Paralegal Specialist

• If selected at the GS-09 level, duties will be performed at a developmental capacity.
• Evaluate, develop, and support complex cases across procurement fraud, federal contracts, labor/employment, ethics, environmental, and installation law.
• Research complex statutes and regulations to draft formal legal memoranda, litigation reports, affidavits, and advisory opinions on unique, non-precedent-setting issues.
• Act as a non-bar representative in meetings and negotiations, coordinating closely with investigators, auditors, contractors, and federal officials to develop legal strategies.
• Independently review laboratory test reports and technical supply deficiencies to author performance-based suspension and debarment recommendations.
• Analyze and process administrative and legislative claims, including Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), Privacy Act, and Permanent Change of Station (PCS) travel claims.
• Provide direct support to agency attorneys during court and administrative hearings while managing essential administrative team operations.

Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. citizen
• Tour of Duty: Flexible
• Security Requirements: Non-Critical Sensitive with Secret Access
• Appointment is subject to the completion of a favorable suitability or fitness determination, where reciprocity cannot be applied; unfavorably adjudicated background checks will be grounds for removal.
• Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): Non-Exempt
• Selective Service Requirement: Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service.
• Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
• Bargaining Unit Status: No
• Selectees are required to have a REAL ID or other acceptable identification documents to access certain federal facilities. See https://www.tsa.gov/real-id for more information.

Qualifications

To qualify for a Paralegal Specialist, your resume and supporting documentation must support:

A. Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience that equipped you with the particular competencies to successfully perform the duties of the position and is directly in or related to this position. To qualify at the GS-09 level, applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level or equivalent under other pay systems in the Federal service, military, or private sector. To qualify at the GS-11 level, applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level or equivalent under other pay systems in the Federal service, military, or private sector. Applicants must meet eligibility requirements including time-in-grade (General Schedule (GS) positions only), time-after-competitive appointment, minimum qualifications, and any other regulatory requirements by the cut-off/closing date of the announcement. Creditable specialized experience includes:

GS-09:

• Support the development, investigation, and processing of diverse civil, administrative, and labor law cases in a developmental capacity, helping prepare evidence, exhibits, and documentation for hearings.
• Conduct legal research using databases and statutes to analyze policy, evaluate administrative claims, and draft clear, structured memoranda, reports, and correspondence on varied legal issues.
• Serve as a point of contact for internal and external stakeholders, including investigators, officials, and contractors, to gather information, coordinate legal administrative tasks, and support program integrity efforts.

GS-11:

• Lead the end-to-end investigation, preparation, and strategic development of complex civil, administrative, and regulatory cases; independently constructs authoritative evidentiary files, exhibits, and critical documentation to secure favorable outcomes.
• Perform sophisticated statutory and policy research across multi-jurisdictional databases to evaluate complex claims and author definitive legal memoranda, risk reports, and executive correspondence that shape organizational strategy.

• Serve as the primary, trusted point of contact for key internal and external stakeholders, including investigators, executives, and external partners to negotiate information sharing, manage critical communications, and safeguard organizational compliance.

B. Education Substitution: Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. Education must be from a college or university accredited by an organization approved by the U.S. Department of Education. See http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/Search.aspx. If using education to meet basic qualifications, YOU MUST SUBMIT A TRANSCRIPT as supplemental documentation. To qualify based on education in lieu of specialized experience, you must possess:

• GS-09: Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D., if related.
• GS-11: 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.

C. Combination: Combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements for grade levels GS-09 and GS-11 and may be computed by first determining the applicant's total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level; then determining the applicant's education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level; and then adding the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for that grade level. Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be used to qualify applicants for positions at grade GS-09 and GS-11.