Summary
The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) is unique among the thirteen Circuit Courts of Appeal. It has nationwide jurisdiction in a variety of subject areas, including international trade, government contracts, patents, trademarks, certain money claims against the United States government, federal personnel, veterans' benefits, and public safety officers' benefits claims. For additional information about our court please click here.
This job is open until filled.
Clarification from the agency
Open to all US Citizens and those eligible to work in the United States. This job requires a FBI Background - Sensitive Check.
Duties
The Operations Specialist performs and coordinates administrative, operational, and program support within the Clerk's Office on a range of office-wide matters. In addition to providing administrative support to the Chief Deputy Clerk and operations of the Clerk's Office, the incumbent coordinates office-wide administrative functions within the Clerk's Office, assists with standardizing office policy and procedures to ensure administrative consistency; researches, drafts, and prepares documents, correspondence, and reports in support of court operations and office management; supports internal and external communication in support of court operations; analyzes problems and develops solutions to support and to improve the efficient operation of the Clerk's Office; and provides operational support to the effective operation of the court's case processing system. This position is a hybrid administrative and operational position that reports to the Chief Deputy Clerk.
For a full list of job duties, please visit: https://cafc.uscourts.gov/wp-content/uploads/HR/JobAnnouncements/CAFC-23-08-OperationsSpecialist.pdf.
Conditions of Employment
Only those applicants selected for an interview will be contacted. For in-person interviews, candidates must travel at their own expense. The court reserves the right to modify the conditions of this announcement, commence interviews immediately, withdraw the announcement, or fill the position at any time, any of which actions may occur without notice.
The position will report to downtown Washington, DC; however, telework may be available on an ad hoc basis and/or according to agency policy. Employees of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit are excepted service appointments. Federal government civil service classifications or regulations do not apply. All offers of employment are provisional pending successful completion of a background check or investigation and a favorable employment suitability determination. This position is subject to Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) for payroll deposit.
Must be a U.S. citizen or eligible to work in the United States. Non-citizens may be interviewed and considered for employment, but employment offers will only be made to individuals who qualify under one of the exceptions in 8 U.S.C.§ 1324b(a)(3)(B). Under 8 U.S.C.§1324b(a)(3)(B), a lawful permanent resident seeking citizenship may not apply for citizenship until he or she has been a permanent resident for at least five years (three years if seeking naturalization as a spouse of a citizen), at which point he or she must apply for citizenship within six months of becoming eligible, and must complete the process within two years of applying (unless there is a delay caused by the processors of the application). Non-citizens who have not been permanent residents for five years will be required to execute an affidavit that they intend to apply for citizenship when they become eligible to do so.
Qualifications
Required Qualifications
- CL-25 ($51,952 to $84,465): Completion of a bachelor's degree from an accredited university with superior academic achievement -OR- possession of a high school diploma (or equivalency) and three years of specialized experience, which must have been gained in a position within the federal judiciary. At least one of the three years of specialized experience must have been equivalent to the CL 24.
- CL-26 ($57,222 to $92,995): One year of specialized experience and a bachelor's degree from an accredited university with superior academic achievement -OR- possession of a high school diploma (or equivalency) and four years of specialized experience, which must have been gained in a position within the federal judiciary. At least one of the years of specialized experience must have been equivalent to the CL 25.
- CL-27 ($62,852 to $102,201): Two years of specialized experience and a bachelor's degree with superior academic achievement. At least one of the two years of specialized experience must have been gained in a position within the federal judiciary equivalent to the CL-26.
- Specialized experience is defined as progressively responsible clerical or administrative experience requiring the regular and recurring application of clerical procedures that demonstrate the ability to apply a body of rules, regulations, directives, or laws and involve the routine use of specialized terminology and automated software and equipment for word processing, data entry or report generation.
- Superior academic achievement is defined as:
- An overall "B" grade point average equaling 2.90 or better of a possible 4.0;
- Standing in the upper third of the class;
- "3.5" average or better in a legal studies, paralegal studies, or similar major field of study that would prepare a candidate well to perform in this position; or
- Election to membership in Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma XI, or one of the National Honorary Scholastic Societies meeting the minimum requirements of the Association of College Honor Societies, other than Freshman Honor Societies.
Preferred Qualifications
- Knowledge of and experience in writing, editing, or publication in a professional setting.
- Experience working in the federal judiciary.
- Prior work or intern experience in a court, legal, or government work environment.
- Prior work or intern experience involving the federal judiciary's CM/ECF system.
- Prior work experience (including internships or volunteer work) in a public customer service-related role (e.g., public reception, public interaction, telephone answering, client interaction).
- Prior work or academic experience using the Microsoft 365 Office Suite, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, and Teams.
Required Competencies
- Strong writing, editing, and public speaking ability.
- Must be an innovative and creative problem solver who can effectively work with staff to define and develop solutions to business problems.
- Ability to work independently in a team environment as well as the ability to manage multiple priorities within strict deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
Education
Candidates must possess a high school diploma or equivalent.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Applicants will also be evaluated based upon review of their qualifications and the application package.
Cover letter, résumé, and completion of the provided online application (AO 78) and applicant testing modules. See instructions for "How to Apply."
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from
schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
To be considered, application packages must include:
- Cover letter of no more than two pages describing the required knowledge, skills, abilities, and or experience (described above) that would make the applicant well qualified to fill this position.
- Résumé outlining educational background, employment history, and other relevant information.
- Completion of online AO-78, Federal Judicial Branch Application for Employment.
- Completion of the online aptitude and personality tests.
Once you have the cover letter and résumé files (items 1 and 2 above) readily accessible in PDF format, follow the below link to submit your files and complete the online AO-78 and online tests (items 3 and 4 above): https://www.ondemandassessment.com/link/index/JB-28D6ZVZ0U?u=1094091.
Applicants who require an exception to the online application may contact Human Resources to request an alternate method using the following email: hr@cafc.uscourts.gov. Applications submitted to this email address will not be reviewed.
Next steps
Only applicants selected for an interview will be contacted.
|