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Supervisory Government Information Specialist (FOIA)

Department of the Interior
Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement
Associate Director for Administration
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The Bureau of Safety & Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) works to promote safety, protect the environment, and conserve resources offshore through vigorous regulatory oversight and enforcement. For information about our bureau go to: http://www.bsee.gov/

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
08/10/2020 to 08/24/2020
Salary
$121,316 to - $157,709 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 14
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Sterling, VA
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
14
Supervisory status
Yes
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
High Risk (HR)
Trust determination process
Announcement number
BSEE-EECC-20-BW-146(MP)
Control number
575850600

Duties

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This position is located in the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) Office of Administration, Office of the Associate Director for Administration. The incumbent serves as the BSEE FOIA Officer providing direction and leadership for the BSEE programs. The incumbent is responsible for planning, developing, analyzing, evaluating and administering the BSEE FOIA program, to include policy and training development in accordance with Departmental FOIA Office (DFO) parameters and instruction, the execution, administration and conduct of theFOIA program, oversight of FOIA program functions, providing guidance on FOIA-related matters, implementing and assessing FOIA activities, and implementing plans and strategies for implementing FOIA and data protection initiatives.

At the full performance level (GS-14) the major duties of this position include, but are not limited to the following:
1. Provides direction and leadership for the BSEEFOIA programs and is the primary point of contact with the DFO.
2. Develops new methods and approaches in directing the strategic planning, integration, and evaluation of the BSEE FOIA program.
3. Responsible for clarifying and resolving issues relating to specific FOIA requests or overall FOIA processes and procedures.
4. Oversees preparation of final response letters and related correspondence such as acknowledgement letters, time extension letters, and requests for clarification; adapts standard language to fit particular responses; briefs management on controversial/sensitive requests.
5. Maintains the BSEE FOIA web site (content only) to ensure compliance with FOIA; and complies with the public information requirements.??????
6. Responsible for planning, developing, analyzing, evaluating and administering the BSEE FOIA program, to include policy and training development.
7. Provides guidance and recommendations to BSEE senior officials on the implementation of the Department's FOIA priorities and plans.

BSEE determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.

Travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will not be paid. Any travel, transportation, and relocation expenses associated with reporting for duty in this position will be the responsibility of the selected employee.

This vacancy may be used to fill additional positions as vacancies become available.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen.
  • You will be subject to a background/suitability investigation/determination
  • You will be required to have federal payments made by Direct Deposit.
  • You must submit ALL required documents and a completed questionnaire.
  • Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service system, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See http://www.sss.gov/.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualification Requirements:

To qualify for the GS-14, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 level in the Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service. Specialized experience is that which equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience:

  1. Serve as a team lead responsible for managing FOIA and Privacy Act functions for an agency or an organization. This includes conducting and supervising reviews and analyses that identify the scope and types of records requested and creating and maintaining information in an automated tracking system to manage FOIA requests;
  2. Utilize electronic document management tools to search for, and collect, FOIA-requested records, and perform critical reviews and analyses to determine the responsiveness of the records, whether one or more FOIA exemptions apply to the records, and whether foreseeable harm would result from their release in a timely manner;
  3. Interpret and apply laws, regulations, legal decisions, policies, procedures, and directives pertaining to the protection and release of the FOIA and Privacy Act information; and
  4. Communicate verbally and in writing with supervisors, Departmental stakeholders and leadership, representatives of other organizations, and/or the public regarding FOIA and Privacy Act issues, including the preparation of FOIA correspondence such as acknowledgement letters, time extension letters, and interim and final response letters and the resolution of issues associated with FOIA requests.
It is desirable for the applicant to have a legal background.

Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualification Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions and is available at OPM's website: https://www.opm.gov/qualifications/standards/indexes/num-ndx.asp

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Merit Promotion candidates must also meet Time-in-Grade requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

Education

At the GS-14 grade level, education cannot be substituted for experience.

Additional information

Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position.

