Legal Instruments Examiner Job

Vacancy No. 25-FS-189-MP Department Bureau of the Fiscal Service
Salary $39,576.00 to $72,703.00 Grade 5 to 7
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 12/12/2024 Close Date 12/23/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Birmingham, ALWashington, DCHyattsville, MDKansas City, MO


Summary

PLEASE NOTE: Based on the current hiring restrictions, selectees may be subject to additional approvals prior to an offer being extended.

This position is located at Bureau of Fiscal Service, Office of Retail Securities Services, Deputy Assistant Commissioner, Division of Customer Service, Branch as assigned. The mission of Retail Securities Services is to offer Americans simple and accessible Treasury securities to build savings and help enable financial confidence.

Duties


The following are the duties of this position at the GS-07. If you are selected at a lower grade level, you will have the opportunity to learn to perform all these duties, and will receive training to help you grow in this position.

  • Examine electronic case files and approve the validity of legal evidence of varied nature to process claims, process transactions, and establish entitlement to securities and official information within the perspective of relevant laws, regulations, and precedents. Legal evidence includes death certificates, Guardianships, Conservatorships, and Powers of Attorney.
  • Analyze customer requests and supporting evidence to ensure that securities transactions are processed in accordance with Treasury securities regulations, policies, precedents, and federal and state laws in a timely and efficient manner.
  • Provide guidance and assistance to third-party verifications (i.e., Social Security Information) requesting confirmation of an individual's current holdings. Typical issues include researching securities systems to verify the actual owner of bonds.
  • Initiate an investigation of the retirement of a bond previously reported as lost, stolen, destroyed, or not received when a double payment has occurred. The employee establishes accounting controls over the investigation.
  • Communicate with individual owners of securities, legal representatives, financial institutions, federal agencies, Federal Reserve Banks, and employees in other areas of the agency.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • A one year probationary period may be required.
  • Must successfully complete a background investigation. Periodic reinvestigation is required no later than five years after selection and at least every succeeding five years.
  • Public Trust - Background Investigation will be required.
  • Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency.
  • Have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer.
  • If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so.
  • Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S.
  • Obtain and use a Government-issued charge card for business-related travel.
  • This position requires that the successful candidate undergo personnel vetting, which includes a background investigation and enrollment upon onboarding into "Continuous Vetting." Enrollment in Continuous Vetting will result in automated record checks being conducted throughout one's employment with Treasury. The successful candidate will also be enrolled into FBI's Rap Back service, which will allow Treasury to receive notification from the FBI of criminal matters (e.g., arrests, charges, convictions) involving enrolled individuals in near real-time. For more information about individual rights, Noncriminal Justice Applicant's Privacy Rights - FBI, FD-258 Privacy Act Statement - FBI, and SEAD-3-Reporting-U.pdf (dni.gov).

If you do not meet any of the categories listed below, you may wish to apply under announcement 25-FS-193-P which is open for any U.S. citizen to apply. Please refer to that announcement for details on open period, eligibility, and how to apply.

Key Requirements:
  1. Please refer to "Conditions of Employment."
  2. Click "Print Preview" to review the entire announcement before applying.
  3. Must be U.S. Citizen or U.S. National.

Qualifications


You must meet the following requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

The experience may have been gained in either the public, private sector or volunteer service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/day/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week on your résumé.

Specialized Experience: For the GS-7, you must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility at the GS-6 level in the Federal service or equivalent, which have equipped the candidate with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Specialized experience for this position includes experience applying laws and regulations to assist in the examination of legal documentation or transactions in order to approve documents or resolve issues.

Examples of such experience may include:
- Experience examining and approving legal evidence, forms, and savings bonds to support transactions or claims; OR
- Experience interacting with co-owners or attorneys in fact (power of attorney) to obtain information and resolve problems; OR
- Experience using judgement to determine which procedures are applicable to different transactions.

Specialized Experience: For the GS-6, you must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility at the GS-5 level in the Federal service or equivalent, which have equipped the candidate with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Specialized experience for this position includes experience applying an established system of rules, regulations, methods or procedures to determine discrepancies or irregularities in legal documents and assist with resolving issues.

