Legal Assistant
Description
Job Title:Legal Assistant
Department:Department Of Agriculture
Agency:National Appeals Division
Job Announcement Number:WA563708
SALARY RANGE: |
$41,631.00 to $66,195.00 / Per Year |
OPEN PERIOD: |
Wednesday, December 07, 2011 to Friday, December 16, 2011 |
SERIES & GRADE: |
GS-0986-07/09 |
POSITION INFORMATION: |
Full Time – Permanent |
PROMOTION POTENTIAL:09 |
|
DUTY LOCATIONS: |
1 vacancy(s) – Lakewood, CO United StatesView Map |
WHO MAY BE CONSIDERED: |
United States Citizens |
JOB SUMMARY:
Come and work for a truly professional legal team, the National Appeals Division (NAD) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The National Appeals Division reports directly to the Secretary of Agriculture, and its sole mission is to provide fair and timely hearings and appeals to USDA program participants. At NAD, the work environment is relaxed, but expectations are high. We need people who work hard, work well with others, and like to learn. Our salaries are competitive, and our benefits package will impress you.
The positions available under this announcement have the following grade levels:
GS-0986-07, $41,631-$54,124 per year;
GS-0986-08, $46,106 -$59,933 per year;
GS-0986-09, $50,923 -$66,195 per year.
One or more positions may be filled using this vacancy.
This position is being filled using competitive procedures open to all U.S. citizens and Schedule A candidates.
Who May Apply: U.S. Citizens or Nationals and Schedule A Candidiates.
In addition to applying through competitive procedures certain applicants with disabilities may be considered non-competitively under a Schedule A hiring authority. To qualify for employment under Schedule A, an applicant must provide proof of disability and certification of job readiness. As proof of disability and certification of job readiness, applicants may provide records, statement, or other appropriate information issued from a licensed medical professional (e.g., a physician or other medical professional duly certified by a State, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. territory to practice medicine); a licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist (i.e., State or private); or an Federal agency, State agency, or an agency of the District of Columbia or a U.S. territory that issues or provides disability benefits. Proof of disability and certification of job readiness must be included in the application package. For more information and proof required see http://www.opm.gov/disability/PeopleWithDisabilities.asp
- U.S. Citizenship
- Relocation expenses are NOT authorized
KEY REQUIREMENTS
DUTIES:
As a Legal Assistant, in the National Appeals Division (NAD), the incumbent will perform the following duties:
- review incoming appeal requests to determine the correct action and ensure that statutory deadlines are met
- evaluate appeal requests for relevant issues and verify that evidence submitted meets regulatory requirements
- prepare draft responses to requests from a variety of individuals
- provide advice on procedures, requirements, and other matters related to appeals; and
- oversee NAD’s official database and utilize such database to respond to inquiries, develop reports, and monitor deadlines
QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:
To qualify at the GS-07 level applicants must possess the following:
At least one year (52 weeks) of specialized experience in the Federal government or elsewhere equivalent to the GS-06 level performing a variety of legal assistance work. Duties require knowledge of, and skill in applying, an extensive body of rules and procedures concerning legal documents used in the department to collect and assess information relevant for cases and determinations; preparing routine requests for legal information in response to telephone calls or written inquiries; performing initial processing of legal documents received in the office and producing a variety of written documents and materials utilizing a wide range of office software applications to create tables, databases, charts, and graphs.
