and external entities; 4) Managing evidentiary materials and maintaining organized litigation files. OR Master's or equivalent graduate degree if in a related field (e.g., criminal justice, law) or, two full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, or an LL.B or J.D. if in a related field (e.g., criminal justice, law); or a combination of both specialized experience and education as explained below. A combination of experience and graduate level education can be used if, when combined, are equivalent to 100% of the qualification requirement. Only graduate level education in excess of the first full year can be used in this calculation. To calculate your percentage of graduate education, first determine the total number of graduate level hours that exceed 18 semester hours (or your school's definition of one year of graduate study), then divide the total number of your excess graduate semester hours by 18 (or your school's definition of one year of graduate study). To calculate your percentage of specialized experience, divide the total number of months of qualifying experience by 12. Now, add the two percentages together. The sum of the percentages must equal at least 100%. Specialized Experience:GS-11: You must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the GS-09 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors) performing (4) of the (5) duties listed below: 1) Providing support to attorneys in processing, investigating, and adjudicating claims; 2) Preparing legal documents such as statements of claims, releases, correspondence, pleadings, motions, and discovery responses; 3) Retrieving specified information from litigation databases of electronically stored discovery and evidence; 4) Preparing exhibits in digital form for presentation at trial; 5) Organizing and managing voluminous collections of evidence and discovery in both paper and electronic formats. OR Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, if in a related field (e.g., criminal justice, law), or, three full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, or, LL.M. if in a related field (e.g., criminal justice, law); or a combination of both specialized experience and education as explained below. A combination of experience and graduate level education can be used if, when combined, are equivalent to 100% of the qualification requirement. Only graduate level education in excess of the first two years can be used in this calculation. To calculate your percentage of graduate education, first determine the total number of graduate level hours that exceed 36 semester hours (or your school's definition of two years of graduate study), then divide the total number of your excess graduate semester hours by 18 (or your school's definition of one year of graduate study). To calculate your percentage of specialized experience, divide the total number of months of qualifying experience by 12. Now, add the two percentages together. The sum of the percentages must equal at least 100%. Specialized Experience:GS-12: You must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the GS-11 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors) performing (4) of the (5) duties listed below: 1) Evaluating evidence and preparing written recommendations with thorough legal analysis and conclusions on federal statutes and regulations; 2) Supporting attorneys in administrative and judicial hearings and trials by organizing evidentiary materials; 3) Interviewing witnesses and other individuals who can provide insight into cases; 4) Assisting with electronic discovery obligations, and maintaining litigation files to ensure compliance; 5) Preparing exhibits in digital form for presentation at trial. Education is not a substitute for experience at the GS-12. Documenting Experience: IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Qualifications are based on breadth/level of experience. In addition to describing duties performed, applicants must provide the exact dates of each period of employment (from MM/YY to MM/YY) and the number of hours worked per week if part time. As qualification determinations cannot be made when resumes do not include the required information, failure to provide this information may result in disqualification. Applicants are encouraged to use the USAJOBS Resume Builder to develop their federal resume. Do not copy and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position. In accordance with Office of Personnel Management policy, federal employees are assumed to have gained experience by performing duties and responsibilities appropriate for their official series and grade level as described in their position description. Experience that would not normally be part of the employee's position is creditable, however, when documented by satisfactory evidence, such as a signed memorandum from the employee's supervisor or an SF-50 or SF-52 documenting an official detail or other official assignment. The documentation must indicate whether the duties were performed full time or, if part time, the "percentage of times" the other duties were performed. It is expected that this documentation is included in the employee's official personnel record. In order to receive credit for experience in your resume that is not within the official series and grade level of your official position, you must provide a copy of the appropriate documentation of such experience as indicated above. 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; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to gain employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. If such experience is on a part-time basis, you must provide the average number of hours worked per week as well as the beginning and ending dates of the experience so it can be fully credited. OPM Qualification General Policies Website www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-policies/#url=app All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.

Education

If you are claiming education as any part of your qualifications for this position, you must submit an official transcript, unofficial transcript, or a list including courses, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned.

Special Instructions for Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that 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. Failure to provide such documentation with your application will result in lost consideration. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Contacts

• Address Office of the General Counsel 200 Independence Avenue, S.W. Washington, DC 20201 US
• Name: Mid-Atlantic Services Branch
• Email: [email protected]