The Natural Resources Section represents major federal agencies in federal district court, the Court of Federal Claims, and State courts in novel or complex litigation under more than 80 natural resource, environmental, and cultural resource statutes, various treaties and international agreements, interstate compacts, and congressional referrals. Our dockets involve challenges under the Administrative Procedure Act or the Just Compensation Clause of the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Summary
The Natural Resources Section represents major federal agencies in federal district court, the Court of Federal Claims, and State courts in novel or complex litigation under more than 80 natural resource, environmental, and cultural resource statutes, various treaties and international agreements, interstate compacts, and congressional referrals. Our dockets involve challenges under the Administrative Procedure Act or the Just Compensation Clause of the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Federal Status candidates, VEOA eligibles, certain Military Spouses, Individuals with Disabilities, applicants eligible under the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act, and applicants eligible under other special appointment authorities.
This vacancy is also being announced concurrently with Ann# ENRD-26-005-DE for applicants who DO NOT have Federal status. Please review that announcement to determine if you are eligible to apply. Note: Applicants must apply separately for each announcement.
As an Administrative Specialist, duties include, but are not limited to, the following:
Provide high level administrative support to the Section Chief and Deputies.
Serve as Correspondence Tracking System Coordinator to track all incoming and outgoing packages to the Front Office and other DOJ components.
Provide administrative support for requests related to the Case Management System and the Case Management System Time Reporting Module.
Provide support to the Expert Witness and Judgment Fund Programs.
Serve as a Timekeeper for the Section; review all requests for accrual of travel compensatory time; perform audits of leave balances; resolve or troubleshoot issues.
Represent the Section on work groups for building security; serve as fire drill monitor.
Assist with planning for the Section's Continuity of Operations Planning exercises.
Set up conference rooms for management meetings including video teleconference with assistance from the Office of Information Technology.
Maintain spreadsheets of applicants for attorney hiring; track metrics; coordinate candidate interview schedules; liaise with hiring committee members.
Prepare new employee packets; coordinate office assignments; and provide office equipment and supplies.
Maintain annual telework forms and training completion certificates.
Edit and proofread training materials created by others.
Liaise with management and employees to coordinate volunteer opportunities.
Assist with administrative aspects for intern hiring.
Serve as a Section-wide purchase card holder, ensure that all invoices are properly stamped and filled out.
Answer transit subsidy questions; liaise with Office of Administrative Services.
Assist with building & office equipment support (phones; computer; furniture).
You must complete a background investigation to include drug testing.
Selective Service Registration is required, as applicable.
You must complete or have completed a one-year probationary period.
You must maintain a bank account for direct deposit of salary.
Telework available in accordance with agency policy.
Qualifications
To qualify for this position at GS-9, you must have one of the following:
A. At least one year of specialized experience at, or equivalent to, the GS-7 Federal grade level or above preparing reports, correspondence, and other written material in accordance with established regulations and guidelines; assisting in performing administrative tasks in support of litigation matters, or relating to human resources, travel, supplies, procurement, equipment, office moves, or budget and finance; or
B. Have a master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B or J.D., if related; or
C. A combination of graduate education and experience that meets 100% of the qualification requirements for this position. (Only graduate education in excess of the first full year may be used in this calculation).
To qualify for GS-11, you must have one of the following:
A. At least one year of specialized experience at, or equivalent to, the GS-9 Federal grade level or above preparing reports, correspondence, and other written material in accordance with established regulations and guidelines; coordinating administrative tasks in support of litigation matters, or relating to human resources, travel, supplies, procurement, equipment, office moves, or budget and finance; and providing support for centralized administrative activities for an organization; or
B. Have three (3) full academic years of graduate level education or the successful completion of a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; or
C. A combination of graduate education and experience that meets 100% of the qualification requirements for this position. (Only graduate education in excess of the second year may be used in this calculation).
Qualifying education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position.
Time in Grade: Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements (one year at the next lower grade) by the closing date of announcement.
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; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skill and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
YOUR RESUME MUST support your responses to the online questionnaire and provide specific details as to how your experience meets the specialized experience as described in the vacancy announcement if you are using experience to meet all or part of the qualification requirements. Please ensure that your resume includes the month and year that you began and ended each position held or that position will not be credited toward meeting the specialized experience requirement. Part-time employment will be prorated in crediting experience. Failure to provide details will result in an ineligible rating. Your latest resume submitted for this vacancy announcement will be used to determine qualifications and supersedes previous submissions.
Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.
All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, see www.ed.gov
Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the above education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to timely provide such evidence by submitting proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency with your application materials. More information may be found at https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html
Career Transition Programs: The Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) provides eligible surplus and displaced competitive service employees in DOJ with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If you have received written notification of your eligibility for consideration under CTAP/ICTAP, you may receive special priority consideration for this position if you are well-qualified for the position with a score of 85 or better on established ranking criteria.
Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA): VEOA allows eligible veterans to apply and compete for positions announced under merit promotion procedures when the hiring agency is recruiting from outside its own workforce. To be eligible, a veteran must be honorably separated and either a preference eligible or have substantially completed three (3) or more years of continuous active military service. If you are applying for a Merit Promotion announcement and wish to be considered under the VEOA, you must submit a copy of the Member Copy 4 of your DD-214, in addition to any other required documents listed on this announcement. You can find additional information at: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/veterans-services/vet-guide/
Military Spouses:You're eligible if you are a spouse of an active duty member of the armed forces; a spouse of a service member who is 100% disabled due to a service-connected injury; or a spouse of a service member killed while on active duty. You must meet certain criteria for each of these eligibility categories. Learn more about the specific criteria for military spouses
Schedule A: DOJ welcomes and encourages applications from persons with disabilities and is firmly committed to satisfying its affirmative obligations under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to ensure that persons with disabilities have every opportunity to be hired and advanced on the basis of merit within the Department. DOJ also encourages eligible Schedule A applicants to submit their resumes to resume@benderconsult.com, and reference "Federal Career Opportunities" in the subject line. Additional information is found at: www.benderconsult.com
Land Management applicants on a time-limited appointment are eligible to apply. The Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act, P.L. 114-47 was signed into law on August 7, 2015, allowing certain individuals who currently are or formerly were under time-limited competitive appointments at certain land management agencies to compete for permanent positions in the competitive service at a land management agency, or any other agency, under merit promotion procedures.
Benefits: DOJ offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation; sick leave; holidays; telework; life insurance; health benefits; and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System.
SELECTIVE SERVICE: Additional information is found at: www.sss.gov.
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.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Your qualifications will be reviewed based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents) and the responses you provide on the application questionnaire. When addressing the education and/or specialized experience qualification statement, you must present evidence of that education and/or experience in your resume. If the specialized experience statement is merely repeated in your resume, you may be deemed ineligible.
If you meet the minimum qualifications, your application will then be compared to your responses to the online assessment questionnaire(s) that measure important competencies required to perform the job. If you self-rate yourself higher than is supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job.
You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):
Attention to Detail
Customer Service
Decision Making
Flexibility
Integrity/Honesty
Interpersonal Skills
Learning
Performance & Awards
Reading Comprehension
Reasoning
Self-Management
Stress Tolerance
Teamwork
If you are found to be among the top candidates based on your assessment responses, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.
*Note: Additional candidates may be selected if more positions become available within 90 days after the HR office issues the selection certificate.
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.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
You must submit a detailed resume containing the following information for each job entry listed in your employment history:
Official position title;
Employer name and contact information;
Start and end dates (month and year);
A detailed list of duties & accomplishments,
Your highest salary (or Federal grade/step) achieved; and
Indicate full-time or number of hours worked per week if part-time.
Additional required documents must be submitted by the closing date of the job announcement. Documentation requirements may vary from applicant to applicant based on your eligibility claims. It is your responsibility to carefully review the list below to determine which documents are required for your application.
To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:
Resume (not to exceed two pages)
Cover letter (optional)
SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action which shows career or career-conditional tenure in the competitive service or Federal reinstatement eligibility, such as an appointment action, within-grade increase, promotion, or separation whichever is most recent. An Award or General Pay Adjustment action will not suffice.
An unofficial graduate transcript if you are using education to meet the minimum qualification
For Federal employees, performance appraisal issued within the last 12 months
Veteran preference documentation, if applicable for VEOA consideration
Schedule A documentation, if applicable
For Land Management eligibles, submit a copy of your most recent SF-50 or equivalent proving eligibility for appointment under the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act.
Supporting documents, if applicable for other special appointment authorities
CTAP/ICTAP documentation, if applicable
Your online responses to the Occupational Questionnaire
If you are using education to qualify for this position, or if education is required:
You must submit a transcript, which may be unofficial, as long as it contains a full listing of courses, credit earned, grade and grade-point-average, subject area, degree(s) earned, and dates of award.
Your transcript must come from a nationally-accredited educational institution recognized by the Department of Education.
Please do not submit electronic transcripts with documentation security protection. These may prevent our application system from accepting and processing the document.
If submitting a foreign transcript, you must have the transcript reviewed by an approved foreign education review organization recognized by the Department of Education. Your transcript must also be in English or have an English translation included.
If you are a Veteran or a qualifying parent or spouse:
Submit all DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, Member-4 Copy) forms.
If you are a Veteran with a service-connected disability rating you will need to submit the SF-15 (Application for 10-point Veterans Preference) and a copy of your VA Letter stating your disability rating.
If you are the qualifying parent or spouse of a disabled, deceased, or deployed Veteran, and are seeking a derived preference eligibility, you must submit appropriate supporting documentation such as the Veterans DD-214, SF-15, VA Letter.
For more information on each type of Veterans Preference, and the documentation required for each, see FedsHireVets.
If you are a person with a disability, claiming eligibility under Schedule A:
You must submit "proof of a disability" documentation ("Proof of a disability" is a letter stating that you have an intellectual disability, severe physical disability or psychiatric disability).
You must get this letter from your doctor, a licensed medical professional, a licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist, or any Federal, state, or local agency that issues or provides disability benefits.
For more information about Schedule A and verification requirements, please see OPM's Schedule A site.
