USAJOBS - Job Announcement

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The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is ranked within the top 5 mid-size agencies through the Partnership for Public Service’s Best Places to Work in the Federal Government Rankings! Our Pathways Recent Graduates Program provides first-hand developmental experiences in the energy industry, while gaining exposure to the Commission’s work. This position is in the Office of Administrative Law Judges. For more information visit: OALJ

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Reviewing applications

Open & closing dates

04/08/2022 to 04/22/2022
Salary

$50,643 - $65,831 per year
Pay scale & grade

GS 07
Location

Few vacancies in the following location:
- Washington, DC FEW vacancies
Telework eligible

Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required

Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed

No
Appointment type

Permanent
Work schedule

Full-Time
Service

Excepted
Promotion potential

11
Job family (Series)

0950 Paralegal Specialist
Supervisory status

No
Security clearance

Other
Drug test

No
Announcement number

FERC-DE-2022-0063
Control number

647822100

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As Paralegal Specialist (Recent Graduate), some of your typical work assignments may include:

Communicating effectively orally using appropriate language, and organizing and conveying facts and ideas clearly, concisely, and objectively.
Communicating effectively in writing, using appropriate language, and organizing and conveying facts and ideas clearly, concisely, and objectively.
Producing various written documents utilizing a personal computer with advanced functions and several types of office automation software for issuance to the public.
Performing research and compiling data and other material, which may be required by the Judge. Effectively utilizes Commission tracking systems to conduct analysis in cases pending before the judges.

The Recent Graduate Program lasts for one (1) year. You may be eligible for conversion to a permanent or term (1 – 4 years in duration) position once you complete the program, without further competition.

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Conditions of Employment

You must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
A one-year probationary period may be required.
A background investigation is required.
This is a bargaining unit position.
Generally, male applicants must be registered with the Selective Service.
You must submit transcripts at the time of application.
Relocation expenses will not be paid.
You may be required to divest certain energy-related securities.

You must meet all eligibility and qualification (experience and/or education) requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Qualifications

Eligibility: In order to be eligible for our Recent Graduates Program, you must:

Be a recent graduate who has completed, within the last two years, a qualifying associates, bachelors, maters, professional, doctorate, vocational, or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution; AND
Meet the qualification standards (e.g., series and grade).

Veterans unable to apply within two years of receiving their degree, due to military service obligations, have as much as six years after degree completion to apply.

Qualifications: To view the qualification requirements of a Paralegal Specialist, GS-950, please visit: Paralegal Specialist

You can qualify based on your education, OR one full year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-05 level, OR have a combination education and experience. Specialized experience is defined as: Experience providing administrative support activities which include skill in proofreading, filing, preparing routine correspondence, and tracking day-to-day information; knowledge of computer software, especially Microsoft Word and good grammar skills; the ability to work independently and as part of a team; and experience in preparing training/travel documents using available software.

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 any volunteer experience.

Education

This position has an education requirement (as referenced in the “Qualifications” section) and therefore, transcripts are required. Failure to submit this documentation at the time of application will result in your application being marked incomplete and you will not receive further consideration.

Additional information

FERC remains ranked #1 in Work/Life Balance, for the 7th year in a row, among the Best Places to Work through the Partnership for Public Service! As a leader in Work/Life Balance, we are proud to offer telework flexibilities in accordance with agency policy.

The duty location of this position is Washington, DC. Based on our current operating status, FERC employees are teleworking as opposed to coming on-site. When it is determined that our agency will be moving to the reopening phase of our Reconstitution Plan, the expectation will be to physically return to the office in Washington, DC. Telework days and any waiting period for eligibility will be determined at that time.

When promotion potential is shown, future promotions will be dependent on your ability to perform the duties at a higher level, the continuing need for an employee assigned to the higher level, and administrative approval.

If selected for this position, you will be required to:

Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) to determine your suitability for Federal employment.
Have your Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of your choice.
Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S. FERC also participates in the USCIS Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify). For more information about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit: http://www.uscis.gov/e-verify.
Attend a mandatory ethics training. We are governed by the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) Standards of Conduct, the criminal conflict of interest statutes, and FERC’s supplemental ethics regulation, which specifically prohibits FERC employees from holding certain energy-related securities. To comply with these regulations and statutes, divestiture of these securities may be required after you begin employment. See 5 C.F.R. 2634-41; 18 U.S.C. 201-208; 5 C.F.R. 3401. If selected, you may also be required to file a financial disclosure statement within 30 days of appointment.
Receive authorization from OPM on any job offer you receive, if you are or were (within the last 5 years) a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch.

Important note regarding Executive Order 14043 (Guidance on Enforcing COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement for Federal Employees): To ensure compliance with an applicable nationwide preliminary injunction, which may be supplemented, modified, or vacated, depending on the course of ongoing litigation, the Federal Government will take no action to implement or enforce the COVID-19 vaccination requirement pursuant to Executive Order 14043 on Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees.

Federal agencies may request information regarding the vaccination status of selected applicants for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as protocols related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine. Any information regarding vaccination status will be maintained securely and confidentially.

