Government Information Specialist - PD 22R072 - Office of Operations, Div of Executive Secretariat

Summary

This position is located in the Health Resources and Services Administration, Office of Operations, Executive Secretariat, FOIA. The duty location for this position is in Rockville, MD.

**Applicants please note: Additional selections may be made across the Health Resources and Services Administration through this vacancy announcement.**

This job is open to

• Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)
  
  Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee.
• Internal to an agency
  
  Current federal employees of this agency.

Clarification from the agency

This position is only open to Current Career/Career Conditional Employees of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) in the Competitive service; and Commissioned Corp Officers. PHS Commissioned Corps (CC) Officers will be referred as CC personnel and not as a candidate for conversion to a permanent federal appointment.

Duties

As a Government Information Specialist, you serve as an organizational expert in analyzing the impact of existing or proposed legislation on Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) matters.

Your major duties and responsibilities include:

• Reviewing and advising on complex cases; in situations where definitions or data are incomplete, controversial, or uncertain; or where the boundaries of the issues are difficult to determine.
• Providing advice in sensitive or controversial areas that result in new guidelines on FOIA matters.
• Communicating FOIA guidelines to agency components and other agencies to ensure consistent FOIA processing government wide.
• Evaluating incoming requests, including researching problem areas, identifying legal issues, and conducting analysis to determine whether there is any basis to assert an exemption to disclosure.
• Reviewing proposed responses to FOIA requests submitted by agency components.
• Coordinating issue resolution with the appropriate parties.
• Ensuring compliance with FOIA regulations and policies.
• Reviews information to determine its exempt or non-exempt status under FOIA.

NOTE: Do not cut and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• U. S. Citizenship is required.
• HRSA Federal applicants must submit an SF-50 to show status and time-in-grade. Must meet Time-in-Grade by the closing date of this announcement.
• Males ages 18 through 25 must be registered with the Selective Service.
• PHS Commissioned Corps applicants must submit current personnel orders.
• A one year probationary period may be required.
• Employment is subject to the successful completion of the pre-appointment process (i.e., background investigation, verification of qualifications and job requirements, completion of onboarding forms, submission of required documents, etc.)

Qualifications

ALL QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS MUST BE MET BY THE CLOSING DATE 08/21/2024.

This announcement is only open to CURRENT HRSA competitive permanent/career or competitive career conditional employees. As verification of status and time-in-grade at HRSA, applicants must provide the following two SF50s with their applications by the announcement closing date of 08/21/2024.

1. Appointment/hire /conversion SF50 for your current position with HRSA that reflects the following:

• Box 24 showing the number "1" for PERMANENT status (aka career status) OR number "2" CONDITIONAL.
• Box 34 showing the number "1" for COMPETITVE.

AND

2. Most recent competitive career-ladder promotion OR most recent With-in Range Increase.

Not sure which SF-50 to submit? Check out our video... Go here to watch the video on the SF50s to submit in your application package.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

MINIMUM QUALIFYING SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position and is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. To be creditable, an applicant's one full year of specialized experience must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary for successful job performance.

Examples of minimum qualifying specialized experience equal to the GS-11 level include performing the following types of tasks on a regular and recurring basis:

1. Providing technical guidance to variety of audiences on Federal FOIA regulations.

OR

2. Researching and evaluating Federal FOIA related data for management to use in responses to information requests.

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). 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.

Applicants whose resumes clearly demonstrate the required minimum qualifying specialized experience will be evaluated based on the occupational assessment competencies listed below. A competency is defined as a measurable pattern of knowledge, skills, abilities, behaviors, and other characteristics that an individual needs to perform work roles or occupational functions.

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT INFORMATION MANAGEMENT - Interpreting and applying laws, regulations, policies, and guidance to provide access to Federal agency records/ information, while ensuring information is appropriately disclosed in accordance with Freedom of Information Act and/or Privacy Act.

