Legal Instruments Examiner

This position is located with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Midwest Region in Ashland County, Wisconsin. This position is responsible for examining titles, preparing chains of title, title status reports and maintain the accuracy of computerized systems. Open Until Filled or the Closing Date whichever comes first: NOTE: Applications will be reviewed after 10 calendar days and thereafter. This is a Bargaining Unit position, for more information see What are bargaining units?

Duties

• Analyze and examines extremely difficult or controversial title cases. Cases related to the rights of Indians to hold or own realty property and life estates.

• Plan, organize, conduct research and analyzes legal documents pertaining to each specific case worked.

• Examine and corrects title documents for the acquisition and disposal of real property rights pertaining to trust, restricted, fee and reserved lands.

• Prepares abstracts of title by examining each legal instrument, determining the correct legal description of property.

• Advise the realty specialists in the preparation of forms of title conveyances and divestment documents, equitable title documents, deeds, leases, grants, property management agreements, stipulations, memoranda of understanding, casements, etc.

Salary

• $39,576 - $70,578/year

Conditions of Employment

• U.S. Citizenship Required
• Preference in filling vacancies is given to qualified Indian candidates in accordance with the Indian Preference Act of 1934 (title 25, USC Section 472). Form BIA -4432 must be submitted with the application if claiming Indian Preference.
• You will be required to have federal payments made by Direct Deposit
• You may be required to successfully complete a probationary/trial period
• A background security investigation will be required for all new hires. Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication.
• If you are a male applicant born after 12/31/1959 and are required to register under the Military Selective Service Act, the Defense Authorization Act of 1986 requires that you be registered or you are not eligible for appointment in this agency.
• Incumbent is required to operate a government motor vehicle, must possess a valid driver's license, and have a safe driving record within the 4 year period immediately preceding submittal of GSA Form 3607.
• TELEWORK: Indian Affairs has determined that the duties of the position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.

Qualifications EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS: (OPM Operating Manual, Qualification Standards ).
The following table shows the amounts of education and/or experience required to qualify for positions covered by this standard.

GS-5: 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least GS-4 OR 4 years above high school (in any field).
Specialized Experience: Maintain files pertaining to land title information by entering all pertinent data on the document requests; research for various title documents; encode encumbrance data from recorded title documents into land title automated systems for land title ownership

GS-6: 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least GS-5.
Specialized Experience: Research various title documents; pull the historical file to extract document information needed; encode encumbrance data from recorded title documents into land title automated systems for land title ownership; examine complex title documents for the acquisition and disposal of real property rights pertaining to trust, restricted, fee and reserved lands.

GS-7: 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least GS-6.
Specialized Experience: Gather and assemble relevant title documents, identifying potential problems on land/parcel title documents; prepare abstracts of title by carefully examining each legal instrument, determining the correct legal description of the property, identifying current owners of the property and their fractioned title and monetary interests, identifying and curing title defects; image title documents; scan and code the title document into the electronic records system; and receive the scanned title documents and encode into the records system.

GS-8: 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least GS-7.
Specialized Experience: Examine and correct complex title documents; research and analyze legal documents pertaining to statutes, regulations and judicial decisions; examine complex title documents for the acquisition and disposal of real property rights pertaining to trust, restricted, fee and reserved lands; advise realty specialists in the preparation of various forms of title conveyance and divestment documents, equitable title documents, deeds, leases, grants, property management agreements, stipulations, memoranda of understanding, easements, affidavits, reservation statements, etc.; and prepare probate modifications to add property to the inventory of an estate, add interest to inventoried lands, and/or correct typographical errors; prepare or assist in preparing various forms of title conveyances and divestment documents.

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Merit Promotion candidates must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the announcement closing date.

Preference in filling vacancies is given to qualified Indian candidates in accordance with the Indian Preference Act of 1934 (title 25, USC Section 472).

Additional selections may be made from this announcement if identical vacancies occur in the same location within 90 days from the closing date. Education If you are qualifying based on your education, you MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: (1) official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all of your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement. If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society. One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study. If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education which shows the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: FOREIGN EDUCATION Other Information

The full performance level of this position is GS-8. Promotion potential in this announcement does not constitute a commitment or an obligation on the part of management to promote the employee selected at some future date. A career ladder promotion is at the discretion of management, and in no way guaranteed.

CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS: These programs apply to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: (1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; (2) be rated well-qualified for the position with a score of 85 or above; and, (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. For more information visit: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp .

LAND MANAGEMENT WORKFORCE FLEXIBILITY ACT: If applying under the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act, you must provide documentation to support your eligibility (SF-50) and performance (references and/or performance appraisal). Under the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA) two groups of individuals are eligible to apply under this announcement: current and/or former employees serving or who have served under time-limited competitive appointments at land management agencies. Land Management Agencies include: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, and U.S. Forest Service.

