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Mail & File Clerk (OA)

Department of Homeland Security
Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Office of the Principal Legal Advisor
This job announcement has closed

Summary

View Common Definitions of terms found in this announcement.

Organizational Location: This position is located in the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Los Angeles, CA and San Francisco, CA.

This is a bargaining unit position.

Note: One or more positions may be filled using this vacancy announcement. Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for DHS to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
07/29/2020 to 08/06/2020
Salary
$26,915 to - $39,149 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 4 - 5
Locations
1 vacancy in the following locations:
Los Angeles, CA
San Francisco, CA
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
5
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
High Risk (HR)
Trust determination process
Announcement number
DAL-PLA-10853641-TD
Control number
574750600

Duties

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This position is located within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OPLA), and performs administrative and technical support in support of the OPLA mission. Specifically, you will:

  • Process a variety of incoming and outgoing mail in accordance with agency and postal service requirements; update old and establish new distribution patterns and codes and maintain suspense files;
  • Perform general office duties in support of office staff; such as sort bulk mail, reroute misdirected mail, date stamp mail, and screen for priority items;
  • File and route incoming materials, briefs and correspondence that concern legal and specialized matter; and
  • Maintain suspense files for communication with staff on overdue correspondence.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.
  • You must successfully pass a background investigation.
  • You must successfully pass a drug screen.
  • Males born after 12/31/59 must certify registration with Selective Service.
  • Requirements by Closing Date: Unless otherwise noted, you must meet all requirements by the closing date of the announcement.
  • Probationary Period: This is a full-time permanent position (Career/Career-Conditional appointment). Upon appointment to this position, you may be required to serve a one-year probationary period.
  • One or more positions may be filled using this vacancy announcement. Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for DHS to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions.
  • If you are qualifying for the GS-5 position based on education you must submit a copy of your college transcript (unofficial is acceptable).

Qualifications

GS-04: You must meet the following to qualify at the GS-04 grade level.

Experience: One year of general experience consisting of progressively responsible clerical, office, or other work. Examples include: Performing simple clerical tasks providing a basic knowledge of filing, answering phones, and preparing simple documents.

Substitution of Education for Experience: You may substitute successful completion of two years above the high school level in any field from an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college or university for experience at the GS-04 grade level.

Combining Education and Experience: Appropriate combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience also may be used to meet the total qualification requirements for the GS-04 grade level.

GS-05: You must meet the following to qualify at the GS-05 grade level.

Experience: One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-04 grade level performing duties such as:

Maintaining office files and records, referring office calls and visitors to appropriate sources, receiving and distributing mail, processing outgoing mail, and preparing simple documents.

Substitution of Education for Experience: You may substitute successful completion of a Bachelor's degree or a full 4-year course of study in any field leading to a Bachelor's degree for the experience required at the GS-05 grade level. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. One year of full-time undergraduate study is defined as 30 semester or 45 quarter hours.

Combining Education and Experience: Appropriate combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience also may be used to meet the total qualification requirements for the GS-05 grade level.

Typing Proficiency: In addition to the above minimum qualification requirements, applicants must be able to type at least 40 words per minute based on a 5 minute sample, with three or fewer errors. You may self-certify your proficiency in your resume/application package.

Office Automation: In addition to the above minimum qualification requirements, applicants must possess knowledge of general office automation software, practices, and procedures.

Qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Qualification claims will be subject to verification.

National Service Experience (i.e. volunteer experience): Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; 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.

Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

Education

Special Instructions for Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. Failure to provide such documentation with your application will result in lost consideration. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

NOTE: All education must have been obtained from an accredited college or university. For additional information regarding the substitution of education for experience, click HERE.

Additional information

Promotion Potential: When promotion potential is shown, the agency is not making a commitment and is not obligated to provide future promotions to you if you are selected. Future promotions will be dependent on your ability to perform the duties at a higher level, the continuing need for an employee assigned to the higher level, and administrative approval.

E-Verify: DHS uses E-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities.

Suitability: If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment.

Background Investigation: To ensure the accomplishment of our mission, DHS requires every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet these standards, all selected applicants must undergo and successfully obtain and maintain a background investigation for Public Trust as a condition of placement into this position. This may include a credit check, a review of financial issues such as delinquency in the payment of debts, child support and/or tax obligations, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs.

The Department of Homeland Security encourages persons with disabilities to apply, to include persons with intellectual, severe physical or psychiatric disabilities, as defined by 5 CFR § 213.3102(u), and/or Disabled Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more as defined by 5 CFR § 315.707. Veterans, Peace Corps/VISTA volunteers, and persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs. To determine your eligibility for non-competitive appointment and to understand the required documentation, click on the links above or contact the Servicing Human Resources Office listed at the bottom of this announcement.

Pursuant to Executive Order 12564, and the DHS Drug-Free Workplace Plan, ICE is committed to maintaining a drug-free workplace and, therefore, personnel in safety- or security-sensitive positions (testing designated positions) are subject to random drug testing. Moreover, other drug testing of employees (e.g., reasonable suspicion drug test) may be conducted in order to ensure a safe and healthy work environment. All applicants tentatively selected for employment at ICE are subject to pre-employment drug testing and a final offer of employment is contingent upon a negative drug test result.

How you will be evaluated

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

We will review your resume and supporting documentation to ensure you meet the minimum qualification requirements. If you meet the minimum qualifications, we will use an Assessment Questionnaire to place you in one of three categories based on your experience, education and training. The competencies or knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform this job are:

  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Manages and Organizes Information
  • Technology Application

If you meet the minimum qualifications, you will be placed in one of the following categories:
  1. Best-Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate high proficiency in all of the critical competencies, including all Selective Placement Factors (SPF) and appropriate Quality Ranking Factors (QRF) as determined by the job analysis.
  2. Well-Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrates acceptable proficiency in all of the critical competencies, including all SPFs and appropriate QRFs as determined by the job analysis
  3. Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate basic proficiency in most of the critical competencies, including all SPFs and appropriate QRFs as determined by the job analysis.
If you are best qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and may be called for an interview.

Veterans: Qualified veterans who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10% are listed in the best-qualified category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level, or higher. (This position is not considered scientific/professional.) Other 10-point preference eligible and veterans with 5-point preference who meet the eligibility and qualification requirements are placed above non-preference eligible within the category in which they qualify. View information on veterans' preference.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) Eligibles: If you have never worked for the federal government, you are not ICTAP eligible. View information about ICTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website. To be considered well qualified under ICTAP, you must be rated at a minimum score of 85 for this position. In addition, you must submit the supporting documents listed under the required documents section of this announcement.

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