MANAGES AND ORGANIZES INFORMATION - Identifies a need; gathers, organizes, and maintains information; determines its importance and accuracy, and communicates it by a variety of methods.

TECHNICAL WRITING - Prepares written documentation to transfer technical information about concepts, situations, products, services, or results to audiences with varying levels of technical knowledge.

RESEARCH AND EVALUATION - Knowledge of the principles, methods, and processes used to conduct a systematic and objective inquiry; including study design, collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; and the reporting of results.

To preview the occupational assessment questionnaire, please click on the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12511410

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

HHS is an equal opportunity employer. Selection for this position will be based solely on merit without regard to race, color, religion, age, gender, national origin, political affiliation, disability, sexual orientation, marital or family status or other differences.

Security and Background Requirements: If not previously completed, a background security investigation will be required for all appointees. Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication. False representation may be grounds for non-consideration, non-selection and/or appropriate disciplinary action.

E-Verify: HRSA participates in the USCIS Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify). E-Verify helps employers determine employment eligibility of new hires and the validity of their social security numbers.

Direct Deposit: All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.

Creditable Service: A newly appointed or reappointed employee may receive service credit for annual leave for prior work experience directly related to the duties of the position being filled. The use of this service credit is at the discretion of the selecting official and must be finalized prior to selectee's entrance on duty. For more information, please click here.

Bargaining Unit: Position is not in the Bargaining Unit.

Recruitment Incentives: Recruitment incentives are not authorized.

Student Loan Repayment Incentive: Student loan repayment incentive is not authorized.

• Benefits
  
  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.
  
  Review our 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.

To determine your qualifications and referral status, we may review your resume and supporting documentation and compare it against your responses to the vacancy questionnaire. Ensure you support your self-ratings by the information you provide in your application. We may verify or assess your qualifications at any time. Inflated or unsupported qualifications may affect your rating. Any misrepresentation or material omission of facts may be sufficient cause to end further consideration of your candidacy. Persons listed as having knowledge of your past accomplishments or experience in your application may be contacted for verification purposes at any time. Verification may, but need not, begin prior to receiving an offer.

To be considered well qualified for the purposes of the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) and the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), you must substantively exceed the basic qualifications by scoring at least an 85 on the assessment and meet all eligibility, physical, medical, suitability, and all other requirements.

Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

• Benefits
  
  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.
  
  Review our 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.
• Required Documents
  
  As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.
  
  This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please contact either HRSA's Office of Human Resources at (301) 443-3780 or by email: askhr@hrsa.gov or HRSA's Reasonable Accommodation programs at (301) 443-2538 or by email: RA-Request@hrsa.gov. You must contact the Reasonable Accommodations Program prior to the closing date of this announcement to receive assistance. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. Hours of operation: Monday through Friday 7:30AM to 4:00PM EST (except Federal holidays).
  
  Submission of a resume alone is not a complete application. To apply for this position, you must provide a complete online Application Package that includes:
  
  1. A current Resume - For resume writing guidance, please visit USAJOBS Resources Center or view their video tutorial. Your resume must thoroughly describe how your skills and experiences align to the criteria defined in the "Qualifications" section of this announcement and it must support your responses to the assessment questionnaire. We cannot assume you have performed the necessary experience required for this position regardless of your employment history or academic career. To ensure all of the essential information is in your resume, we encourage you to use the USAJOBS online Resume Builder.
  
  If you choose to use your own resume, curriculum vitae, or any other written form you choose, then you must ensure it contains all of the required information and you organize it so we can associate the following information for each experience/position:
  
  1. Job title
  2. Name of employer
  3. Beginning and ending dates of employment (month/day/year format)
  4. Hours worked per week. We will assume full-time unless otherwise stated. We will prorate part-time employment in crediting experience.
  5. Detailed description of job duties, accomplishments, related skills, and responsibilities to include any supervisory/managerial responsibilities and number of staff supervised (if applicable)
  6. Your resume must show the series and grade or equivalent for all federal positions you have held (if a federal position).
  7. Performance ratings and any monetary or non-monetary awards. (Optional)
  
  
  You must also ensure that the duties performed are clearly matched to each period of employment.
  
