Paralegal Specialist

This position is located in the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Offices of Hearings and Inquiries, Division of Provider Reimbursement Review Board (PRRB) Services. As a Paralegal Specialist, GS-0950-11, you will serve as a legal analyst reviewing records, correspondence, and case documents for accuracy and quality.

Duties

• Coordinating with Board staff/Members on pre-hearing issues; Serves as liaison to all parties for in-person and virtual hearings.

• Supporting staff attorneys through cite checking, legal research, document compilation, digest/index preparation, file research, and review of decisions for accuracy and formatting.

• Drafting letters, memoranda, legal documents for opinions, reports, and briefs.

• Ensuring accuracy of hearing records (paper/electronic) for Provider Reimbursement Review Board (PRRB) Services, Hearing Officer, and Medicare Geographic Classification Review Board (MGCRB).

Salary

• $85,447 - $111,087/year

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen or National to apply for this position.
• You will be subject to a background and suitability investigation.
• Time-in-Grade restrictions apply.
• Selective Service: Males born after December 31, 1959, must be registered or exempt from Selective Service - http://www.sss.gov
• One-year probationary period may be required.
• If you are selected for this position, the documentation that you present for purposes of completing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Form I-9 will be verified through the DHS "E-Verify" System.
• All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choice.

Qualifications

ALL QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS MUST BE MET WITHIN 30 DAYS OF THE CLOSING DATE OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.

Your resume (limited to no more than 2 pages) must include detailed information as it relates to the responsibilities and specialized experience for this position. Evidence of copying and pasting directly from the vacancy announcement without clearly documenting supplemental information to describe your experience will result in an ineligible rating. This will prevent you from being considered further.

In order to qualify for the GS-11, you must meet the following: You must demonstrate in your resume at least one year (52 weeks) of qualifying specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal government, obtained in either the private or public sector, to include:

1. Conducting legal research of statutes, regulations, or case law in support of administrative appeals or litigation;
2. Drafting legal documents such as letters, memoranda, legal opinions, reports, briefs;
3. Performing cite-checking of legal documents using uniformed style guides (e.g., The Bluebook, Association of Legal Writing Directors, Universal Citation Guide, The Indigo Book, The Red Book); and
4. Using electronic case management tools to manage records, transmit work, or docket incoming and outgoing correspondence.

- OR -

Substitution of Education for Experience: You may substitute education for specialized experience at the GS-11 level by possessing a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or equivalent doctoral degree or LL.M., if related to the position being filled.

- OR -

Combination of Experience and Education: Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the GS-09 grade level may be used to qualify applicants for positions at the grade GS-11. Therefore, only education in excess of a master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, may be used to combine education and experience.

TRANSCRIPTS are required to verify satisfactory completion of the educational requirement related to the substitution of education for experience and the combination of experience and education. Please refer to the "Required Documents" section below for the documentation required at the time of application.

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.

Time-in-Grade: To be eligible, current or former Federal employees and current or former Federal employees applying under the VEOA eligibility who hold or have held a permanent General Schedule position in the previous year must have served at least 52 weeks (one year) at the next lower grade level from the position/grade level(s) to which they are applying.

Education TRANSCRIPTS are required to verify satisfactory completion of the educational requirement listed above. Please see "Required Documents" section below for what documentation is required at the time of application. Click the following link to view the occupational questionnaire: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13065958 Other Information Bargaining Unit Position: Yes Tour of Duty: Flexible Recruitment Incentive: Not Authorized Relocation Incentive: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure: Not Required Workplace Flexibility at CMS: This position has a regular and recurring reporting requirement to the CMS office listed in this announcement. CMS offers flexible working arrangements and allows employees the opportunity to participate in alternative work schedules at the manager's discretion. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced federal employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit the required documentation and be rated well-qualified for this vacancy. Click here for a detailed description of the required supporting documents. A well-qualified applicant is one whose knowledge, skills and abilities clearly exceed the minimum qualification requirements of the position. Additional information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp. Required Documents

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

1. Resume showing relevant experience; cover letter optional. NOTE: As of September 27, 2025, federal agencies will only accept resumes that are two pages or less in length.Your resume must indicate your citizenship and whether you are registered with the Selective Service if you are a male born after December 31, 1959. Your resume must also list your work experience and education (if applicable) including the start and end dates (mm/yyyy) of each employment along with the number of hours worked per week. For work in the Federal service, you must include the series and grade level for the position(s). For resume and application tips, visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR WORK EXPERIENCE AND/OR EDUCATION, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE OR EDUCATION. We strongly encourage applicants to utilize the USAJOBS resume builder in the creation of resumes. Determining length of general or specialized experience is dependent on the below information and failure to provide ALL information WILL result in a finding of ineligible.

• Official Position Title (include series and grade if Federal job)
• Duties (be specific in describing your duties)
• Employer's name and address
• Supervisor name and phone number
• Start and end dates in the month and year format (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008)
• Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week)
• Salary

2. CMS Required Documents (e.g., SF-50, DD-214, SF-15, etc.). Required documents may be necessary to be considered for this vacancy announcement. Click here for a detailed description of the required documents. Failure to provide the required documentation WILL result in an ineligible rating OR non-consideration.

3. College Transcripts. Since this position requires specific education, you must submit a transcript attesting to your possession of the required education. You may submit an unofficial transcript or a list of college courses completed indicating course titles, credit hours, and grades received. An official transcript is required if you are selected for the position. If selected, you must provide an original document before the final job offer may be extended. If you do not submit a transcript indicating your possession of the required education, you will not be considered for this position.

College Transcripts and Foreign Education: Applicants who have completed part or all of their education outside the U.S. must have their foreign education evaluated by an accredited organization to ensure that it is comparable to the education received in accredited educational institutions in the U.S. For a listing of services that can perform this evaluation, visit the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services website. This list, which may not be all-inclusive, is for informational purposes only and does not imply any endorsement of any specific agency.

If you are applying for a position for which a state license is issued (e.g., physician, engineer, attorney) possession of a valid and current U.S. professional license by a graduate of a foreign professional school or program is sufficient proof that the foreign education has been determined to be equivalent to the requisite U.S. professional education in that occupational field.

4. 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, along with the appropriate supporting documentation for RA, must be received prior to commencing 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 an RA, please click here to review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

How to Apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents sections. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 10/01/2026. The application process is as follows:

1. Click the Apply 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 10/01/2026.
4. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
5. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
6. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
7. Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.
8. Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.

Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us.

To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.

To view the announcement status or your application status: Visit https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.

Commissioned Corps Officers (including Commissioned Corps professionally boarded applicants) who are interested in applying to this position must send their 1-page cover letter and 2-page ONLY professional resume (not PHS Curriculum Vitae) to CMSCorpsJobs@cms.hhs.gov in lieu of applying through this announcement. The resume should specifically explain how you are qualified for this position and draw specific attention to your skills and experiences that demonstrate these qualifications. Also, send any transcripts, licenses, or certifications as requested in this announcement. Please send all documents in 1 PDF file. In the subject line of your e-mail, include only the Job Announcement Number. In the body of your e-mail, include your current rank name and serial number. Failure to provide this information may impact your consideration for this position.

Additional selections may be made for similar positions across the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) within the local commuting area(s) of the location identified in this announcement. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with interested selecting official(s) at HHS. Clearance of CTAP/ICTAP will be applied for similar positions across HHS.