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This position is telework eligible and is not remote eligible. Please review requirement section for details.
The incumbent serves in a developmental position as a paralegal specialist in the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (OCR). The position is located in a regional OCR office whose objectives are achieved by conducting complaint investigations, compliance reviews, and by providing technical assistance.
Learn more about this agency12/01/2022 to 12/15/2022
$60,416 - $95,022 per year
GS 09 - 11
1 vacancy in the following location:
No
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Not required
No
Permanent
Full-time
Competitive
12
No
No
OCR-HQ-2023-0020
692166800
Current or former competitive service federal employees.
Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee.
Individuals eligible under a special authority not listed above, but defined in the federal hiring regulations.
Family members of a federal employee or uniformed service member who is or was, working overseas.
• Current federal civilian employees in the competitive service on permanent career or career-conditional appointments; Former federal employees with reinstatement eligibility; Current federal employees eligible under Interchange Agreements; and Applicants eligible under special hiring authorities (Schedule A, etc.). If you do not meet one of these categories, you may apply under the concurrently advertised vacancy announcement: OCR-HQ-2023-0019, which is open to all United States Citizens.
APPLICATION LIMIT: This vacancy announcement is limited to the first 75 applications received and will close at 11:59PM Eastern Time on the day that we receive the 75th application, or at 11:59PM Eastern Time on the listed closing date, whichever occurs first.
We encourage you to read this entire vacancy announcement prior to submitting your application.
As a Paralegal Specialist, GS-0950-9/11, you will be responsible for:
• Assisting in drafting case resolution letters, resolution agreements, memoranda, conducting research on relevant decisions, policies, administrative directives, regulations, and case law to assist in resolving cases.
• Assisting in performing substantive legal research requiring detailed knowledge of a diverse combination of case law, government policies, federal regulations, legal texts, and state and federal statutes.
• Providing logistical assistance to managers and attorneys, scanning, filing, entering, and uploading relevant correspondence with the appropriate computer systems.
• Assisting managers and attorneys in tracking regional controlled correspondence requests and drafting responses. Assisting in researching and responding to school vetting and clearance requests.
*The duties above are at the GS-9 level. The GS-11 will have more complexity and less supervision.
You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this vacancy announcement.
If you are a current federal employee, you must meet all time-in-grade and time-after competitive appointment qualifications within 30 days of the closing date of this vacancy announcement. To verify that you meet these requirements, we will review your responses to the core eligibility questions on the occupational questionnaire, as well as your submitted resume and required documents. To make an accurate determination, you will need to include on your resume your federal position title, pay plan, occupational series, grade level, agency, dates for which you held the grade level (stated as MM/YYYY to MM/YYYY, OR MM/YYYY to PRESENT), and total hours worked per week. 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).
Conditions of Employment
Minimum Qualification Requirements
You may meet the minimum qualifications for the GS-09, if you possess the specialize experience, education, or a combination of the two.
Specialized Experience for the GS-9
One year of experience in either federal or non-federal service that is equivalent to at least a GS-07 performing two (2) out of three (3) of the following duties or work assignments:
1. Experience carrying out legal research and summarize legal decision, opinions, and rulings.
2. Experience applying the principles, concepts, and methods of legal research and cite checking.
3. Experience applying the application of various laws, court and/or administrative decisions and interpretations, rules, regulations, policies and procedures that pertain to the administration of particular legal programs.
OR
EDUCATION (see EDUCATION SECTION of the vacancy announcement)
OR
A combination of both education and experience in which the total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for that grade level
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs)
The quality of your experience will be measured by the extent to which you possess the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs). You do not need to provide separate narrative responses to these KSAs, as they will be measured by your responses to the occupational questionnaire (you may preview the occupational questionnaire by clicking the link at the end of the Evaluations section of this vacancy announcement).
1. Knowledge of paralegal duties with a high degree of discretion and judgment in applying particular laws, regulations, precedents, or agency practices.
2. Knowledge of legal rules, regulations, policy guidance, and the general principles, rules, and guidance in other related areas of law.
3. Knowledge of legal and legislative documents, records, reference material, and documents required for the production of internal and external policy documents.
4. Knowledge with on-line research skills, and experience using software, and related computer equipment.
Specialized Experience for the GS-11
One year of experience in either federal or non-federal service that is equivalent to at least a GS-09 performing two (2) out of three (3) of the following duties or work assignments:
1. Experience assisting in the courtroom during a court or administrative hearing; drafting correspondence, basic motions and pleadings; filing in federal or state court or in administrative proceedings.
