Government Information Specialist

Summary

The Office of the Inspector General is one of the best places to work in the Department of Justice and is one of the premier inspector general offices in federal government. OGC provides legal advice on complex issues relevant to general OIG operations and specific OIG audits, investigations, inspections, and reviews.

Duties

• GS-12 Duties: If you are selected as a Government Information Specialist GS-12, your responsibilities would include the below duties, but would not be limited to: Independently apply FOIA exemptions and make disclosure determinations; Research and review issues related to complex and/or high-level sensitive FOIA matters, clarify issues, and evaluate the need for additional information or collaboration; Utilize information technology tools to upload and analyze responsive records; and apply redactions to material within agency records which are exempt from disclosure; Establish and maintain a significant network of contacts internal and external to the agency. Conduct one-on-one or group discussions with contacts as necessary to finalize FOIA responses; Properly handle and process sensitive and classified information in accordance with agency policies and department-wide regulations; Assist the AUSAs and other government attorneys in the preparation of the agency's defense in FOIA litigation, including preparing declarations and Vaughn indices, and meeting required production schedules set forth by counsel. GS-13 Duties: If you are selected as an Government Information Specialist, your responsibilities would include the below duties, but would not be limited to: Coordinating and processing FOIA and Privacy Act requests, performing work at all levels of the FOIA fulfillment process; Independently applying FOIA exemptions and making disclosure determinations; Preparing proposed responses for final submission to FOIA requesters ensuring that outgoing FOIA responses are accurate and include releasable materials; Researching and reviewing issues related to complex and/or high-level sensitive FOIA matters, clarifying issues, and evaluating the need for additional information or collaboration; Coordinating or assisting with FOIA appeals and litigation matters, including preparing declarations as needed regarding the processing of particular information requests.

Qualifications

Specialized Experience GS-12: To qualify at the GS-12 level you must possess one year (52 weeks) or more of specialized experience equivalent in responsibility and scope to the GS-11 level grade level in the federal sector, or the equivalent in the private sector. Specialized experience is defined as experience that is typically in or related to work of the position to be filled and has equipped and has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. For this position your specialized experience must demonstrate the following: Participating directly in the implementation of a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Program with independent responsibilities for processing requests for records; AND Interpreting laws, regulations, polices, and guidance regarding access to records and information and apply such laws, regulations, policies, and guidance Specialized Experience GS-13: To qualify at the GS-13 level you must possess one year (52 weeks) or more of specialized experience equivalent in responsibility and scope to the GS-12 level grade level in the federal sector, or the equivalent in the private sector. Specialized experience is defined as experience that is typically in or related to work of the position to be filled and has equipped and has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. For this position your specialized experience must demonstrate the following: Performing duties or functions such as applying federal laws, regulations, policies, and guidance regarding access to records and information, specifically, extensive work independently processing and responding to requests under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Privacy Act; AND Participating in all aspects of an agency's FOIA/Privacy Act Program. You must also meet the specialized experience listed at the GS-12 level to qualify for the GS-13. Time in Grade Requirement: Applicants who have held a General Schedule (GS) position within the last 52 weeks must have 52 weeks of Federal service at the next lower grade level (or equivalent). Your resume and supporting documents must also clearly demonstrate that you have the experience listed to qualify for this position.

Education

There are no education requirements for this position.

How to apply

The complete Application Package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 09/20/2026to receive consideration. Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include the initial online assessment and submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section above. The application process is as follows: To begin the application process, click the Apply Online button. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date. After submitting an online application, you will be notified whether or not you are required to take additional online assessments through the USA Hire Competency Based Assessment system. This message will be delivered to you via email notification. The email may be routed to your "Spam" or "Junk" folder. If you are asked to take the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be presented with a unique URL to access the USA Hire system. Access to USA Hire is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Be sure to review all instructions prior to beginning your USA Hire Assessments. Click here for Computer System Requirements (https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=USA_Hire_System_Requirements) Note, set aside at least 3 hours to take these assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue at a later time, you can reuse the URL sent to you via email and also found in your USAJOBS account under the "Track my application" link for the corresponding application. To update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account (https://usajobs.gov). There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account at https://www.usajobs.gov. On the Home page, scroll down and locate your job application. Once the job has been located, click the "Track this application" link on the right under the application date. The page will refresh to display the Agency's Application Information page where you can scroll down and review any notifications the agency has sent you. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.