Vacancy Information

Additional Information

Who May Apply:
1.  All current or former Federal employees with status in the local 
commuting area of Washington, DC.

2.  Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) eligibles. 

3.  CTAP/ICTAP eligibles in the local commuting area of Washington, 
DC.

Job Summary:
JOIN A GREAT FSIS TEAM!!

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is a public health 
regulatory agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).  Our 
mission is to protect consumers by ensuring that the commercial 
supply of meat, poultry, and egg products moving in interstate 
commerce or exported to other countries is safe and correctly 
labeled and packaged.  We offer opportunities for future merit-based 
promotion, career enhancement and professional development; flexible 
work schedules; and transit subsidies in some locations.  For more 
information about the agency, visit FSIS.

This position is located in the Office of Public Affairs, Education 
and Outreach (OPACE). The incumbent serves as a Freedom of 
Information Specialist. The Executive Correspondence and Management 
Staff (ECIMS)assumes the lead role in developing and managing 
processes in order to ensure that appropriate, timely, and 
consistent action is taken with respect to key policy and regulatory 
issues, executive level correspondence and inquiries, pulbic 
disclosure of information under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
and Privacy Act (PA), external audits of Agency activities, and 
employee communications.

Key Requirements:

* FSIS UTILIZES E-VERIFY TO VERIFY IDENTITY AND EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY
* This announcement may be used to fill one or more vacancies.
* Relocation expenses will not be paid.

Position Information:
Full Time
Permanent

Major Duties:
This position may be filled as a GS-9/11/12 multi-grade ladder. At 
the developmental grade levels, assignments will be of a more 
limited scope, performed with less independence, and may reflect 
limited complexity and personal contacts. At the developmental 
levels, the incumbent will be acquiring the background necessary to 
function at the full performance level.

At the full performance level, you will:

*Review and analyze incoming Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and 
Privacy Act (PA) requests.

*Process and review FOIA and PA responses to ensure proper 
coordination with appropriate parties and compliance with FOIA/PA 
regulations and policies.
 
*Provide guidance regarding FOIA/PA regulations, disclosure of 
agency records, exemptions from full or partial disclosure, and 
confidential business information.  Incumbent will prepare necessary 
correspondence to substantiate the reasons for denying request.  

*Analyze submissions from program offices verifying that the 
requested materials have been provided and the intent of the Act has 
been met.

*Provide advice and recommendations on the development and 
implementation of Dept regulations in regard to access laws and 
regulations. 

*Review and analyze appeals from denials of access to records 
requested under the FOIA/PA and withheld after the initial review 
and/or the imposition of fees.

*Provides FOIA/PA training to Agency staffers upon request.

*Other related duties as assigned or necessary.

Qualifications and Evaluations:
A master's or equivalent graduate degree OR two full years of 
progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a 
degree OR LL.B. or J.D., if related, may be substituted for the 
experience requirements at the GS-9 level.

A Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree OR three full years of 
progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a 
degree or LL.M., if related, may be substituted for the experience 
requirements at the GS-11 level.

There is no education substitution at the GS-12 level.

Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying 
for all grade levels for which both education and experience are 
acceptable.

Applicants who have completed part or all of their education outside 
the United States must have their foreign education evaluated by an 
accredited organization to ensure that the foreign education is 
comparable to education received in an accredited education 
institution in the United States.  This evaluation must be provided 
by 11:59 PM (Eastern Time) on the closing date of this vacancy 
announcement.  For a listing of services that can perform this 
evaluation, see the National Association of Credential Evaluation 
Services (NACES) website at: NACES.

All supporting documents in the "How to Apply" section must be 
submitted by 11:59 PM (Eastern Time) on the closing date of the 
announcement.

To qualify at the GS-9 level, you must have one year of specialized 
experience equivalent to the GS-7 level in the federal service AND 
if you are a current federal employee, you must have 52 weeks or 
more at the GS-7 level or higher to meet the time-in-grade 
requirement.

Examples of qualifying experience at the GS-9 level is experience 
that has provided you with a basic understanding of and ability to 
apply  Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy Act laws and 
regulations; experience assisting in researching what information 
may be disclosed under the Freedom of Information Act and the 
Privacy Act; experience assisting in the review, analysis, 
processing, and responding to routine FOIA and PA requests; 
experience drafting and preparing written documents in response to 
requests for information, researching background information, 
position papers, decisions, briefings, and/or information memos 
where information is clear, precedents are available, etc.; skill in 
compiling and generating reports, statistics, etc. using an 
automated tracking system. 

