This position is located in the Department of Interior, Office of the Secretary, Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs (ASIA) Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) branch office. The incumbent serves as a FOIA Specialist and supports the AS-IA FOIA program by reviewing requests for access to federal agency records, ensuring exemptions are applied appropriately, and ensuring exclusions are applied as necessary.
Summary
This position is located in the Department of Interior, Office of the Secretary, Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs (ASIA) Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) branch office. The incumbent serves as a FOIA Specialist and supports the AS-IA FOIA program by reviewing requests for access to federal agency records, ensuring exemptions are applied appropriately, and ensuring exclusions are applied as necessary.
Current or former career or career-conditional Federal employees in the competitive service
Indian preference eligibles (must submit a BIA Form 4432)
Veterans who are preference eligibles or who have been separated from the armed forces with an honorable discharge
Government employees eligible through an Interchange agreement
Candidates eligible under Non-Competitive special hiring authority
Current or former time-limited employees eligible under the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act
Ensures that the Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs (ASIA), Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), and Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) are in compliance with the statutes, rules, regulations and policies related to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
Logs and tracks incoming FOIA requests, monitors requests in process, and for the accuracy and completeness of program logs and files.
Develops and administers a comprehensive and effective information program for implementation of the FOIA and Indian Affairs regulations pertaining to it.
Serves as BIA’s primary point of contact with other bureaus, the public, the media, and special interest groups in determining the availability of records and information under Departmental regulations.
Provides technical and program advice and assistance in the area of FOIA to the Director and Deputy Director of BIA relative to specific FOIA requests and problems in the interpretation of laws, regulations, policies, and guidelines.
Prepares guidelines and Indian Affairs manual directives to ensure the fullest possible disclosure of information consistent with those requirements of administrative necessities and confidentiality which are recognized by the Act.
Represents the Bureau of Indian Affairs in meetings and discussions with the representatives of the various Departmental components in the provisions of the Act as it involves the specific responsibilities of each component.
Assists with the preparation of BIA’s annual report on administration of FOIA, as required by statute, and a wide variety of other reports requested by the oversight committee of Congress and other members of Congress.
Monitors the effectiveness of the FOIA analyses and evaluates findings. Prepares evaluations of results and implements actions based on findings, consulting with SOL and others are required.
Indian Preference applies - Preference in filling vacancies is given to qualified Indian candidates in accordance with the Indian Preference Act of 1934 (title 25, USC Section 472).
You will be required to have federal payments made by Direct Deposit
You may be required to successfully complete a probationary/trial period
A background security investigation will be required for all new hires. Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication.
If you are a male applicant born after 12/31/1959 and are required to register under the Military Selective Service Act, the Defense Authorization Act of 1986 requires that you be registered or you are not eligible for appointment in this agency.
Incumbent is required to operate a government motor vehicle, must possess a valid driver's license, and have a safe driving record within the 4 year period immediately preceding submittal of GSA Form 3607.
Travel and relocation expenses will not be authorized. Any relocation expenses associated with reporting for duty will be the responsibility of the selected employee.
Additional selections may be made from this announcement if identical vacancies occur in the same location within 90 days from the closing date.
The full performance level of this position is GS-13 . 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.
Career ladder promotions are at the discretion of management, and in no way guaranteed.
All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
Indian Affairs has determined that the duties of the position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.
Salary identified in this vacancy is based on the Washington DC pay tables, however the selectee's salary will be based on their locality.
Qualifications
GS-12: To qualify at the GS-12 grade level, you must have at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-11 grade level performing ALL of the following:1) Experience analyzing and responding to requests for information under a FOIA program; 2) Knowledge of FOIA rules and regulations in order to ensure exemptions are applied appropriately.
GS-13:To qualify for this position at the GS-13 grade level you must have one year experience at the GS-12 grade level or equivalent performing ALL of the following: 1) Experience in assessing, evaluating, and monitoring a FOIA program or projects for compliance with Federal laws, regulations, and guidance; 2) Experience analyzing appeals/litigation from denials of access to records requested under FOIA; 3) Knowledge of FOIA/Privacy Compliance court cases, related laws, regulations, policies and procedures to recommend a determination in granting access to requested records.
