This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/496398200. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
This is an attorney position that is located in the Federal Trade Commission's Office of the General Counsel ("OGC"), Freedom of Information Act ("FOIA") Unit. The attorney will perform a wide variety of analytical and operational tasks relating to FOIA and Information Law. Assignments will involve the handling of a range of complex tasks requiring comprehensive knowledge of FTC functions, procedures, methods, operations, and record systems. The position requires the attorney to understand the intricacies of the FOIA and Privacy Act ("PA") statutes and leading judicial decisions. As a FOIA attorney, the incumbent will work on specialized OGC FOIA/PA and similar discovery-related projects that require technical expertise, detailed review, strong writing skills, and an understanding of priorities.
Learn more about this agency04/11/2018 to 04/19/2018
$66,510 - $103,639 per year
GS 11 - 12
1 vacancy in the following location:
Not required
No
Permanent - Permanent - Full-time
Full-time - Excepted Service
12
No
OGC-2018-0003
496398200
The incumbent will perform the following duties:
Review and process FOIA requests in compliance with the FOIA, PA, and the Commission Rules of Practice 16 C.F.R. § 4.11. To do so, the incumbent conducts an initial search of the Commission’s electronic databases (including, but not limited to, DocSmart, Business Objects, Consumer Sentinel, IdTheft, MMS, Intra/Internet Landoc and Documentum) to determine if there may be responsive records and to identify the offices that are likely to have such records. This position also organizes the retrieval of documents that may be responsive to the requests.
Analyzes the collected documents. The incumbent needs to recognize legal issues that may arise from the content of the documents and understand how to work within the Agency’s FOIA/PA processing policy depending upon changing situations. The incumbent, among other things, will need to: review the scope of the request and clarify the requester’s intent where necessary; research the category of request to identify practical applications of the FOIA/PA for asserting a statutory exemption; conduct extensive record searches; make recommendations on appropriate discretionary disclosures; draft outgoing FOIA Unit responses; coordinate with appropriate bureaus and offices; and ensure that the entire response complies with FOIA regulations and policies.
Consults and coordinates with FTC bureaus, offices, and other agencies on non-routine procedural issues to ensure the FOIA unit consistently processes FTC records that may contain copies of records from other agencies. The incumbent must stay abreast of all policies and procedures effecting record retrieval practices to ensure that the records compiled adequately represent all potential responsive records. The incumbent should provide suggestions regarding how to resolve issues successfully and how policy changes may affect daily activities.
Makes recommendations for disclosing documents that are consistent with agency policy and applicable FOIA/PA exemptions. Additionally, the incumbent will take a leading role training and assisting paralegals and FTC staff in the application of all FOIA exemptions and agency policy when dealing with requests. This position ensures reviewed files are complete and include the content and amount of records. The incumbent may review other’s certifications and meet with appropriate staff to clarify the certification is in compliance with the FOIA.
Reviews all records and makes recommendations for release based on sound legal principles. This requires the incumbent to understand and apply all FOIA exemptions and advise staff on the agency’s policy in claiming privileges and exemptions. Additionally, the incumbent may be required to notify outside submitters of records of the agency’s obligation to release all or portions of those records; and, when necessary, respond to submitters’ objections to the release of such records.
Prepares legal memorandum detailing the actions taken to fulfill each FOIA request, the decisions made and substantiation thereof, and makes a final recommendation to the Associate General Counsel, lead FOIA attorney. The incumbent also prepares a final letter responding to the request to be reviewed and signed by the lead FOIA attorney.
Responds to telephone inquiries from the public managing and directing routine matters involving the work of paralegals and other staff. This includes: (a) leading efforts to review and collect current case law and executive guidance regarding FOIA, electronic discovery, and information law issues; (b) preparing the annual FOIA report to Congress with some review by the lead FOIA attorney; (c) taking the lead to provide guidance and planning to maintain and update the FOIA Website; and (d) other FOIA related issues as required.
All applications must be received on-line via www.usajobs.gov. This vacancy will be open for 10 days or close once we have 100 applicants.
Information on Displaced Federal Employees and Special Hiring Authorities can be found by clicking Additional Information.
