Skip to main content
U.S. flag
Back to results
 

Government Information Specialist

Department of Health and Human Services
Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services
Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs (ASPA)

Summary

This position is located in the Department of Health and Human Services, Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, headquartered in Washington, District of Columbia.

This announcement has an applicant limit of 100 and will close on the day that 100 applications have been received, at 11:59 PM.

Please read the "How You'll be Evaluated" section for specific details regarding the evaluation process for this job.

Overview

Help
Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
03/11/2026 to 03/20/2026
This job will close when we have received 100 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$85,447 to - $158,322 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 11 - 13
Location
Few vacancies in the following location:
Washington, DC
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
HHS-ASPA-MP-26-12896620
Control number
860337100

This job is open to

Help

Clarification from the agency

Federal career or career conditional employees in the competitive service; displaced Federal employees with CTAP or ICTAP eligibility; Military Spouses; individuals eligible for VEOA or VRA appointments; 30% disabled veterans; foreign service employees; national service (Peace Corps/VISTA); USPHS officers and officer candidates; certain former overseas employees; former employees with reinstatement eligibility; and individuals with disabilities.

Duties

Help

WHAT YOU'LL BE DOING DAY TO DAY

As a Government Information Specialist, you will use your knowledge and experience to optimize business results and customer experience by:

  • Incumbent serves as a Government Information Specialist, with responsibility for administering and implementing the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) for all offices in the ASPA FOIA portfolio.
  • Performs research analysis and evaluation of data submitted for inclusion or exclusion in response to highly complex, sensitive, and controversial request for information.
  • Serves as an expert consultant and resource person for problems encountered by HHS. Interprets office policies and procedures as requested.
  • Represents the office in meetings and discussions with representatives of the various components of HHS, PSC, OASH and OGC.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship required
  • Males born after December 31, 1959 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service - http://www.sss.gov
  • Suitable for federal employment
  • Meet time in grade restrictions by the closing date of the announcement
  • Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication. All information concerning qualifications is subject to investigation.
  • Documentation that you present for purposes of completing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Form I-9 will be verified through the DHS "E-Verify" System.
  • All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choice.
  • All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date.

Qualifications

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
GS-11 Specialized Experience
You must have one year specialized experience to perform successfully the duties of the position. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service performing ALL of the following:

  • Reviewing and processing FOIA and Privacy Act requests to determine responsiveness and applicability of exemptions.
  • Researching and applying relevant statutes, regulations, agency policy, and pertinent case law to support disclosure determinations.
  • Serving as a junior analyst under the supervision of a senior analyst in identifying issues, analyzing alternatives, and preparing written recommendations regarding release determinations
OR
  • Have successfully completed a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree (e.g.,LL.M) or three (3) full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent degree at an accredited college or university in a field that provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work for this position. NOTE: You must submit a copy of your college transcripts (official or unofficial) to support your claim.
GS-12 Specialized Experience:
You must have one year specialized experience to perform successfully the duties of the position. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service performing ALL of the following:
  • Independently analyzing and processing complex and sensitive FOIA and Privacy Act requests involving multiple program offices, high-visibility subject matter, or significant policy implications.
  • Interpreting and applying FOIA exemptions, Privacy Act provisions, Departmental regulations, and evolving case law to develop legally sufficient and defensible disclosure determinations.
  • Advising senior program officials and leadership on disclosure risks, policy interpretation, and compliance requirements.
  • Identifying procedural deficiencies and recommending process improvements to enhance compliance and efficiency.
GS-13 Specialized Experience:
You must have one year specialized experience to perform successfully the duties of the position. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service performing ALL of the following:
  • Serving as a senior technical authority responsible for resolving sensitive, or high-visibility FOIA and Privacy Act matters with significant legal, operational, or reputational impact.
  • Interpreting and applying 5 U.S.C. § 552, 5 U.S.C. § 552a, implementing regulations, Departmental policy, and evolving federal court decisions to develop legally defensible, precedent-setting disclosure determinations.
  • Providing authoritative guidance to OpDiv/StaffDiv FOIA offices, senior leadership, and program officials on disclosure risk, exemption interpretation, harm analyses, discretionary release considerations, and compliance requirements.
  • Drafting and revising Department-level policies, standard operating procedures, templates, and guidance to strengthen compliance, improve transparency, and mitigate litigation risk.
  • Advising senior executives and Office of General Counsel on appeal responses, litigation strategy, Vaughn indices, declarations, and settlement considerations.
Documenting experience: IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Qualifications are based on breadth/level of experience. In addition to describing duties performed, applicants must provide the exact dates of each period of employment (from MM/YY to MM/YY) and the number of hours worked per week if part time. As qualification determinations cannot be made when resumes do not include the required information, failure to provide this information may result in disqualification. Applicants are encouraged to use the USAJOBS Resume Builder to develop their federal resume.