Merit Promotion candidates must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the announcement closing date.
Education
This job does not have an education qualification requirement.
Additional information
All new hires earn the beginning salary of their pay grade (Step 1). See 2024 Salary Tables and select the pay chart for Location Negotiable After Selection, United States. If no specific chart is listed for this geographic location, see the "rest of U.S." chart.
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 95 or above; and, (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. For more information visit: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp .
LAND MANAGEMENT WORKFORCE FLEXIBILITY ACT: If applying under the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act, you must provide documentation to support your eligibility (SF-50) and performance (references and/or performance appraisal). Under the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA) two groups of individuals are eligible to apply under this announcement: current and/or former employees serving or who have served under time-limited competitive appointments at land management agencies. Land Management Agencies include: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, and U.S. Forest Service.
Current appointees: 1) must have been hired under competitive examining procedures to a time limited appointment with a land management agency; 2) must have served under one or more time limited appointment(s) by a land management agency for a period totaling more than 24 months without a break in service of 2 or more years; AND 3) must have performed at an acceptable level during each period of service.
Former appointees: 1) must have been hired under competitive examining procedures to a time limited appointment with a land management agency; 2) must have served under one or more time limited appointment(s) by a land management agency for a period totaling more than 24 months without a break in service of 2 or more years; 3) must have separated for reasons other than misconduct or performance; AND 4) must have performed at an acceptable level through the service period.
Certain candidates may be eligible to apply under a special hiring authority including those for disabled individuals, Peace Corps employees, Foreign Service employees, veterans, etc. For more information, visit the following OPM websites: USAJOBS Information Center: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/; Vets Info Guide: http://www.fedshirevets.gov/.
Former Federal Employees are required to indicate whether they received a Voluntary Separation Incentive Payment (VSIP) buyout in their previous employment with the Federal government, and are required to submit a copy of the applicable Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) regarding the VSIP. Most individuals who accept reemployment with the Federal government within 5 years of receiving the VSIP amount, must repay the gross amount of the separation pay prior to reemployment.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Your application package will be evaluated against the minimum qualification requirements specified above. In order to qualify, your resume must specifically describe your work history and the duties you performed in each position. Your resume will be evaluated after the closing date of 06/09/2024 to determine whether you meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position. Qualified candidates will then be rated as best qualified, well qualified, or qualified depending on their possession of the knowledge, skills, abilities, competencies and experience requirements as demonstrated by your responses to the assessment questions. Competencies measured include:
Oral Communication
Planning and Evaluating
Product Evaluation
Written Communication
We will compare your resume and supporting documentation to your responses on the assessment questionnaire. If the information in your resume does not support your responses to the assessment questions, your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your qualifications.
DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE: PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume/ application does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s). Your resume must contain sufficiently detailed information upon which to make a qualification determination. Please ensure that your resume contains specific information such as position titles, beginning and ending dates of employment for each position, average number of hours worked per week, and if the position is/was in the Federal government, you should provide the position series and grade level.
Qualified Indian preference candidates will be referred to the hiring manager in order of veterans' preference.
Due weight will be given to performance appraisals and awards during the interview/selection process conducted by the hiring manager. If referred, all relevant documents including performance appraisals and awards submitted with your application package will be forwarded to the hiring official for review.
You may preview the assessment questions here in the https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12428706. Additional selections may be made from this announcement if identical vacancies occur in the same location within 90 days from the date the certificate was issued.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
The following documents are required for this position:
Resume which details work experience including dates worked (mm/yy-mm/yy); position title; position series and grade (if federal service); work schedule; hours worked per week; relevant duties performed; supervisor with contact information, and 3 professional references and contact information (Do not include current/former supervisors), etc. Important! If your resume does not show complete information for each job entry, your application will be considered incomplete. Specifically:
Transcripts (if using education to qualify) - Unofficial transcripts are acceptable; however, an official transcript may be requested at a later time.
