Government Information Specialist (FOIA) (Government Wide)

Summary This position is located in the Office of the Chief Information Officer, (OCIO), Data, Information Management, and Enterprise Governance (DIME), FOIA, Library, and Information Collections Branch (FLICB). The supervisor is Stephanie Blaney. This position is 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 The successful candidate will perform the full range of Government Information Specialist (FOIA). 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 and 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 NRC mission, which can include enforcement actions and NRC investigations to verify that identities of confidential sources, and 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 information has been publicly released. Determine possible agency Offices for 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 response in FOIAonline, prior to sending response to requester. Maintain FOIA statistics, 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. 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. 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: 1. 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. 2. Demonstrated ability to identify issues and problems, determine relative priorities, develop definitive alternatives, and to focus quickly on possible solutions for FOIA Officer or management action. 3. Skill in communicating information, ideas, and advice in a clear, concise, and a logical manner, both orally and in writing, within both internal and external organizations. 4. Demonstrated ability or potential in working with electronic FOIA case management software programs (i.e., 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. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE is defined as: Experience in researching, analyzing, and evaluating data for response to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests; assembling and reviewing proposed FOIA release packages and applying appropriate FOIA exemptions. Experience in reviewing and analyzing appeals from denials of access to records requested under FOIA and recommending final agency decision on release / non-release of records. Experience in interpreting and applying statutory requirements rules, regulations, public laws, and guidelines governing the FOIA and Privacy Act programs. Education No Education Requirements. Additional Information The duty location of this position is Rockville, MD. In general, employees are expected to be in the office at a minimum of 4 days per pay period. Telework schedules, including full-time telework, are approved, on a case-by-case basis. If selected, telework will be determined in accordance with Agency policy and the Collective Bargaining Agreement, if applicable.