This position is located in the Office of the Deputy Secretary in Washington, D.C. The Office of the Deputy Secretary is responsible for providing policies, standards, and procedures that ensure the Department complies with governmental information management requirements for the statutes that FSC administers, including the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the Privacy Act (PA).
Summary
This position is located in the Office of the Deputy Secretary in Washington, D.C. The Office of the Deputy Secretary is responsible for providing policies, standards, and procedures that ensure the Department complies with governmental information management requirements for the statutes that FSC administers, including the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the Privacy Act (PA).
• Current federal civilian employees in the competitive service on permanent career or career-conditional appointments;
• Former federal employees with reinstatement eligibility;
• Current federal employees eligible under Interchange Agreements; and,
• Applicants eligible under special hiring authorities (Schedule A, etc.).
APPLICATION LIMIT: This vacancy announcement is limited to the first 50 applications received and will close at 11:59PM Eastern Time on the day that we receive the 50th application, or at 11:59PM Eastern Time on the listed closing date, whichever occurs first.
We encourage you to read this entire vacancy announcement prior to submitting your application.
As a Government Information Specialist (FOIA), GS-0306-12, you will be responsible for:
• Reviewing and analyzing incoming Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Privacy Act (PA) requests, which include responding to public inquiries, providing guidance on the various statues, and researching, analyzing, and evaluating data for response to information requests.
• Providing Freedom of Information Act/Privacy Act review and processing of pending, complex Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.
• Clarifying and resolving issues and discusses sensitive requests with appropriate program or management officials.
• Performing evaluation, assessment, and improvement of the program and its management systems by applying a wide range of qualitative and quantitative techniques.
• Assisting in development and implementation of ED's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) education strategy, including communicating the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) mission and customer service values to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) team members and the Department as a whole.
• Identifying need or gap in operations or policy implementation; research options and solutions; designs proposed mitigation strategy; implements approved solution; designs, implements, and monitors progress reporting strategy, keeping Chief FOIA Officer (CFO) abreast of project throughout.
• Assisting with the development and implementation of Department-wide policy, procedures, and guidance for access of Federal records under Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the Privacy Act (PA).
• Interpreting and applying laws, regulations, policies, and guidance regarding federal and student information.
As a Government Information Specialist (FOIA), GS-0306-13, you will be responsible for:
• Performing evaluation, assessment, and improvement of the program and its management systems by applying a wide range of qualitative and quantitative techniques.
• Assisting in the development of Department of Education policy regarding administration of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the Privacy Act (PA) and supports Chief FOIA Officer and staff in the administration of the FOIA and Privacy Act.
• Assisting in developing the strategic plan for administering the FOIA and Privacy Act and developing policies and procedures to implement
• Reviewing and analyzing incoming Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the Privacy Act (PA) requests, which include responding to public inquiries, providing guidance on the various statues, and researching, analyzing, and evaluating data for response to information requests.
• Identifying need or gap in operations or policy implementation; research options and solutions; designs proposed mitigation strategy; implements approved solution; designs, implements, and monitors progress reporting strategy, keeping CFO abreast of project throughout.
• Assisting with the development and implementation of Department-wide policy, procedures, and guidance for access of Federal records under Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the Privacy Act (PA)
• Interpreting and applying laws, regulations, policies, and guidance regarding federal and student information.
You may be subject to serve a one-year probationary period.
Must be a US Citizen
Relocation will not be paid.
Males 18 and over must be registered with the Selective Service.
Must complete a Background Investigation and Fingerprint check.
You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this vacancy announcement.
If you are a current federal employee, you must meet all time-in-grade and time-after competitive appointment qualifications within 30 days of the closing date of this vacancy announcement. To verify that you meet these requirements, we will review your responses to the core eligibility questions on the occupational questionnaire, as well as your submitted resume and required documents. To make an accurate determination, you will need to include on your resume your federal position title, pay plan, occupational series, grade level, agency, dates for which you held the grade level (stated as MM/YYYY to MM/YYYY, OR MM/YYYY to PRESENT), and total hours worked per week. 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).
Conditions of Employment
TELEWORK ELIGIBILITY:
You may be eligible for occasional telework in which you are required to report to the office on a regular basis. Participation must be requested and approved by the supervisor and there must be a signed telework agreement. The number of telework days approved is determined by the agency policy, emergency situations, the approval of your immediate supervisor. You must have access to high-speed internet and cell phone service meeting current Agency policy from the approved work location.
