The Program Specialist (Legal Eligibility) provides administrative and analytical support to the Peace Corps legal eligibility and clearance process by reviewing applicant documentation, adjudicating background investigations and issuing legal clearances for cases within the delegated authority. Serves as a resource on legal eligibility policies, assists with policy implementation, and helps resolve routine eligibility issues while ensuring confidentiality, compliance, and timely processing.
Summary
The Program Specialist (Legal Eligibility) provides administrative and analytical support to the Peace Corps legal eligibility and clearance process by reviewing applicant documentation, adjudicating background investigations and issuing legal clearances for cases within the delegated authority. Serves as a resource on legal eligibility policies, assists with policy implementation, and helps resolve routine eligibility issues while ensuring confidentiality, compliance, and timely processing.
Applicants selected for this position are subject to the following Conditions of Employment:
You must be a U.S. citizen and at least 18 years old.
Males born after December 31, 1959, must be registered with Selective Service (see www.sss.gov).
Prior to employment, Peace Corps will review records for Returned Peace Corps Volunteers and former employees, as required by statutes 5 USC 3322 and 22 USC 2507b.
You must submit a signed statement acknowledging adherence to the Peace Corps Conditions of Employment before your first day.
You must obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance.
This position is designated for drug testing under the Drug-Free Workplace Program. You must pass a pre-employment drug test. After hire, you will be subject to random drug testing.
Occasional travel may be required for this position.
The initial appointment to this position cannot exceed five years.
Qualifications
Applicants must meet all qualification requirements prior to the closing date of this announcement, 05/27/2026. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience demonstrated in your resume, including volunteer work. Qualification claims are subject to verification. This vacancy is being announced at one (1) grade level.
Specialized Experience at the FP-5(GS-9) Level: To qualify for this position at the FP-5 grade level, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower level in the normal line of progression, FP-6 or GS-8. This experience must be directly related to the work of the position and must have equipped you with the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to successfully perform the duties of the role. Specialized experience includes: Reviewing and assessing applicant legal history to determine eligibility or suitability based on established regulations and criteria; Processing and adjudicating background investigations, including making determinations on cases with minor or moderate complexity; Interpreting and applying policies, regulations, and procedural guidelines to provide guidance and make informed eligibility decisions; Analyzing case information and resolving routine legal or administrative issues, including written responses and recommendations.
~OR~
A combination of education and experience.
A Master's or equivalent graduate degree
~OR~
2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree
~OR~
L.L.B. or J.D., if related.
~AND~
Time-in-Grade Requirements: Current or former Federal employees, including Peace Corps employees, must meet applicable Time-in-Grade requirements to be eligible for this position. For positions above the FP-09 (GS-05) level, you must have completed at least one year (52 weeks) at the next lower grade in the normal line of progression for the position to which you are applying.
All current or former Federal employees, including internal employees, must provide a copy of their SF-50(s), "Notification of Personnel Action," to demonstrate that you meet Time-in-Grade requirements. For more information, refer to the "Required Documents" section below.
Please note:
If you are qualifying based on education or a combination of education and experience, please review the "Education" section of this announcement.
Experience that satisfies the Specialized Experience requirements must be clearly documented in your resume. Failure to provide this information may result in disqualification. Please review the "Required Documents" section of this announcement for further information on resume requirements.
Specialized experience may be gained in the public sector, private sector, or through volunteer service (e.g., National Service programs such as Peace Corps or AmeriCorps, or other organizations such as professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, or social groups).
One year of experience refers to full-time work. Part-time work will be credited on a prorated basis.
For more details on qualification requirements, refer to the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook for General Schedule Positions, available on the OPM web site.
Education
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
If you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education a transcript must be submitted with your application. Transcripts can be official or unofficial.
A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements:
Divide your total months of experience by 12.
Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the second year (total graduate semester hours minus 36) by 18.
Add the two percentages.
