Government Information Specialist (Government-Wide – Option to Upload Resume) Online Application | Last Date November 21, 2023

Job Title	Research Associate
Organization	Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Location	Rockville, MD
Salary	$112,015 – $145,617 per year
Date Posted	November 7, 2023

Job Summary

This position is located in the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO), Governance and Strategy for Information, Data, and IT Programs Division (GSIMD), FOIA, Privacy and Information Collection Branch (FPIB).

• The supervisor is Stephanie Blaney.
• This  position is a Non-Bargaining Unit
• This position IS not subject to Confidential Financial Disclosure reporting requirements.
• This position IS not subject to security ownership restriction reporting requirements.

Responsibilities

Duties may include but are not limited to:

As a Government Information Specialist, you will serve as a member of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) team. You will provide advice and assistance to all offices regarding Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Privacy Act (PA)activities, including conducting training sessions, interpreting requests, coordinating responses, reviewing documents for exempt information, arranging for extensions, resolving related problems and assuring responses are timely and accurate. You will counsel FOIA coordinators in NRC regarding meeting deadlines for receipt of documents, scoping requests, and volume of documents involved in order to resolve problems and to expedite processing requests; review responses and documents supplied by staff offices.

You will develop recommendations or solutions on legal and policy matters pertaining to the FOIA and Privacy Act research pertinent law and related information and develop drafts of regulations procedures, manuals, and other guidance necessary to effectively implement the FOIA. You will examine records relating to the NRC mission, which can include enforcement actions and NRC investigations to verify that the identities of confidential sources, and the privacy interests of other individuals meet legal criteria for exempting information from disclosure and are supported by agency policy. Other duties include:

• Provide guidance to the public on the process of requesting documents under FOIA
• Coordinate staff reports on fee estimates and prepare notices to requesters on estimated fees
• Stay abreast of FOIA developments and apply knowledge gained to make recommendations to the FOIA team. 
• Consult with NRC licensees and other agencies.
• Review received requests and determine if the information has been publicly released.
• Determine possible agency Offices for the provision of responsive materials and assign fee estimates and searches/reviews to those Offices.
• Compile responsive records from various Offices and redact content, as necessary, eliminate duplicate information, obtain consent to fees or advance payment from requesters, and enter a response in FOIAonline, prior to sending a response to the requester. 
• Maintain FOIA statistics, and provide training sessions to FOIA coordinators and agency staff, as needed.  
• Implement changes to agency regulations and guidance as required, by Executive Orders and amendments to FOIA.

Essential Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• U.S. Citizenship Required
• This is a Drug Testing position.
• Background investigation leading to a clearance is required for new hires.

You must meet the qualifications for this position by no later than 30 calendar days after the closing date of this announcement and before placement in the position.

Required Qualifications

In order to qualify for this position, you must have at least one year of specialized experience at the next lower grade level in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector.

The ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate the following:

• Knowledge of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), Attorney General reports and interpretations, appropriate case law, and pertinent Executive Orders, regulations, policies, and procedures governing the protection of sensitive information.
• Demonstrated ability to identify issues and problems, determine relative priorities, develop definitive alternatives, and focus quickly on possible solutions for FOIA Officer or management action.
• Skill in communicating information, ideas, and advice in a clear, concise, and logical manner, both orally and in writing, within both internal and external organizations. 
• Demonstrated ability or potential in working with electronic FOIA case management software programs (e.g.,., FOIAXpress); preventing, reducing, or eliminating FOIA case backlogs; planning, tracking, and prioritizing a variety of programmatic and administrative activities involving competing priorities and statutory deadlines.

Salary and Benefits

$57,853 – $75,206 per year

Salary based on STVHCS pay schedule; salary to be determined upon selection.

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.

Know more about federal benefits.

As an NRC employee, you will enjoy excellent Federal Benefits, including:

• Comprehensive health and life insurance plans
• Flexible Spending Account Program for health and dependent care
• Dental and Vision Insurance
• Retirement savings and investment plan similar to 401(k) (Thrift Savings Plan)
• Annual (vacation) and paid sick leave
• Family-friendly leave policies
• 11 paid holidays per year
• Transit benefits

This link provides an overview of the benefits currently offered to Federal employees. https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/Pay_and_Benefits

Required Documents

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

1. Job title
2. Name of employer
3.  Beginning and ending dates of employment (month/year) format
4. Hours worked per week. We will assume full-time unless otherwise stated. We will prorate part-time employment in crediting experience.
5. A detailed description of job duties, accomplishments, related skills, and responsibilities to include any supervisory/managerial responsibilities and number of staff supervised (if applicable).
6. Series and grade or equivalent (if a federal position).

If the position has an education requirement or you are qualifying on the basis of education, please submit your transcript OR list your education history including the type of degree and your major of study. If the position requires a certain number of credit hours, you are strongly encouraged to list the relevant courses along with the course credits in your resume. Do not include a photograph or video of yourself, or any sensitive information (age, date of birth, marital status, protected health information, religious affiliation, social security number, etc.) on your resume or cover letter. We will not access web pages linked to your resume or cover letter to determine your qualifications. 

How To Apply

All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the full questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 11/17/2023 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12197300.

1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
2. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.

NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.

To verify your application is complete, log into your USA JOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link, and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. To return to an incomplete application, log into your USA JOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USA JOBS account or your application will be incomplete.

Conclusion

If you’re passionate about shaping the future of education, seize this opportunity. Apply for the Government Information Specialist – Government Job in the USA, where you can contribute to cutting-edge research and be part of a diverse and inclusive organization. Elevate your career – apply now.