Benefits

For more information regarding Federal benefits programs, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/benefits/.

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Once the vacancy announcement closes, we will review your resume and any supporting documentation to determine whether you meet the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements for the position. Your resume must address the following competencies (knowledge, skills, and abilities, and other characteristics):
1) Oral Communication

2) Written Communication

3) Office Automation

4) Legal Research
The online assessment is used to evaluate your relevant education and experience in relation to the required competencies for this position.
If you meet the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements, your application will be further evaluated based on your answers to the vacancy questionnaire, using the Category Rating Method. This means you will be placed into one of three categories: Best Qualified, Well Qualified, or Qualified, depending on your responses. Your rating may be lowered if your responses are not supported by the education and/or experience described in your resume. Veterans’ preference is applied by listing preference eligibles ahead of non-preference eligibles within the same category in which they are placed. Qualified preference eligibles with a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent (CPS and CP) will be placed at the top of the highest quality category (Best Qualified), ahead of all other preference and non-preference eligibles, regardless of the quality category in which they are placed as a result of the assessment of their qualifications (excepted for scientific or professional at the GS-9 grade level and above). A selecting official may make selections from the highest quality category (Best Qualified), provided no preference eligibles in that category is passed over to select a non-preference eligible.
You may be required to participate in a selection interview. Please note - only your resume and cover letter will be forwarded to the selecting official.

You may preview questions for this vacancy.

For more information regarding Federal benefits programs, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/benefits/.

As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.

If you do not provide all required documents by the closing date of this vacancy announcement, you will not be considered for this position or receive special consideration/hiring preference (e.g. veterans’ preference, ICTAP/CTAP eligibility, etc.).

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS FOR ALL CANDIDATES:

RESUME: We encourage you use the USAJOBS online Resume Builder to ensure all the essential information is included in your resume. If you decided to submit your own resume, you must ensure it contains the following information for each experience/position:
- Position title
- Name of employer
- Beginning and ending dates of employment (Month/Day/Year format)
- Hours worked per week
- Detailed description of job duties, accomplishments, related skills, and responsibilities to include any supervisory/managerial responsibilities and number of staff supervised (if applicable)
- Series and grade or equivalent (for federal positions)
- If the position has an education requirement or you are qualifying based on your education, you must list your education history, including the type of degree and your major of study.
VACANCY QUESTIONNAIRE: You must submit and complete the online eligibility and vacancy questions.
TRANSCRIPTS: You MUST submit copies of your college transcripts to verify your eligibility. Unofficial copies are acceptable; however, if selected you will be required to provide official transcripts before your effective date.

OPTIONAL DOCUMENTS TO SUPPORT PREFERENCE OR ELIGIBILITY CLAIMS:

VETERANS’PREFERENCE (DD-214, VA Disability Letter, etc.): If you are claiming veterans' preference, you must submit a copy of your Certificate of Release or Discharge From Active Duty, DD-214 (Member 4 copy), or other official documentation from a branch of the Armed Forces or the Department of Veterans Affairs showing dates of service and type of discharge. Ten-point preference eligibles must also submit an “Application for 10-point Veteran Preference” (SF-15), along with official VA letter and the required documentation listed on the back of the SF-15 form. For more information about veterans' preference, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Veterans.
CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (CTAP)/INTERAGENCY CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (ICTAP): 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; and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. For more information about CTAP/ICTAP, visit: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp. The following documents are required:
- Reduction in Force or RIF notice – written notice of your expected separation, or other documentation of priority consideration status;
- Latest SF-50 noting your current position, grade level, and duty location;
- Last performance appraisal, including your rating; and
- Any documentation from your agency showing your current promotion potential.

The FERC Careers site provides detailed instructions on how to apply to our vacancies. For more information visit: https://www.ferc.gov/careers/job-search/how-to-apply.asp.

Here are a few additional tips:

When applying to a FERC vacancy announcement, please remember you must complete and submit your entire application (including your resume, vacancy questionnaire, and any applicable supporting documentation) no later than 11:59 pm Eastern Time (ET) on the vacancy closing date. Please note, it may take you longer to apply to some vacancy announcements than others. Starting your application late on the evening the vacancy closes is not recommended because you might not have enough time to ensure your application is successfully submitted and received.
When the specialized experience statement in the vacancy announcement requires experience presenting information to a large audience, your resume should include speeches or presentations you've given.
Make sure you verify that your resume clearly indicates possession of the competencies and specialized experience listed under the “Qualifications and Evaluations” and “How You Will Be Evaluated” sections of this announcement.
Remember to submit all required and supporting documentation listed under the “Required Documents” section of this announcement.

Agency contact information

Nancy Bryant

Phone: 202-502-6152
Fax: 000-000-0000
Email: nancy.bryant@ferc.gov
Address: FERC
888 First Street, NE
Washington, District of Columbia 20426
United States

Learn more about this agency

Next steps

Once your complete application is received, we will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications and determine your ranking. You will be notified of the status of your application up to four times throughout the application process, via your USAJOBS dashboard. To verify the status of your application, both during and after the announcement open period, log on to your USAJOBS account. The application record in your USAJOBS account provides an option to “Track this application.” Your “Applicant status” will also appear along with the dates you applied to this position and when your application was last updated. To learn more about your specific job status and how this helps you track jobs and applications visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.