Education must be obtained from an institution accredited by an organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order to be used toward qualification requirements. Applicants should report only attendance and/or degrees from accredited schools. To verify whether a school is accredited, visit the U.S. Department of Education's accreditation website.
Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet qualification requirements, you must provide evidence that your credentials have been evaluated by a private organization specializing in the interpretation of foreign education programs. The evaluation must confirm that your education is equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. program, or that full credit has been granted by a U.S. accredited college or university. For more information, visit: U.S. Department of Education - Recognition of Foreign Qualifications.
Additional information
Position Information:
This is not a bargaining unit position.
The minimum and maximum salaries listed on this announcement includes locality pay.
Peace Corps Information:
This is a federal civilian position in the Excepted Service, and the incumbent will serve as a member of the Foreign Service.
Peace Corps employees are paid under the Foreign Personnel (FP) pay system, which differs from the General Schedule (GS) pay system. In the FP pay system, lower grade level numbers indicate higher levels of responsibility and pay. The FP-09 is the lowest, entry-level, grade and the FP-01 is the highest, senior-level, grade.
This position is eligible for situational telework only. For more information regarding the Agency's telework policy see Peace Corps Manual Section 632.
The Peace Corps uses E-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities.
This is a drug-free workplace and we promote a drug-free environment.
Additional hiring needs may be filled through this vacancy.
This prohibits the employment of certain persons previously engaged in intelligence activities or connected with intelligence agencies within the past 10 years.
If you have ever worked for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), you are not eligible for employment at the Peace Corps in any capacity, and you should not apply for employment at the Peace Corps.
Acceptance of employment with Peace Corps precludes employment by certain intelligence organizations for a specific period after Peace Corps employment ceases.
Applicants who indicate on the announcement questionnaire that they, or a family member, have an intelligence connection will be required to submit a completed Intelligence Background Questionnaire. The Peace Corps Office of Human Resources will provide instructions for submitting this form after the closing date of the announcement. Failure to provide the completed questionnaire will result in disqualification from further consideration. If you have any type of possible intelligence connection, your application will not be processed until this form is submitted.
Except when the CIA or the National Security Agency (NSA) is involved (see below), if your connection with an Intelligence Agency involves an immediate family member who is employed or has been employed in intelligence, the immediate family member should complete the form.
If you have an immediate family member who is employed or has been employed with the CIA, please contact your family member in person (not by phone, email, social networking, or any other means that is not in person) and ask him or her to contact the Office of General Counsel at the CIA.
If you or an immediate family member have been employed by or associated with the NSA, you or your family member must contact the NSA Prepublication Review Office at (443) 634-4095.
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.
Applications are reviewed after the announcement closes. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or missing information may affect our ability to verify your eligibility or qualifications. We use a multi-step application review process:
1. Eligibility
We review your resume and supporting documents to confirm you meet the eligibility requirements of the position, including Time-in-Grade requirements.
You will be rated ineligible if:
You are outside of the area of consideration (i.e., who may apply). Refer to the "This job is open to" section for more information about the area of consideration. Refer to the "Required Documents" section for more information about the documentation required to verify your eligibility to apply.
You do not meet the Time-in-Grade requirement. Refer to the "Qualifications" section for more information about Time-in-Grade. Refer to the "Required Documents" section for more information about the documentation required to verify Time-in-Grade.
2. Minimum Qualifications, Rating and Ranking
After we determine you meet the eligibility requirements, we assess your experience by comparing your resume to the specialized experience required for the grade level(s) to which you applied. A "final score cut point" may be used when reviewing applications. We also review other qualification factors, such as Selective Placement Factors and education requirements.
You will be disqualified if:
Your resume does not demonstrate that you possess the minimum qualifications. Refer to the "Specialized Experience" listed in the "Qualifications" section for more information about the minimum qualifications.
Your resume does not demonstrate that you meet applicable Selective Placement Factors. If a Selective Placement Factor is required to qualify for this job announcement, more information about Selective Placement Factors is listed in the "Qualifications" section.