To qualify at the GS-08 level applicants must possess the following:
At least one year (52 weeks) of specialized experience in the Federal government or elsewhere equivalent to the GS-07 level performing a variety of legal assistance work. Duties and responsibilities are similar to those described below for qualifying at the GS-09 level with the following exceptions: here, supervisory controls are more extensive and guidelines more readily available. The supervisor reviews work to verify accuracy and conformance to procedures and provides specific instructions on new or difficult cases, and the applicant may request guidance from a higher graded employee. For qualifying at the GS-08 level guidelines are readily available in the form of policies and procedures that are clearly applicable to most transactions as opposed to the GS-09 level where there are gaps in specificity, and guidelines are not applicable to all situations. Applicant must have significant experience with, knowledge of, and skill in applying, an extensive body of rules and procedures concerning legal documents used in the department that affect the operations within the legal office. Applicants have significant experience performing such duties as drafting letters of acknowledgement and requests for routine information; verifying that evidence in the form of arguments and documentation submitted meet regulatory requirements where guidelines are readily available; and examining, analyzing, and evaluating information for compliance with regulations and procedures to include timeliness of requests, sufficiency of information, and appropriate action. Lastly, applicants must have significant experience producing a variety of written documents and materials utilizing a wide range of office software applications to create tables, databases, charts, and graphs.
To qualify at the GS-09 level applicants must possess the following:
At least one year (52 weeks) of specialized experience in the Federal government or elsewhere equivalent to the GS-08 level performing a variety of legal assistance work. Applicant must have extensive experience with, knowledge of, and skill in applying, comprehensive rules, regulations, techniques, and procedures to evaluate legal information and facts and determine their legal sufficiency under governing authority. Specifically, they must have extensive experience performing such tasks as the following: preparing letters of acknowledgement and requests for information; monitoring and implementing internal operating procedures relating to legal assistance functions; verifying that evidence in the form of arguments and documentation submitted meet regulatory requirements; examining, analyzing, and evaluating information for compliance with regulations and procedures to include timeliness of requests, sufficiency of information, and appropriate action; and providing advice and guidance to lower graded personnel in such matters as administrative hearing policies and procedures. Lastly, applicants must have extensive experience producing a variety of written documents and materials utilizing a wide range of office software applications to create tables, databases, charts, and graphs.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA’s)
Applicants who meet the basic qualifications for this program will be further evaluated and rated against the Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) listed below. Applicants are strongly encouraged to prepare a concise narrative addressing each of these KSAs (or submit a detailed Resume that would address these KSAs).
PLEASE NOTE: YOUR APPLICATION MATERIALS MUST CLEARLY EXPLAIN YOUR ABILITY THROUGH YOUR EXPERIENCE TO QUALIFY FOR THIS POSITION. PLEASE BE SPECIFIC.
Essential KSAs: To receive further consideration for this position in the following, applicants must demonstrate their competencies in the following essential KSAs:
TECHNICAL COMPETENCE – Knowledge of and skill in applying regulations, procedures, rules, and policies sufficient to evaluate legal information and determine legal sufficiency
OFFICE AUTOMATION SKILLS – Knowledge of office automation software to maintain case files, access the database, and to prepare reports and other documents
WRITTEN COMMUNICATION – Skill in written communication to write draft responses, letters, and other correspondence
For Competitive Applicants/All U.S. Citizens: If you meet the qualifications, you will be rated and ranked under Category Rating procedures. The category assignment is a measure of the degree in which your background matches the competencies required for this position. Candidates will be ranked into 3 categories: Best-Qualified, Highly-Qualified, and Qualified.
The Category Rating Process does not add veterans’ preference points or apply the “rule of three”, but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category. Preference eligible who meet the minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent must be listed in the highest quality category (except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-09 level or higher).
PART-TIME OR UNPAID EXPERIENCE: Credit will be given for appropriate unpaid work on the same basis as for paid experience. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. To receive credit for such experience you must indicate clearly the nature of the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the number of hours per week spent in such employment.
BASIS FOR RATING: Ratings will be based on responses to the occupational questions in this document. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your score. Qualified candidates will be assigned a score between 70 and 100. PLEASE NOTE: YOUR RESUME MUST CLEARLY EXPLAIN YOUR ABILITY THROUGH EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE TO QUALIFY FOR THIS POSITION. PLEASE BE SPECIFIC.
HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:
Once the application process is complete, a review of your application will be made to ensure you meet the job requirements by a Human Resources official from OPM.
