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Legal Instruments Examiner, GS-0963-06/07

Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Coast Guard
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is located in DHS/USCG, COMMANDANT, VICE COMMANDANT (CG-09), DEPUTY COMDT FOR OPERATIONS (CG-DCO), Safety & Suitability Evaluation Branch, MARINER EVAL DIV in Martinsburg, WV.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
07/10/2024 to 07/19/2024
Salary
$50,326 to - $72,703 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 06 - 07
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Martinsburg, WV
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—As determined by agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - This position requires occasional travel.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent - This is a permanent appointment.
Work schedule
Full-time - This is a full-time position.
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
07
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
24-3077-SE-AJ-D
Control number
799310100

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

U.S. Citizens. Subject position(s) will be filled through delegated examining procedures. For definitions of common terms found in this announcement: http://dhsconnect.dhs.gov/org/comp/mgmt/dhshr/hr/Documents/JOA_Common_Definitions.pdf

Duties

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As a Legal Instruments Examiner (LIE),you will serve and provide technical assistance to the Safety and Suitability Evaluations Branch at NMC.  You will play a key role in the review of the safety and suitability of merchant mariner credential applications, applicants, and the management of merchant mariner records.

Being a Coast Guard civilian makes you a valuable member of the Coast Guard team.

  • Reconciling contradictions, conflicts and inconsistencies in documentation submitted in support of an application for a Coast Guard issued credential. Exercising judgment in determining the applicability of legal guidelines, and the reasonableness of such guidelines, to individual cases. Gathering data to obtain a complete picture of the applicant’s background to conduct a safety and suitability evaluation.

  • Providing written and oral accurate, authoritative, and explicit replies to other government agencies, maritime academies, maritime schools, other professional maritime organizations, and the public on matters concerning the application process.

  • Receiving and reviewing applications (new issue, renewal, endorsements and/or upgrades and duplicate documents) for completeness for the application request type. This review includes, but is not limited to, reviewing all personal data, narcotics question form, drivers license history, FBI criminal history, Marine Information for Safety and Law Enforcement (MISLE) and citizenship status ensuring that requirements for a Merchant Mariner Credential (MMC) are met.

  • Evaluating applications to determine the regulatory qualifications of mariners and seeks guidance from higher-graded team members when evaluating more complex or difficult applications. Reconciles contradictions, conflicts and inconsistencies in documentation submitted.

  • Responsible for quality determinations and ensures that all work is performed in accordance with the Mission Management System (MMS) and that the MMS accurately reflects all work performed. Ensuring the most recent version of all guidance, including the MMS, is in use and is responsible for identifying and recommending improvement to processes.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is required.
  • Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for Selective Service.
  • This position requires a National Agency Check with Inquiries (NACI).
  • A one-year probationary period may be required.

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

Qualifications

At the GS-06 level: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-05 grade level in the federal service.

Specialized experience is the experience that has equipped you with the particular ability, skill, and knowledge to successfully perform the duties of the position and is typically in or related to this line of work.  Examples of specialized experience include:

  • Specialized experience is the experience that has equipped you with the particular ability, skill, and knowledge to successfully perform the duties of the position and is typically in or related to this line of work.  Examples of specialized experience include: Add specific examples from PD.

  • Ability to select merchant mariner credentialing guidelines to include S. Code; U.S. Regulation, National Maritime Center (NMC) policies, and apply them to applications for a MMC and/or endorsements
  • Understanding of interpreting and applying regulatory and policy guidance to evaluate qualification of applicants.
  • Proficient in the use of Microsoft Word, Excel, Access and Teams.
  • Willingness to use multiple complex databases including proprietary programs specific to the Mariner Credentialing Program.

At the GS-07 level: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-6 grade level in the federal service.

Specialized experience is the experience that has equipped you with the particular ability, skill, and knowledge to successfully perform the duties of the position and is typically in or related to this line of work.  Examples of specialized experience include: Add specific examples from PD.

  • Ability to select, analyze and interpret merchant mariner credentialing guidelines to include S. Code; U.S. Regulation, National Maritime Center (NMC) policies, and apply them to applications for a MMC and/or endorsements.
  • Experience interpreting and applying regulatory and policy guidance to evaluate qualification of applicants.
  • Proficient in the use of Microsoft Word, Excel, Access and Teams.
  • Ability to use multiple complex databases including proprietary programs specific to the Mariner Credentialing Program.

National Service Experience (i.e., volunteer experience): 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.

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

This position does not have a positive education requirement. If you are including education on your resume, report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. See Required Documents section for detail.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet Federal qualification requirements if you can show that your foreign education is comparable to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence with your application. See Recognition of Foreign Qualifications click here

Additional information

Applicants will be required to complete questions contained on the Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) at the time a tentative job offer is made. Certain responses on the form could pose a problem with suitability for employment determinations. If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete/make updates to the OF-306 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, or imprisonment.

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 at click here

Recruitment incentives may be authorized

If selection is made below the full performance level, the incumbent may be promoted up to the target grade without further competition, if all legal and regulatory requirements are met and when recommended by the supervisor. However, promotion to the full performance level is not guaranteed and is dependent on successful performance at the lower grade level(s).

All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit.

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.

More than 1 selection may be made from this announcement if additional identical vacancies in the same title, series, grade, and unit occur within 45 days from the date the certificate was issued.

If you need a reasonable accommodation for the application and hiring process, please contact 571-608-6427. Decisions on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. Visit Reasonable Accommodation

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 résumé and supporting documentation to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. If you meet the minimum qualifications, your experience, education and training will be rated using the on-line assessment to place you in one of three categories.

The necessary Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities to perform this job are:

  1. Ability to read and comprehend various guidelines including international treaties, conventions, and resolutions to which the U.S. is signatory, U.S. Code; U.S. Regulation; the Marine Safety Manual; Coast Guard Headquarters policies; NMC policies; and the Mission Management System (MMS) to include updates or changes as they are made effective.
  2. Ability to follow guidance and direction. Responsible for completing daily assignments as instructed and within the time parameters established by consulting with supervisors, senior Legal Instruments Examiners and investigators in matters not specifically covered by a work instruction or MMS.
  3. Knowledge of U.S. justice and court systems, criminal background history, law enforcement and addiction treatment terminology.
  4. Knowledge of the Freedom of Information (FOIA), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and Privacy Acts in order to avoid the unauthorized release of Personally Identifiable Information (PII).
  5. Ability to deal with the public. Must exercise exceptional tact and diplomacy and be sensitive to the obligations of a public servant.



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. Your resume and responses to the self-assessment questions are an integral part of the process for determining your qualifications for the position. Therefore, you must support your responses to the self-assessment questions by providing examples of past and present experience in your resume.

Veterans with 5-point preference who meet the eligibility and qualification requirements are placed above non-preference eligibles within the category in which they are 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. For information on veterans' preference, click here.


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