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Government Information Specialist (FOIA/PA)

Department of Justice
Offices, Boards and Divisions
Office of Information Policy (OIP), Initial Request Staff
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The Office of Information and Policy (OIP) is responsible for processing Freedom of Information Act/Privacy Act (FOIA/PA) requests for the offices of the Attorney General, Deputy Attorney General, Associate Attorney General and other senior leadership offices oath Department of Justice.

**RESUMES LIMITED TO TWO PAGES**
Effective September 27, 2025, federal agencies will only accept resumes up to two pages in length.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
09/24/2025 to 09/25/2025
Salary
$101,401 to - $156,755 per year

GS-12 salary: $101,401 - 131,826 / GS-13 salary: $120,579 - $156,755

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
Top Secret
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Special-Sensitive (SS)/High Risk
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
OIP-25-12805993-ST
Control number
846666100

Duties

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As a Government Information Specialist, you will provide advice and guidance for issues that require interpretation and adaptation of guidance to situations related to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

Typical duties of the Government Information Specialist, may include:

*Coordinates and processes complex requests for access to highly sensitive records.
*Handles sensitive documents in accordance with departmental policies and procedures.
*Independently researches and gathers information in response to requests from higher offices.
*Reviews and advises on complex cases, in situations where definition or data or incomplete, controversial or uncertain, or where boundaries of the issues are difficult to determine.
* Reviews documents and reports on FOIA issues and provide results to management.
* Conducts studies involving analytical assignments which focus on the proper implementation of FOIA/Privacy Act (PA) requirements and processing of such requests.
* Collects relevant information from varied sources.

The duties listed above are generally written for one grade level. If the position is advertised at multiple grades, the duties will be adjusted in difficulty, complexity, and level of supervision, for higher or lower grades, as appropriate. Organization may also add other duties as assigned once you are hired, based on what is included and allowed by the position description.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a United States Citizen or National.
  • You will be required to complete a pre-employment security investigation and background check which includes a drug screening.
  • You may be required to complete a one-year probationary or two-year trial period.
  • Selective Service registration is required for males born on, or after, December 31st 1959. Those not registered should have an approved exemption on file.
  • You must meet all eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement and continue to meet these requirements throughout the hiring process. Offers can be rescinded if requirements are not met.
  • Additional selections may be made from this announcement, at any time, if openings occur in other offices serviced by Justice Management Division, HR Operations.
  • A USA Hire assessment is required. An email will be sent with additional information after you submit your application. You will have 48 hours from the closing date of this announcement to complete the assessment.

Qualifications

To qualify for the position of Government Information Specialist (FOIA/PA) at (GS-0306-12/13), you must possess the required specialized experience specific to this series and grade you're applying to.

If you are a current or former government employee on a permanent appointment in the competitive service, you will need to demonstrate 1-year (52-weeks) at the next lower grade level, to meet the time-in-grade requirements for this occupational series and grade. Additionally, please ensure to submit an applicable SF50 (please refer to the "required documents" section for additional information).

** RESUMES LIMITED TO TWO PAGES**
Effective September 27, 2025, federal agencies will only accept resumes up to two pages in length.

Specialized Experience:
For the GS-12: You must have one year of specialized experience at the GS-11 grade level or equivalent pay band in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as meeting 3 of the 5 statements below:
1) Reviews documents to identify and redact sensitive information under Freedom of Information Act/Privacy Act (FOIA/PA) exemptions;
2) Reviews to incoming FOIA/PA requests from search to final response;
3) Drafts written responses to requesters and prepares status reports for senior leadership;
4) Maintains FOIA/PA databases and formal administrative records;
5) Utilize automated tools and software to organize documentation, information, and/or evidence.

For the GS-13: You must have one year of specialized experience at the GS-12 grade level or equivalent pay band in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as meeting 5 of the 6 statements below:
1) Communicates and negotiates with requesters regarding FOIA/PA requests;
2) Conducts record searches in response to FOIA requests;
3) Conducts research as required to determine FOIA/PA information to be released;
4) Consults, as appropriate, with other government entities regarding responsiveness and releasability determinations;
5) Handles the above 4 tasks independently and potentially reviews the work of others;
6) Handles prior responses to efficiently handle new FOIA requests utilizing technology-related discovery efforts.

You MUST meet all qualification requirements, including Time-in-Grade, by the closing date of this announcement, 10/08/2025.

Your resume must support your responses to the online questionnaire and the qualification requirements. Failure to do so may result in an ineligible rating. See the Required Documents section for important notes about what must be included in your resume.

After you submit this application, you will receive an e-mail informing you that a USA Hire assessment is required of you. You will have 48 hours from the closing date of this announcement (10/08/2025) to complete the assessment as this assessment is part of your application.

Education

There is no education substitution at this grade level.

Additional information

The bullets below outline the various groups of applicants that fall under the term "status candidates". This vacancy is open to applicants from any of the groups listed below: When you apply you'll have the chance to claim an eligibility pathway, be sure you fully read each statement and any links provided to make sure you know which eligibility you qualify for.

See a full list and learn more at USAJOBS, see: What does Status Candidate mean? or Which Jobs am I Eligible to Apply for?

  1. CURRENT AND FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES: For more information, see USAJOBS Federal Employees.
  2. CAREER TRANSITION PROGRAMS (CTAP or ICTAP): For more information visit: USAJOBS Career Transition Programs
  3. VETERANS AND MILITARY SPOUSES: Please see USAJOBS Veterans Preference for more details.
  4. SCHEDULE A, PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES Learn more at USAJOBS - Individuals with Disabilities.
General Employment Information:
  1. DOJ EEO STATEMENT: The U.S. Department of Justice fosters an inclusive and diverse workforce, find our EEO statement online at: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/page/file/1394116/download
  2. SELECTIVE SERVICE: If you were born male, on or after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. Additional information is found at: www.sss.gov.
  3. REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION REQUESTS: DOJ policy can be found at: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/reasonable-accommodation#policy. If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a reasonable accommodation in your online application. Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a Reasonable Accommodation, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire
This position is excluded from the bargaining unit.

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.

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the online assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Decision Making
  • Flexibility
  • Influencing/Negotiating
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork


In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

When addressing the specialized experience statement, applicants must present evidence of the experience in their resume. If the specialized experience statement is repeated, in the applicant's resume, Human Resources will deem the applicant as ineligible.

BASIS OF FINAL RATING:
DOJ's Merit Promotion Procedures will be used to evaluate candidates.

Career Transition Programs (CTAP or ICTAP):
These programs apply to Federal and/or DOJ employees who meet the definition of surplus or displaced from a position in the competitive service. 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 based on the competencies listed above; and
  3. Submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility.

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