About the National FOIA Office:

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) reflects our country's fundamental commitment to government accountability and transparency. The National FOIA office leads EPA in discharging its responsibilities under the Freedom of Information Act. The NFO, located in the Office of General Counsel, provides legal advising services and a wide range of programmatic services pertaining to the Agency’s implementation of the Freedom of Information Act, including FOIA request intake, assignment, clarification, determination of expedited processing and fee waiver requests, preparing monthly and annual FOIA reports, providing training, reviewing and updating the Agency’s FOIA regulations, policies, and procedures, and staffing the Agency’s FOIA Requester Service Center and FOIA Public Liaison. 

The FOIA Expert Assistance Team (FEAT), located in the NFO, was created to provide concentrated attention to the most complex, voluminous, or potentially sensitive FOIA requests the Agency receives. The FEAT provides legal advice, technology expertise, and robust project management assistance to EPA’s headquarters and regional offices ensuring that the Agency can rapidly, efficiently, and appropriately respond to the public’s requests for information.

Responsibilities

The NFO’s Assistant General Counsel for the FEAT assists the NFO Associate General Counsel in managing the day-to-day operation of the FEAT, including overseeing and managing the work of the attorneys, paralegals and government information specialists assigned to work on FEAT projects, and managing assigned projects.

Other responsibilities include:

• Serving as an expert on a broad range of Freedom of Information Act, discovery and document review technology, and litigation issues, and supervising the work of attorneys, paralegals and government information specialists on these matters;
• Providing well-reasoned legal advice to the NFO Associate General Counsel, the General Counsel and Deputy General Counsels, the Assistant Administrators, and other senior officials in connection with all aspects of the Freedom of Information Act, related laws, and their implementation;

• Monitoring work assigned to the attorneys, paralegals, and government information specialists assigned to work on FEAT matters, and ensuring that issues and matters are appropriately prioritized;
• Reviewing assigned work and providing feedback to ensure the delivery of consistent, coherent, and sound legal advice, technological assistance, and project management;
• Acting as the contact person for high-level communications with EPA senior managers and other U.S. government senior management officials;
• Training attorneys new to the NFO on matters related to the FEAT’s work;
• Consulting with the NFO Associate General Counsel on issues relating to staff, performance, promotions and awards; and
• Performing other duties as assigned.

This position is in the excepted service. Selection under this appointment authority does not confer civil service competitive status. However, this position is covered for the purpose of federal retirement and benefits.

If you are selected, you will be expected to report to work as soon as practical but no later than thirty (30) days from the date you receive a final job offer. Extension of this reporting requirement may be granted only under extraordinary circumstances.

Except in special circumstances, those new to the federal government will be hired at the starting salary (step 1) of the applicable grade range listed above.

When entering a Federal job at a grade level lower than the highest promotion potential level, you may be promoted to more complex duties and work more independently, as your career progresses.

If you are selected, you must complete a one-year trial period.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply.
• If you are selected, a pre-employment background check is required.
• You must submit a resume and required documents (See How to Apply section).
• You may be required to travel occasionally.

Qualifications

Applicant must have an LL.B. or J.D. degree from an accredited law school; must be admitted to practice before the highest court of a State, U.S. territory, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Pico; and must maintain active status as a member of the bar in one of these jurisdictions.  Applicants must have experience in providing legal advice and counsel at EPA, other federal, state or local agencies or courts, non-governmental organizations, or in private practice.

To qualify for the GS-15 level, you should have four (4) or more years of post-J.D. legal experience, at least one of which included specialized experience at, or equivalent to, the GS-14 grade level or higher.  Please explain any specialized experience working under these statutes in your written statement of interest, if applicable.

The ideal candidate will have excellent interpersonal, leadership, communication and organizational skills, a strong customer service ethic, and an eagerness to teach and mentor the practice group.

If you are selected, you will be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Form prior to your first day of employment and annually thereafter.

This position is designated as a Moderate Risk and requires a background investigation. Unless an appropriate background investigation is already on record with the Office of Personnel Management, you must undergo a background investigation.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above and based on the information contained in your resume packet. If an interview is granted, you will be evaluated based on the responses you provide during an interview.  In responding to interview questions, you should be sure to cite specific examples of experience, explain exactly what you did and the outcome.

There is no numerical rating system for applying veteran’s preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Office of General Counsel considers veteran’s preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring.