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Government Information Specialist

Department of Defense
Washington Headquarters Services
Executive Services Directorate
This job announcement has closed

Summary

To serve as a Government Information Specialist. Administers, analyses, supervises or performs works involved in establishing, disseminating or managing Government information. Helps formulate policy, advises management, and ensures compliance with Federal laws governing flow of information, while safeguarding Government information and supporting accountability and transparency.



Overview

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Hiring complete
Posted 08/10/21
Location
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$49,157 - $94,581 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 9 - 11
Promotion potential
12
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Multiple Schedules
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Appointment type
Multiple - Multiple Appointment Types
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Drug test
Yes
Security clearance
Sensitive Compartmented Information
Position sensitivity and risk
Special-Sensitive (SS)/High Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Announcement number
DE-11200373-21-CB
Control number
610416900

Duties

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This is a Direct Hire Public Notice for the DoD Direct-Hire Authority for Post-Secondary Students and Recent Graduates.

Post-Secondary Students will be placed on term appointments NTE 16 months and may be eligible for conversion to career or career-conditional appointments within 120 days of graduation and receipt of official transcripts confirming conferred degree. Conversion is not guaranteed.

Recent Graduates will be placed on career or career-conditional appointments.

Under this recruitment, applications will be accepted for each location and/or installation identified in this Public Notice and selections are made for vacancies as they occur. There may or may not be actual/projected vacancies at the time you submit your application.

This Public Notice is to gather applications which may or may not result in a referral or selection. Please read this Public Notice in its entirety prior to submitting your application for consideration.

Incumbents typical work assignments may include the following:

  • Interprets and applies laws, regulations, policies and guidance to provide access to Federal agency records and information
  • Serves as independent Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) case action officer with working cases of advanced levels of complexity
  • Exercises discretionary judgment on FOIA procedural issues such as fee category, determinations, fee waivers, and the granting of expedited processing
  • Develops and implements DoD FOIA policies and procedures concerning the administration of programs required by the FOIA for public access to DoD information
  • Works directly with the DoD Office of General Counsel (OGC) and the Department of Justice in drafting legal affidavits in support of litigation filed pursuant to the FOIA

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is required
  • Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see https://www.sss.gov/Home/Registration)
  • Total salary varies depending on location of position
  • This position is subject to provisions of the WHS/OSD PPP Pilot Program
  • May be required to successfully complete a probationary/trial period
  • Must be determined suitable for federal employment
  • Required to participate in the direct deposit program
  • This position is subject to pre-employment and random drug testing
  • You may be required to complete and sign a participant agreement.
  • This position may require you to work other than normal duty hours, which may include evenings, weekends, and/or holidays and/or overtime.
  • This position may occasionally require travel away from the normal duty station via military or commercial aircraft.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: Positions are open to:

  • Post-Secondary students who are currently enrolled in, and in good academic standing at, a full-time program at an institution of higher education and making satisfactory progress toward receipt of a bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution and have completed at least one year of the program.
  • Recent graduates who have completed, within the previous two years, a qualifying bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution. Short-term training programs (e.g., several two-week programs completed) are not considered an academic course of study.
Applicants will be selected at the GS-09 or GS-11 level. The target grade of this position is GS-12.


You may qualify at the GS-09 level, if you fulfill the following qualification requirement:
One year of experience in the same or similar work equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-07) requiring application of knowledge, skills, and abilities of the position being filled. Candidates for this position must clearly demonstrate in their resume that they possess specialized experience in analyzing, voluminous, complex and sensitive issues to reconcile conflicting opinions concerning its suitability for public disclosure, and depicting through appropriate redaction techniques and interpreting civil law and Federal court opinions affecting the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and writing affidavits in support of FOIA litigation with knowledge of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) policy and related regulations, directives, policy memoranda, and administrative instructions
OR
Completion of a Master's degree or equivalent graduate degree or two years of progressively higher level education leading to such a degree. (Transcripts are required at the time of application.)
OR
A combination of specialized experience as described above and education as described above. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. (Transcripts are required at the time of application.)

You may qualify at the GS-11 level, if you fulfill the following qualification requirement:
One year of experience in the same or similar work equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-09) requiring application of knowledge, skills, and abilities of the position being filled. Candidates for this position must clearly demonstrate in their resume that they possess specialized experience in identifying legislative resolutions or problems encountered with the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and appropriately applying the exemptions of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to responsive information, procedural issues such as fee category, determinations, requests for fee waivers, and granting of expedited processing with ability to interpret civil law and Federal court opinions affecting the FOIA.
OR
Completion of a Ph.D or equivalent doctoral degree or three years of progressively higher level education leading to such a degree. (Transcripts are required at the time of application.)
OR
A combination of specialized experience as described above and education as described above. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. (Transcripts are required at the time of application.)

