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PARALEGAL SPECIALIST (RECENT GRADUATE)

Consumer Product Safety Commission

Summary

Join the team! This position is located in the Division of Enforcement & Litigation, Office of Compliance and Field Operations. The Office identifies & investigates potentially hazardous products; enforces mandatory standards & regulations; negotiates voluntary recalls, other corrective actions & civil penalties; conducts administrative litigation to obtain mandatory recalls; and assists in the drafting & review of rules and regulations affecting CPSC's compliance and enforcement authority.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
03/16/2026 to 03/25/2026
This job will close when we have received 150 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$57,736 to - $75,059 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 07
Location
Bethesda, MD
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Recent graduates - 1 year appointment with possible conversion to permanent position
Work schedule
Full-time - Full Time - Pathway Recent Graduate Program
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
11
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
Yes - This position is in the bargaining unit, The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), Local 3579.
Announcement number
3010CEL-2026-0002
Control number
860563400

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Recent graduates from a qualifying educational institution having completed an academic program within the preceding two years. Note: Veterans who were precluded by their military service obligation from applying for Pathways Recent Graduate jobs will have up to six years from date of graduation and two years from date of separation from the military to apply.

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Duties

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The CPSC is seeking recent graduates under the Pathways Program. This position will be assigned to one of the branches in the Enforcement & Litigation Division. This opportunity provides the candidate with a desire to work in the consumer product safety field and/or public sector and assignments are designed to complement the graduates educational field while meeting the expressed needs of the agency and CPSC organizations.

The incumbent will be responsible for completing the following:

  • Case development, including reviewing and summarizing documents, developing and summarizing evidence, and analyzing data; 
  • Document management, including providing docket support and assisting in document collection, filing, and production;
  • Sample collection and tracking;
  • Support in preparing for Commission briefings and administrative hearings, including preparing charts, graphs, tables, and other exhibits, and document management and other support during briefings and hearings.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S Citizen.
  • Must meet Pathways Recent Graduate program requirements.
  • A background investigation is required.
  • Must meet education requirements.

This is an appointment under the CPSC Recent Graduate program. You must have graduated within the past two years, from a qualifying educational institution or certificate program. The program duration is one year. Upon successful completion of the program and at the agency's discretion, the appointee may be converted to a permanent position in the competitive service.  Appointee must sign a Participant Agreement. Recent Graduates will enter a formal training program with a mentor and execute an Individual Development Plan outlining training requirements and program expectations. The entire duration of the Recent Graduate Appointment constitutes a trial period.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year trial period 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 CPSC;
  • whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the CPSC or the Government; and
  • whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

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

Qualifications

Applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements to participate in this program:

  • You must have a final cumulative Grade Point Average of at least a 3.0.
  • Current Students may apply up to 90 days prior to their graduation date.
  • Recent graduates who have completed, within the previous two years, a qualifying technical education program including: associates, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution or a qualifying career program which may include Registered Apprenticeship Programs, Job Corps, Climate Corps, AmeriCorps, and Peace Corps.
  • Veterans unable to apply within two years of receiving their degree, due to military service obligation, have as much as six years after degree completion to apply.
  • May submit unofficial transcript(s). Official transcript(s) will be required, if applicant is selected for a position.

Education

All applicants must meet one of the following requirements to qualify:

GS-07: Applicants must have 1 full year of graduate level education or undergraduate superior academic achievement. 

In order to be creditable under the provision, superior academic achievement (SAA) must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled.

SAA is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average, or (3) honor society membership.  Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses. Applicants must have a grade-point average of:

  • 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 as recorded on your official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; OR
  • 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum.

These honor societies are listed by the Association of College Honor Societies.

All applicants MUST submit a copy of their college transcripts with the degree conferred date. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable during the application process. Official transcripts will be required upon appointment.   

All materials must be submitted by the closing date of this announcement.

All education claimed by applicants will be verified. 

Additional information

CPSC provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please contact the Human Resources Specialist listed in this vacancy announcement.  

All the information you provide will be verified by a review of the work experience and/or education as shown on your application, by checking references and through other means, such as the interview process.  Any exaggeration of your experience, false statements, or attempts to conceal information may be grounds for not hiring you or for firing you after you begin work.

Additional selections may be made through this vacancy announcement.

A selectee receiving a first appointment to the Federal Government (Civil Service) is entitled only to the lowest step of the grade for which selected. The display of a salary range on this vacancy shall not be construed as granting an entitlement to a higher rate of pay.

This vacancy announcement will close after the receipt of the first 150 applications.

As a condition of employment, the selectee must reside in the local commuting area of the duty station listed in this announcement. Proof of residence may be required. 

Must meet the criteria requirement for the pre-employment waiver and/or a favorable suitability determination within a reasonable period of time, otherwise the employment offer may be withdrawn.

This is a Public Trust Position. Employment in this position requires a background investigation. If you are selected and cannot meet the criteria requirement for the pre-employment waiver and/or a favorable suitability determination within a reasonable period of time due to disclosed or undisclosed background issues, the employment offer may be withdrawn.

Selectees will be required to complete a "Declaration of Federal Employment", (OF-306), prior to being appointed to determine their suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation.  False statements or responses on your resume or questionnaire can jeopardize your employment opportunity and subject you to disciplinary action, including removal from Federal service.

If you are a male born 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. Please see http://www.sss.gov for more information. 

The selectee will be required to complete a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the I-9 Form. We will compare information provided on the I-9 Form to records available from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The system confirms employee’s identity and eligibility to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities.

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.

Your application includes: (1) Your resume, (2) Responses to the online questions, and (3) Required supporting documents.  

RESUME: All applicants are required to submit a resume limited to two (2) pages (i.e., 1 page that is double-sided or 2 pages that are one-sided each) showing all relevant experience.   

Rule of Many Rating Procedures: This announcement uses the cut score (job‑analysis‑based) method under 5 CFR § 332.402. All applicants must score at least 95 to be considered. All applicants tied at the cut line will be referred. We will provide the selecting official a sufficient number of names, when available, to consider at least three candidates per vacancy. If fewer than three eligible and available candidates per vacancy result, we will expand the group in accordance with our pre‑announced supplement strategy and OPM policy.

Application of Veterans Preference: In the Rule of Many, only the CP/CPS veterans are listed at the top of the certificate (except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher). All other preference eligibles will be placed in score order. In the event of a tie, other preference eligibles will be placed ahead of non-preference eligibles.


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