Financial Suitability - It is the policy of the government not to deny employment simply because an individual has been unemployed or has had financial difficulties that have arisen through no fault of the individual. Information about an individual's employment experience will be used only to determine the person's qualifications and to assess his or her relative level of knowledge, skills, and abilities. Although an individual's personal conduct may be relevant in any employment decision, including conduct during periods of unemployment or evidence of dishonesty in handling financial matters, financial difficulty that has arisen through no fault of the individual will generally not itself be the basis of an unfavorable suitability or fitness determination.
This vacancy announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies within the Federal Trade Commission.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
You will be evaluated based on the overall strength of your credentials as demonstrated by your cover letter, resume, writing sample, and experience. The most qualified candidates will be selected for interviews, which will also be considered in making the final decision. Application of Veterans' Preference: There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Federal Trade Commission considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. If you are eligible for veterans' preference, you are encouraged to include that information in your cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., DD Form 214 or other substantiating documents) to your submission.
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To help you ensure your application fully outlines your qualifications and eligibility for this position, please submit the following documentation as appropriate. Some of the items listed may not apply to you.
APPLICATION PACKAGE CHECKLIST
__ Announcement number, title, and grade(s) of the position
__ Full name, mailing address (including zip code) and day and evening phone numbers (with area code)
__ Statement that you are a U.S. citizen
__ Current Federal employees serving on a competitive career or career conditional appointment or reinstatement eligible must submit a copy of their most recent Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50).
__Copy of DD Form 214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) (only if claiming veteran's preference)
__SF-15 (Application for 10-point Veteran's Preference) plus the support documentation required by this form (if claiming 10-point veteran's preference)
__ Paid and non-paid work experience related to the position. For each period of Work experience include:
___Job title
___Series/grade (if Federal employment)
___Duties and accomplishments
___Employer's name and address
___Supervisor's name and contact information
___Starting and ending dates of employment (month/day/year)
___Number of hours worked per week
___Salary
___Indicate if we may contact current supervisor/employer
___Other job related information, such as training courses (title & year); skills (e.g., other languages, computer software/hardware, tools, etc.)
___Certificates/licenses (current).
___Honors, awards, and special accomplishments
___A Legible copy of college transcripts (if qualifying all or in part on the basis of Education for this position)
___Support documentation for eligibility for special hiring authorities, such as disability, Peace Corps service, etc.
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Individuals applying for this announcement are required to complete and submit an online application through the Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) application system, USAJOBS. The information you provide in USAJOBS is general information completed by all candidates. That information and your resume will become part of your application and will automatically be transferred to FT-SEE when you apply online. The submission of anything other than the below online application will result in you not being considered for this job.
If applying online poses a hardship to any applicant, please contact us. Applicants must contact us at 202-326-2021 prior to the closing date to speak to someone who can provide assistance for online submission. Requests for extensions will not be granted.
There are several parts of the application process that will affect your overall evaluation:
1. Your online resume (See Step 1 below).
2. Your responses to the eligibility questions.
3. Your responses to the vacancy specific self-assessment questions.
4. Submission of supporting documentation (See instructions under the "Required Documentation" section of this posting.
You have until 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the closing date of this announcement to complete the following four-step application process:
STEP 1: To apply, you must first register on USAJOBS at www.usajobs.opm.gov and have at least one resume associated with your account. Your online resume must be built using the USAJOBS resume builder or you can upload an existing resume from your computer. You must submit a resume to be considered for this position. Once you have completed the registration process, thoroughly review this vacancy announcement and then select the "Apply Online" button and follow the instructions provided.
STEP 2: After selecting a resume to submit with your application package, you will be taken to FT-SEE to answer questions related to your experience and vacancy specific questions. The answers to the questions are necessary to evaluate your qualifications for the specific job to which you are applying. When completed, the information you provided through USAJOBS and the answers to the FT-SEE questions will become your application.
STEP 3: Review your resume to make certain that it supports your responses to the questions. Once you submit your online application, you will see a screen telling you that your application has been successfully transmitted. If you do not receive this confirmation, you have not successfully completed your application.
STEP 4: Submit Supporting Documentation, as necessary.
NOTE: Paper applications and information sent by mail WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
Please click this link: What to Expect Next
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/496398200. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
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