Clarification from the agency

Open to current permanent employees of Wilkes-Barre only.

Privacy Program Operation and Administration:

• Assist in the implementation, management, and maintenance of the Privacy program for all WBV AMC facilities by preparing and responding to correspondence, distributing information.
• Reviewing facility processes and products for compliance with program requirements, and assessing the facility privacy posture through periodic evaluation of the facility's collection, use, storage and maintenance of sensitive personal information.
• Maintain mandated Privacy files; prepare required and requested reports and information for submission. Assists the Privacy Officer, advises management and staff on Title 38 United States· Code (U.S.C.) Sections 5701 , 5705 and 7332, Privacy Act, and, where appropriate, HIP AA requirements, policies, and procedures.
• Assist in the development and monitoring of facility-specific privacy training materials, provide training support to facility programs and staff as required.
• Assist in the processing of privacy complaints and in the investigation of allegations of illegal or improper activities related to the handling or release of protected information. Prepare draft correspondence to include, but not limited to, Congressional Offices, VA Privacy Office, VA Office of General Counsel, State and local government agencies, and other VA facilities for Privacy Officer or Director's signature.
• Assist in the monitoring of compliance with program requirements, internal compliance reviews, assessments and audits within the facility.
• Routinely review the processes for the appropriate accounting of all disclosures of privacy protected information made by the facility, coordinating with Release of lnformation (ROI) to assist in the capture of all required release data.
• Assist with auditing· ROI for compliance with disclosures.

FOIA Program Operation and Administration:

• Assist in the implementation, management, and maintenance of the FOIA program for all WBVAMC facilities by preparing and responding to correspondence, distributing information, reviewing facility processes and products for compliance with program requirements.
• Assist the FOIA Officer with entering all FOIA requests into the FOIA Xpress program, initiating the facility response, scans all documents into appropriate files and uploads necessary documents to FOIA Xpress.
• Advises management and staff on FOIA policies, and procedures. Assist in the development and monitoring of facility specific FOIA training materials.
• Records Management Operation and Administration: assist in the implementation, management, and maintenance of the Records Management program for all WBV AMC facilities by preparing and responding to correspondence, distributing information, reviewing facility processes and products for compliance with program requirements.
• The specialist will cover in absence of the Records Officer to carry out policies, procedures and processes of the Records Management program. This will include but is not limited to assisting services with file plans, assisting with records going into storage, assisting with the quality monitoring of the program, assisting with quarterly reporting to VHA, and assisting with records disposition.

Performs other related duties as assigned.
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Telework: This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Government Information Special/PD009920
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Approved
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized
PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not authorized

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period or trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 04/10/2026.

Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.



You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

• Specialized Experience:
• You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-07 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:
• Assisting in leadership and strategic direction decisions and assists employees in
  adherence to regulatory mandates with respect to privacy and records management.
  Reinforce efforts to ensure the facility's full compliance with VA, NARA and HHS regulatory
  requirements and to demonstrate that VA adheres to its own policies. Monitor the proper
  use, hand ling, protection and release of privacy protected information within the facility.

OR,

• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a master's or equivalent graduate degree 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D., if related. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work.

OR,

• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of successfully completed graduate education and specialized experience directly related to the work of the Government Information Specialist position, may be substituted to meet the experience requirements for GS-09 position. For example, an applicant with 6 months of appropriate specialized experience equivalent to GS-07 (50 percent of the experience requirement for GS-09) and 1 year of successfully completed graduate education (18 semester hours), as is describe above, (50 percent of the education requirement for the GS-09) would qualify for a GS-09 position.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

• Clerical
• Compliance
• Education and Training
• Organizational Awareness
• Quality Management
• Written Communication

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; religions; 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 volunteer experience.

Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

Physical Requirements: The work is performed in an office setting. There are no unusual physical demands.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

How you will be evaluated

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

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

• Resume
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action

The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please make sure you have included other documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), documentation to support Veterans Preference claims, or ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees). You will not be contacted for additional information.

• Professional Certification
• Resume
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action (if applicable for Time in Grade and/or Eligibility):

• Most recent SF-50 if you are a current or former Federal employee
• An SF-50 showing your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade
• Award 50's do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted for the purpose of verifying time-in-grade.
• Examples of appropriate SF-50's include:
  • Within grade increases at the highest grade held; or
  • Promotions with an effective date more than one year old; or
  • SF-50's at the highest grade held with an effective date more than one year old.

Next steps