Identification of promotion potential in this announcement does not constitute a commitment or an obligation on the part of management to promote the employee selected at some future date. Promotion will depend upon administrative approval and the continuing need for and performance of higher-level duties.

The application contains information subject to the Privacy Act (P.L. 93-579, 5 USC 552a). The information is used to determine qualifications for employment, and is authorized under Title 5, USC, Section 3302 and 3361.

Important Note: All Department of the Interior (DOI) employees are subject to the conflict of interest restrictions imposed upon all employees of the Executive Branch of the Federal Government and may be required to file a Financial Disclosure Report. In addition, DOI employees, GS-15 and above, who work in the Office of the Secretary; along with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) employees (at ALL grade levels), are further restricted concerning their interests in Federal lands and resources administered or controlled by the Department of the Interior. This includes holding stock in energy corporations which lease Federal lands (e.g.: oil, gas, coal, alternative energy resources, etc.). If you have any such investments you should contact the DOI, BOEM or BSEE Ethics Office before accepting employment. DOI employees are held to the highest level of integrity. Employees must be objective and impartial in the performance of their work. All potential issues (e.g.: work-related interactions with friends, family members, or previous employers) must be disclosed at the time of application or during the interview process.

NOTICE: This employer participates in E-Verify and will utilize your Form I-9 information to confirm you are authorized to work in the U.S.
A preliminary background check must be completed before a new employee can begin work with the U.S. Department of the Interior. The preliminary background check consists of a search of Office of Personnel Management and Department of Defense background investigation files and an FBI National Criminal History Fingerprint Check; it may take up to 3 weeks to complete. If selected for this position, you will be extended a tentative offer of employment pending a satisfactory background check. Current Federal employees or individuals with an existing completed background investigation may not be required to undergo another background check; these will be handled on a case-by-case basis in coordination with the Bureau security office.

How you will be evaluated

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

Once the application process is complete, we will review your application to ensure you meet the job requirements. To determine if you are qualified for this job, a review of your resume, supporting documentation and responses to the online questionnaire will be made. Your responses to the online assessment will be used to measure the degree to which your background matches the requirements for this position. However, your resume must support your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire, or your score may be lowered. The best qualified candidates will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be invited for an interview.

Your answers to the on-line assessment will be used to evaluate your competencies in the following areas:

Regulations and Guidance - Expert knowledge of FOIA and its associated legal requirements, and related legislation such as the Federal Records Act, the Privacy Act, and section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Ability to support the SOL in the processing of FOIA requests in litigation, advise managers and stakeholders, and provide expert guidance to subordinate staff.
Technical Competence - Ability to ensure procedures and practices are compliant with Federal laws and regulations, as well as Departmental business practices for FOIA processing and records management. Skill in implementing manual and electronic systems and programs to meet FOIA processing and tracking needs.
Information Management ) - Ability to coordinate multiple, complex processes, and plan and organize work for various periods of time, while consistently meeting deadlines and documenting both completed and ongoing tasks. Ability to independently organize, track, report and delegate as needed. Set priorities and determine goals and strategies to achieve them, within the parameters set by the OS FOIA Officer and the Deputy Director for Correspondence and FOIA Management. Coordinate and collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to accomplish goals and monitors progress and evaluates outcomes.
Leadership - Ability to oversee the work of a team, monitor and evaluate performance, and assist in coaching and mentoring team members. As a recognized authority in the analysis and evaluation of FOIA programs and controversial issues, skill in maintaining tact and adhering to high standards of fairness.

DUE WEIGHT
Please submit 1) a copy of your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation and 2) a list of any awards (e.g. superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increase, etc.) you received in the last 5 years. Any performance appraisal/evaluation and award documentation you provide will be forwarded to the selecting official. The selecting official will review this documentation and give it due weight consideration during the overall selection process.

If you do not have your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation, please submit a statement as to why it is not available. Please indicate if any prior performance appraisals/evaluations were at an acceptable level.

To preview the assessment questionnaire click: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/10885563

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