The organizational location of the position is: Corporate Compliance Department, Office of the Executive Director, Asheville VAMC (Western North Carolina VA Health Care System (WNCVAHCS)). The incumbent works directly for the Corporate Compliance Chief. The incumbent to this position will serve as the Privacy/Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Specialist and support the Privacy/FOIA Program.

Duties

The primary purpose of this position is: The incumbent to this position will serve as the Privacy/Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Specialist and supports the Privacy/FOIA Officer with the overall program for the data governance program and initiatives in the Western North Carolina VA Health Care System and its supporting catchment area. The position makes unique facility-level determinations about disclosures, issuance of denials, redactions, access, use and dissemination of federal agency records. The position ensures compliance with federal and state laws and conducts thorough research of federal implementing regulations. Provides guidance while communicating complex information to the Privacy/FOIA Officer, Executive Leadership, facility staff and outside stakeholders. The duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to the following: Facility Data Governance Director and Information Strategist The Privacy/FOIA Specialist supports the Privacy/FOIA Officer in developing a local level strategy for data governance, which includes leading from the executive office and ensuring a program that includes diverse processes and specific policies which are independent of other facilities. Collaborates with the Privacy/FOIA Officer on local privacy strategy that integrates the Western North Carolina VA Health Care System with data governance program goals, national strategic priorities, and VA core values. Independently makes decisions of data disclosure, conducts independent investigations, conducts compliance activities, and implements physical, technical, and administrative safeguards across the facility. Interacts with high-ranking external stakeholders to include Veteran Service Organizations (VSO's), Congressional representatives, internal and external partners, community leaders, attorneys, news media, affiliate universities, commercial entities, and the local public with regards to the protection, release, and transparency of information within the facility. Independently support the Privacy/FOIA Officer by developing and executing strategic management initiatives in Privacy/FOIA program areas that establishes areas of control of information within the facility and interfaces with all business operations across service lines/departments. Implements written policies that define the enterprise privacy principles, guidance and practices that influence the data governance model for the organization. Performance Measurement, Assessment, and Improve Using an expert understanding of all applicable laws, regulations, and guidelines, independently analyzes all the interrelated issues that affect the Privacy/FOIA programs. Monitors activities are uniquely detailed, comprehensive, and must be tailored to meet the processes of the facility. Based on the results of the monitoring activities, the Privacy/FOIA Specialist provide recommendations for improvements to the Privacy/FOIA Officer which minimizes risk and litigation exposure to the agency. The Privacy/FOIA Specialist must possess the ability to apply a wide range of qualitative and quantitative methods for the assessment and improvement of data governance program effectiveness. Creates a communications process and tools that are flexible, customizable, and interactive to address the Western North Carolina VA Health Care System's unique compliance challenges and educational/training needs. The Privacy/FOIA Specialist teach and train employees on general data protection procedures and detailed service specific practices for daily operations. Data Lifecycle Management, Protection and Disclosure The Privacy/FOIA Specialist support the Privacy/FOIA program to develops and integrates policy-based processes, roles and controls that influences how data is created, collected, used, stored, and destroyed throughout the organization. Classifies and addresses issues stemming from conflict of regulations and laws and differences in compliance with facility business practices. Determines potential privacy risk to individuals, evaluates both new and existing controls to reduce risk and works with the Privacy/FOIA Officer to mitigate the risks within the entire organization. Participates in the planning, development and evaluation of procurement and acquisitions for good and services for the entire organization. Performs other duties as assigned. Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. Work Schedule: M-F 08:00 - 4:30pm Telework: This position has been approved for 1-2 days Telework per pay period, as approved by supervisor. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Government Information Specialist/PD044880

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/23/2024. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09 and For a GS-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. NOTE: Time-in-Grade does not apply to Hybrid-38 Excepted Service employees but they must have 52 weeks of specialized experience as described below in lieu of Time-in-Grade. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: For the GS-09 Grade Level: Specialized Experience: At the GS-09 grade level, you must have a minimum of one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS-7) to be qualified at this grade level. Examples of the types of specialized experience required include, but is not limited to the following: Supervised experience with or knowledge of data governance related federal legislation and implementing regulations, Executive Orders, federal and/or agency policies and procedures related to information disclosure, security, privacy, and protection; Experience establishing and maintaining good working relationships with senior leadership and staff throughout the agency or facility; Ability to demonstrate effective oral and written communication and presentation skills in the response to request, being able to adequately explain data governance requirements and procedures to senior leadership and staff, to defend findings and recommendations to senior leadership; Experience preparing written responses, reports and information materials varying audiences, etc. OR Master's or equivalent graduate degree (Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of a Government Information Specialist) OR 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree OR LL.B. or J.D., if related to the work most closely associated with that of a Government Information Specialist. OR A Combination of Specialized Experience and Related Educational Course Work. (Examples of acceptable course work includes but is not limited to: Business Law, Organizational Communication, Government Law, Creative Writing, Sociology, Healthcare Administration, Business Management, etc.) For the GS-11 Grade Level: Specialized Experience: At the GS-11 grade level, you must have a minimum of one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS-9) to be qualified at this grade level. Examples of the types of specialized experience required include, but is not limited to the following: Experience developing a local level strategy for data governance, experience collaborating with the Privacy/FOIA Officer on local privacy strategy integrating a VA Health Care System with data governance program goals, national strategic priorities and VA Core Values. Independently makes decisions of data disclosure, conducting investigative compliance activities and implementing physical, technical and administrative safeguards across the facility. Experience collaborating with high-ranking external stakeholders to include Veterans Service Organizations, Congressional representatives, community leaders, attorneys, news media, etc. Experience reviewing research projects to ensure privacy requirements are met; reviews HIPPA authorization waivers to ensure legal authority exists prior to use, access, collection, creation and disclosure of personal health information (PHI) by research investigators; Performs complex analysis of key policy inquiries that can encompass any and all information collected, used, or disclosed in the facility. OR Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree OR 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree OR LL.M., if related. Note: Acceptable Coursework and Degree/s MUST be in line with the work performed as a Government Information Specialist. When using education to meet the required level of Specialized Experience, ONLY SUBMIT TRANSCRIPTS as outlined for each grade level. Bachelor Degrees and Below will not be considered as part of our Qualification Review Process. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Analysis and Problem SolvingAnalytical ThinkingCommunicationsCritical ThinkingVeteran and Customer Focus 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; religions; 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. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary. There will be episodes of moderate lifting or prolonged periods of standing and bending in searching various files. There is lifting and carrying of such items as record boxes and bulky files.The work involves considerable walking, standing and bending conducting rounds, auditing and providing training to both on-site and off-site personnel. There is also occasional lifting and carrying of such items as boxes and files, weighing up to 30 lbs. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Education

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Contacts

• Address Charles George VA Medical Center 1100 Tunnel Road Asheville, NC 28805 US
• Name: John Westling
• Phone: 828-333-3451
• Email: [email protected]