To qualify at the GS-11 level, you must have one year of specialized 
experience equivalent to the GS-9 level in the federal service AND 
if you are a current federal employee, you must have 52 weeks or 
more at the GS-9 level or higher to meet the time-in-grade 
requirement.

Examples of qualifying experience at the GS-11 level includes 
experience that has provided you with an understanding of and 
ability to apply the Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy Act 
laws and regulations; experience determining what information may be 
disclosed under the Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy Act; 
experience reviewing, analyzing, processing, and providing advice on 
FOIA and PA requests and appeals; experience preparing written 
documents such as policy, explanation of denial to release 
information, background information, position papers, decisions, 
briefings, and/or information memos. Skill in providing basic 
briefings to explain FOIA and PA laws to requesters and Agency 
personnel is also required.

To qualify at the GS-12 level, you must have one year of specialized 
experience equivalent to the GS-11 level in the federal service AND 
if you are a current federal employee, you must have 52 weeks or 
more at the GS-11 level or higher to meet the time-in-grade 
requirement.

Examples of qualifying experience at the GS-12 level includes 
experience that has provided you with an advanced understanding of 
and ability to apply the Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy 
Act laws and regulations; demonstrated experience independently 
determining what information may be disclosed under the Freedom of 
Information Act and the Privacy Act; experience reviewing, 
analyzing, processing, and providing advice on complex FOIA and PA 
requests and appeals; experience preparing written documents such as 
policy, explanation of denial to release information, background 
information, position papers, decisions, briefings, and/or 
information memos. Skill in providing expert briefings to explain 
complex FOIA and PA laws to requesters and Agency personnel is also 
required.

All qualification requirements must be met within 30 days after the 
closing date of this announcement. Additional information on the 
qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualifications 
Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions. Click here: for more information.

How You Will Be Evaluated:
Applicants are evaluated in accordance with Merit Staffing 
procedures which govern status candidates.  All are rated on the 
extent and quality of experience, education, and training relevant 
to the duties of the position.  An automated ranking system, based 
on the on-line application process is used.  Before any certificate 
can be issued to the selecting official, the resume is reviewed 
carefully by an HR Specialist to ensure that (a) minimum 
qualification requirements are met and (b) the resume supports the 
answers provided to the job-specific questions.  

Please note that your resume must thoroughly support your responses 
to the applicant assessment questions.  High self-assessment in the 
applicant questions that is not supported by information in your 
resume may eliminate you from best-qualified status and subsequent 
referral to the selecting official.  

There are several parts of the application process that affect the 
overall evaluation of your application: the applicant assessment 
questions (please note that "see resume" or a similar unspecific 
response as an answer to a vacancy question may disqualify you from 
further consideration), the core questions, supplemental 
documentation submitted, and your resume. This automated application 
system simplifies the application process by replacing the former 
KSA job-element questions with the on-line applicant assessment 
questions. Your resume is an essential part of the process for 
determining if you meet the basic qualifications of the position and 
whether you are found to be best qualified.  Therefore, it is 
important to thoroughly explain what you did and how you did it, 
rather than just listing your current and former employers. 

NOTE: If you are changing series and/or your position involves the 
performance of more than one type of work, it is essential that 
approximate percentages of time be identified in your application 
for those specific duties you feel describe experience which will 
qualify you for this position as required by the specialized 
experience described in this announcement. Failure to provide 
approximate percentages could impact your qualifications 
determination for this position.

How to Apply:
Please read the instructions carefully before calling with 
questions.  Thank you!

You must begin the application process online at USAJobs. You will be required 
to submit a resume, respond to core questions, and to the online 
vacancy questions.

Completed applications include:

1. Your on-line resume. Resumes are entered into USAJOBS.  Resumes 
can be copied and pasted into the personal information area of your 
application from other word processing documents at any time prior 
to 11:59 PM (Eastern Time) on the closing date of the vacancy 
announcement.

2. Answers to all core questions (completed when registering on-line 
in USAJOBS and as part of the initial application process).

