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Government Information Specialist (Appeals & Litigation)

Department of Health and Human Services
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Office
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The incumbent provides legal and operational expertise relative to requests, administrative appeals, lawsuits, and court cases involving the disclosure of information under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

This announcement is amended to state that multiple selections maybe made.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
04/10/2020 to 04/20/2020
Salary
$96,117 to - $124,955 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Location
2 vacancies in the following location:
Atlanta, GA
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Announcement number
HHS-CDC-M1-20-10787329
Control number
565263700

This job is open to

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Federal employees - Competitive service

Current federal employees whose agencies follow the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's hiring rules and pay scales.

Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)

Federal employees whose job, agency or department was eliminated and are eligible for priority over other applicants.

Land and base management

Current or former employees of a base management agency.

Veterans

Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces or a spouse, widow, widower or parent of a veteran, who may be eligible for derived preference

Military spouses

Military spouses of active duty service members or whose spouse is 100 percent disabled or died on active duty.

Individuals with disabilities

Individuals who are eligible under Schedule A.

Duties

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As a Government Information Specialist (Appeals & Litigation) you will:

  • Serve as a technical specialist in addressing FOIA requests and administrative appeals, and assist with FOIA lawsuits.
  • Interpret court decisions and use legal research to find applicable decisions to make disclosure determinations for both FOIA requests and administrative appeals.
  • Prepare responsive materials required for administrative appeals and judicial proceedings.
  • Analyze arguments presented in administrative appeals and consult with others as needed.
  • Independently process appeals with minimal guidance from the FOIA Officer.
  • Provide project and technical assistance to analysts on FOIA disclosure laws and policies.
  • Analyze FOIA policies and operational issues.
  • Provide technical support for program officials in discussions with senior departmental officials.
  • Participate on research teams to ascertain trends and developments in the disclosure of information requested under FOIA.
  • Prepare and conduct training for employees and management officials on complex aspects of FOIA statutory provisions and agency policies.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • US Citizenship is required.
  • Background Investigation is required.
  • E-Verify: 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. Federal law requires DHS to use the E-Verify System to verify employment eligibility of all new hires, and as a condition of continued employment obligates the new hire to take affirmative steps to resolve any discrepancies identified by the system. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is an E-Verify Participant.
  • Direct Deposit: All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
  • One-year probationary period may be required.
  • Travel, transportation, and moving expenses will be paid: No
  • Bargaining Unit Position: No
  • Drug Screening Required: No
  • Recruitment Incentive may be authorized: No
  • Annual Leave for non-federal service may be authorized: No
  • Research position: No
  • Promotion potential: No
  • Supervisory position: No
  • Time in grade (TIG) must be met within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement.
  • Current or Former Political Appointees: Agencies must seek prior approval from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) before they can appoint a current or recent political appointee to a competitive or non-political excepted service position at any level under the provisions of title 5, United States Code. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employee in the executive branch, you MUST disclose that to the Human Resources Office. Failure to disclose this information could result in disciplinary action including removal from Federal Service. Current or Former Political Appointees: Submit SF-50.
  • All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.
  • Public Trust/Moderate Background Investigation (5) is required.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

Applicants must have one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-12 level of difficulty and responsibility in the Federal service as defined in the next paragraph.

Specialized experience is experience at or equivalent to which is directly related to the position which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) to successfully perform the duties of the position to include experience with FOIA, legal tools and concepts necessary for processing and responding to FOIA requests and appeals; making disclosure determinations and drafting legal documents associated with FOIA appeals and/or lawsuits.

Education

There is no education substitution.

Additional information

To Remain An Active Duty USPHS Commissioned Corps Officer

  • Join more than 6,500 highly qualified public health professionals as part of the U.S. Public Health Service. Overseen by the Surgeon General, you will be part of an elite and diverse team of professionals essential to public health leadership and exemplary clinical service
  • PHS Commissioned Corps Officers interested in performing the duties of this position with the Commissioned Corps, you are welcome to apply and receive a courtesy referral. Note that a courtesy referral is not a competitive civil service process and does not provide civil service status for the selected employee. Click Here for the comparison chart of Commissioned Corps ranks to civil service, which advises you on potential billet rankings.
Additional selections may be made within the same geographical location CDC-wide.

The utilization of shared certificates within multiple Centers of the Center of Disease Control and Prevention may be used from this vacancy announcement for specialties to include but not limited to: Applied Epidemiology, Behavioral Epidemiology, Chronic Diseases, Emergency Preparedness and Response, Emerging Infectious Diseases, Environmental Health, HIV/AIDS, Immunization, Infectious Diseases (e.g. Viral, Parasitic, etc.), Influenza, Malaria, Non-communicable Diseases, Outbreak Investigations, Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs), Surveillance, Tropical Medicine, Tuberculosis (TB), Viral Hepatitis, and/or Zoonotic Diseases.

If you are a veteran with preference eligibility and you are claiming 5-points veterans' preference, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 or other proof of eligibility. If you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference, you must also submit an SF-15, "Application for 10-Point Veterans' Preference" plus the proof required by that form. For more information on veterans' preference see http://www.usajobs.gov/Veterans

Males born after December 31, 1959 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service, www.sss.gov.

For information on "People with Disabilities" please see http://opm.gov/disability/PeopleWithDisabilities.asp
and https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/disability-employment/getting-a-job/sampleschedaletters.pdf.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): For information on how to apply as an ICTAP eligible see http://opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp#ictap. To be well-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, displaced Federal employees must be rated at 85.0 or above on the rating criteria for this position.

To view the questionnaire, click on the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/10787329

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document(s), view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.

How you will be evaluated

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

"Additional selections may be made for similar positions across the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) within the local commuting area(s) of the location identified in this announcement. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with interested selecting official(s) at HHS. Clearance of CTAP/ICTAP will be applied for similar positions across HHS."
Once the application process is complete, a review of resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If, after reviewing your resume and or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):
  • Application of FOIA and its statutory provisions, precedent cases, related laws, regulations, policies, and procedures.
  • Experience gathering, assembling, and analyzing facts, drawing conclusions, applying legal standards, and devising alternative solutions related to responding to FOIA requests and administrative appeals.
  • Experience in the application of FOIA statute, relevant case law, disclosure policies and DOJ guidance to a wide variety of FOIA requests and administrative appeals.
  • Skill drafting effective written explanations of and legal justifications for denial decisions.
  • Skill in oral communication.
  • Skill in written communication.

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