Veteran's documentation - (if applicable) VA letter on VA letterhead stating your overall combined rating, SF-15, DD-214 (copy 4) reflecting an honorable discharge and dates of active duty military service.
Special Appointing Authority documentation (if applying under a special hiring authority)
Performance Appraisal (if applying under the Land Management Flexibility Act)
Current & Former Federal Employees
If you are a current career or career-conditional Federal employee OR a former Federal employee who has reinstatement eligibility, you must submit the following by the closing date of this announcement, or you will not receive consideration as such:
-- a copy of a recent SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action" documenting proof of competitive status, tenure, position title, occupational series, grade level and step; and
-- your most recent performance appraisal (if you do not have your most recent performance appraisal, please submit an explanation as to why it is unavailable); and
-- if applicable, a list of any awards you received in the last 5 years (i.e., superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increase, etc.).
If you are applying as a VEOA candidate, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 and your letter from the VA reflecting an honorable discharge and that you either completed three years of active duty service or are a preference eligible. For more information see: https://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/shav/index.aspx#veoa.
If you are unable to apply online, require reasonable accommodation in the application process if you are an applicant with a disability, or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.
ALL DOCUMENTS MUST BE RECEIVED BY 11:59 PM Eastern Time ON THE CLOSING DATE OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. If your application package is incomplete in any way, you will not be considered for this position, and requests for extensions will not be granted. Please double check your application package before you submit it.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WILL NOT BE SOLICITED OR ACCEPTED BY THIS OFFICE.
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
- To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
- Follow the prompts to select your résumé and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
- After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
- You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login ); all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/ .
PLEASE NOTE - NO APPLICATION MATERIAL WILL BE ACCEPTED VIA E-MAIL.
Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated by the Human Resources Office to determine your eligibility for the position. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another notification regarding the status of your application.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
The following documents are required for this position:
Resume which details work experience including dates worked (mm/yy-mm/yy); position title; position series and grade (if federal service); work schedule; hours worked per week; relevant duties performed; supervisor with contact information, and 3 professional references and contact information (Do not include current/former supervisors), etc. Important! If your resume does not show complete information for each job entry, your application will be considered incomplete. Specifically:
Transcripts (if using education to qualify) - Unofficial transcripts are acceptable; however, an official transcript may be requested at a later time.
Veteran's documentation - (if applicable) VA letter on VA letterhead stating your overall combined rating, SF-15, DD-214 (copy 4) reflecting an honorable discharge and dates of active duty military service.
Special Appointing Authority documentation (if applying under a special hiring authority)
Performance Appraisal (if applying under the Land Management Flexibility Act)
Current & Former Federal Employees
If you are a current career or career-conditional Federal employee OR a former Federal employee who has reinstatement eligibility, you must submit the following by the closing date of this announcement, or you will not receive consideration as such:
-- a copy of a recent SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action" documenting proof of competitive status, tenure, position title, occupational series, grade level and step; and
-- your most recent performance appraisal (if you do not have your most recent performance appraisal, please submit an explanation as to why it is unavailable); and
-- if applicable, a list of any awards you received in the last 5 years (i.e., superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increase, etc.).
If you are applying as a VEOA candidate, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 and your letter from the VA reflecting an honorable discharge and that you either completed three years of active duty service or are a preference eligible. For more information see: https://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/shav/index.aspx#veoa.
If you are unable to apply online, require reasonable accommodation in the application process if you are an applicant with a disability, or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.
ALL DOCUMENTS MUST BE RECEIVED BY 11:59 PM Eastern Time ON THE CLOSING DATE OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. If your application package is incomplete in any way, you will not be considered for this position, and requests for extensions will not be granted. Please double check your application package before you submit it.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WILL NOT BE SOLICITED OR ACCEPTED BY THIS OFFICE.
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
- To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
- Follow the prompts to select your résumé and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
- After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
- You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login ); all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/ .
PLEASE NOTE - NO APPLICATION MATERIAL WILL BE ACCEPTED VIA E-MAIL.
Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated by the Human Resources Office to determine your eligibility for the position. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another notification regarding the status of your application.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
