Summary
The position is located in the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board, Western Regional Office - Denver Field Office, Lakewood, Colorado. The office is responsible for adjudicating appeals filed by Federal employees. The incumbent of this position serves as a Paralegal Specialist responsible for assisting in the processing and adjudication of those appeals, as well as providing administrative support to the office.
This job is open to
Clarification from the agency
Applications will be accepted only from current permanent federal employees with competitive status; CTAP/ICTAP/RPL eligible candidates, and VEOA eligibles, 30 percent or More Disabled Veterans, Interchange Agreement and Other Miscellaneous Authorities, People with Disabilities, Peace Corps and VISTA, Reinstatement, and VRA eligible candidates.
Duties
- The duties described are for the full-performance level. At developmental grade levels, assignments will be of more limited scope, performed with less independence and limited complexity.
- The work requires discretion and independent judgment in the application of a specialized body of laws, regulations, agency policies and practices, and judicial/administrative proceedings.
- The duties may include, but are not limited to:
- Prepares cases for hearing, including writing synopses of issues and noting case file deficiencies, researching legal issues, assisting at teleconferences and hearings, and drafting orders.
- Initiates inquiries regarding case processing and responds to appeal inquiries on behalf of the Administrative Judges (AJs) of the office.
- Drafts initial decisions, involving dismissals because of lack of jurisdiction and/or untimely filing, settlements, and other similar appeals.
- Performs legal research, analyzing legal decisions, questions, opinions, rulings, and other issues affecting appeals.
- Performs research from reference sources including various titles of the United States Code, Code of Federal Regulations, Westlaw, and Board decisions.
- Manages the office library, reviewing relevant new materials and abstracting important decisions and points of law for circulation to administrative judges.
- Responds to oral and written requests from other Board offices, Congressional offices, the public, appellants and their representatives, and agency representatives, concerning potential, pending and past appeals and general Board procedures.
- Analyzes and evaluates initial appeals, determining timeliness and jurisdictional issues and hearing requirements.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- US Citizenship is required.
- Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
- As a condition of employment, satisfactory completion and favorable adjudication of a background investigation and/or fingerprint check may be required for this position.
- Successful completion of a one-year probationary or trial period (if new hire to the Federal service).
- Direct Deposit: Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
- Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify at https://www.e-verify.gov/
- Frequently requires moderate physical activity such as lifting and carrying boxes that contain records and files weighing between 10 and 15 pounds.
Qualifications
Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including time-in-grade restrictions, specialized experience and/or education, as defined below.
TIME-IN-GRADE: Current federal employees applying for a promotion opportunity must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirement of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled.
FOR THE GS-05 LEVEL: Applicants resume must describe three years of progressively responsible experience, with one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-04)
- Interpreting law regulations and policies;
- Performing legal preliminary investigation and fact-finding;
- Using automation to create research reports, legal and non-legal correspondence.
OR EDUCATION SUBSTITUTION FOR THE GS-05: Four-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree.
FOR THE GS-07 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-05 level) that may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors which demonstrates:
- Practical knowledge of a body of laws and related rules, regulations, and precedents involved in Federal employee appeals and litigation relating to Federal employment;
- Skill in interpreting and applying them to varying situations; skill in evaluating the relevancy of precedents and summarizing pertinent data on issues;
- Skill in researching and maintaining legal databases using electronic resources;
- Skill in communicating with others in order to exchange legal information;
- Skill in problem analysis and problem solving sufficient to communicate in the style and mode appropriate for work at the level of an appeals court.
OR EDUCATION SUBSTITUTION FOR THE GS-07: Applicants may qualify based upon the completion of 1 full year of graduate level education or superior academic achievement leading to such a degree in a closely related field as Paralegal Studies or Legal Studies. Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for this grade level.
FOR THE GS-09 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-07 level) that may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors which demonstrates:
- Practical knowledge of a body of laws and related rules, regulations, and precedents involved in Federal employee appeals and litigation relating to Federal employment;
- Skill in interpreting and applying them to varying situations; skill in evaluating the relevancy of precedents and summarizing pertinent data on issues;
- Skill in researching and maintaining legal databases using electronic resources;
- Skill in communicating with others in order to exchange legal information;
- Skill in problem analysis and problem solving sufficient to communicate in the style and mode appropriate for work at the level of an appeals court.
OR EDUCATION SUBSTITUTION FOR THE GS-09: Master's or equivalent graduate degree or two full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree in a closely related field such as Paralegal Studies or Legal Studies.
FOR THE GS-11 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-09 level) that may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors which demonstrates:
- Practical knowledge of a body of laws and related rules, regulations, and precedents involved in Federal employee appeals and litigation relating to Federal employment;
- Skill in interpreting and applying them to varying situations; skill in evaluating the relevancy of precedents and summarizing pertinent data on issues;
- Skill in researching and maintaining legal databases using electronic resources;
- Skill in communicating with others in order to exchange legal information;
- Skill in problem analysis and problem solving sufficient to communicate in the style and mode appropriate for work at the level of an appeals court.
