Paralegal Specialist

Summary This position is in Region 7, Office of Regional Counsel, Superfund Branch. About Region 7: This is an office-centered position--you must physically report to the duty station stated in this announcement on a regular basis. This announcement has been amended to update language in the Qualifications Section. Responsibilities At the full performance level of this position, you will: Analyze evidence or questions that arise in the enforcement program, edit and draft correspondence, and assemble administrative records, and coordinate with the enforcement program to ensure enforcement commitments are met. Oversee and use complex electronic discovery databases and IT tools (e.g. Relativity, Adobe Pro, Encase, etc.) Act as resource for administrative and professional staff to ensure timely, accurate and efficient use of these systems. If you are hired at a grade level lower than the full performance level (i.e., highest promotion potential level), your duties will be less complex and you will have more supervisory oversight. You may be promoted to more complex duties and work more independently, as your career progresses. NOTE: Career ladder promotions are not automatic, and all eligibility and qualifications requirements must be met in order to progress to the next grade level. One or more positions may be filled (in the organization advertised and/or in other organizations), if appropriate to the position. Requirements Conditions of Employment #LI-Onsite You must be a U.S. citizen. If you are selected, you may be required to complete a one-year probationary period. This position is designated as Moderate Risk and requires a background investigation. Unless an appropriate background investigation is already on record with the Office of Personnel Management, you must undergo a background investigation. All conditions of the pre-employment security process must be met before an official letter of employment can be issued with a report for duty date. REAL ID requirements became effective on 05/07/25. If you are selected for this position and plan to use your driver's license or identification card during the onboarding process (i.e., for employment eligibility verification or to obtain your EPA identification card), the document must be a REAL ID-compliant state-issued driver's license or identification card that includes the REAL ID-compliant star marking, or must be an Enhanced Driver's License (EDL). You will receive information about alternative acceptable documents (e.g., passport) prior to onboarding. For more information about REAL ID, see Dept. of Homeland Security and REAL ID FAQs. Qualifications NOTE: You must meet qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement. To qualify for the GS-11 level, you must have one of the following: 1 year of full-time* specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 level defined as providing full-spectrum paralegal support to attorneys including developing, preparing, and helping to enforce, defend, and settle cases that require applying statutes, regulations, agency policies, and judicial/administrative procedures to complex fact patterns. Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree; or LL.M., if related; the education must provide the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position equivalent combination of education and experience NOTE: 1 year of full-time undergraduate study is 30 semester or 45 quarter hours. 1 year of full-time graduate education is the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study; if that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours is considered 1 year of full-time study. To qualify for the GS-12 level, you must have 1 year of full-time* specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 level defined as full-spectrum paralegal support, including case development/ preparation and assistance with enforcement, defense, and settlement, applying governing laws, policies, and procedures to complex facts. You will need the following competencies in order to perform the duties of this position successfully: Problem Solving* Written Communication* Accountability Teamwork Customer Service* Interpersonal Skills *You will be evaluated on these critical competencies. 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, religious, 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. *If you have part-time work experience, read this: Part-Time Experience. Education Additional Information Except in special circumstances, those new to the federal government will be hired at the starting salary (step 1) of the applicable grade range listed in the Overview section. Are you a Displaced Federal Employee? If so, please read the Required Documents section and visit the EPA website for additional information on the Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): CTAP/ICTAP NOTE: To be entitled to selection priority, you must be rated well-qualified (i.e., you must fall into the Well Qualified category or higher--see the How You Will Be Evaluated section). EPA participates in E-Verify. E-Verify is an Internet based system operated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in partnership with the Social Security Administration (SSA) that enables participating employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their newly hired employees. For additional information: E-Verify. If you are selected, travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will not be paid by EPA. Any travel, transportation, and relocation expenses associated with reporting to work in this position will be your responsibility. This position is not in the bargaining unit. REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION EPA welcomes applications from persons with disabilities. Through the reasonable accommodation process, we provide persons with disabilities an equal opportunity to enjoy the benefits and privileges of employment that persons without disabilities enjoy. A reasonable accommodation is any change in the work environment or in the way things are customarily done. An accommodation removes workplace barriers and enables an applicant with a disability to have an equal opportunity to participate in the application process, be considered for a position, and, if hired, perform the essential functions of their job. The EPA National Reasonable Accommodation Coordinators will provide assistance to you, the Human Resources Office, and/or the hiring official as needed. For more information, refer to EPA's Reasonable Accommodation website. Below is more detailed information about how to request a reasonable accommodation during the application, selection, and hiring process: If you require reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process (submitting the application or completing the application process), contact the Human Resources Office listed below no later than two business days prior to the closing date of this announcement, and the Human Resources Office will work directly with you. If you are referred to the hiring official for consideration and need an accommodation during the selection process, including the interview, notify the person who contacted you from the hiring official's office. If you do not hear back within three days about your reasonable accommodation request for the selection process, please notify EPA's National Reasonable Accommodation Coordinators via email at View email address on click.appcast.io. If you are selected and need an accommodation during the hiring process up to orientation, notify the HR Specialist who made the job offer to you. Please note: Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.