2. Experience performing substantive legal research and cite-checking; writing legal reports, to include summarizing factual information and legal issues.
3. Experience identifying and organizing evidence for hearings or for filings; organizing and maintaining litigation files.
OR
EDUCATION (see EDUCATION SECTION of the vacancy announcement)
OR
A combination of both education and experience in which the total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for that grade level
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs)
The quality of your experience will be measured by the extent to which you possess the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs). You do not need to provide separate narrative responses to these KSAs, as they will be measured by your responses to the occupational questionnaire (you may preview the occupational questionnaire by clicking the link at the end of the Evaluations section of this vacancy announcement).
1. Knowledge of paralegal duties with a high degree of discretion and judgment in applying particular laws, regulations, precedents, or agency practices.
2. Knowledge of comprehensive understanding of current laws, statutes, regulations, policies, goals, and responsibilities.
3. Knowledge of legal forms, content, use of legal and legislative documents, records, and reference material required for the production of internal and external policy documents.
4. Knowledge of the use of editorial skills to produce meticulous documents, online research skills, and experience using software, and related computer equipment.
You may meet the minimum qualifications of this position by meeting the following education options.
(GS-9)
Two years of graduate education (beyond a bachelor’s degree).
or
A master's degree or equivalent degree. or
LL.B. or J.D., if related
or
A combination of specialized experience and education that when taken as a percentage of the required education and experience total 100% or more.
(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
or
A combination of specialized experience and education that when taken as a percentage of the required education and experience total 100% or more.
Foreign Education:
Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must submit a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, please click Foreign Education.
Veterans’ Career Counseling: If you are a veteran interested in receiving tips on preparing a Federal resume and/or how to prepare for an interview, you may email sro_recruiting@ed.gov to schedule a session with a career counselor (“Veterans Counseling Session” should be placed in the subject line of the email).
Student Loan Default: If selected for this position, we will verify that you have not defaulted on any loan funded or guaranteed by the U.S. Department of Education. If you are found to be in default, we will contact you to make arrangements for repayment prior to making an official offer of employment.
Suitability and Investigation: If selected for this position, you will be required to complete the Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) to determine your suitability for federal employment and successfully complete a pre-appointment investigation/background check.
Essential/Non-Essential: This position is considered non-essential for purposes of reporting to work during federal government closures.
Financial Disclosure: This position does not require financial disclosure.
Bargaining Unit: This position is included in the bargaining unit.
Selections: Agencies have broad authority under law to hire from any appropriate source of eligibles and may fill a vacancy in the competitive service by any method authorized. We may make additional selections from this vacancy announcement within 90 days from the date the selection certificates are issued, should vacancies occur. We may also share selection certificates amongst program offices across the agency.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
We use a multi-step process to review and evaluate applicants:
1. Eligibility and Minimum Qualifications
Once the vacancy announcement closes, we will review your submitted resume and documents to determine if you meet the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements, including any required education, experience, and/or selective placement factors. You will be rated as ineligible if you are outside of the area of consideration (i.e., who may apply) or your application is missing any required documents. You will be rated as not qualified if you do not possess the minimum qualification requirements.
2. Rating and Ranking
If you are found to meet both the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements, we will assess the quality of your experience and the extent to which you possess the required KSAs by comparing your submitted resume and documents against your responses to the occupational questionnaire. (The occupational questionnaire is the list of questions in the automated system that you will have an opportunity to answer once you apply for the position). Based on the outcome of this evaluation, you will be assigned a numerical score (out of 100 possible). If your responses to the occupational questionnaire are not substantiated by your submitted resume, you may be eliminated from receiving further consideration.
3. Referral and Selection
If you are found to be amongst the most highly qualified applicants, you will be referred to the selecting official. As part of the assessment and selection process, the selecting official may invite you to participate in a structured interview, check your references, and/or request that you submit a writing sample or complete a written assessment or exercise to further evaluate your qualifications for this position.
You must submit (REQUIRED FOR ALL APPLICANTS):
• A resume demonstrating your education, experience, training, and accomplishments as it relates to the qualifications for this position and substantiating your responses to the occupational questionnaire.
Transcript:
• If you meet the qualification requirements based on education you must submit an unofficial transcript that includes the following information: name of accredited institution, major(s), grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable; however, if you are selected for the position, you will be required to produce the original official transcripts. This also applies to ED employees.
