PARALEGAL SPECIALIST Job in Syracuse, NY

Vacancy No. NY-12847662-AF-T5026-066 Department Air National Guard Units
Salary $73,939.00 to $96,116.00 Grade 11 to 11
Perm/Temp Temporary FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 12/10/2025 Close Date 12/26/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
Syracuse, NY


Summary

THIS IS A NATIONAL GUARD TITLE 5 EXCEPTED SERVICE POSITION.

This National Guard position is for a PARALEGAL SPECIALIST, Position Description Number T5846000 and is part of the 174TH ATKW, National Guard.

This vacancy does not meet the criteria for appointment of annuitants.

Veterans' preference does not apply to this vacancy due to internal merit promotion.

This job is open to

Federal employees - Competitive service

Current federal employees whose agencies follow the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's hiring rules and pay scales.

Federal employees - Excepted service

Current federal employees whose agencies have their own hiring rules, pay scales and evaluation criteria.

National Guard and reserves

Current members, those who want to join or transitioning military members.

Clarification from the agency

All On-Board (permanent, temporary, indefinite) Title 5 and Title 32 NYNG employees, AGR/M-Day/DSG within the NYNG, former members of NYNG with a National Guard Bureau Form 22 or 22A showing an Honorable Discharge or a General Discharge Under Honorable characterization.

Duties

As a Paralegal Specialist, GS-0950-11, you will provide Paralegal support within the state/territory Staff Judge Advocate's Office providing ancillary legal research and analysis. Manages the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), Preventative Law and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) programs in the state/territory. Serves as a point of contact for claims, ethics determinations, legal assistance for Army and Air National Guard personnel and their families, and provides technical legal guidance and support to National Guard unit commanders and their assigned legal personnel.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

  • Federal employment suitability as determined by a background investigation.
  • May be required to successfully complete a two year trial period.
  • Participation in direct deposit is mandatory.
  • Must be able to obtain and maintain the appropriate security clearance of the position within 1 year of appointment.
  • Must have been awarded their 5-skill level, at a minimum.
  • This position is covered by the Domestic Violence Misdemeanor Amendment (30 Sep 96) of the Gun Control Act (Lautenberg Amendment) of 1968. An individual convicted of a qualifying crime of domestic violence may not perform the duties of this position.
  • Ability to establish effective professional working relationships with coworkers and customers, contributing to a cooperative working environment and successful accomplishment of the mission.
  • Irregular and/or overtime (compensatory) hours may be required to support operational requirements or contingencies or may be required to work hours outside of the normal duty day.
  • For positions requiring the operation of motor vehicles, candidates must have a valid state driver’s license for the state in which they live or are principally employed.

Qualifications

GENERAL EXPERIENCE:
Experience, education or training that demonstrates the ability to analyze the legal impact of legislative developments and administrate and judicial decisions, opinions, rulings and determinations on agency programs; conduct research for the preparation of legal opinions on matters of interest to the agency. Practical knowledge and use of basic legal principles and concepts to interpret and apply or explain to others the application of a body of law, regulations, precedents, and practices covering one or more recurring types of legal actions encountered in an agency.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE:
1-year specialized experience, education, or training equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the formal and informal rules of evidence and skill necessary to evaluate the adequacy and/or admissibility of evidence, to request additional data or further investigation, when needed, or to develop narrative or graphic exhibits to support specified legal arguments and coordinate actions with other federal agencies or state and local jurisdictions that have closely related responsibilities.

Applicants who meet one of the DoD Priority Placement Program categories below are eligible to apply with this preference. (See Required Documents section)

Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technician Eligible

Priority Placement Program, DoD MR and NG Preference Eligible Tech Receiving Disability Retirement

Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Eligible

Priority Placement Program, DoD Retained Grade

Applicants claiming DoD Retained Grade preference must submit the following documentation:

Retained Grade PPP Self Certification Checklist (DD3145-1)

SF-50 effecting the placement in retained grade status, and

A copy of the notification letter received (RIF or classification downgrade)

Education

If using education to qualify,

Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree

or

3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree

You must provide a copy of Official Transcripts as documentation to support your educational claims. To receive credit for Education, you must provide documentation of proof that you meet the Education requirements for this position.

Additional information

If you are a male applicant who was born after 12/31/1959 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 (Register | Selective Service System : Selective Service System (sss.gov)).

This position is indefinite without the potential to convert to permanent. Employees hired under indefinite appointments may not exceed 5 years (consecutive) time with the agency. The applicant selected may be released at any time subject to a 30-day notice and advised of his/her rights and benefits to which entitled. If a permanent employee accepts this indefinite position, their tenure will change from permanent to indefinite.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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.

Review our 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.

Once the announcement has closed, your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine if you meet the qualifications listed on this announcement. If you are minimally qualified, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses on the assessment questionnaire to determine your level of experience. If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application package, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this position. If you are found to be among the top qualified candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):Ability to Meet Deadline Dates under Pressure, Ability to Work with Others, and Attention to Detail

Required Documents

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

1. Detailed resume to include employer, job title with to and from dates, duties, responsibilities, and experience gained in each position held. Resumes cannot be more than two pages in length. If the resume provided is longer than two pages, it will not move forward in the qualification process. The resume provided must have relevant experience pertaining to the position in which you are applying to. If military or civilian, please include your rank and/or grade.

If your resume does not meet the above requirements, you will automatically be disqualified for the position.

2. Your most recent SF-50 OR for M-DAY/DSG OR FORMER/RETIRED NYNG MEMBERS MUST SUPPLY PROOF OF ENLISTMENT/MOST RECENT LEAVE AND EARNING STATEMENT OR NGB FORM 22 OR 22A

3. Other Supporting Documents, if applicable, such as:

- Official college transcripts, if qualifying based on education.

- Current Federal employees: Your most recent Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50 or equivalent), as well as the highest grade (or promotion potential) held, on a permanent basis and containing information which shows you meet time-in-grade (e.g., STEP increase, etc.) No award SF-50 will be accepted.

- Former Federal Employees separated from Federal Government over a year ago: Your separation Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50 or equivalent) showing your permanent status and your last Federal performance appraisal plan/rating. You must submit an SF-50(s) that shows permanent career or career conditional tenure to be considered (No award SF-50 will be accepted). Your last Federal performance appraisal plan must reflect a rating of Fully Successful or equivalent.

Applicants who meet one of the DoD Priority Placement Program categories below are eligible to apply with this preference. (See Required Documents section)

Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technician Eligible

Priority Placement Program, DoD MR and NG Preference Eligible Tech Receiving Disability Retirement

Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Eligible

Priority Placement Program, DoD Retained Grade

Applicants claiming DoD Retained Grade preference must submit the following documentation:

Retained Grade PPP Self Certification Checklist (DD3145-1)

SF-50 effecting the placement in retained grade status, and

A copy of the notification letter received (RIF or classification downgrade)

This position is indefinite without the potential to convert to permanent. Employees hired under indefinite appointments may not exceed 5 years (consecutive) time with the agency. The applicant selected may be released at any time subject to a 30-day notice and advised of his/her rights and benefits to which entitled. If a permanent employee accepts this indefinite position, their tenure will change from permanent to indefinite.

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.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the online application/Occupational Questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. To view the Occupational Questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12847662

A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration.

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 resume 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 (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. 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/.

Agency contact information

New York HRO
Email
ng.ny.nyarng.list.mnhf-staffing@army.mil
Address
174TH ATKW
6001 EAST MOLLOY ROAD
SYRACUSE, NY 13211
US

Next steps

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated by the Human Resources Office to determine your eligibility for the position. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another notification regarding the status of your application.


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