You do not meet the applicable education requirements or did not submit supporting documentation to verify that you meet the requirements. If specific education is required to qualify for this job announcement, more information about the education requirements can be found in the "Qualifications" and "Education" sections.
You inflate or falsify qualifications, education, or experience on your resume.
3. Referral and Selection
Highly qualified applicants are referred to the selecting official. The selecting official may:
Conduct a structured interview.
Check your references.
Request a writing sample or conduct an additional job-related assessment.
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.
Your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which establish your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide any of these items, your application will be marked as incomplete, and you will be disqualified from further consideration.
All required documents listed below, as applicable to you, must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement, 05/27/2026.
1) Resume - All applicants must submit a detailed resume that includes all relevant work experience (paid and unpaid), job titles, and duties performed:
You must limit your resume to no more than 2 pages. If more than 2 pages are submitted, only the first 2 pages will be reviewed to determine eligibility and qualifications.
The resume must be uploaded under the "Resume" document type in the application system.
You may submit only one resume. If multiple resumes are submitted, only the latest submission in the "Resume" document type will be reviewed.
The following information must be included for each position listed in your resume:
Name of the employer
Official position title
Start and end dates of employment (including month, day, and year)
If you are a current federal employee or former federal employee, you must include your pay plan, series, and grade level (e.g. GS-0201-09)
A detailed list of duties and accomplishments
Resumes that do not contain the required details may be considered incomplete and could result in disqualification from further consideration.
TIP: To ensure your resume includes all required information, use the Resume Builder in USAJOBS.
If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, you will be disqualified from further consideration.
2) Proof of Eligibility to Apply - Your application must include documentation that demonstrates you are eligible to apply for this vacancy. You must meet the requirements of at least one of the hiring authorities listed in the "Who May Apply" section of this announcement to receive further consideration. Proof of eligibility includes:
SF-50(s) - If you are a current or former federal employee (including Peace Corps employees), you must submit a legible copy of a recent SF-50.
Time-in-grade documentation - If you are applying for a higher grade level and your most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate that you meet the one-year Time-in-Grade requirement. You must provide an SF-50 that clearly shows you meet this requirement, such as a:
Within-grade increase at the highest grade held
Promotion with an effective date more than one year old
SF-50(s) showing the highest grade held with an effective date more than one year old
Award SF-50s do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted for verifying Time-in-Grade.
More than one SF-50 may be submitted to demonstrate that you meet the Time-in-Grade requirement.
Transcript(s) - If you are using education to substitute for some or all of the Specialized Experience requirement, or if there is a basic education requirement for this position, you must submit an official or unofficial transcript with your application. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable for the initial application. Official transcripts may be requested if you are selected for the position. Please review the "Education" section of this announcement for additional details.
To apply for this position, you must complete the online questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. The complete application must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 05/27/2026 to receive consideration.
To submit your application:
Click "Apply Online" to create an account or log into your existing USAJOBS account.
Follow the prompts to answer the questions presented in the application, upload your resume, and other supporting documents.
Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
Please note:
It is your responsibility to ensure your application package (resume, supporting documents, and questionnaire responses) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date.
We will not modify answers or documents submitted by an applicant.
Additional information on how to submit your online application may be found on the USAJOBS Help Center.
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.
The Peace Corps provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the hiring process, please contact the Office of Civil Rights at 202-692-2139. Decisions on granting reasonable accommodation are made on a case-by-case basis.
Office of Volunteer and Recruitment Selection
1275 First St. NE
Washington, DC 20002
US
Next steps
Once your online application is submitted, you will receive a confirmation notification by email.
Your application will be evaluated once the announcement closes.
You will receive another notification about the status of your application, after we have completed our review.
You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USAJOBS account and by going to the "My Account" tab and clicking on "Application Status". For a more detailed update of your application status, you may go to "more information" under the individual vacancy.
If you are determined to be ineligible or not qualified, you will be disqualified from further consideration.
