Victim Witness Assistant (OA)

About the role

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York prosecutes cases involving violations of federal laws and represents the interests of the United States government and its agencies in criminal and civil matters. The Office investigates and prosecutes a broad array of criminal conduct of every conceivable magnitude, even when the conduct arises in distant places.

This position is also being announced to applicants under Merit Staffing procedures under 26-NYS-13065661-MP

What you will do

• If selected for this position, you will join a well-respected team in the Victim Witness Unit responsible for the District's Victim Witness program.
• Typical work assignments will include: Responds to victim inquiries via phone, e-mail, letters and fax, providing initial screening of victim concerns, and determining program eligibility for victim-witness services.
• Maintains accurate resource materials that identify available counseling and treatment programs in the jurisdiction.
• Provides information to victims on schedule changes, status of defendants' pleas, results of trial, and whether a defendant is incarcerated and for how long, opportunities to address the court, and post-sentencing notification.
• Coordinates with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, as needed, to assist victims with the return of their property being held as evidence, obtaining copies of reports needed for securing services and assistance from other programs.
• Assists Victim-Witness staff and other support staff with logistics of court events by assisting victims and witnesses with issues concerning employers in connection with court appearances, preparing witnesses to testify by explaining processes and procedures and resources available to them, providing information on restitution to AUSAs, and forwarding Victim Impact Statements to U.S. Probation.
• Secures travel and lodging reservations for victims and witnesses and prepares vouchers for payment and reimbursement of expenses.
• Assists with the mailing, emailing and distribution of victim and witness notifications and information.
• Inputs data into applicable databases and produces notification documents using the automated Victim Notification System (VNS).
• Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.

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., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.

You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Accountability Attention to Detail Customer Service Decision Making Flexibility Influencing/Negotiating Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Reading Comprehension Reasoning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork The USA Hire Assessment includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies.

You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered.

You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: *** Your application will be evaluated and rated under DOJ's Category Rating and Selection Procedures and placed in one of three categories: Best Qualified, Highly Qualified, or Qualified.

Best Qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position; Highly Qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in some, but not all, of the requirements of the job; Qualified - applicants possessing experience and/or education that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors.

Names of all candidates in the best qualified category will be sent to the hiring official for employment consideration (unless a sufficient number of qualified veterans are found - in which only those names will be initially certified).

Candidates within the best qualified category who are eligible for veteran preference will receive selection priority over non-veteran preference eligibles.

Documents you must provide

• Failure to submit a resume or supporting documentation may result in elimination for further consideration.
• To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes: Resume: Your resume showing relevant experience, job titles, duties, dates (must include MM/DD/YY for full consideration) of employment and work schedule for each (part-time XX hours per week or full-time).
• Limit your resume to 2 pages.
• Only resumes 2 pages in length will be accepted to determine eligibility and qualifications.
• For more information, view the following link: USAJOBS Help Center - Update your resume now so it meets new resume requirement A complete Assessment Questionnaire CTAP/ICTAP Documentation A copy of your RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for failure to relocate, notice of disability annuity termination, or certification from the National Guard Bureau or Military Department that you are eligible for disability retirement; A copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action'', documenting your RIF separation, noting your positions, grade level, and duty location, and/or Agency certification of inability to place you through RPL, etc.; A copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential.
• Veterans Preference Documentation, if applicable: In order to verify your Veterans' Preference entitlement, you must submit a copy of the Member Copy 4 of your DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty); or if you are a current Active Duty member you must submit a certification on appropriate military branch letterhead that indicates:1) your service dates, 2) expected discharge or release date from active duty with a release/discharge date no later than 120 days from the closing date of this announcement, and 3) the character of service (e.g., Honorable); or other official documentation (e.g., documentation of receipt of a campaign badge or expeditionary medal) that shows your military service was performed under honorable conditions.
• In addition, if you are a disabled veteran, a Purple Heart recipient, or widow/widower if a veteran, the spouse of a disabled veteran or the parent of a disabled or deceased veteran, you must submit a Standard Form (SF) 15, "Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference" dated October 2013 and all the required documentation identified on the reverse side of the SF-15 to support your preference claim.
• Any other supporting documentation required for verification as described in the announcement.
• Are you a current or former political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee?
• The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees.
• If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.
• Submit a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information regarding your most recent political appointment: Position title; Type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee); Agency; and Beginning and ending dates of appointment.

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 assessments. The online assessments 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 Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. Your assessment results will be kept on record for one year and used toward future positions for which you might apply that require the same assessments.

To be considered for the position, you must meet all qualifications, including meeting or exceeding the cut score on the required assessments.

Additional information

Payment of relocation expenses will not be authorized. Background Investigation: To ensure the accomplishment of its mission, the Department of Justice requires each and every employee to be reliable and trustworthy.

To meet those standards, all selected applicants must undergo and successfully complete a background investigation for a clearance as a condition of placement in this Non-critical Sensitive/Moderate risk position.

This review includes financial issues such as delinquency in the payment of debts, child support and/or tax obligations, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies.

If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your ICTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy.

To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and rate equivalent to the Highly Qualified or better category using established category rating criteria. Additional information about ICTAP eligibility, click here.

The Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provides eligible surplus and displaced competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies.

If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your CTAP eligibility, 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement, and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy.

To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and rate equivalent to the Highly Qualified or better category using established category rating criteria. Additional information about CTAP eligibility, click here.

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: Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement.