USAJOBS Hiring for Government Information Specialist (FOIA Processing) Recent Graduates at Washington, DC Full Time

Duties

As the federal agency whose mission is to ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans, the Department of Justice is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. To build and retain a workforce that reflects the diverse experiences and perspectives of the American people, we welcome applicants from the many communities, identities, races, ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities, religions, and cultures of the United States who share our commitment to public service.

The duties and responsibilities for a generally include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Researches Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) regulations, policies, and procedures to respond to inquiries or answer routine questions related to FOIA processes.
• Makes recommendations on standard policies and procedures to improve FOIA-related work processes.
• Interacts with colleagues and supervisors to accomplish the work of the office.
• Prepares written correspondence according to established guides and manuals.
• Locates and evaluates materials for FOIA requests.
• Analyzes responsive records for disclosure under FOIA and Privacy Act (PA) statutes.

As a Government Information Specialist, you will provide advice and guidance for issues that require interpretation and adaptation of guidance to particular situations related to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). More specifically: The duties listed above are generally written for one grade level. If the position is advertised at multiple grades, the duties will be adjusted in difficulty, complexity, and level of supervision, for higher or lower grades, as appropriate. Organization may also add other duties as assigned’ once you are hired, based on what is included and allowed by the position description.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National
• Must complete a Background Investigation to include drug testing
• Selective Service Registration is required, as applicable
• Under Pathways Recent Graduate regulations, you are eligible only if you have graduated from an academic program of study or earned your degree within the last two years.
• If you are appointed to a position under this program, you will need to complete a requisite number of work and training hours, based on the agreement you will complete with the hiring office and the agency Pathways program coordinator.
• A USA Hire assessment is required. An email will be sent with additional information after you submit your application. You will have 48 hours from the closing date of this announcement to complete the assessment.
• Financial Disclosure: If selected, you may be required to disclose financial information in accordance with DOJ and Federal ethics guidelines.
• Additional selections may be made from this announcement, at any time, if openings occur in other offices serviced by Justice Management Division, HR Operations.
• You must meet all eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement and continue to meet these requirements throughout the hiring process. Offers can be rescinded if requirements are not met.
• You may be required to complete a one-year trial/probationary period.

Qualifications

To qualify for the position of Government Information Specialist (FOIA Processing) Recent Graduates (GS–0306–7/9), you must meet the basic qualification requirements listed below AND possess the required specialized experience and/or education qualifications specific to this series and grade.

This vacancy is open to R ECENT GRADUATES , who have completed an academic program of study or degree program from a college, university, or vocational school within the last two years from the date of this announcement. If you are appointed to a position under this program, you will need to complete a requisite number of work and training hours, based on the agreement you will complete with the hiring office and the agency Pathways program coordinator. After completing the required number of work and training hours, and meeting all other program requirements, you may be eligible for a conversion to a term or permanent appointment.

Students MUST submit transcripts with a conferred or degree completion date (unofficial transcripts are acceptable). If selected, official transcripts will be required.

In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or experience requirements described below. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience. If qualifying based on education, a copy of your unofficial transcripts must be provided with your application.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: To be considered minimally qualified for this position, you must demonstrate that you have the required specialized experience and/or education for the respective grade level in which you are applying.

To qualify for the GS-7 level, you must meet one of the following requirements for the position:

• EXPERIENCE GS-7: Have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 level in the federal service. Specialized experience is defined as meeting the following: 1) Coordinate information requests; 2) Researching laws, regulations, and other directives to ensure accurate interpretation; and 3) Evaluating and analyzing data and information prior to responding to inquiries or requests for information.

OR

• EDUCATION (Graduate level) GS-7: Have one full year of graduate level education. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 full years of full-time study. Note: For the purpose of qualifications, 1 full year of graduate education is equivalent to 18 semester hours.

OR

• EDUCATION (Superior Academic Achievement) GS-7: Education may be substituted for specialized experience with a Bachelor’s degree that included curriculum related to this position and Superior Academic Achievement. Superior Academic Achievement can be based on one of the following: Class standing – being in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university or major subdivision; Grade point average – a) having a 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 as recorded on an official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of curriculum or b) having a 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 curriculum; or national scholastic honor society membership (other than a freshman honor society).

OR

• COMBINATION GS-7: A combination of education and specialized experience. A combination of education and specialized 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 qualifying experience by 12. Then divide your semester hours of graduate education by 18. Add the 2 percentages. Note: For the purpose of qualifications, 1 full year of graduate education is equivalent to 18 semester hours.

To qualify for the GS-9 level, you must meet one of the following requirements for the position:

• EXPERIENCE GS-9: Have one year of specialized experience equivalent to a least the GS-07 level in the federal service. Specialized experience is defined as meeting 3 of 4 of the following:
• Coordinate information request and respond to inquires;
• Research laws, regulations, and other directives to ensure accurate interpretation;
• Evaluate and analyze data and information prior to responding to inquiries or requests for information;
• Prepare written materials.

OR

• Graduate Education GS-9: Completion of a Master’s, or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, or LL.B. or J.D. Graduate education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position.

OR

• COMBINATION GS-9: A combination of Education and Experience. 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 FIRST year (total graduate semester hours minus 18) by 18. Add the two percentages.

You must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 07/01/2024.

Your resume must support your responses to the online questionnaire and the qualification requirements. Failure to do so may result in an ineligible rating. See the Required Documents section for important notes about what must be included in your resume.

Education

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be reviewed and certified by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be creditable toward your qualifications. Therefore, you should provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education .

Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.

For more information about this requirement, please visit the U.S. Department of Education website for Foreign Education Evaluation .

All documentation must be in English or include an English translation.

Additional Information

Upon successful completion of the Pathways Recent Graduate Program, candidates may be converted to a position with a different career ladder. Candidates may be converted to the grade at which they qualify. Conversion to a permanent or term position is not guaranteed and is subject to many factors such as funding, position availability, and performance.

To learn more about the specific requirements and conditions of the Pathways Recent Graduate program, please see the USAJOBS Students & Recent Graduates page, or the OPM Pathways Program site.

Additional selections may be made from this announcement for up to 90 days should additional similar openings occur in this, or any other office within DOJ.

USA Hire 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 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request an 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. To determine if you need an 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 .

Veterans’ Preference and Military Spouses : If you are entitled to veteran’s preference due to your military service or the service of a qualifying spouse or family member, you must provide the appropriate verification documents, which may include a DD-214 Member Number 4 Copy, an SF-15 Application for 10pt Veterans Preference, a VA Disability Letter, and/or Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders. The specific documents you need to provide depend on whether you are claiming a 5- or 10-point preference for yourself or as a qualifying family member. Please see USAJOBS Veterans Preference for more details.

• DOJ EEO Statement/Policy: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/page/file/1394116/download
• DOJ Reasonable Accommodation Policy : https://www.justice.gov/jmd/reasonable-accommodation#policy
• Selective Service: If you were born male, on or 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. Additional information is found at: www.sss.gov .