FOIA Specialist

FOIA Specialist

KMRG, LLC (KMRG) is a federal services company that hires talented professionals to support Government agencies and the communities they serve. We are hiring a FOIA Specialist to support the U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid (FSA). In this role, you will process Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), FOIA Appeals, and Privacy Act requests; apply FOIA exemptions and redactions; prepare response correspondence; maintain cases in FOIA Xpress; and provide regulatory and analytical support to FSA. This position is a strong fit for an experienced FOIA professional who can independently handle complex requests, make sound disclosure determinations, and work accurately in a deadline-driven environment with minimal oversight.

Responsibilities

FOIA & Privacy Act Request Processing

• Review, analyze, and process incoming FOIA and Privacy Act requests
• Participate in intake activities and assess requests for appropriate processing
• Enter FOIA requests and related correspondence accurately into FOIA Xpress and FSA tracking systems
• Coordinate with Department program offices to obtain responsive records and address request issues
• Communicate with requesters regarding scope, cost, identity certification, and other processing matters
• Track cases and complete required actions within statutory, regulatory, and Department timeframes
• Support efforts to reduce the number of pending FOIA and Privacy Act requests
• Maintain complete and accurate case documentation throughout the request lifecycle

Disclosure Review, Redactions & Responses

• Review responsive records and determine the appropriate treatment under FOIA and Privacy Act requirements
• Apply redactions using expert knowledge of the nine FOIA exemptions
• Process complex FOIA requests requiring careful analysis and disclosure determinations
• Prepare interim and final response letters and memoranda for signature, as appropriate
• Apply controlling case law, Department policy, regulations, procedures, and guidance to disclosure decisions
• Coordinate with appropriate Department personnel when legal, policy, or program input is needed

FOIA Appeals

• Process FOIA Appeals in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, policies, and procedures
• Review case records, prior determinations, responsive documents, and exemption applications
• Provide accurate analytical support for appeal review and resolution
• Maintain appeal documentation and related correspondence in applicable case-management systems
• Support timely completion of appeal actions and required follow-up
• Identify issues requiring additional review or coordination

FOIA Xpress & Case-Management Support

• Use FOIA Xpress to process, track, document, and report FOIA and Privacy Act activity
• Maintain accurate request data, case actions, correspondence, and status information
• Use FSA's internal FOIA Integrity Management System (FIMS) and other workflow tools as required
• Quickly learn and use internally developed systems supporting FOIA processing
• Recommend modified or new operational approaches, including improvements involving FOIA Xpress
• Support accurate management, tracking, and reporting of FOIA workload

Regulatory Guidance & Analytical Support

• Provide technical guidance on FOIA and Privacy Act laws, regulations, policies, procedures, and guidance
• Analyze factual information, evaluate significant factors, and solve complex processing problems
• Review options and provide recommendations regarding procedures, strategies, resources, and ongoing activities
• Aggregate and analyze data to support comparisons, reporting, and management decisions
• Provide subject-matter expertise to FSA FOIA management and internal stakeholders
• Support Department compliance with Federal information-management and privacy requirements

Communication & Quality

• Communicate professionally with FSA personnel, Department offices, requesters, and other stakeholders
• Keep the COR and FSA FOIA management informed of progress and issues affecting performance
• Prepare complete, correct, timely, and easy-to-understand written work products
• Use Department formats, terminology, and procedures when preparing deliverables
• Incorporate feedback and correct identified errors promptly
• Manage competing priorities while maintaining accuracy and required response timelines

Program Support

• Support analytical reporting and other FOIA program activities assigned by FSA management
• Prepare Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and related work products as required
• Maintain documents in appropriate locations so they are accessible to authorized staff
• Protect sensitive, privacy-related, and Government information handled during performance
• Perform quality checks on case data, correspondence, redactions, and deliverables
• Work independently at a high-performance level with minimal input from program leadership
• Be prepared to begin performance immediately after award
• Perform related FOIA and Privacy Act support duties within the scope of the position

Required Background

• Bachelor's degree
• Minimum of 3 years of Federal service or equivalent public/private-sector experience managing and/or responding to FOIA/Privacy Act requests
• Demonstrated expertise using and applying the major FOIA exemptions
• Experience processing complex FOIA requests
• Expert knowledge and application of FOIA and Privacy Act laws, regulations, policies, procedures, and guidance
• Expert-level experience using FOIA Xpress and related technologies
• Experience processing FOIA Appeals
• Experience reviewing responsive records and applying appropriate redactions
• Ability to work independently at a high-performance level with minimal supervision
• Strong written and verbal communication skills

Preferred Background

• Federal agency FOIA and Privacy Act processing experience
• Experience preparing interim and final FOIA response letters and memoranda
• Experience coordinating responsive-record searches with multiple program offices or stakeholders
• Experience applying FOIA case law and Department or agency policy to disclosure determinations
• Experience with FOIA reporting, workload analysis, or case-management data
• Experience using Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, and related office tools
• Experience learning or using internal FOIA workflow, tracking, or reporting systems

Location

• Work may be performed virtually or in accordance with Department of Education policies

Travel

• Travel is not required

Background Investigation

• Applicants will be subject to Department contractor security vetting and background investigation requirements
• Employment is contingent on final Government approval and successful completion of applicable requirements

Client

• U.S. Department of Education

Employment Classification

• Employment Classification Eligibility — Exempt

****************** KMRG, LLC is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action (EEO/AA) employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, ancestry, national origin, age, marital or civil partnership status, mental disability, physical disability, medical condition, pregnancy, maternity status, political affiliation, military or veteran status, genetic information, traits historically associated with race, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state, and/or local law. Other Considerations. Applicants will be subject to a background investigation. Individual's primary workstation is located in an office area. The noise level in this environment is low to moderate. Regularly required to sit for extended periods up to 100% of the time; frequently required to move about to access file cabinets and use office equipment such as PC, copier, fax, telephone, cell phone, etc. Occasionally required to reach overhead, bend, and lift objects of up to 10 lbs. Specific vision abilities required by this job include the use of computer monitor screens up to 100% of the time.