Please notify us if your contact information changes after the closing date of the announcement.

More than one selection for similar positions may be made from this announcement and the program office for that selection may vary. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with any interested selecting official(s).

The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

Help

If you do not provide all required documents by the closing date of this vacancy announcement, you will not be considered for this position or receive special consideration/hiring preference (e.g. veterans’ preference, ICTAP/CTAP eligibility, etc.).

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS FOR ALL CANDIDATES:

RESUME: We encourage you use the USAJOBS online Resume Builder to ensure all the essential information is included in your resume. If you decided to submit your own resume, you must ensure it contains the following information for each experience/position:
- Position title
- Name of employer
- Beginning and ending dates of employment (Month/Day/Year format)
- Hours worked per week
- Detailed description of job duties, accomplishments, related skills, and responsibilities to include any supervisory/managerial responsibilities and number of staff supervised (if applicable)
- Series and grade or equivalent (for federal positions)
- If the position has an education requirement or you are qualifying based on your education, you must list your education history, including the type of degree and your major of study.
VACANCY QUESTIONNAIRE: You must submit and complete the online eligibility and vacancy questions.
TRANSCRIPTS: You MUST submit copies of your college transcripts to verify your eligibility. Unofficial copies are acceptable; however, if selected you will be required to provide official transcripts before your effective date.

OPTIONAL DOCUMENTS TO SUPPORT PREFERENCE OR ELIGIBILITY CLAIMS:

VETERANS’PREFERENCE (DD-214, VA Disability Letter, etc.): If you are claiming veterans' preference, you must submit a copy of your Certificate of Release or Discharge From Active Duty, DD-214 (Member 4 copy), or other official documentation from a branch of the Armed Forces or the Department of Veterans Affairs showing dates of service and type of discharge. Ten-point preference eligibles must also submit an “Application for 10-point Veteran Preference” (SF-15), along with official VA letter and the required documentation listed on the back of the SF-15 form. For more information about veterans' preference, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Veterans.
CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (CTAP)/INTERAGENCY CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (ICTAP): 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; and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. For more information about CTAP/ICTAP, visit: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp. The following documents are required:
- Reduction in Force or RIF notice – written notice of your expected separation, or other documentation of priority consideration status;
- Latest SF-50 noting your current position, grade level, and duty location;
- Last performance appraisal, including your rating; and
- Any documentation from your agency showing your current promotion potential.

Help

The FERC Careers site provides detailed instructions on how to apply to our vacancies. For more information visit: https://www.ferc.gov/careers/job-search/how-to-apply.asp.

Here are a few additional tips:

When applying to a FERC vacancy announcement, please remember you must complete and submit your entire application (including your resume, vacancy questionnaire, and any applicable supporting documentation) no later than 11:59 pm Eastern Time (ET) on the vacancy closing date. Please note, it may take you longer to apply to some vacancy announcements than others. Starting your application late on the evening the vacancy closes is not recommended because you might not have enough time to ensure your application is successfully submitted and received.
When the specialized experience statement in the vacancy announcement requires experience presenting information to a large audience, your resume should include speeches or presentations you've given.
Make sure you verify that your resume clearly indicates possession of the competencies and specialized experience listed under the “Qualifications and Evaluations” and “How You Will Be Evaluated” sections of this announcement.
Remember to submit all required and supporting documentation listed under the “Required Documents” section of this announcement.

Agency contact information

Nancy Bryant

Phone: 202-502-6152
Fax: 000-000-0000
Email: nancy.bryant@ferc.gov
Address: FERC
888 First Street, NE
Washington, District of Columbia 20426
United States

Learn more about this agency

Next steps

Once your complete application is received, we will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications and determine your ranking. You will be notified of the status of your application up to four times throughout the application process, via your USAJOBS dashboard. To verify the status of your application, both during and after the announcement open period, log on to your USAJOBS account. The application record in your USAJOBS account provides an option to “Track this application.” Your “Applicant status” will also appear along with the dates you applied to this position and when your application was last updated. To learn more about your specific job status and how this helps you track jobs and applications visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.

Please notify us if your contact information changes after the closing date of the announcement.

More than one selection for similar positions may be made from this announcement and the program office for that selection may vary. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with any interested selecting official(s).

The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

Paralegal Specialist

Summary

Overview

Open & closing dates

Salary

Pay scale & grade

Location

Telework eligible

Travel Required

Relocation expenses reimbursed

Appointment type

Work schedule

Service

Promotion potential

Job family (Series)

Supervisory status

Security clearance

Drug test

Announcement number

Control number

This job is open to

Duties

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

Qualifications

Education

Additional information

Benefits

How You Will Be Evaluated

Benefits

Required Documents

How to Apply

Agency contact information

Next steps

Fair and Transparent

Required Documents

How to Apply

Agency contact information

Next steps

Fair & Transparent