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Lead 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

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
04/08/2026 to 04/17/2026
This job will close when we have received 100 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$143,913 - $187,093 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 14
Locations
Few vacancies in the following locations:
Washington, DC
Atlanta, GA
Bethesda, MD
Rockville, MD
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-26-12916054
Control number
864002500

This job is open to

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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 ; 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

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WHAT YOU'LL BE DOING DAY TO DAY

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

  • Articulates and communicates to the team the assignment, project, problem to be solved, actionable events, milestones, and/or program issues under review, and deadlines and time frames for completion.
  • Keeps abreast of all changes in the HHS FOIA regulations, to provide consultation and technical expertise in order to correctly handle and process disclosure inquiries and to ensure compliance at all times.
  • Reviews, advises on, and conducts complex analyses, evaluations, or investigations in support of organizational programs, systems, and processes, including areas where definitions, methods, and/or data are incomplete, controversial, or uncertain, or where boundaries of the studies are extremely broad and difficult to determine in advance.
  • Responsible for responding to assigned requests for the disclosure of information, including requests under the FOIA by analyzing the request, completing an appropriate search, obtaining the responsive documents, performing a legal review to determine if information is exempt from disclosure
  • under applicable statutes and regulations, redirecting information that is exempt from disclosure, preparing a letter that provides that documents and explains what information is being withheld from disclosure, and obtain necessary clearances.

Requirements

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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-14 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-13 grade level in the Federal service performing ALL of the following:

  • Directed FOIA and Privacy Act operations by assigning and reviewing staff work to ensure timely, legally sufficient responses to complex and sensitive requests and appeals, including proper application of Executive Order 12600 and protection of confidential commercial information.
  • Providing authoritative guidance to senior leadership and program offices on federal disclosure laws, interpreting and implementing the Freedom of Information Act, Privacy Act, and related statutes, regulations, and agency policies.
  • Establishing program priorities, performance metrics, and internal controls to reduce backlog, meet statutory deadlines, and monitor compliance; develop policies, standard operating procedures, reporting formats, and data-tracking mechanisms to support information governance and records management.
  • Analyze and synthesize large volumes of records and program data to prepare reports and briefings for Department officials; identify workforce needs, deliver training, and foster a high-performing team environment focused on accountability and continuous improvement.
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

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

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.

Reemployment Priority List (RPL): To receive selection priority for this position, individuals on the RPL must meet the qualification requirements, complete all required assessments and be rated as qualified. RPL candidates are ranked using Category Rating procedures.

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.

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For additional information about USAJOBS visit the Help Center: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/

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 Specialist 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/12916054

Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services

Become a part of the Department that touches the lives of every American! At the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) you can give back to your community, state, and country by making a difference in the lives of Americans everywhere. It is the principal agency for protecting the health of citizens. Join HHS and help to make our world healthier, safer, and better for all Americans.

The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs (ASPA) serves as the Secretary's principal counsel on public affairs. The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs conducts national public affairs programs, provides centralized leadership and guidance for public affairs activities within HHS' Staff and Operating Divisions and regional offices, manages the Department's digital communications, and administers the Freedom of Information and Privacy Acts. The Division leads the planning, development, and implementation of emergency incident communications strategies and activities for the Department. The ASPA reports directly to the HHS Secretary

Agency contact information

SROC Help Desk
Email
SROCHelpDesk@hhs.gov
Address
Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, DC 20201
US

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