If you are among the top qualified candidates, your application may be referred to the Selecting Official for further consideration.
USAJOBS has added an alert setting to their system to provide status updates for applicants. You can elect to activate the status updates from your USAJOBS profile at any point during the application process.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
Your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which establish your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide any of these items, your application will be marked as incomplete, and you will be disqualified from further consideration.
All required documents listed below, as applicable to you, must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement, 05/27/2026.
1) Resume - All applicants must submit a detailed resume that includes all relevant work experience (paid and unpaid), job titles, and duties performed:
You must limit your resume to no more than 2 pages. If more than 2 pages are submitted, only the first 2 pages will be reviewed to determine eligibility and qualifications.
The resume must be uploaded under the "Resume" document type in the application system.
You may submit only one resume. If multiple resumes are submitted, only the latest submission in the "Resume" document type will be reviewed.
The following information must be included for each position listed in your resume:
Name of the employer
Official position title
Start and end dates of employment (including month, day, and year)
If you are a current federal employee or former federal employee, you must include your pay plan, series, and grade level (e.g. GS-0201-09)
A detailed list of duties and accomplishments
Resumes that do not contain the required details may be considered incomplete and could result in disqualification from further consideration.
TIP: To ensure your resume includes all required information, use the Resume Builder in USAJOBS.
If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, you will be disqualified from further consideration.
2) Proof of Eligibility to Apply - Your application must include documentation that demonstrates you are eligible to apply for this vacancy. You must meet the requirements of at least one of the hiring authorities listed in the "Who May Apply" section of this announcement to receive further consideration. Proof of eligibility includes:
SF-50(s) - If you are a current or former federal employee (including Peace Corps employees), you must submit a legible copy of a recent SF-50.
Time-in-grade documentation - If you are applying for a higher grade level and your most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate that you meet the one-year Time-in-Grade requirement. You must provide an SF-50 that clearly shows you meet this requirement, such as a:
Within-grade increase at the highest grade held
Promotion with an effective date more than one year old
SF-50(s) showing the highest grade held with an effective date more than one year old
Award SF-50s do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted for verifying Time-in-Grade.
More than one SF-50 may be submitted to demonstrate that you meet the Time-in-Grade requirement.
Transcript(s) - If you are using education to substitute for some or all of the Specialized Experience requirement, or if there is a basic education requirement for this position, you must submit an official or unofficial transcript with your application. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable for the initial application. Official transcripts may be requested if you are selected for the position. Please review the "Education" section of this announcement for additional details.
To apply for this position, you must complete the online questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. The complete application must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 05/27/2026 to receive consideration.
To submit your application:
Click "Apply Online" to create an account or log into your existing USAJOBS account.
Follow the prompts to answer the questions presented in the application, upload your resume, and other supporting documents.
Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
Please note:
It is your responsibility to ensure your application package (resume, supporting documents, and questionnaire responses) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date.
We will not modify answers or documents submitted by an applicant.
Additional information on how to submit your online application may be found on the USAJOBS Help Center.
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.
The Peace Corps provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the hiring process, please contact the Office of Civil Rights at 202-692-2139. Decisions on granting reasonable accommodation are made on a case-by-case basis.
Office of Volunteer and Recruitment Selection
1275 First St. NE
Washington, DC 20002
US
Next steps
Once your online application is submitted, you will receive a confirmation notification by email.
Your application will be evaluated once the announcement closes.
You will receive another notification about the status of your application, after we have completed our review.
You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USAJOBS account and by going to the "My Account" tab and clicking on "Application Status". For a more detailed update of your application status, you may go to "more information" under the individual vacancy.
If you are determined to be ineligible or not qualified, you will be disqualified from further consideration.
If you are among the top qualified candidates, your application may be referred to the Selecting Official for further consideration.
USAJOBS has added an alert setting to their system to provide status updates for applicants. You can elect to activate the status updates from your USAJOBS profile at any point during the application process.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
