Government Information Specialist (FOIA Specialist) (GS-12/13)

Summary

This position is located at Departmental Offices,Management CFO - Privacy, Transparency, and Records. As a/an Government Information Specialist (FOIA Specialist), you will be responsible for the intake, initial review, and coordination of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Privacy Act requests within DO, supporting the administration and implementation of the FOIA within Treasury.

Duties

The Office of Privacy, Transparency and Records (PTR) leads Treasury's administration of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the Privacy Act. PTR serves as the principal office responsible for administering and overseeing Treasury-wide implementation of the Department's FOIA program on behalf of the Chief FOIA Officer, prepares department-wide reports on program administration, operates the FOIA program of Departmental Offices (DO), and acts as the Treasury-wide resource for all Treasury Bureaus. As a Government Information Specialist (FOIA Specialist), you will: Support the administration and implementation of the FOIA and the Privacy Act within Departmental Offices, including the handling, tracking, and coordination of requests, consultations, and administrative appeals. Assist in ensuring requests are appropriately received, documented, assigned, and managed in accordance with applicable statutory requirements, regulations, policies, and procedures. Coordinate the intake and initial management of FOIA and Privacy Act requests, consultations, and appeals received by DO. Responsibilities include reviewing incoming requests for completeness, identifying requests requiring clarification or perfection, preparing acknowledgment letters and other correspondence, and researching and facilitating the timely routing and assignment of search taskers to the appropriate program office record custodians. Manage and coordinate case management activities throughout the request lifecycle, including:- Intake: Perform FOIA Requester Service Center functions, including receiving and logging requests, entering and maintaining case information, managing records in the FOIA case management system, and routing request for appropriate action.- Case Management: Coordinate request perfection, clarification, acknowledgment, assignment, tracking, and follow-up activities. Communicate directly with requesters, program office record custodians, and other federal entities to facilitate timely and accurate handling of requests.- Processing Coordination: Monitor case progress, coordinate with program offices and FOIA processing personnel, maintain case documentation, and assist in preparing complete case files for review and subsequent processing or determination. Apply knowledge of the full FOIA request lifecycle, including document review, redaction, and disclosure processes, to facilitate effective case management and coordination. Monitor request status, identify outstanding actions and potential delays, and provide administrative and technical support to facilitate compliance with applicable FOIA and Privacy Act requirements. Assist in maintaining accurate case records, preparing reports, and identifying opportunities to improve intake and case management procedures.

Qualifications

You must meet the following requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: For the GS-13 grade level, you must have one year (52 full weeks) of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized Experience for this position includes: -Analyzing, evaluating and reporting on the effectiveness, efficiency and compliance of a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) program.; AND -Independently processing, coordinating and tracking FOIA requests while applying analytical reasoning to determine if exemptions apply; AND -Providing guidance to program offices and subject matter experts on the administration of the FOIA. For the GS-12 grade level, you must have one year (52 full weeks) of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized Experience for this position includes: -Interpreting and applying FOIA Exemptions 1 - 7, federal laws, regulations, legal decisions, policies, procedures, and directives pertaining to the protection and release of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA); AND -Reviewing FOIA documents, preparing case files and responding to requesters with final decisions; AND -Communicating with program offices and subject matter experts to narrow the scope of FOIA requests, troubleshoot problems and answer questions. The experience may have been gained in either the public, private sector or volunteer service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/day/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week on your resumé. TIME-IN-GRADE: In addition to the above requirements, you must meet the following time-in-grade requirement, if applicable: For the GS-13, you must have been at the GS-12 level for 52 weeks. For the GS-12, you must have been at the GS-11 level for 52 weeks. TIME AFTER COMPETITIVE APPOINTMENT: Candidates who are current Federal employees serving on a non-temporary competitive appointment must have served at least three months in that appointment.