All qualified candidates will be assigned to a best, highly or qualified quality category based on their numerical score. Do not overstate or understate your level of experience and capability. You should be aware that your responses are subject to evaluation and verification. If a determination is made that you have overstated your experience or your responses to the questionnaire are not supported by your resume OR if your application is incomplete, you will be assigned to a quality category commensurate to your described experience. Later steps in the selection process may be used to verify your stated level of experience and capability. Deliberate attempts to falsify information may be grounds for not hiring you.
BASIS FOR REFERRAL: Applicants will be ranked and referred based on quality category groups. However, like traditional rating processes, veterans will still be granted preference but not additional points. Veterans are automatically placed at the top of each quality category group. Selecting officials must select the available veterans before considering any non-veterans.
VETERANS PREFERENCE (TP, CP, CPS, XP):
Honorably separated veterans (this means an honorable or general discharge) who served on active duty (not active duty for training) in the Armed Forces:
- during any war (this means a war declared by Congress, the last of which was World War II);
- during the period April 28, 1952, through July 1, 1955;
- for more than 180 consecutive days, any part of which occurred after January 31, 1955, and before October 15, 1976;
- during the Gulf War period beginning August 2, 1990, and ending January 2, 1992; or
- for more than 180 consecutive days, any part of which occurred during the period beginning on September 11, 2001, and ending on the date prescribed by Presidential proclamation or by law as the last date of Operation Iraqi Freedom; or
- in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign medal has been authorized, such as El Salvador, Lebanon, Granada, Panama, Southwest Asia, Somalia, and Haiti.
- Medal holders and Gulf War veterans who originally enlisted after September 7, 1980, or entered on active duty on or after October 14, 1982, without having previously completed 24 months of continuous active duty, must have served continuously for 24 months or the full period called or ordered to active duty.
- those honorably separated veterans who 1) qualify as disabled veterans because they have served on active duty in the Armed Forces at any time and have a present service-connected disability or are receiving compensation, disability retirement benefits, or pension from the military or the Department of Veterans Affairs; or 2) are Purple Heart recipients;
- the spouse of a veteran unable to work because of a service-connected disability;
- the unmarried widow of certain deceased veterans; and
- the mother of a veteran who died in service or who is permanently and totally disabled.
Proof of Veterans’ Preference:
- If you are a veteran with TP preference eligibility, you must submit a copy of your DD-214.
- If you are a veteran with CP, CPS, or XP preference eligibility, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 and a Standard Form (SF) 15, “Application for 10-point Veteran Preference” plus the proof required by that form.
NOTE: If you are currently on active duty and do not have a DD-214, you must provide an official “Statement of Service” from your Command.
Effective on October 1, 1980, military retirees at or above the rank of major or equivalent, are not entitled to preference unless they qualify as disabled veterans.
Reservists who are retired from the Reserves but are not receiving retired pay are not considered “retired military” for purposes of Veterans’ preference.
For more information on Veterans Preference, please visit
http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx
BENEFITS:
Standard Federal Employment Benefits – such as health insurance, life insurance, retirement, and the Thrift Savings Plan.
Employee Assistance Program – Provides a variety of confidential services for employees to help them deal with personal issues.
Reasonable Accommodation Policy Statement
NAD provides reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities.
OTHER INFORMATION:
1. If you are an eligible Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) applicant you may apply for special selection over other candidates for this position. To be well-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, displaced Federal employees must be rated at 90 or above on the rating criteria for this position. ICTAP eligibles must submit one of the following as proof of eligibility for the special selection priority: a separation notice; a “Notice of Personnel Action” (SF-50) documenting separation; an agency certification that you cannot be placed after injury compensation has been terminated; an OPM notification that your disability annuity has been terminated; OR a Military Department or National Guard Bureau notification that you are retired under 5 U.S.C. 8337(h) or 8456.
2. If you are a veteran with TP preference eligibility, you must attach a copy of your DD-214 or other proof of eligibility. If you are a veteran with CP, CPS, XP preference eligibility, you must attach a copy of your DD-214 and a Standard Form (SF) 15 (Revised August 2008), “Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference” plus the proof required by that form.