3.  Answers to all vacancy-specific questions (completed for each 
job).

4.  Via fax imaging, providing any supplemental documents needed.

Applicants who do not respond to the on-line vacancy questions and 
who do not submit supporting resumes will be rated ineligible.

Required Documents:
Status applicants who are not FSIS employees MUST provide a legible 
copy of their latest promotion or within-in-grade Notification of 
Personnel Action (SF-50), which also indicates competitive status 
Tenure 1 or 2 (block 24) and position occupied 1 (block 34).

If qualifying based on education, you must submit your transcripts 
and/or course slips.  These items should include course title, 
school name/location, date completed, grade, and number of credits.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). ICTAP 
provides most eligible displaced competitive service employees with 
external selection priority over other outside candidates for 
competitive service vacancies that other agencies are filling in the 
local commuting area of the employee's present agency from which the 
employee will be or was separated. If you believe you meet these 
criteria, you must apply and be found to be well-qualified (you must 
have fully successful performance ratings and be a candidate who is 
clearly capable of performing in a superior manner). ICTAP eligibles 
must submit one of the following as proof of eligibility: a 
separation notice; a SF 50 Notice of Personnel Action documenting 
separation; an agency certification stating you cannot be placed 
after injury compensation has been terminated; an OPM notification 
that your disability annuity has been terminated; or a Military 
Department or National Guard Bureau notification that you are 
retired under 5 U.S.C. 8337(h) or 8456. Click here: for more information.

If you claim CTAP/ICTAP eligibility, please provide a copy of your 
most recent performance appraisal (at least "fully successful" or 
equivalent), and proof of eligibility, i.e., a RIF separation notice 
or Certification of Expected Separation and a SF-50 noting current 
position, grade level, and duty location. Click here: for more information.

Veteran preference eligibles or veterans who have been separated 
from the armed forces under honorable conditions after at least 
three consecutive years of active duty may also be considered. A DD-
214 that includes beginning and ending dates of service and 
character of discharge (Member Copy 4) MUST BE submitted to verify 
eligibility.

Future Military Retirees WHO ARE CURRENTLY ON TERMINAL LEAVE: You 
are required to submit a copy of your retirement DD-214 or a copy of 
your retirement letter AND a copy of your terminal leave request. 

Future Military Separatees WHO ARE CURRENTLY ON TERMINAL LEAVE: You 
are required to submit a copy of your most recent DD-214 and/or a 
copy of your most recent active duty orders AND a copy of your 
terminal leave request (if applicable). 

Click here for additional information: Veterans' Employment 
Information. 

If you are claiming eligibility for consideration under a 
noncompetitive special hiring authority, you will need to provide 
the appropriate supporting documentation to verify eligibility.

Supporting documentation should be sent using the fax imaging 
instructions after you have applied for the vacancy announcement.

The next step of the application process is to fax all the required 
supporting documentation specified in the "Required Documents" 
section of this vacancy announcement.  You do not need to have all 
of your supporting documentation submitted in order to continue with 
the on-line portion of the application process.  Please carefully 
follow the instructions below to ensure your supporting documents 
are properly faxed and received.  All required documents must be 
received by 11:59 PM (Eastern Time) on the closing date of the 
vacancy announcement.

***Not all of the document types listed will pertain to you; only 
submit documents needed to complete your application package.

FAX INSTRUCTIONS:

Please read the instructions carefully before calling with 
questions.  Thank you!

1.  If you have previously faxed supporting documentation the status 
of those documents will indicate "received". There is no need to 
resubmit documents which show a status of received unless you are 
submitting an updated copy. (If a document is resubmitted, it 
replaces the previous submission, which means the previous document 
is no longer available to the human resources office. If you are 
adding to, rather than replacing, a previous submission, you must 
fax both the old document and the new document for them both to be 
accessible to HR.)  

2.  You must use a separate cover sheet for each category of 
supporting documentation (i.e., transcripts, SF-50, DD-214). Choose 
the document cover sheet(s) you would like to print by selecting the 
appropriate check boxes in the Selected Documents column.

3.  Click the [Print Cover Sheets] button. A window will pop up 
containing the fax cover sheet(s) you selected. Print the coversheet
(s). NOTE: You must be connected to a printer in order to print the 
coversheets. Additionally, you must allow pop-ups.

