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Government Information Specialist (FOIA)

U.S. International Trade Commission
Office of the Secretary, Hearings and Information Division
This job announcement has closed

Summary

An independent Federal agency, the U.S. International Commission provides the President and Congress with high quality analysis and technical support on international trade, tariff and competitiveness issues; hears and decides import injury cases and publishes the United States' tariff schedule. You will find a working environment throughout the Commission that is dedicated to the development of your technical skills and a commitment to provide balance between your work and personal life.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
08/28/2025 to 09/03/2025
This job will close when we have received 75 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$101,401 to - $156,755 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12 - 13
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Washington, DC
Remote job
No
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
13
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Secret
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
Yes
Bargaining unit status
Yes
Announcement number
DE-25-040-SP
Control number
844583400

Duties

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The Hearings and Information Division (H&I) is one of two divisions in the Office of the Secretary. The H&I Division implements the Commission's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) program. The H&I Division maintains the official records, publications, forms, and official documents of the Commission, and is also the principal point of contact for the public concerning hearings. HID staff arrange, prepare, schedule, and manage all public hearings and administers oaths.

  • Serves as the Office of the Secretary's Government Information Specialist responsible for reviewing, analyzing, interpreting, and responding to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and Privacy Act (PA) requests. Serves as the initial point of contact for agency personnel to resolve technical questions relating to the FOIA/PA requests. Coordinates with program offices. Negotiates with requesters to simplify (narrow scope) or reformulate requests.
  • Conducts initial review and redactions to responsive documents, providing supportive decisions for proposed redactions. Estimates fees and acts on requests for expedited handling. Processes requests for publication of USITC publications, reviewing and completing the print requisition form. Transmits print requisitions and publications for printing and posting on Commission website, ensuring 508 compliance.
  • Maintains and manages USITC publications listing on website for accuracy. Uses electronic means for posting of such USITC Publications to the public website. Coordinates with agency staff, the Assistant General Counsel for Administration, and the Secretary to resolve problems and obtain advice and guidance on difficult issues. Coordinates with agency staff, the Assistant General Counsel for Administration, and the Secretary to resolve problems and obtain advice and guidance on difficult issues. Collaborates on record management projects.
  • Provides guidance and advice within the organization concerning administrative policies and management and organizational theories related to the FOIA program that may require considerable adaptation and/or interpretation for application to internal program issues and problems, or where decisions about how to proceed are complicated by conflicting program goals and objectives.
  • Assists leadership in executing strategic projects by developing project schedules, establishing project cost estimates, and creating project plans. Presents findings and recommendations on complex issues or problems impacting well-established programs, projects of limited scope, or facets of larger, complex projects and programs.
  • Provides centralized support to the Secretary and General Counsel in administration of the Administrative Protective Order Breach (APOB) process. Maintains tracking logs and internal files. Compiles information for the annual Summary of Commission Practice. Tracks sanctions, identifies information for expungement, and prepares expungement letters.
  • Assists in the development of reports, memoranda, or other documents as needed by the Secretary. Retrieves, manipulates, and extracts information for reports. Enters and maintains investigative data in the Commission's Investigative Data System (IDS) concerning Commission determinations and actions.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. citizen or national.
  • You will be required to successfully complete a background investigation.
  • You may be required to serve a one-year probationary period
  • Males born after 12/03/59 must be registered for Selective Service
  • This position is included in the bargaining unit, AFGE Local 2211.

Qualifications

You must meet all the requirements below by the closing date of the announcement and they must be clearly identified in your application, resume, or supporting documents. This includes any general and specialized experience, education, and/or selective placement factors mentioned. These are used to determine if you possess the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities to successfully perform in this position.

BASIC REQUIREMENT

To qualify at the GS-12 level, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level obtained in the public or private sector, that has equipped you with the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of this position. For this position, specialized experience is defined as performing assignments, projects, or studies that has equipped you with the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully: 1) coordinate the processing of and responses to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Privacy Act (PA) requests; 2) draft outgoing responses related to FOIA; 3) identify appropriate FOIA exemptions and redactions; and 4) prepare reports, or other documents related to FOIA and other work assignments.

To qualify at the GS-13 level, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level obtained in the public or private sector, that has equipped you with the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of this position. Applicant must have the ability to perform with minimal oversight: 1) coordinating the processing of and responses to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Privacy Act (PA) requests; 2) drafting outgoing responses; 3) preparing reports, or other documents related to work assignments; 4) expertise in identifying appropriate FOIA exemptions and redactions; and 5) providing advice to team members on work methods, practices and procedures related to FOIA requests.

Specialized experience is experience at or equivalent to which is directly related to the position which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) to successfully perform the duties of the position to include experience implementing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) policies and procedures to manage Government information and providing information-related assistance and services.

Additional information

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a one-year probationary period (competitive service) or a two-year trial period (excepted service) during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary or trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Surplus or Displaced Federal Employees: The Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) Programs are available to federal employees that qualify. Those eligible for these programs are granted special priority selection rights. To be considered, you must be deemed well-qualified by receiving a score of 85 or higher. If you are a federal employee claiming CTAP/ICTAP, you must provide the documents listed under the Required Documents section to verify your eligibility. Also, you must indicate in your application that you are applying as a CTAP or ICTAP eligible. For additional information regarding CTAP/ICTAP, please visit: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.

Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you are registered with the Selective Service or are exempt under Selective Service regulations. For additional information concerning Selective Service requirements, please visit http://www.sss.gov/.

Severely disabled persons program information: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/disability-employment/hiring/

Cover page to fax paper application - OPM Form 1203fx: http://federalgovernmentjobs.us/forms/opm1203fx.pdf

Assessment Question: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12790521

Vacancy ID number: DE-25-040-SP

Reasonable accommodations: This agency provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the contact listed on the vacancy announcement. The decision to grant a reasonable accommodation is made on a case-by-case basis. Verification of information: Any information claimed on your resume and in application materials, such as education, credentials, employment history, etc., will be verified as part of the security clearance process.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

How you will be evaluated

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

The self-assessment questions are related to the following knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies (KSA's).

  • Technical Expertise
  • Data Gathering and Analysis
  • Oral and Written Communication
  • Teamwork
BASIS OF RATING: Your resume will be evaluated by a Subject Matter Expert Panel (SME). Your resume serves as the basis for qualification determinations and must highlight your most relevant and significant work experience(s) and education (if applicable) as it relates to this job opportunity. In order to fully evaluate your application and receive proper credit, your resume should include: (1) paid and non-paid experience, job title, dates held (month and year for qualifying purposes to receive credit), number of hours worked per week, and salary (2) knowledge of the subject matter and technical skills pertinent to this position; (3) specific duties performed that fully detail the level and complexity of the work; and (4) names and phone numbers of your current and/or previous supervisor(s). Your resume should contain sufficient information to make a valid determination that you fully meet the basic/specialized experience requirements as stated in this job opportunity announcement for each grade level(s) for which you are applying.

If you are selected for an interview, you can expect a structured panel interview process, which will include between 2 and 4 members.

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