• Current appointees: 1) must have been hired under competitive examining procedures to a time limited appointment with a land management agency; 2) must have served under one or more time limited appointment(s) by a land management agency for a period totaling more than 24 months without a break in service of 2 or more years; AND 3) must have performed at an acceptable level during each period of service.
• Former appointees: 1) must have been hired under competitive examining procedures to a time limited appointment with a land management agency; 2) must have served under one or more time limited appointment(s) by a land management agency for a period totaling more than 24 months without a break in service of 2 or more years; 3) must have separated for reasons other than misconduct or performance; AND 4) must have performed at an acceptable level through the service period.

SPECIAL APPOINTING AUTHORITY: Certain candidates may be eligible to apply under a special hiring authority including those for disabled individuals, Peace Corps employees, Foreign Service employees, veterans, etc. For more information, visit the following OPM websites: USAJOBS Information Center: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/; Vets Info Guide: http://www.fedshirevets.gov/.

VOLUNTARY SEPARATION INCENTIVE PAYMENT: Former Federal Employees are required to indicate whether they received a Voluntary Separation Incentive Payment (VSIP) buyout in their previous employment with the Federal government, and are required to submit a copy of the applicable Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) regarding the VSIP. Most individuals who accept reemployment with the Federal government within 5 years of receiving the VSIP amount, must repay the gross amount of the separation pay prior to reemployment.

Required Documents

The following documents are required for this position:

• Resume which details work experience including dates worked (mm/yy-mm/yy); position title; position series and grade (if federal service); work schedule; hours worked per week; relevant duties performed; supervisor with contact information, and 3 professional references and contact information (Do not include current/former supervisors), etc. Important! If your resume does not show complete information for each job entry, your application will be considered incomplete. Specifically:
  • Beginning and ending dates (mm/yy) of employment,
  • Work schedule (Full-time or Part-time), and
  • Hours worked per week.
  • For more information see What should I include in my federal resume
• On-line Assessment Questionnaire
• Transcripts (if using education to qualify) - Unofficial transcripts are acceptable; however, an official transcript may be requested at a later time.
• Veteran's documentation - (if applicable) VA letter on VA letterhead stating your overall combined rating, SF-15, DD-214 (Member 4 Copy Only) reflecting an honorable discharge and dates of active duty military service.
• Special Appointing Authority documentation (if applying under a special hiring authority)
• BIA Form 4432 The Form BIA-4432 must be completed as stated in the Instructions on the Form and this form with must be submitted with your application for Federal employment (if claiming Indian preference).
• Performance Appraisal (if applying under the Land Management Flexibility Act)
• Current & Former Federal Employees. If you are a current career or career-conditional Federal employee OR a former Federal employee who has reinstatement eligibility you must submit the following by the closing date of this announcement, or you will not receive consideration as such:
  • A copy of a recent SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action" documenting proof of competitive status, tenure, position title, occupational series, grade level and step. If you are applying for a higher grade, please provide the SF-50 form which shows the length of time you have been in your current/highest grade. If you have promotion potential in any of your positions, please provide an SF-50 stating your highest full performance level.
  • Due Weight for Performance Appraisals and Awards:
    1. Your most recent Performance Appraisal (if you do not have your most recent performance appraisal, please submit an explanation as to why it is unavailable); and
    2. If applicable, a list of any awards you received in the last 5 years (i.e., superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increase, etc.).

Click here for information see Reading your SF-50 to determine your service and appointment type

If you are applying as a VEOA candidate, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 and your letter from the VA reflecting an honorable discharge and that you either completed three years of active duty service or are a preference eligible. For more information see: https://www.fedshirevets.gov/hiring-officials/strategic-recruitment-and-hiring/#content.

ALL DOCUMENTS MUST BE RECEIVED BY 11:59 PM Eastern Time ON THE CLOSING DATE OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. If your application package is incomplete in any way, you will not be considered for this position, and requests for extensions will not be granted. Please double check your application package before you submit it.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WILL NOT BE SOLICITED OR ACCEPTED BY THIS OFFICE.

How to Apply

ONLINE APPLICATION SUBMISSION:

To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.

- To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.

- Follow the prompts to select your résumé and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.

- After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.

- You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.

To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login ); all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. 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/ .

Certain candidates may be eligible to apply under a special hiring authority including those for disabled individuals, Peace Corps employees, Foreign Service employees, veterans, etc. For more information, visit the following OPM websites: USAJOBS Information Center: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/; Vets Info Guide: http://www.fedshirevets.gov/.

PLEASE NOTE - NO APPLICATION MATERIAL WILL BE ACCEPTED VIA E-MAIL.

Benefits

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. Learn more about federal benefits.

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