Examples of such experience could include:
- Experience utilizing standard operating procedures/manuals to research and apply laws, rules and regulations; OR
- Experience gathering and compiling legal documents; OR
- Experience obtaining additional data or information to reconcile discrepancies.

Specialized Experience: For the GS-5, you must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility at the GS-4 level in the Federal service or equivalent, which have equipped the candidate with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Specialized experience for this position includes experience providing information and assistance to inquiries concerning legal documentation and resolving issues.

Examples of this experience could include:
- Experience utilizing office automation equipment/software to compile data- Experience assisting others to acquire information from laws, rules and regulations; OR
- Experience verifying/understanding the completeness of legal casefiles.
OR
You may substitute education for experience as follows: four (4) years of education above the high school level. (Please attach copy of transcript or list of college courses designating semester or quarter hours earned to ensure proper credit.)
OR
You may qualify by a combination of experience and education. Only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours (i.e., beyond the second year) is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirement. One full academic year of study (30 semester hours) beyond the second year is equivalent to 6 months of specialized experience. Options for qualifying based on a combination will be identified in the online questions.

In addition to the above requirements, you must meet the following time-in-grade requirement, if applicable:
For the GS-07 you must have been at the GS-06 level for 52 weeks.
For the GS-06 you must have been at the GS-05 level for 52 weeks.

For the GS-05: You may be advanced to the GS-05 position if you have held a position no lower than GS-03 in the preceding year under your latest non-temporary competitive appointment OR have held a position at GS-05 or higher under a non-temporary appointment at any time in the past.

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

  • We will not pay relocation expenses.
  • We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies.
  • This is a bargaining unit position.
  • The following locations are represented by their corresponding NTEU chapter: Parkersburg, WV - NTEU Chapter 190; Hyattsville, MD/Washington, DC - NTEU Chapter 202; Austin, TX - NTEU Chapter 214; Birmingham, AL - NTEU Chapter 220; Philadelphia, PA - NTEU Chapter 223; Kansas City, MO - NTEU Chapter 225
  • This position is a moderate risk position.
  • We offer opportunities for telework.
  • We offer opportunities for flexible work schedules.

Our comprehensive benefits are very generous. Our benefits package includes:

  • Challenging work, opportunities for advancement, competitive salaries, bonuses and incentive awards.
  • Eleven paid holidays, 13 days of sick leave, and 13 to 26 days of vacation time each year.
  • Access to insurance programs that may be continued after you retire.
  • A wide choice of health insurance plans, coverage for pre-existing conditions, and no waiting periods. We pay a substantial amount (up to 75%) of the health insurance premiums.
  • A retirement program which includes employer-matching contributions.
  • Learn more about Federal benefits programs at: https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/Pay_and_Benefits

The Bureau of the Fiscal Service offers challenging and meaningful work, opportunities for advancement and internal movement to a different career path, a competitive salary, work/life balance, and generous benefits. Maximum telework and flexible work schedule options are also available. Incentives such as student loan repayment, recruitment and relocation incentives, and advanced annual leave accrual may be offered. Some remote work opportunities exist. Approval of these incentives and flexibilities are based on the position, business requirements, applicant/employee qualifications and performance, and other work-related factors.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

Your application includes your résumé, responses to the online questions, and required supporting documents. Please be sure that your résumé includes detailed information to support your qualifications for this position; failure to provide sufficient evidence in your résumé may result in a "not qualified" determination.


Rating: Your application will be evaluated in the following areas: Systems and Technology, Communication, and Decision Making.

Your application will be rated and ranked among others, based on your responses to the online questions, regarding your experience, education, training, performance appraisals and awards relevant to the duties of this position. Your rating may be lowered if your responses to the online questions are not supported by the education and/or experience described in your application.

Referral: If you are among the top qualified candidates, your application may be referred to a selecting official for consideration.


If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee (eligible for the Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP)) you must receive a score of 90 or better to be rated as "well qualified" to receive special selection priority.

Required Documents

A complete application includes 1. A résumé, 2. Vacancy question responses, and 3. Submission of any required documents. Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, you may not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible).Please ensure all required documents, including any required work samples, narratives, or other materials as stated in this announcement, are attached to your application package.

All applicants are required to submit a résumé either by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one of their own choosing. (Cover letters are optional.) To receive full credit for relevant experience, please list the month/date/year and number of hours worked for experience listed on your résumé. We suggest that you preview the online questions, as you may need to customize your résumé to ensure that it supports your responses to these questions. Please view résumé tips.