If you are a current or former federal employee (including current U.S. Department of Education employees), you must also submit:
• A Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50), which demonstrates your competitive status eligibility. To verify your eligibility, we will review your SF-50 to determine your tenure (block 24) and position occupied (block 34). Examples of sufficient SF-50s include appointments, promotions, within-grade increases, and pay adjustments.
If you currently hold or previously held a federal position at or above the highest grade of this position or you have/had promotion potential at or above the highest grade of this position, you must also submit an SF-50 documenting your highest grade level held or promotion potential. Examples of sufficient SF-50s include appointments and promotions.
• A Copy of your Performance Appraisal and Awards, as applicable. Your performance appraisal and awards are requested to further assess the quality of your experience should your application be referred to the selecting official.
If you are claiming eligibility under the Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA), you must submit:
• A copy of your DD-214 that shows active service and character of discharge, member copy 4 (Separated Members only); OR
• A certification of expected discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions within 120 days from the date of application (Current Active Duty Members only); AND/OR
• The Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference (SF-15) AND all documents indicated on the form as proof of type of preference.
If you are claiming eligibility under any Special Hiring Authority, you must submit:
• Adequate proof of your eligibility (e.g., Documentation of noncompetitive eligibility as a returned Peace Corps Volunteer, Documentation of noncompetitive eligibility for employment under Schedule A as a person with severe physical disabilities, psychiatric disabilities, and intellectual disabilities.)
Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Visit the https://www2.ed.gov/about/jobs/open/edhires/ictap.html or https://www2.ed.gov/about/jobs/open/edhires/ctap.html for information on how to apply as a CTAP, or ICTAP eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. CTAP/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100.
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Step 1: Create a USAJOBS account (if you do not already have one) at www.usajobs.gov.
Step 2: Create a resume using the USAJOBS resume builder. Ensure that your resume demonstrates your education, experience, training, and accomplishments as it relates to the qualifications for this position and substantiates your responses to the occupational questionnaire.
Step 3: Upload any required documents into your USAJOBS account (must be less than 3MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, or Word (DOC or DOCX)).
Step 4: Click "Apply Online" and follow the prompts to complete the occupational questionnaire and attach any required documents. Verify that uploaded documents from USAJOBS transfer into the agency's hiring system. You will have the opportunity to upload any additional required documents in the agency's hiring system. Click “Finish” to submit your application.
NOTE: You may update your application or required documents at any time while the announcement is open by logging into your USAJOBS account, clicking on "Application Status," clicking on the position title, clicking "Update Application,” and following the prompts.
In order to receive consideration for this position, you must submit your complete application, including all required documents, by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the closing date of the vacancy announcement. If the vacancy announcement has an application limit, we recommend that you submit your complete application at the time of initial application. We will not accept any required documentation after the closing date of the vacancy announcement.
If you have any questions regarding submitting your application, please contact the HR Specialist listed under the Agency Contact Information.
As an applicant, you may check your application status through your USAJOBS account at any time. We will also notify you via email of your application status at three key stages in the recruitment process.
1. Once the vacancy announcement closes, we will inform you that your application has been received.
2. After we review your submitted resume and supporting documentation, we will inform you if you are eligible and qualified, if your application was referred to a subject matter expert or panel of subject matter experts for further evaluation, and if you were amongst the most highly qualified candidates referred to the selecting official.
3. Finally, we will inform you of your final disposition for this announcement (e.g., if/when a selection is made, if/when the announcement is cancelled).
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/692166800. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
Learn more about
The U.S. Department of Education (ED) is looking for the best and brightest to ensure equal access and to promote educational excellence throughout the nation. If you are a highly motivated individual who would like to work for an agency that establishes policies on federal financial aid for education, distributes as well as monitors those funds; collects data on America's schools and disseminates research; focuses national attention on key educational issues; and prohibits discrimination and ensures equal access to education, ED is the place for you!
o Provides national leadership on key educational issues.
o Awards more than $47 billion annually in grants, mainly to state education agencies, local educational agencies, and institutions of higher education.
o Manages a federal student loan portfolio of over $1.5 trillion, held by over 40 million borrowers.
o Makes available over $120 billion annually in student aid to help over 10 million students and their families afford college.
o Enforces the nation’s civil rights laws pertaining to education.
o Supports programs of research, statistics, and evaluation of education in order to identify effective instructional practices, track student achievement, and measure the impact of educational reform.
o Enforces federal educational laws regarding privacy.
o Employs approximately 3,600 individuals divided between its Washington, D.C. headquarters, 11 regional offices, and 13 field offices.