Do not copy and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational application questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

In accordance with Office of Personnel Management policy, federal employees are assumed to have gained experience by performing duties and responsibilities appropriate for their official series and grade level as described in their position description. Experience that would not normally be part of the employee's position is creditable, however, when documented by satisfactory evidence, such as a signed memorandum from the employee's supervisor or an SF-50 or SF-52 documenting an official detail or other official assignment. The documentation must indicate whether the duties were performed full time or, if part time, the "percentage of times" the other duties were performed. It is expected that this documentation is included in the employee's official personnel record. In order to receive credit for experience in your resume that is not within the official series and grade level of your official position, you must provide a copy of the appropriate documentation of such experience as indicated above.

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; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to gain employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. If such experience is on a part-time basis, you must provide the average number of hours worked per week as well as the beginning and ending dates of the experience so it can be fully credited.

OPM Qualification General Policies Website

Education

Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.


For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov.Note: Applications can be accepted from students who expect to complete qualifying education within 9 months from the date of application. Education must be completed successfully before the applicant can be appointed.

Additional information

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

Federal agencies may request information regarding the vaccination status of selected applicants for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as protocols related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.

Incentives may be authorized; however, this is contingent upon multiple factors, including funds availability. If authorized, certain incentives may require you to sign a service agreement to remain in the Federal government for a period of up to 3 years. Note: This statement does not imply nor guarantee an incentive will be offered and paid. Incentives may include the following: moving expenses, recruitment or relocation incentive; student loan repayment, superior qualifications appointment, creditable service for annual leave for prior non-federal work experience or prior uniformed military service, etc.

Bargaining Unit Position: No

Research position: No

Drug Screening Required: No

Special Hiring Authorities for Veterans - https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/veterans/

Special Hiring Authorities for Military Spouses - https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/military-spouses/

People With Disabilities (Schedule A) - https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/Individuals_with_Disabilities

Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP/ICTAP): For information on how to apply as an CTAP/ICTAP eligible see http://opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp#ictap. To be well-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, displaced Federal employees must be rated at 85.0 or above on the rating criteria for this position.

Beginning January 1, 2010, agencies must seek prior approval from OPM before they can appoint a current or recent political appointee to a competitive or non-political excepted service position at any level under the provisions of title 5, United States Code. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employee in the executive branch, you MUST disclose that to the Human Resources Office.

USA Hire Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA 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, based on your adjudication decision. 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 RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.phptitle=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire

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 announcement. Evaluation will be based on your application materials (such as your resume and supporting documents), your responses to the application questionnaire, and the results of all required assessments.

Resume Requirement
Your resume must not exceed two (2) pages in length.

Minimum Qualification Question
As part of the application process, you must answer a minimum qualification question addressing whether you meet the Specialized Experience required for this position, as described in this announcement.

Your response must be supported by the experience documented in your resume. If your resume does not demonstrate the required Specialized Experience, you may be found not qualified.

Assessment Process

USA Hire Technical Assessment
You are required to complete a USA Hire technical assessment to evaluate the job-related knowledge, skills, and abilities required for this position.

HR Resume Review
Human Resources will review your resume to determine whether you meet the required Specialized Experience.

Applicants who successfully pass the assessment(s) may be referred to the Hiring Manager for consideration.

You must complete all required steps in the process, including submitting an application and resume and participating in the structured interview, to be considered for this position.

Additional selections may be made for similar positions across the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) within the local commuting area(s) of the location identified in this announcement. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with any interested selecting official(s) at HHS. Clearance of CTAP/ICTAP will be applied for similar positions across HHS.

In accordance with Executive Order 12564 of September 14, 1986, The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is A Drug-Free Federal Workplace. The use of illegal drugs, on or off duty, by Federal employees is inconsistent not only with the law-abiding behavior expected of all citizens, but also with the special trust placed in such employees as servants of the public.

PHS Commissioned Corps (CC) Officers: PHS Commissioned Corps (CC) Officers interested in performing the duties of this position within the Commissioned Corps may apply online to this announcement. Candidates will be referred as CC personnel and not as candidates for conversion to a permanent career or career-conditional appointment.

For Competitive Merit Promotion and Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA) Applicants: The highest rated candidates will be referred to the hiring agency.

For Noncompetitive Applicants: All qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring agency.

Your qualifications will be evaluated 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

To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12896620

Your session is about to expire!

Your USAJOBS session will expire due to inactivity in 8 minutes. Any unsaved data will be lost if you allow the session to expire. Click the button below to continue your session.