Qualifications
Minimum Qualification Requirements
Specialized Experience for the GS-12:
One year of experience in either federal or non-federal service that is equivalent to at least a GS-11 performing two (2) out of three (3) of the following duties or work assignments:
1. Experience conducting research on policies, and procedures to manage Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the Privacy Act (PA) requests and/or information. 2. Experience reviewing, analyzing, evaluating, and redacting data for Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the Privacy Act (PA) requests. 3. Experience preparing training materials by developing and/or updating current training material to reflect most recent interpretations relevant to the laws Freedom of Information Act Service Center (FSC) administers.
Specialized Experience for the GS-13:
One year of experience in either federal or non-federal service that is equivalent to at least a GS-12 performing two (2) out of three (3) of the following duties or work assignments:
1. Experience reviewing and analyzing incoming Freedom of Information Act request (FIOA) to responding to public inquiries and provide guidance on the various statues. 2. Experience determining the disclosure and access to records to provide guidance relating to the collection, and or the use and dissemination of information and/or the maintenance and management of records. 3. Experience assisting with the development and implementation of policy, procedures, and guidance for access of records under Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the Privacy Act (PA).
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) GS-12:
The quality of your experience will be measured by the extent to which you possess the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs). You do not need to provide separate narrative responses to these KSAs, as they will be measured by your responses to the occupational questionnaire (you may preview the occupational questionnaire by clicking the link at the end of the Evaluations section of this vacancy announcement).
1. Knowledge of the body of laws, regulations, precedents, policies and principals to assess compliance with Federal government information. 2. Ability to research, analyze, and evaluate data for responses to Federal government information. 3. Skill in applying analytical and evaluative methods and techniques in developing of new procedures and approaches to identify and resolve significant issues. 4. Knowledge of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the Privacy Act (PA).
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) GS-13:
The quality of your experience will be measured by the extent to which you possess the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs). You do not need to provide separate narrative responses to these KSAs, as they will be measured by your responses to the occupational questionnaire (you may preview the occupational questionnaire by clicking the link at the end of the Evaluations section of this vacancy announcement).
1. Knowledge of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the Privacy Act (PA). 2. Skill in applying analytical and evaluative methods and techniques in developing of new procedures and approaches to identify and resolve significant issues. 3. Ability to research, analyze, and evaluate data for responses to information. 4. Skill in formulating policy, advising management and compliance with laws.
Education
No Education requirement at this grade level.
Additional information
Veterans’ Career Counseling: If you are a veteran interested in receiving tips on preparing a Federal resume and/or how to prepare for an interview, you may email sro_recruiting@ed.gov to schedule a session with a career counselor (“Veterans Counseling Session” should be placed in the subject line of the email).
Student Loan Default: If selected for this position, we will verify that you have not defaulted on any loan funded or guaranteed by the U.S. Department of Education. If you are found to be in default, we will contact you to make arrangements for repayment prior to making an official offer of employment.
Suitability and Investigation: If selected for this position, you will be required to complete the Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) to determine your suitability for federal employment and successfully complete a pre-appointment investigation/background check.
Essential/Non-Essential: This position is considered non-essential for purposes of reporting to work during federal government closures.
Financial Disclosure: This position does not require) financial disclosure.
Bargaining Unit: This position is not included in the bargaining unit.
Selections: Agencies have broad authority under law to hire from any appropriate source of eligibles and may fill a vacancy in the competitive service by any method authorized. We may make additional selections from this vacancy announcement within 90 days from the date the selection certificates are issued, should vacancies occur. We may also share selection certificates amongst program offices across the agency.
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.
As an ED employee, you will also benefit from our family-friendly work environment. As part of our commitment to maintain a productive balance between work and home, we offer excused leave for Parent/Teacher Conferences (3 hours); excused leave for annual health screenings (4 hours); and matching leave for community volunteer service. Other flexibilities that may be available to you include telework and alternative work schedules. You may be eligible to receive a recruitment incentive for this position. To receive this incentive payment, you will be required to sign a service agreement obligating you to remain with the U.S. Department of Education for a specified period as agreed upon. You may be eligible to receive a relocation incentive for this position. To receive this incentive payment, you will be required to sign a service agreement obligating you to remain with the U.S. Department of Education for a specified period as agreed upon. You may be eligible to participate in the Student Loan Repayment Program as a recruitment incentive for this position. To receive student loan repayments, you will be required to sign a service agreement obligating you to remain with the U.S. Department of Education for a specified period as agreed upon.
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.
We use a multi-step process to review and evaluate applicants:
1. Eligibility and Minimum Qualifications
Once the vacancy announcement closes, we will review your submitted resume and documents to determine if you meet the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements, including any required education, experience, and/or selective placement factors. You will be rated as ineligible if you are outside of the area of consideration (i.e., who may apply) or your application is missing any required documents. You will be rated as not qualified if you do not possess the minimum qualification requirements.