CURRENT AND FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES -- Documentation Relating to Your Federal Employment:-You must submit a copy of your SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, which shows your current (or most recent) grade and competitive service status. (The "position occupied" block on the SF-50 should show a "1" and your "tenure" block should show a "1" or "2".) Your SF-50 must show that you have held the required grade level for at least 52 weeks.
- If you are currently on a Veterans Recruitment Appointment (VRA), you must submit a copy of an SF-50 showing that. Also, you must submit a copy of your DD214 or other documentation showing dates of service and type of discharge (Member 4) and any other applicable documents such as SF-15, VA letters, etc.
- Indicate on your application the highest permanent grade you have held; if this grade is different from your current grade, you must submit a copy of an additional SF-50 showing this grade.

Land Management Eligibles must provide all required documentation to verify eligibility, prior performance, and qualifications for the target position. You can find information on the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act and eligibility HERE. Land Management Eligibles must compete under competitive merit promotion procedures and meet all applicable requirements as such (time-in-grade restrictions do not apply).

If you are applying under a special hiring authority (e.g. Military Spouses, Interchange Agreement, VEOA, VRA, Schedule A Disability, etc.), please see applicant guide for required documentation. In order to be eligible under one of these authorities, you must submit all required documentation as outlined in the applicant guide.

CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (CTAP) OR INTERAGENCY CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (ICTAP) DOCUMENTATION: If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee, click CTAP/ICTAP for eligibility and a detailed list of required documents you must submit in order to be eligible.

REINSTATEMENT: If you are a former federal employee and wish to be non-competitively reinstated for a higher grade or full performance level than which you left federal employment, you MUST provide a copy of your separation SF50 (the "position occupied" block on the SF-50 should show a "1" and your "tenure" block should show a "1" or "2") AND the last performance appraisal you received from your federal employment which shows at least a fully successful rating.

EDUCATION DOCUMENTATION:

For positions with an education requirement, or if you are qualifying for this position by substituting education or training for experience, submit a copy of your transcripts or a list of courses showing title, number of credits, grade, and date of completion.

A college or university degree generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools which meet these criteria, please refer to Department of Education Accreditation page. If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. Refer to the OPM instructions.

RECOMMENDED DOCUMENTS:
Current Performance Appraisal

How to Apply

The following instructions outline our application process. You must complete this application process and submit any required documents by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. ET, Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, please contact us by noon ET on the announcement's closing date.

Are you unsure how to write your federal resume? We are here to help. The Treasury Recruitment Service regularly offers Writing Your Federal Resume training sessions, and other career-related information sessions, to assist you in your career search journey. To register for a session, click here to go to our Career Information Sessions webpage.

Fiscal Service provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us if you require this for any part of the application and hiring process.

  • To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
  • Follow the prompts to select your résumé and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
  • After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
  • You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
To verify the status of your application:
-Log into your USAJOBS account (USAJOBS Login). A list of announcements in which you have applied is at the Welcome screen.
-Under "application status," click "Track this application" and you will be taken to the agency website where you can check your application status.

For more information regarding the job and applicant status, please refer to https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/

If you wish to make changes/updates to your application and the vacancy is still open, you can click on the job announcement and "Update Application" to be taken back to your application. No updates can be made once the announcement has closed.

Please notify us if your contact information changes after the closing date of the announcement. Also, note that if you provide an email address that is inaccurate or if your mailbox is full or blocked (e.g., spam-blocker), you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.

For additional information on how to apply, please visit the Partnership for Public Service's Go Government website.

The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Treasury and its bureaus from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to the Department of Treasury by email at, FairChanceAct@treasury.gov.

To learn more, please visit our page at: Treasury.gov/fairchanceact.

To preview the assessment questionnaire: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12639155

Agency contact information

Applicant Call Center
Address
Division of Customer Service
200 Third St
Parkersburg, WV 26101
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

Once the online questionnaire is received, you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. We will review your résumé and transcript(s) (if appropriate) to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. We will evaluate each applicant who meets the basic qualifications on the information provided and may interview the best-qualified applicants. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct any required suitability and/or security background investigation.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


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