Government Information Specialist

About the role

This position is located at Departmental Offices,Terrorism and Financial Intelligence - Office of Foreign Assets Control. As a Government Information Specialist, you will serve as a key person for the processing of, and responding to, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for the Office of Foreign Assets Control.

What you will do

• The following are the duties of this position at the GS-13.
• If you are selected at a lower grade level, you will have the opportunity to learn to perform all these duties, and will receive training to help you grow in this position.
• Accurately and timely redact and annotate records maintained and controlled by OFAC and other federal agencies that contain OFAC equities.
• Routinely communicate with the public (individuals, attorney representatives and business leaders) to narrow the scope of overly broad and overly burdensome requests to one more focused and workable.
• Prepare all outgoing correspondence concerning subjects such as continued interest, administrative closure of cases, submitter notices, requests to narrow the scope of requests, and interim and final responses.
• Advise the divisions in processing of the cases including determining applicable records located in other divisions.

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.
• A one-year supervisory or managerial probationary period may be required.
• 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. Obtain and use a Government-issued charge card for business-related travel.
• 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.

This announcement uses the Rule of Many, a numerical ranking process under which eligible applicants receive a numeric score based on the assessment process for the position. Only applicants who are eligible for veterans' preference receive 5- or 10-point veterans' preference points, which are added to passing scores, as applicable.

Applicants are then listed on the certificate in score order, and preference-eligible applicants are listed ahead of non-preference eligibles with the same score. Qualified preference eligibles with a compensable service-connected disability of 10 percent or more are listed at the top of the certificate in rating order. Your application may be reviewed by a subject matter expert.

This announcement uses the cut-off score referral method under 5 CFR 332.402(b)(1). Applicants who achieve or exceed the established cut-off score of 90 will be referred for consideration.

If fewer than three eligible and available candidates per vacancy are available, we may lower the cut score in accordance with our pre-announced supplement strategy and applicable policy until a minimum of three candidates per vacancy are eligible to be referred. When a new cut score is established, all applicants tied at that cut score will also be referred.

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.

Documents you must provide

• A complete application includes: 1.
• All applicants are required to submit a resumé, either by creating one in USAJOBS, or uploading one of their own choosing.
• (Cover letters are optional.) Please limit your resume to two-pages.
• Applicants with resumes exceeding two-pages will be removed from consideration.
• To receive full credit for relevant experience, please list the month/date/year and number of hours worked for experience listed on your resumé.
• It is suggested that you preview the entire announcement and online questionnaire, to ensure that your resumé thoroughly describes how your skills and experience align to the criteria defined in the "Qualifications" section of this announcement and support your responses to the online questionnaire.
• For resumé writing guidance, please visit USAJOBS Resources Center.
• Vacancy question responses: All applicants are required to complete vacancy question responses by clicking the apply online button of this vacancy announcement.
• Submission of any required documents identified below, if applicable: Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, you may not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible).
• VETERANS' PREFERENCE DOCUMENTATION: If you are claiming veterans preference, please see applicant guide for required documentation.
• In order to be considered for veterans preference, you must submit all required documentation as outlined in the applicant guide.
• CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (CTAP) OR INTERAGENCY CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (ICTAP) DOCUMENTATION: If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee, click CTAP/ICTAP for eligibility and a detailed list of required documents you must submit in order to be eligible.

What to expect next

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 assessment. The online assessment 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).

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. (***) We will review your resumé and transcript(s) (if appropriate) to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements.

We will evaluate each applicant who meets the basic qualifications on the information provided and may interview the best-qualified applicants. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct any required suitability and/or security background investigation.

Additional information

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). 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: USAJOBS Help Center - Benefits Optional Essay Questions: Applicants may choose to respond to four short essay questions (200 words max each) to help us better understand your alignment with the agency's mission. These responses are optional and will not affect the applicant's eligibility.

When Departmental Offices 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: The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Treasury and its bureaus from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment.

In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to the Department of Treasury by email at, ***.

To learn more, please visit our page at: Treasury.gov/fairchanceact.