Conversion for Post-Secondary Students
This position may offer non-competitive conversion to career or career-conditional positions in the competitive service, provided that the interns have met all academic and Program requirements, and that they are within 120 days of academic program completion. The interns would be required to meet the OPM Qualification Standards for the GS-0306 Series in order to be noncompetitively converted at GS-0306-9/11 with promotion potential to GS-12.

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; 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.

All qualifications and education requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement and clearly documented in your resume.

Education

ARE YOU USING YOUR EDUCATION TO QUALIFY? You MUST provide transcripts to support your educational claims. Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Unless otherwise stated: (1) official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all of your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement.

PASS/FAIL COURSES: If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society.

GRADUATE EDUCATION: One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show 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. For further information, visit: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

Additional information

PPP PILOT: The Washington Headquarters Service is currently operating under an approved reengineered Priority Placement Program (PPP) pilot for all positions in its serviced workforce.

Other priority consideration programs will continue under their current operating procedures.

A tentative offer of employment will be rescinded if the selectee fails to meet the pre-employment requirements, including failure to report to any of the scheduled appointments.

Washington Headquarters Services uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit: http://www.dhs.gov/E-Verify

If you are unable to apply online, you must request an alternative application. Please view the following link for information on how to obtain an alternative application https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?%20title=Alternate_Application_Information

Appointment Authorities: For more information on appointment authority eligibility requirements:

Career Transition Assistance Programs: These programs apply to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: (1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; (2) be rated well-qualified for the position with a score of 85 or above; and, (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. For more information visit: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/

Employed Annuitants (Reemployed Annuitants): Applicants in receipt of an annuity based on civilian employment in the Federal Service are subject to the DoD Policy on The Employment of Annuitants. /www.esd.whs.mil/DD/DoD-Issuances/140025/

Current or Former Political Appointees: Beginning January 1, 2010, agencies must seek prior approval from 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.


Nepotism: Under the provisions of 5 USC 3110, an individual may not be appointed into a position if the position is under the supervisory chain of command of a relative.

Additional vacancies may be filled by this announcement.

How you will be evaluated

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

Traditional rating and ranking of applications does not apply to this vacancy. Your application (resumes and supporting documentation) will be evaluated to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications required as listed in this announcement.

Veterans' Preference eligibility under 5 U.S.C. 2108 and 2108a applies and is treated as a positive factor when making a selection from external sources. When making final selections, any candidate with Veterans' Preference should be granted preference in selection over non-preference eligible candidates with substantially equal qualifications as described in the Best Meets Mission Requirements definition below. If you are a veteran claiming Veterans' Preference, as defined by section 2108 of Title 5 U.S.C., you must submit documents verifying your eligibility with your application package.

Best Meets Mission Requirements definition: Applicant has the knowledge, skills, abilities, and/or competencies to substantially exceed the minimum qualification requirements for the position. This equates to the best qualified assessment criteria established for the vacancy and based on overall demonstrated experience, education, training, appraisals/evaluations, job-related awards, certifications, honors and relevant outside activities.

When the application process is complete, we will review your resume to ensure you meet the hiring eligibility and qualification requirements listed in this announcement. You will be rated based on the information provided in your resume and responses to the Occupational Questionnaire, along with your supporting documentation to determine your ability to demonstrate the following competencies:

  • Attention to Detail
  • Decision Making
  • Freedom of Information and Privacy Act
  • Influencing/Negotiating
  • Oral Communication


Your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine your eligibility and qualifications for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

Your responses to the questionnaire may be compared to the documents you submit. The documents you submit must support your responses to the online questionnaire. If your application contradicts or does not support your questionnaire responses, you will receive a rating of "not qualified" or "insufficient information" and you will not receive further consideration for this job.

Applicants who disqualify themselves will not be evaluated further.

Washington Headquarters Services

The Washington Headquarters Services (WHS) is a world-class service organization, with a dynamic workforce and unwavering commitment to service excellence. WHS is the essential services provider for the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), Department of Defense (DoD) agencies, and offices in the National Capital Region.

Agency contact information

Washington HQ Services
Phone
000-000-0000
Email
whs.job.application.assistance@mail.mil
Address
WHS Executive Services Directorate
Human Resources Directorate
4800 Mark Center Drive
Alexandria, VA 22350
US

Visit our careers page

Learn more about what it's like to work at Washington Headquarters Services, what the agency does, and about the types of careers this agency offers.

http://www.whs.mil

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