For more information on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorneys' Offices, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/. As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement. This position is also being announced to applicants eligible to apply through Merit Staffing procedures under 25-WAW-12620863-MS.

Duties

If selected, you will serve as a Victim Assistance Specialist providing routine assistance and liaison services to crime victims to facilitate prosecutions for the United States Attorney's Office (USAO), Western District of Washington. At the full performance level, typical work assignments will include: Assessing victims' immediate needs for assistance, including providing information and assistance such as crisis intervention resources, assistance in securing medical treatments for injuries, information on legal rights and resources available, emergency housing options, employment services, and transportation assistance; Making transportation and hotel arrangements to facilitate court appearances and providing routine guidance and assistance in preparing victim impact statements; Providing in-court support to victims during and prior to hearings and trials, including courtroom orientation prior to testimony, facilitating opportunities for victims to consult with Assistant U.S. Attorney's (AUSAs) prosecuting the case and locating a safe, separate waiting area apart from defendants and their counsel; Informing victims of their rights under Federal law and assisting them with exercising those rights throughout prosecution; and Assisting in maintaining relationships with a network of Federal, state and local law enforcement personnel, investigative agency victim specialists and social service organizations to increase resources and services that more comprehensively serve crime victims. Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. Citizen or National
• Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory pre-employment adjudication. This includes fingerprint, credit and tax checks, and drug testing. Continued employment is subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation
• You must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable
• If selected, you may be required to complete a one year probationary period.
• You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.

Qualifications

GS-5: To be eligible at the GS-5 level, you must meet at least ONE of the following conditions as defined below: General Experience, Education, OR a Combination of Education and Experience. General Experience:Three full years of general experience, one year of which was equivalent to at least the GS-4 level in Federal service. Examples of general experience include: Analyzing problems to identify significant factors, gathering pertinent data, and recognizing solutions; planning and organizing work; and communicating effectively orally and in writing. Education: Successful completion of a 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree. Combination of Education and Experience: Successfully completed post-high school education may be used to meet the total one year of general experience requirement equivalent to the GS-4 grade level. Only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours (i.e., beyond the second year) is creditable toward meeting the general experience requirement. One full academic year of study (30 semester hours) beyond the second year is equivalent to 6 months of general experience. GS-7: To be eligible at the GS-7 level, you must meet at least ONE of the following conditions as defined below: Specialized Experience, Education, OR a Combination of Education and Experience. Specialized Experience: One full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-5 level in Federal Service. Specialized experience is defined as experience assisting in the administration of a victim program to facilitate prosecutions. Examples of specialized experience include: scheduling appointments, phone conferences, and meetings with victims as requested by the assigned attorney or as initiated by the victim; making travel and hotel arrangements for victims and/or witnesses to facilitate court appearances; assisting crime victims in completing applications and paperwork; identifying routine resources and providing referrals to crime victims and their families; maintaining calendar of active cases, including keeping track of hearings, trial dates, and sentencings; and producing a variety of written documents and materials utilizing a range of office software applications. Education: One full year of graduate level education in a related field (e.g. Criminal Justice, Social Work, Psychology and Sociology). Education at the graduate level must be in an accredited college or university and must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the duties of the position. Superior Academic Achievement: To qualify based on superior academic achievement, you must have completed the requirements for a bachelor's degree (or expect to complete within 9 months) in a related field (e.g. Criminal Justice, Social Work, Psychology and Sociology) from an accredited institution AND have one of the following: Class standing -- must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses. OR Grade-point average (G.P.A.) -- must have a grade-point average of: a. 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on their official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or b. 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum. OR Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society. For details, please refer to https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-policies/#url=General-Policies. Combination of Education and Experience:A combination of specialized experience and graduate education as described above which when combined equal 100% of the requirements. Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP)- The ICTAP provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your ICTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in the announcement; and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and receive a score of 85 or better on established ranking criteria. You must provide proof of eligibility to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of ICTAP eligibility or a copy of your separation personnel action form. Additional information about ICTAP eligibility is at: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/. Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)-The CTAP provides eligible surplus and displaced competitive service employees in the Department of Justice with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your Department of Justice component has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your CTAP eligibility, 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement, and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and receive a score of 85 or better on established ranking criteria. You must provide a copy of your written notification of CTAP eligibility with your application. Additional information about CTAP eligibility is at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.

Education

All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, see http://www.ed.gov
OR
Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the above 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 timely provide such evidence by submitting proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency with your application materials. More information may be found at http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html. All documentation must be in English or include an English translation.

Contacts

• Address Western District of Washington 700 Stewart St. STE 5220 Seattle, WA 98101 US
• Name: Mara Montes
• Phone: 2065534200
• Email: [email protected]