4.  Once you have reviewed the list of documents and printed any 
required fax cover sheets click on [Done]. You will be moved forward 
in the application process. 

5.  Before faxing your document(s), take care to ensure the document 
is legible and all information is complete and signed, if necessary. 
Fax only documents which are clear and legible. Original documents 
with light or faded print and/or dark or patterned backgrounds will 
not be legible upon receipt. Illegible faxed documents cannot be 
used for qualification or verification purposes.

6.  Place the corresponding cover sheet on top of the document and 
fax the cover sheet and document together to the fax number 
specified on the cover sheet. NOTE:  If you are faxing documents 
from more than one category of supporting documentation, you must 
submit them with the appropriate cover sheet. EACH DOCUMENT TYPE 
MUST BE FAXED SEPARATELY under its corresponding cover sheet. DO NOT 
FAX ALL DOCUMENTS TYPES UNDER ONE COVER SHEET.  (i.e., Transcripts 
are one type of document; fax all pages of your transcript and other 
education-related documents under the transcript cover sheet; the SF-
50 is another document type, if you are faxing more than one SF-50, 
fax them all under the SF-50 cover sheet.)

7.  Be sure to save these cover sheets in the event you need to re-
fax your supporting documents. Each fax transmission includes a 
unique identification number and bar code, which ensures your 
document, is processed correctly.

8.  You will receive an e-mail confirming the fax has been 
successfully received by Human Resources. You should retain your e-
mail confirmation and confirmation of your fax transmittal report as 
proof of submission.

Your application will be considered incomplete and YOU WILL BE FOUND 
INELIGIBLE if you fail to submit the required documentation as 
specified under the required documents section by 11:59 PM Eastern 
Time on the closing date of the vacancy announcement.

What to Expect Next:
Once your complete application is received we will conduct an 
evaluation of your qualifications and determine your ranking.  The 
most highly qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring 
manager for further consideration and possible interview.  We expect 
to make a selection within 45 days of the closing date of this 
announcement.

PLEASE READ:

During this process, WE WILL UPDATE YOUR status FOR EACH VACANCY ON 
THE USAJOBS WEB-SITE.  To view your status, login to My USAJOBS (Tab 
on USAJOBS Web-Site).  Please do not contact for status.

Benefits:
Working for FSIS offers a comprehensive benefits package that 
includes, in part, paid vacation, sick leave, holidays, life 
insurance, health benefits, and participation in the Federal 
Employees Retirement System. The following Web address is provided 
for your reference to explore the major benefits offered to most 
Federal employees. To find out more visit: Benefit Information.

Additional Information:
FEDERAL LAW REQUIRES ALL EMPLOYERS TO VERIFY THE IDENTITY AND 
EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY OF ALL PERSONS HIRED TO WORK IN THE UNITED 
STATES. FSIS utilizes E-Verify to verify identity and employment 
eligibility by providing to the Social Security Administration (SSA) 
and, if necessary the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) 
information from each new employee's Form I-9 to confirm work 
authorization.  E-Verify cannot be used to pre-screen job applicants 
or to re-verify current employees and may not limit or influence the 
choice of documents presented for use on the Form I-9.  If you have 
concern that there has been a violation of the E-Verify program or 
you feel you have been discriminated during the verification process 
based on your national origin or citizenship status, contact the 
Office of Special Counsel at 1-800-255-7688 (TDD: 1-800-237-2515). 
For more information on E-Verify you may contact DHS at 1-888-464-
4218.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination 
in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, 
national origin, age, disability and where applicable, sex, marital 
status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual 
orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or 
because all or part of an individual's income is derived from any 
public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all 
programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means 
for communication of program information (Braille, large print, 
audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-
720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, 
write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence 
Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, or call (800) 795-3272 
(voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity 
provider and employer.  

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 notify the agency.  
Decisions on granting reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-
case basis.

Employees new to the federal government or the agency will be 
required to complete a 'Declaration of Federal Employment,' (OF-
306), prior to being appointed to determine their suitability for 
Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation. 
False statements or responses on your resume or questionnaire can 
jeopardize your employment opportunity and subject you to 
disciplinary action, including removal from Federal service.

Questions, Comments or Feedback can be directed to the agency contact listed in the vacancy announcement.

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