3. If you are a male applicant who was born after 12/31/59 and are required to register under the Military Selective Service Act, the Defense Authorization Act of 1986 requires that you be registered or you are not eligible for appointment in this agency.
4. You can apply for a non-competitive appointment if you meet the basic eligibility requirements and you are eligible for special appointment under Schedule A.
5. All qualification requirements must be met within 30 days after the closing date of this announcement. Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions. It is available for your review in our office, in other Federal agency personnel offices, and on OPM’s web site at http://www.opm.gov/qualifications.
HOW TO APPLY:
APPLICATION MATERIALS MUST BE RECEIVED BY Friday, December 16, 2011. FAILURE TO PROVIDE COMPLETE INFORMATION MAY RESULT IN YOUR NOT RECEIVING CONSIDERATION FOR THIS POSITION. Your application materials will not be returned. Do not submit original documents that you need in the future.
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package, which includes both of the following parts:
1. Your responses to the Assessment Questionnaire, and
2. Your résumé, and any other documents specified in the Required Documents section of this job announcement.
Use Application Manager for convenience and quickest processing. Track your progress to a Complete Application Package using the My Application Packages checklist and status displays in Application Manager. Your Application Package status must be Complete by Friday, December 16, 2011.
To begin the process click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the assessment questionnaire. Please ensure you click the Submit My Answers button at the end of the process.
Note: To return to a previously Saved or Incomplete application you may use the following link:
http://applicationmanager.gov/.
To fax supporting documents you are unable to upload, complete this cover page: http://staffing.opm.gov/pdf/usascover.pdf using the following Vacancy ID: 563708. Fax your documents to 1-478-757-3144.
If you cannot apply online:
1. Click the following link to view and print the assessment questionnaire View Occupational Questionnaire and
2. Print this 1203FX for to provide your response to the assessment questionnaire http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fillOPM1203fx.pdf and
3. Fax the completed 1203FX form along with any supporting documents to 1-478-757-3144. Your 1203FX will serve as the cover page for your transmission.
PLEASE NOTE: IF YOUR APPLICATION MATERIALS ARE RECEIVED AFTER THE CLOSING DATE OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, THIS MATERIAL WILL NOT BE PROCESSED. PLEASE FOLLOW THE PROCESS OUTLINED ABOVE.
NOTE: Submission of a resume alone IS NOT a complete application. This position requires the completion of additional forms and/or supplemental materials as described previously. Please carefully review the complete job announcement and the “How to Apply” instructions. Failure to provide the required information and/or materials will result in your not being considered for employment.
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:
The following documents are required and must be received before the closing date of this announcement to receive employment consideration:
- Resume
- Qualifications Questionnaire (Responses)
- Veterans Preference documentation ( If Applicable)
- Appropriate documentation if applying under Schedule A
Note: If you have documents in your Application Manager account from a previous vacancy announcement they can be opened, copied and saved then reused as an upload file for this vacancy. Uploading your documents will speed the processing of your application for this announcement.
Your resume MUST contain all information required for Federal emploument. Click on the following link that lists all required information under How To Apply: http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/of612/pdf
AGENCY CONTACT INFO:
MELISSA A. CUFFARIPhone: (215)861-3830
Email: MELISSA.CUFFARI@OPM.GOV
Agency Information:
Washington Services Branch
600 ARCH STREET
PHILADELPHIA, PA
19106
WHAT TO EXPECT NEXT:
Once the online questionnaire is received you will receive an acknowledgment email that your submission was successful. After a review of your complete application is made you will be notified of your rating and or referral to the hiring official. If further evaluation or interviews are required you will be contacted.
AGENCY CONTACT INFO:
MELISSA A. CUFFARI
Phone: (215) 861-3830
Email: MELISSA.CUFFARI@OPM.GOV
Agency Information:
Washington Services Branch
600 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
http://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/303163500
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