If you are a displaced Federal employee claiming eligibility under CTAP or ICTAP:
Submit your separation notice or agency RIF letter from your agency.
If you have not yet been separated, provide the letter of intent to separate you from the agency because of a RIF.
Also submit your most recent performance appraisal and SF-50 showing current/former position, grade, promotion potential and duty location.
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments, and required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:
Click the Apply Online button.
Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.
Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.
To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
To view the announcement status or your application status: Click on this: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.
Natural Resources Section
150 M Street NE
Washington, DC 20002
US
Next steps
Based on your application and your responses to the application questionnaire, you may be presented with instructions on how to access the USA Hire system to complete the online assessments. The online assessments must be completed within 48 hours following the close of this announcement. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation for the assessment should you have a disability covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Your assessment results will be kept on record for one year and used toward future positions for which you might apply that require the same assessments.
To be considered for the position, you must meet all qualification requirements. Based on your qualifications and assessment scores, you will be notified of your rating and/or referral to the hiring official. We will notify you of the outcome after each step of the recruitment process has been completed. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation. We expect to make a final job offer within 80 days after the closing date of the announcement.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
You must submit a detailed resume containing the following information for each job entry listed in your employment history:
Official position title;
Employer name and contact information;
Start and end dates (month and year);
A detailed list of duties & accomplishments,
Your highest salary (or Federal grade/step) achieved; and
Indicate full-time or number of hours worked per week if part-time.
Additional required documents must be submitted by the closing date of the job announcement. Documentation requirements may vary from applicant to applicant based on your eligibility claims. It is your responsibility to carefully review the list below to determine which documents are required for your application.
To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:
Resume (not to exceed two pages)
Cover letter (optional)
SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action which shows career or career-conditional tenure in the competitive service or Federal reinstatement eligibility, such as an appointment action, within-grade increase, promotion, or separation whichever is most recent. An Award or General Pay Adjustment action will not suffice.
An unofficial graduate transcript if you are using education to meet the minimum qualification
For Federal employees, performance appraisal issued within the last 12 months
Veteran preference documentation, if applicable for VEOA consideration
Schedule A documentation, if applicable
For Land Management eligibles, submit a copy of your most recent SF-50 or equivalent proving eligibility for appointment under the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act.
Supporting documents, if applicable for other special appointment authorities
CTAP/ICTAP documentation, if applicable
Your online responses to the Occupational Questionnaire
If you are using education to qualify for this position, or if education is required:
You must submit a transcript, which may be unofficial, as long as it contains a full listing of courses, credit earned, grade and grade-point-average, subject area, degree(s) earned, and dates of award.
Your transcript must come from a nationally-accredited educational institution recognized by the Department of Education.
Please do not submit electronic transcripts with documentation security protection. These may prevent our application system from accepting and processing the document.
If submitting a foreign transcript, you must have the transcript reviewed by an approved foreign education review organization recognized by the Department of Education. Your transcript must also be in English or have an English translation included.
If you are a Veteran or a qualifying parent or spouse:
Submit all DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, Member-4 Copy) forms.
If you are a Veteran with a service-connected disability rating you will need to submit the SF-15 (Application for 10-point Veterans Preference) and a copy of your VA Letter stating your disability rating.
If you are the qualifying parent or spouse of a disabled, deceased, or deployed Veteran, and are seeking a derived preference eligibility, you must submit appropriate supporting documentation such as the Veterans DD-214, SF-15, VA Letter.
For more information on each type of Veterans Preference, and the documentation required for each, see FedsHireVets.
If you are a person with a disability, claiming eligibility under Schedule A:
You must submit "proof of a disability" documentation ("Proof of a disability" is a letter stating that you have an intellectual disability, severe physical disability or psychiatric disability).
You must get this letter from your doctor, a licensed medical professional, a licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist, or any Federal, state, or local agency that issues or provides disability benefits.
For more information about Schedule A and verification requirements, please see OPM's Schedule A site.
If you are a displaced Federal employee claiming eligibility under CTAP or ICTAP:
Submit your separation notice or agency RIF letter from your agency.
If you have not yet been separated, provide the letter of intent to separate you from the agency because of a RIF.
Also submit your most recent performance appraisal and SF-50 showing current/former position, grade, promotion potential and duty location.
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments, and required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:
Click the Apply Online button.
Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.
Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.
To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
To view the announcement status or your application status: Click on this: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.
Natural Resources Section
150 M Street NE
Washington, DC 20002
US
Next steps
Based on your application and your responses to the application questionnaire, you may be presented with instructions on how to access the USA Hire system to complete the online assessments. The online assessments must be completed within 48 hours following the close of this announcement. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation for the assessment should you have a disability covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Your assessment results will be kept on record for one year and used toward future positions for which you might apply that require the same assessments.
To be considered for the position, you must meet all qualification requirements. Based on your qualifications and assessment scores, you will be notified of your rating and/or referral to the hiring official. We will notify you of the outcome after each step of the recruitment process has been completed. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation. We expect to make a final job offer within 80 days after the closing date of the announcement.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