  Do not include a photograph or video of yourself, or any sensitive information (age, date of birth, marital status, protected health information, religious affiliation, social security number, etc.) on your resume or cover letter. We will not access web pages linked on your resume or cover letter to determine your qualifications.
  
  2. complete Assessment Questionnaire
  
  3. Other supporting documents to be submitted with application:
  
  
  • SF-50: Federal applicants must submit an SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) that shows status and time-in-grade, and its full performance level. If you are an HHS employee you may obtain a copy of your SF-50 from eOPF.
  • PHS Commissioned Corps Officer must submit a copy of latest personnel order in lieu of SF-50.
  • College transcripts (if the position has a positive education requirement, or you are qualifying on the basis of education).
  
  For Résumé and Application Tips visit the USAJOBS Resource Center.
  
  The complete Application Package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 08/21/2024.
• How to Apply
  
  Need assistance with the Federal application process? This video will provide you with an overview of the Federal application process for positions in the competitive civil service using USAJOBS. Please click the link to view How to Apply for Federal Jobs - YouTube
  
  To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 08/21/2024 to receive consideration.
  
  • To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
  • Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package.
  • It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
  
  To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
  
  To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
  
  If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.
  
  Applicants please note: To assist us with an expeditious application review process, please do not submit any of the documentation listed below unless specifically requested in the announcement. The following documents are not required and do not need to be submitted with your resume:
  
  
  • Diplomas of any type (When education documents are required, you must submit unofficial transcripts)
  • Letters of Recommendation, Reference, or Congratulations, etc.
  • General training documents or certificates of completed training (Except Contract Specialist positions when requested in the announcement)
  • Any documents with a picture of the applicant (Except medical or nursing licenses when requested in the announcement)
  • Awards documentation including SF-50s for Awards
  • Evaluations of any type
  • Writing Samples
  • OF-306
  • Executive Core Qualifications Statements (ECQs)
  
  
  Agency contact information
  
  AskHR HRSA Helpdesk
  
  Phone
  
  (301) 443-3780
  
  Email
  
  ASKHR@hrsa.gov
  
  Address
  
  Health Resources and Services Administration
  
  5600 Fishers Lane
  
  Rockville, MD 20857
  
  US
  
  Next steps
  
  HHS has a critical preparedness and response mission: HHS protects the American people from health threats, researches emerging diseases, and mobilizes public health programs with domestic and international partners. In support of this mission, HHS offers its employees the opportunity to volunteer to become Federal Civilian Detailees and contribute their unique skills through voluntary temporary assignments to humanitarian emergencies or Departmental priorities countering new and emerging health, safety, and security threats.
  
  Once your online questionnaire is received you will be sent an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. We will update your status after each key stage in the application process has been completed. You may also check the status of your application through your USAJobs profile. check the status
• Fair and Transparent
  
  The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
  
  
  • Criminal history inquiries
  • Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
  • Financial suitability
  • New employee probationary period
  • Privacy Act
  • Reasonable accommodation policy
  • Selective Service
  • Signature and false statements
  • Social security number request

Required Documents

This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please contact either HRSA's Office of Human Resources at (301) 443-3780 or by email: askhr@hrsa.gov or HRSA's Reasonable Accommodation programs at (301) 443-2538 or by email: RA-Request@hrsa.gov. You must contact the Reasonable Accommodations Program prior to the closing date of this announcement to receive assistance. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. Hours of operation: Monday through Friday 7:30AM to 4:00PM EST (except Federal holidays).

