Legal Administrative Specialist

The Environmental Enforcement Section is comprised of talented lawyers and other professionals who work together to enforce the Nation's pollution, environmental cleanup, and natural resource damage laws - all to protect public health and the environment.

Duties

This vacancy is also being announced concurrently with Ann# ENRD-26-038-MP for employees with Federal status or eligibility and applicants eligible for special appointment authorities. Please review that announcement to determine if you are eligible to apply. Applicants must apply separately for each announcement.

The successful candidate selected for this position will join a select team of highly respected professional staff in the Section's Case Management Unit ("CMU"). The CMU performs a broad range of specialized duties, critical to the operation of the Section and ENRD, most notably involving financial work. The CMU inputs and tracks civil financial debts owed to the United States, produces reports needed to satisfy reporting and tracking obligations, along with other assigned tasks that benefit the operation of the Section.

The successful candidate must be comfortable working independently and as part of a small team and must be comfortable training and collaborating through a primarily Microsoft Teams-based platform that is essential for driving work performed across multiple databases and systems. The CMU operates within EES's Management Group, so the candidate selected will report directly to the Assistant Section Chief for Management.

Responsibilities of a Legal Administrative Specialist include:

• Reviewing a variety of complex documents (including case referrals, memos, emails, settlement agreements, court judgments) to extract relevant data and case information, input data, and perform quality assurance across multiple databases.
• Interpreting settlement agreements, court judgments, and other legal documents to ensure accurate financial coding of all debts owed to the United States.
• Ensuring that certain penalties are routed to special funds, defendants are assessed the correct amounts, payments are routed to the proper federal agency, and monetary penalties are distinguished from costs and natural resource damages.
• Interpreting all non-monetary relief and accurately recording its estimated value; noting whether work required will take longer than 3 years to complete; and distinguishing between mitigation projects and injunctive relief work required to achieve compliance with relevant statutes.
• Coordinating with EES attorneys to tailor the language used in payment provisions for settlement agreements, so that provisions are sufficiently clear and precise for the subsequent creation of debts and the financial coding of payments.
• Writing clear and concise emails to attorneys summarizing financial data or seeking financial data and other case information.
• Ensuring that accurate and timely information is transmitted to the Department-wide debt collection database and notifying the Financial Litigation Program (FLP) of the U.S. Attorney's Offices to send payment instructions to defendants.
• Coordinating with ENRD attorneys, FLPs, client agencies and other internal and external stakeholders to support the accurate and timely collection of monies owed to the United States.
• Generating multiple standard (often monthly) reports and designing ad hoc reports as needed to assist managers.
• Reviewing and transmitting Federal Register notices for publication, gathering any public comments, and routing public comments to the appropriate attorneys.

This is a dynamic role. The successful candidate should enjoy working with a cohesive team within EES' Management Group that is collegial, nimble and capable of very precise work. The CMU has a well-earned reputation for excellence and is routinely called upon by attorneys and managers to assist with matters within its specialized scope of duties.

Salary

• $70,623 - $91,815/year

Conditions of Employment

• Must be a U.S. citizen or national
• Must complete a Background Investigation to include pre-employment drug testing
• Must complete or have completed a one-year probationary period.
• Selective Service Registration is required, as applicable
• Must meet eligibility and qualification requirements by closing date
• If this is your first appointment in the Federal service, your salary will be set at Step 1 of the grade selected.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position at GS-9, you must have one of the following:

A. At least one year of specialized experience at, or equivalent to, the GS-7 Federal grade level or above or (1) reviewing legal documents that initiate and conclude cases in litigation; and (2) working with complex databases, recording all required information into the database, and interpreting and reviewing the data to assure its accuracy and completeness.

B. A master's or equivalent graduate degree or two full years of progressively higher-level graduate education, or LL.B or J.D. Such education demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position; or

C. A combination of graduate education and experience that meets 100% of the qualification requirements for this position. (Only graduate education in excess of the first full year may be used in this calculation).

To qualify for GS-11: You must have at least one year of specialized experience at, or equivalent to, the GS-9 Federal grade level (1) interpreting legal documents that initiate and conclude cases in litigation; and (2) working with complex databases, recording all required information into the database, interpreting and reviewing the data to assure its accuracy and completeness, and extracting the relevant data from the database in response to requests for information; or

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. Such education demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of a Legal Administrative Specialist; or

A combination of experience and graduate education described above, which when combined, are equivalent to 100% of the qualification requirements for this position at the GS-11 Federal grade level. (Only graduate education in excess of the second year may be used in this calculation).

Qualifying education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position.

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 skill and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

YOUR RESUME MUST support your responses to the online questionnaire and provide specific details as to how your experience meets the specialized experience as described in the vacancy announcement if you are using experience to meet all or part of the qualification requirements. Please ensure that your resume includes the month and year that you began and ended each position held or that position will not be credited toward meeting the specialized experience requirement. Part-time employment will be prorated in crediting experience. Failure to provide details will result in an ineligible rating. Your latest resume submitted for this vacancy announcement will be used to determine qualifications and supersedes previous submissions.

Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.

