Government Information Specialist

Summary

This position is located with Department of Labor Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) Office of Standards Regulations and Variances.

MSHA works to prevent death illness and injury from mining; promote safe and healthful workplaces for U.S. miners. MSHA carries out the provisions of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 (Mine Act) as amended by the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response (MINER) Act of 2006.

Duties

• Directs the exchange of ideas between field offices and the national office for the implementation of new policies procedures and problem-solving involving FOIA.
• Analyzes and interprets existing and proposed DOL/MSHA regulations governing the disclosure of information under the FOIA. Conducts analyses of the FOIA program and makes recommendations to the FOIA Officer for improvement in the effectiveness and efficiency of work operations.
• Reviews reports and documents submitted by field offices to ensure correct and uniform treatment and application of pertinent regulations exemptions and fees to determine if proper guidelines are being followed to detect trends or possible problem areas.
• Timely responds orally and in writing to general requests from the public and other interested individuals on a wide variety of subjects related to MSHAs responsibilities and programs.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

• Must be at least 16 years old.
• Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Candidate required to obtain the necessary security/investigation level.
• Requires a probationary period if the requirement has not been met.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position your application and resume must clearly show that you possess the experience as defined below. When qualifying based on experience be sure these types of examples are evident in your resume.

For the GS-13 grade level: Applicants must have one year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level GS-12 in the Federal Service.

Specialized experience includes the following:

• Analyze and review Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Privacy Act (PA) requests submitted by the public reconciling and resolving requester complaints disputes and concerns.
• Review coordinate track and approve the information intended for release ensuring that information is properly protected.
• Provide policy guidance and advisory services related to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Privacy Act (PA) and Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA).
• Interpret and provide advice on new developments recent court decisions legislative actions and/or Congressional initiatives regarding release of information under the FOIA and PA.
• Analyze evaluate and report on the effectiveness efficiency and compliance of a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) program.

Specialized Experience is the experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge skills and abilities (KSAs) to perform the duties of the position successfully and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level.

Education

There is no education subsititution at the GS-13 grade level.

Additional information

The mission of the Department of Labor (DOL) is to protect the welfare of workers and job seekers improve working conditions expand high-quality employment opportunities and assure work-related benefits and rights for all workers.

Refer to these links for more information: GENERAL INFORMATION REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES

As a condition of employment all personnel must undergo a background investigation for access to DOL facilities systems information and/or classified materials before they can enter on duty: BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION

This position is inside the bargaining unit. The duty location is outside the Washington D.C. metropolitan area the position will be included in the NCFLL bargaining unit.

MSHA JOBS ONLY (Mandatory by law): All MSHA employees and their spouses and minor children are prohibited by regulation from having any interest direct or indirect in any mine or mining company that may be directly affected by the work of MSHA through its investigations technical research or other activities. These interests are prohibited under the Department of Labors Supplemental Standards of Ethical Conduct Regulations at 5 CFR 5201.105. Certain MSHA employees are required to file a financial disclosure report.

Based on agency needs additional positions may be filled using this vacancy.

The Department of Labor may use certain incentives and hiring flexibilities currently offered by the Federal government to attract highly qualified candidates. Click here for Additional Information.

The Fair Chance Act (FCA) prohibits Federal agencies from requesting an applicants criminal history information before the agency makes a conditional offer of employment. If you believe a DOL employee has violated your rights under the FCA you may file a complaint of the alleged violation following our agencys complaint process Guidelines for Reporting Violations of the Fair Chance Act. Note: The FCA does not apply to some positions specified under the Act such as law enforcement or national security positions.

All Department of Labor employees are subject to the provisions of the Drug-Free Workplace Program under Executive Order 12564 and Public Law 100-71.

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.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government passionate about the ideals of our American republic and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Required Experience:

IC