Submission of a resume alone is not a complete application. To apply for this position, you must provide a complete online Application Package that includes:

1. A current Resume - For resume writing guidance, please visit USAJOBS Resources Center or view their video tutorial. Your resume must thoroughly describe how your skills and experiences align to the criteria defined in the "Qualifications" section of this announcement and it must support your responses to the assessment questionnaire. We cannot assume you have performed the necessary experience required for this position regardless of your employment history or academic career. To ensure all of the essential information is in your resume, we encourage you to use the USAJOBS online Resume Builder.

If you choose to use your own resume, curriculum vitae, or any other written form you choose, then you must ensure it contains all of the required information and you organize it so we can associate the following information for each experience/position:

1. Job title
2. Name of employer
3. Beginning and ending dates of employment (month/day/year format)
4. Hours worked per week. We will assume full-time unless otherwise stated. We will prorate part-time employment in crediting experience.
5. Detailed description of job duties, accomplishments, related skills, and responsibilities to include any supervisory/managerial responsibilities and number of staff supervised (if applicable)
6. Your resume must show the series and grade or equivalent for all federal positions you have held (if a federal position).
7. Performance ratings and any monetary or non-monetary awards. (Optional)

You must also ensure that the duties performed are clearly matched to each period of employment.

Do not include a photograph or video of yourself, or any sensitive information (age, date of birth, marital status, protected health information, religious affiliation, social security number, etc.) on your resume or cover letter. We will not access web pages linked on your resume or cover letter to determine your qualifications.

2. complete Assessment Questionnaire

3. Other supporting documents to be submitted with application:

• SF-50: Federal applicants must submit an SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) that shows status and time-in-grade, and its full performance level. If you are an HHS employee you may obtain a copy of your SF-50 from eOPF.
• PHS Commissioned Corps Officer must submit a copy of latest personnel order in lieu of SF-50.
• College transcripts (if the position has a positive education requirement, or you are qualifying on the basis of education).

For Résumé and Application Tips visit the USAJOBS Resource Center.

The complete Application Package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 08/21/2024.

How to Apply

Need assistance with the Federal application process? This video will provide you with an overview of the Federal application process for positions in the competitive civil service using USAJOBS. Please click the link to view How to Apply for Federal Jobs - YouTube

To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 08/21/2024 to receive consideration.

• To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
• Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package.
• It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.

To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.

To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.

Applicants please note: To assist us with an expeditious application review process, please do not submit any of the documentation listed below unless specifically requested in the announcement. The following documents are not required and do not need to be submitted with your resume:

• Diplomas of any type (When education documents are required, you must submit unofficial transcripts)
• Letters of Recommendation, Reference, or Congratulations, etc.
• General training documents or certificates of completed training (Except Contract Specialist positions when requested in the announcement)
• Any documents with a picture of the applicant (Except medical or nursing licenses when requested in the announcement)
• Awards documentation including SF-50s for Awards
• Evaluations of any type
• Writing Samples
• OF-306
• Executive Core Qualifications Statements (ECQs)

Agency contact information

AskHR HRSA Helpdesk

Phone

(301) 443-3780

Email

ASKHR@hrsa.gov

Address

Health Resources and Services Administration

5600 Fishers Lane

Rockville, MD 20857

US

Next steps

HHS has a critical preparedness and response mission: HHS protects the American people from health threats, researches emerging diseases, and mobilizes public health programs with domestic and international partners. In support of this mission, HHS offers its employees the opportunity to volunteer to become Federal Civilian Detailees and contribute their unique skills through voluntary temporary assignments to humanitarian emergencies or Departmental priorities countering new and emerging health, safety, and security threats.

Once your online questionnaire is received you will be sent an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. We will update your status after each key stage in the application process has been completed. You may also check the status of your application through your USAJobs profile. check the status

Fair & Transparent

The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

• Criminal history inquiries
• Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
• Financial suitability
• New employee probationary period
• Privacy Act
• Reasonable accommodation policy
• Selective Service
• Signature and false statements
• Social security number request