2. Rating and Ranking
If you are found to meet both the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements, we will assess the quality of your experience and the extent to which you possess the required KSAs by comparing your submitted resume and documents against your responses to the occupational questionnaire. (The occupational questionnaire is the list of questions in the automated system that you will have an opportunity to answer once you apply for the position). Based on the outcome of this evaluation, you will be assigned a numerical score (out of 100 possible). If your responses to the occupational questionnaire are not substantiated by your submitted resume, you may be eliminated from receiving further consideration.
3. Referral and Selection
If you are found to be amongst the most highly qualified applicants, you will be referred to the selecting official. As part of the assessment and selection process, the selecting official may invite you to participate in a structured interview, check your references, and/or request that you submit a writing sample or complete a written assessment or exercise to further evaluate your qualifications for this position.
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.
As an ED employee, you will also benefit from our family-friendly work environment. As part of our commitment to maintain a productive balance between work and home, we offer excused leave for Parent/Teacher Conferences (3 hours); excused leave for annual health screenings (4 hours); and matching leave for community volunteer service. Other flexibilities that may be available to you include telework and alternative work schedules. You may be eligible to receive a recruitment incentive for this position. To receive this incentive payment, you will be required to sign a service agreement obligating you to remain with the U.S. Department of Education for a specified period as agreed upon. You may be eligible to receive a relocation incentive for this position. To receive this incentive payment, you will be required to sign a service agreement obligating you to remain with the U.S. Department of Education for a specified period as agreed upon. You may be eligible to participate in the Student Loan Repayment Program as a recruitment incentive for this position. To receive student loan repayments, you will be required to sign a service agreement obligating you to remain with the U.S. Department of Education for a specified period as agreed upon.
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.
• A resume demonstrating your education, experience, training, and accomplishments as it relates to the qualifications for this position and substantiating your responses to the occupational questionnaire.
If you are a current or former federal employee (including current U.S. Department of Education employees), you must also submit:
• A Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50), which demonstrates your competitive status eligibility. To verify your eligibility, we will review your SF-50 to determine your tenure (block 24) and position occupied (block 34). Examples of sufficient SF-50s include appointments, promotions, within-grade increases, and pay adjustments.
If you currently hold or previously held a federal position at or above the highest grade of this position or you have/had promotion potential at or above the highest grade of this position, you must also submit an SF-50 documenting your highest grade level held or promotion potential. Examples of sufficient SF-50s include appointments and promotions.
• A Copy of your most recent Performance Appraisal and Awards, as applicable. Your performance appraisal and awards are requested to further assess the quality of your experience should your application be referred to the selecting official.
If you are claiming eligibility under the Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA), you must submit: • A copy of your DD-214 that shows active service and character of discharge, member copy 4 (Separated Members only); OR • A certification of expected discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions within 120 days from the date of application (Current Active-Duty Members only); AND/OR • The Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference (SF-15) AND all documents indicated on the form as proof of type of preference.
If you are claiming eligibility under any Special Hiring Authority, you must submit: • Adequate proof of your eligibility (e.g., Documentation of noncompetitive eligibility as a returned Peace Corps Volunteer, Documentation of noncompetitive eligibility for employment under Schedule A as a person with severe physical disabilities, psychiatric disabilities, and intellectual disabilities.)
Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Visit the https://www2.ed.gov/about/jobs/open/edhires/ictap.html or https://www2.ed.gov/about/jobs/open/edhires/ctap.html for information on how to apply as a CTAP, or ICTAP eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. CTAP/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Step 1: Create a USAJOBS account (if you do not already have one) at www.usajobs.gov.
Step 2: If desired, create a resume using the USAJOBS resume builder. Ensure that your resume demonstrates your education, experience, training, and accomplishments as it relates to the qualifications for this position and substantiates your responses to the assessment questionnaire.
Click here for USAJobs Help with "How to create an application"
Step 3: Upload any required documents into your USAJOBS account (must be less than 3MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, or Word (DOC or DOCX)).
Step 4: Click "Apply Online" and follow the prompts to complete the assessment questionnaire and attach any required documents. Verify that uploaded documents from USAJOBS transfer into the agency's hiring system. You will have the opportunity to upload any additional required documents in the agency's hiring system. Click “Finish” to submit your application.
NOTE: You may update your application or required documents at any time while the announcement is open by logging into your USAJOBS account, clicking on "Application Status," clicking on the position title, clicking "Update Application,” and following the prompts.