To preview questions, please click here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12970275

Education All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, see www.ed.gov. Other Information Career Transition Programs: The Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) provides eligible surplus and displaced competitive service employees in DOJ with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If you have received written notification of your eligibility for consideration under CTAP/ICTAP, you may receive special priority consideration for this position if you satisfy all qualification requirements and rate equivalent to the Highly Qualified or better category using established category rating criteria. Veterans Preference: If you are entitled to or claim veteran preference (VP), you should indicate the type of veteran preference (5 or 10 points) you are claiming on your resume. In order to determine your eligibility, you can find additional information at: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/veterans-services/vet-guide/ To verify your veteran preference entitlement, submit a copy of the Member Copy 4 of your DD-214; official statement of service from your command if you are currently on active duty; or other official documentation (e.g., documentation of receipt of a campaign badge or expeditionary medal) that shows your military service was performed under honorable conditions. If you are claiming 10-point preference, you must submit Member Copy 4 of your DD-214 in addition to the supporting documentation required and identified on the reserve side of the SF-15, Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference. If you are claiming 10-point DERIVED PREFERENCE as a relative you must submit Member Copy 4 of the veteran's DD-214 and an SF-15 in addition to the supporting documentation required and identified on the reverse side of the SF-15. If you fail to do so, you will receive consideration as a non-veteran. Benefits: DOJ offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation; sick leave; holidays; telework; life insurance; health benefits; and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System.General Employment Information: DOJ EEO STATEMENT: Find our EEO statement online at: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/page/file/1394116/dl?inline SELECTIVE SERVICE: Additional information is found at: www.sss.gov Required Documents

You must submit a detailed resume containing the following information for each job entry listed in your employment history:

• Official position title;
• Employer name and contact information;
• Start and end dates (month and year);
• A detailed list of duties & accomplishments,
• Your highest salary (or Federal grade/step) achieved; and
• Indicate full-time or number of hours worked per week if part-time.

Additional required documents must be submitted by the closing date of the job announcement. Documentation requirements may vary from applicant to applicant based on your eligibility claims. It is your responsibility to carefully review the list below to determine which documents are required for your application.

To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:

1. Your resume (not to exceed two pages)
2. Cover letter (optional)
3. An unofficial graduate transcript if you are using education to qualify. (If you are selected for a position, you must provide an official, sealed transcript before your hiring date can be established to include the date your degree was conferred.)
4. Documentation to support your claim for veteran preference, if applicable
5. CTAP/ICTAP documentation, if applicable

If you are using education to qualify for this position, or if education is required:

1. You must submit a transcript, which may be unofficial, as long as it contains a full listing of courses, credit earned, grade and grade-point-average, subject area, degree(s) earned, and dates of award.
2. Your transcript must come from a nationally-accredited educational institution recognized by the Department of Education.
3. Please do not submit electronic transcripts with documentation security protection. These may prevent our application system from accepting and processing the document.
4. If submitting a foreign transcript, you must have the transcript reviewed by an approved foreign education review organization recognized by the Department of Education. Your transcript must also be in English or have an English translation included.

If you are claiming veterans' preference, you must submit:

1. A copy of your DD-214, "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty," (Member 4 copy), showing the dates of active duty, type of discharge, and character of service, OR
2. A certification letter from the armed forces that certifies you are expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions no later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted. This letter must contain (a) military service dates including the expected discharge or release date and (b) character of service.

If you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference as a Disabled Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient, or Mother or Spouse of a Disabled or Deceased Veteran, in addition to the documents specified above, you must submit all additional proof required by the SF-15, and if applicable, a completed SF-15. For more information on each type of Veterans Preference, and the documentation required for each, see FedsHireVets.

If you are a displaced Federal employee claiming eligibility under CTAP or ICTAP:

1. Submit your separation notice or agency RIF letter from your agency.
2. If you have not yet been separated, provide the letter of intent to separate you from the agency because of a RIF.
3. Also submit your most recent performance appraisal and SF-50 showing current/former position, grade, promotion potential and duty location.
4. Additional information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibility can be found at http://www.opm.gov/ctap/index.asp

If you are requesting a reasonable accommodation to the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, submit documentation to support your request, including the Reasonable Accommodation Request Form found here.

Do not include the following types of information in your profile or resume:

• Classified or government sensitive information
• Social Security Number (SSN)
• Photos of yourself
• Personal information, such as age, religious affiliation, etc.
• Encrypted and digitally signed documents

If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate content, you may not be considered for this vacancy.

How to Apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include the initial online assessment and submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:

1. To begin the application process, click the Apply Online button.
2. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
3. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
4. After submitting an online application, you will be notified whether or not you are required to take additional online assessments through the USA Hire Competency Based Assessment system. This message will be delivered to you and via email notification. The email may be routed to your "Spam" or "Junk" folder.
5. If you are asked to take the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be presented with a unique URL to access the USA Hire system. Access to USA Hire is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Be sure to review all instructions prior to beginning your USA Hire Assessments. Click here for Computer System Requirements
6. Note, set aside at least 3 hours to take these assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue at a later time, you can re-use the URL sent to you via email and also found on the Additional Application Information page that can be located in the application record in your USAJOBS account.

To update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login). There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Update Application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.

To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account: https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login. All of your applications will appear on the Welcome page. The application record in your USAJOBS account provides an Additional Application Information page that provides information regarding the documentation you submitted and any correspondence we have sent related to this application, including the invitation to take the USA Hire assessment. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated.

For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/???????