Requirements

Key Requirements: Must be U.S. Citizen or U.S. National. All newly appointed employees to the competitive (or excepted) service are subject to a probationary (or trial) period. During this time, your performance, conduct, and suitability for continued employment will be evaluated. You will not automatically convert to permanent status at the end of the probationary (or trial) period. Your supervisor must affirmatively determine that continued employment is in the best interest of the Federal service. If no certification is made before the probationary (or trial) period ends, your appointment will be terminated. You are encouraged to actively engage with your supervisor, seek feedback, and understand role expectations. Additional guidance and support will be provided during onboarding. Must successfully complete a background investigation. All new hires will be required to comply with federal ethics laws. A review of financial or other interests may be conducted to determine if they create any real or apparent conflict of interests with official Treasury duties. Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency. Have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer. If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so. Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S. Please refer to the "Additional Information" section for additional Conditions of Employment.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resumé, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. Please be sure that your resumé includes detailed information to support your qualifications for this position; failure to provide sufficient evidence in your resumé may result in a "not qualified" determination. To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. You will be assessed 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 Referral: All candidates who meet all the qualifications and other eligibility requirements may be referred for consideration. Your application may be reviewed by a Subject Matter Expert. If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee eligible for the Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP), achieve a well-qualified score of 85 or higher to receive priority consideration. When Departmental Offices, Chief Financial Office, Privacy, Transparency and Records completes its hiring, the remaining list of qualified candidates may be shared with additional Treasury bureaus. You will have an opportunity to opt-in if you would like your name, application material, and assessment results shared to be considered for employment with additional Treasury bureaus. There is no guarantee of further consideration, and you can continue to explore other job opportunity announcements. To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link:

How to apply

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 about two (2) 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. Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources. 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. Are you unsure how to write your federal resume? We are here to help. The Treasury Recruitment Service regularly offers Writing Your Federal Resume training sessions, and other career-related information sessions, to assist you in your career search journey. To register for a session, click here to go to our Career Information Sessions webpage. Departmental Offices provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us if you require this for any part of the application and hiring process. To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application. Follow the prompts to select your resumé and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process. You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application. To verify the status of your application:-Log into your USAJOBS account (USAJOBS Login). A list of announcements in which you have applied is at the Welcome screen.-Under "application status," click "Track this application" and you will be taken to the agency website where you can check your application status. Please notify us if your contact information changes after the closing date of the announcement. Also, note that if you provide an email address that is inaccurate or if your mailbox is full or blocked (e.g., spam-blocker), you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position. For additional information on how to apply, please visit the Partnership for Public Service's Go Government website.

Other information

During the application process you will have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact on your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. OTHER INFORMATION: We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies. This is a non-bargaining unit position. Relocation expenses will not be paid. We offer opportunities for telework. We offer opportunities for flexible work schedules. This position requires that the successful candidate undergo personnel vetting, which includes a background investigation and enrollment upon onboarding into "Continuous Vetting." Enrollment in Continuous Vetting will result in automated record checks being conducted throughout one's employment with Treasury. The successful candidate will also be enrolled into FBI's Rap Back service, which will allow Treasury to receive notification from the FBI of criminal matters (e.g., arrests, charges, convictions) involving enrolled individuals in near real-time. For more information about individual rights, Noncriminal Justice Applicant's Privacy Rights - FBI, FD-258 Privacy Act Statement - FBI, and SEAD-3-Reporting-U.pdf (dni.gov). Learn more about Federal benefits programs at: USAJOBS Help Center - Benefits Our comprehensive benefits are very generous. Our benefits package includes: Challenging work, opportunities for advancement, competitive salaries, bonuses and incentive awards. Eleven paid holidays, 13 days of sick leave, and 13 to 26 days of vacation time each year. Access to insurance programs that may be continued after you retire. A wide choice of health insurance plans, coverage for pre-existing conditions, and no waiting periods. We pay a substantial amount (up to 75%) of the health insurance premiums. A retirement program which includes employer-matching contributions. Learn more about Federal benefits programs at: https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/Pay_and_Benefits