In order to receive consideration for this position, you must submit your complete application, including all required documents, by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the closing date of the vacancy announcement. If the vacancy announcement has an application limit, we recommend that you submit your complete application at the time of initial application. We will not accept any required documentation after the closing date of the vacancy announcement.
EDUCATION-OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY SECRETARY
400 Maryland Ave. S.W.
Washington, District of Columbia 20202
United States
Next steps
As an applicant, you may check your application status through your USAJOBS account at any time. We will also notify you via email of your application status at three key stages in the recruitment process. 1. Once the vacancy announcement closes, we will inform you that your application has been received. 2. After we review your submitted resume and supporting documentation, we will inform you if you are eligible and qualified, if your application was referred to a subject matter expert or panel of subject matter experts for further evaluation, and if you were amongst the most highly qualified candidates referred to the selecting official. 3. Finally, we will inform you of your final disposition for this announcement (e.g., if/when a selection is made, if/when the announcement is cancelled).
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
• A resume demonstrating your education, experience, training, and accomplishments as it relates to the qualifications for this position and substantiating your responses to the occupational questionnaire.
If you are a current or former federal employee (including current U.S. Department of Education employees), you must also submit:
• A Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50), which demonstrates your competitive status eligibility. To verify your eligibility, we will review your SF-50 to determine your tenure (block 24) and position occupied (block 34). Examples of sufficient SF-50s include appointments, promotions, within-grade increases, and pay adjustments.
If you currently hold or previously held a federal position at or above the highest grade of this position or you have/had promotion potential at or above the highest grade of this position, you must also submit an SF-50 documenting your highest grade level held or promotion potential. Examples of sufficient SF-50s include appointments and promotions.
• A Copy of your most recent Performance Appraisal and Awards, as applicable. Your performance appraisal and awards are requested to further assess the quality of your experience should your application be referred to the selecting official.
If you are claiming eligibility under the Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA), you must submit: • A copy of your DD-214 that shows active service and character of discharge, member copy 4 (Separated Members only); OR • A certification of expected discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions within 120 days from the date of application (Current Active-Duty Members only); AND/OR • The Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference (SF-15) AND all documents indicated on the form as proof of type of preference.
If you are claiming eligibility under any Special Hiring Authority, you must submit: • Adequate proof of your eligibility (e.g., Documentation of noncompetitive eligibility as a returned Peace Corps Volunteer, Documentation of noncompetitive eligibility for employment under Schedule A as a person with severe physical disabilities, psychiatric disabilities, and intellectual disabilities.)
Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Visit the https://www2.ed.gov/about/jobs/open/edhires/ictap.html or https://www2.ed.gov/about/jobs/open/edhires/ctap.html for information on how to apply as a CTAP, or ICTAP eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. CTAP/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Step 1: Create a USAJOBS account (if you do not already have one) at www.usajobs.gov.
Step 2: If desired, create a resume using the USAJOBS resume builder. Ensure that your resume demonstrates your education, experience, training, and accomplishments as it relates to the qualifications for this position and substantiates your responses to the assessment questionnaire.
Click here for USAJobs Help with "How to create an application"
Step 3: Upload any required documents into your USAJOBS account (must be less than 3MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, or Word (DOC or DOCX)).
Step 4: Click "Apply Online" and follow the prompts to complete the assessment questionnaire and attach any required documents. Verify that uploaded documents from USAJOBS transfer into the agency's hiring system. You will have the opportunity to upload any additional required documents in the agency's hiring system. Click “Finish” to submit your application.
NOTE: You may update your application or required documents at any time while the announcement is open by logging into your USAJOBS account, clicking on "Application Status," clicking on the position title, clicking "Update Application,” and following the prompts.
In order to receive consideration for this position, you must submit your complete application, including all required documents, by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the closing date of the vacancy announcement. If the vacancy announcement has an application limit, we recommend that you submit your complete application at the time of initial application. We will not accept any required documentation after the closing date of the vacancy announcement.
EDUCATION-OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY SECRETARY
400 Maryland Ave. S.W.
Washington, District of Columbia 20202
United States
Next steps
As an applicant, you may check your application status through your USAJOBS account at any time. We will also notify you via email of your application status at three key stages in the recruitment process. 1. Once the vacancy announcement closes, we will inform you that your application has been received. 2. After we review your submitted resume and supporting documentation, we will inform you if you are eligible and qualified, if your application was referred to a subject matter expert or panel of subject matter experts for further evaluation, and if you were amongst the most highly qualified candidates referred to the selecting official. 3. Finally, we will inform you of your final disposition for this announcement (e.g., if/when a selection is made, if/when the announcement is cancelled).
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
