Government Information Specialist

Summary

The position is located in the Centralized Support Division, St. Louis VA Regional Office. The Centralized Support Division has primary responsibility for conducting required management activities related to VBA paperwork management, Privacy Act (PA) and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), VBA forms and automated systems primarily used in the delivery of benefits and services to Veterans nationally.

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Duties

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The incumbent serves as the St. Louis VA Regional Office FOIA/Privacy Officer and is primarily responsible for the RO's compliance with all FOIA/PA laws to include regulations and guidance within each Act. The FOIA/PA oversees all ongoing activities related to the development, implementation, maintenance, and adherence to the RO's policies and procedures covering privacy and access of Veteran, Veteran dependent and employee information in compliance with federal and state laws and VA privacy practices. Utilizes and maintains a comprehensive knowledge of the FOIA/Privacy Act, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA), the Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act, Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Justice release of information regulations, Privacy Act System of Records processing, Office of Management and Budget guidance and other areas of administration and optional storage law.

Works with RO senior management and legal counsel to establish and maintain a Privacy Program and serves in a leadership role for privacy related functions and oversight. Performs initial and periodic privacy risk assessments and conducts related ongoing compliance monitoring activities in coordination with VA and VBA component units.

Reviews all system-related information security plans throughout the RO to ensure alignment between security and privacy practices.

Daily, prepares responses and provides guidance on FOIA/Privacy Act requests from VBA components, and similar request from Congress, private citizens, news media, educators, researchers, etc. Preparation includes tracking requests, searching for records, reviewing, scanning, redacting and duplicating records responsive to requests. Serves as the RO liaison and subject matter expert to the Office of General Counsel on privacy appeals and FOIA appeals.

Serves as a subject matter expert on FOIA/PA issues to assist and advise RO staff regarding the resolution of VBA problems/issues involving privacy and other release of information issues. Ensures compliance with the posting of privacy related incidents in the Privacy Violation Tracking System (PVTS) and Privacy and Security Events Tracking System (PSETS). Incumbent provides investigation support in Privacy and security related incidents as reported to the Security Operations Center (SOC). Initiates appropriate action on all complaints concerning VBA privacy policies and procedures in coordination and collaboration with other similar functions and, when necessary, legal counsel. Ensures compliance with privacy practices and consistent application of sanctions for failure to comply with privacy policies for all individuals in the RO, in cooperation with Human Resources, the information security officer, administration, and legal counsel, as applicable. Serves, as requested, as a VBA representative on internal task forces where informational law expertise is required.

Maintains current knowledge on information law issues via Departmental guidance, Department of Justice case law update sessions and various FOIA/PA publications.

Work Schedule: Full time, Monday through Friday 7:30 am to 4:00 pm

Telework: This position is eligible for situational (ad hoc) telework only. The selectee is required to report to the official duty station each scheduled workday. Telework may be approved only on a case-by-case basis with supervisory approval. Routine or recurring telework is not authorized for this position.

Position Description/PD#: Government Information Specialist, 034990A

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Bargaining Unit: No

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the Agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the Agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.Additional Conditions of Employment are as follows:

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• You may be required to serve a probationary or trial period
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements I-9 Acceptable Documents.
• Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement:08/27/2026.

TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENT : As a current/former Federal, GS employee you must meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

• For a GS-13 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-12 level.

GS-13 Grade Level:

Specialized Experience: Applicants must have one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level or higher in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is defined as experience that has equipped the applicant to perform at the journeyman level of this position with little to no training or supervision. Specialized experience may have been gained in the following ways:

Specialized Experience:

(1) Preparing releases of information for Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.

(2) Developing guidance regarding FOIA requests; and

(3) Advising personnel on FOIA and Privacy Act (PA) procedures.

(4) Recognizes or uses correct English grammar, punctuation, and spelling; communicates information (for example, facts, ideas, or messages) in a brief, clear, and organized manner; produces written information, which may include technical material, that is appropriate for the intended audience

(5) Makes sound, well-informed, and objective decisions; perceives the impact and implications of decisions; commits to action, even in uncertain situations, to accomplish organizational goals; causes change.

(6) Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, legal practices and documents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, government organization and functions, and the democratic political process

(7) Considers and responds appropriately to the needs, feelings, and capabilities of others; adjusts approaches to suit different people and situations.

(8) Identifies a need; gathers, organizes, and maintains information; determines its importance and accuracy, and communicates it by a variety of methods.

Volunteer Experience: Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Full vs. Part-Time Employment: Full-time employment is considered to be at least 35 hours per week. Part-time experience will be credited on a pro-rated basis; when including part-time employment in your resume you must specify the average hours worked per week.

Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary. The incumbent may be required to attend meetings.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at

Education

There is no educational requirement for this position.

Additional information

The Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting your current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 85 or more) for this vacancy. Information about CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer (TJO). Please visit the Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP),

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. (

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

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.

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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