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Government Information Specialist

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The facility Privacy/Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA) Officer has oversight for the data governance program and initiatives in the VHA Medical Center or Healthcare System and its supporting catchment area.

Overview

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Job canceled
Open & closing dates
08/14/2020 to 08/31/2020
Salary
$88,651 to - $115,251 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12
Location
Bronx, NY
1 vacancy
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
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
CBTE-10885104-20-SM
Control number
576194000

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

This vacancy is only open to permanent employees of the Veterans Healthcare Administration (VHA)System within VISN 2.

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Duties

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The position makes unique facility-level determinations about disclosures, issuance of denials, redactions, access, use and dissemination of federal agency records. Formulates policy, ensures compliance with federal and state laws and conducts thorough research of federal implementing regulations. Provides guidance while communicating complex information to the Executive leadership, facility staff and outside stakeholders.
Safeguards Government information while supporting accountability and transparency initiatives. The Privacy/FOIA Officer reports directly to a Senior Executive member of the VHA facility (i. e., Facility Director, or Assistant Facility Director) and is solely responsible for all aspects of the Privacy/FOIA Program to include Strategic and Risk analysis, planning, program outreach, coordinating training, developing metrics and ensuring that federally mandated information governance and accountability measures are in place. The work involves implementing unique policies and procedures to manage agency information, providing assistance and services to the general public and VA staff members. The work requires researching, interpreting and applying laws, regulations, policies and guidance for access and disclosure of VA agency records and information.

Duties include but are not limited to:
-Supports developing a local level strategy for data governance, which includes leading from the executive office and creating a unique program that includes diverse processes and specific policies which are independent of other facilities.
-Develops and executes strategic management initiatives that establishes areas of control of information within the facility and interfaces with all business operations across service lines/departments.
-Approves all facility policies and reviews business practices to ensure appropriate use and protection of information specific to each functional area.
-Strengthens and sustains the operational life cycle of the privacy/FOIA program by developing a communication strategy that fosters awareness for both internal and external partners to improve compliance, provide training and engage the public.
-Provides subject matter expertise directly and independently with senior leadership, local and facility Law Enforcement, Office of Chief Counsel in the District, VHA Central Office and VISN leadership regarding data governance.
-Performs complex analysis of key policy inquiries that can encompass any and all information collected, used or disclosed in the facility.
-Serves as a senior team leader and independently plans, coordinates and administers major, high priority privacy investigative cases which are integral to agency data governance objectives.
-Coordinates and delegates complex investigative responsibilities that frequently collaborate with Office of Chief Counsel in the District, human resources, executive leadership and labor partners. Leads a team that analyzes and evaluates complex data, conducts meetings, briefings and suggests potential administrative action to leadership pursuant to a privacy violation.

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 4:30pm
Compressed/Flexible: Not available.
Telework: Not available.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Government Information Specialist/PD20G14-O
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized.
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
  • Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
  • You may be required to serve a probationary period
  • Subject to background/security investigation
  • Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 08/31/2020.

Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade.


You may qualify based on your experience:

  • Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-11 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. .
You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
  • Compliance
  • Identity Management
  • Information Assurance
  • Organizational Awareness
  • Personnel Security and Safety
  • Security


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

Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary. There will be episodes of moderate lifting or prolonged periods of standing and bending in searching various files. There is lifting and carrying of such items as record boxes and bulky files.
The work involves considerable walking, standing and bending conducting rounds, auditing and providing training to both on-site and off-site personnel. There is also occasional lifting and carrying of such items as boxes and files, weighing up to 30 pounds.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Education

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.



Additional information



Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

If you are unable to apply online 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.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview.Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

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