OR EDUCATION SUBSTITUTION FOR THE GS-11: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree in a closely related field such as Paralegal Studies or Legal Studies.
TRANSCRIPTS are required if:
- You are qualifying for the position based on education.
- You are qualifying for this position based on a combination of experience and education.
- This education must have been successfully completed and obtained from an accredited school, college, or university.
COMBINATION OF EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE AT THE GS-5/7/9/11 GRADE LEVELS: Applicants may have combinations of successfully completed education and specialized experience to meet total qualification requirements. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for that grade level. Applicants may have combinations of successfully completed graduate education and specialized experience to meet total qualification requirements. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for that grade level.
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; religious; 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.
Education
Please see above for education qualification requirement information.
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.
Applications and required documentation (see below) will be reviewed to determine if applicants meet eligibility and job requirements. Qualified applicants will then be rated on the quality of experience, education, and training they possess relevant to the duties of the position and the extent applicants possess the following competencies:
- Knowledge of research, including electronic research, interpretation, and application of case law relating to employment law.
- Skill in using an electronic case management system to enter, update, and maintain data to ensure that agency employees and managers have available accurate information related to status and history of each case.
- Ability and skill in reviewing and preparing a variety of legal documents.
The questionnaire will assess your qualifications for the job, and will be used to identify the best qualified applicants to be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interviews. Your ratings in this Assessment Questionnaire are subject to evaluation and verification based on the documents and references you submit.
Later steps in the selection process are specifically designed to verify your ratings. Attempts to falsify information; inflate your qualifications or providing inaccurate information on federal documents may be grounds to adjust your rating or to not select you. Errors, omissions or providing inaccurate information on federal documents may affect your eligibility. If selected providing inaccurate information on federal documents could also be grounds for dismissing you from the position/agency. Please follow all instructions carefully.
To preview the application questionnaire, please visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12430897
Required Documents
The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, your system failure or downtime, etc. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.
- Resume that includes: 1) personal information such as name, address, contact information; 2) education; 3) detailed work experience related to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable); 4) all supervisors' phone numbers and if they may be contacted; and 5) other qualifications.
- Cover Letter: A cover letter explaining your interest and qualifications is preferred, but not required.
- If education is required or being used to qualify, you must submit a copy of your college transcripts. An unofficial copy is sufficient if it includes your name and all course information. If selected, official transcripts will be required prior to entering on duty. Education must have been obtained from an accredited institution. Education completed in a foreign institution must include an evaluation by an organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs that it was deemed equivalent to an accredited U.S. education program. For further information, see: Foreign Education Evaluation. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.
- Current and former career/career-conditional Federal employees:
- Most recent non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) showing you are/were in the competitive service (block 24 must contain a 1 or 2 and block 34 must contain a 1), highest grade held (or promotion potential) on a permanent basis, position title, series and grade. If your current grade is not your highest permanent grade, submit an additional SF-50 showing your highest grade.
- Most recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable (e.g., length of time in current position). A performance plan is not an acceptable substitute. Screenshots or printouts of electronic systems, including eHR Apps (ePMA), will not be accepted unless it is of the actual appraisal form with the end-of-year rating summary.
- Veteran Hiring Authorities: VEOA, VRA and 30% Disabled Veterans: DD214, Certificate of Release from Active Duty that shows dates of service and discharge under honorable conditions. Active duty members must submit a certification of expected discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions within 120 days after the date the certification is submitted. It must be on the letterhead of the military branch and include the dates of service. Veterans' preference must be verified prior to appointment. Visit Feds Hire Vets for more information.
- If claiming 10-point veterans' preference you must provide the DD214 or certification (see above) plus the documentation listed on the SF-15 Application for 10-point Veterans' Preference. Failure to submit these documents could result in a finding that 10-point preference cannot be awarded.
- Schedule A, Persons with Disabilities Appointment: Letter from a physician, local, state or federal rehabilitation office citing eligibility under 5 CFR 213.3102 (u).
- Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP priority must provide: proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), last performance appraisal, and the most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location.
- Peace Corps/VISTA Volunteers: Documentation of no less than 24 months (Peace Corps) or 1 year (VISTA) of continuous service and separated within 1 year of completing the qualifying service.
- If applying under a special hiring authority or an interchange agreement with another merit system not listed above, see the requirements for that authority and submit the required supporting documentation. Go to: USAJOBS Hiring Path for Special Authorities or Special Hiring Authority for more information.
How to Apply
Please read the entire announcement and all instructions before you begin. You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.
Applying online is highly encouraged. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00a.m. - 4:00p.m., Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, contact the Agency Contact listed below well before the closing date for an alternate method. All hardship application packages must be complete and submitted no later than noon ET on the closing date of the announcement in order to be entered into the system prior to its closing.
This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; contact the Agency Contact to request this.
Step 1: Create a USAJOBS account (if you do not already have one) at www.usajobs.gov. It is recommended that as part of your profile you set up automatic email notification to be informed when the status of your application changes. If you choose not to set up this automatic notification, then you will have to log into your USAJOBS account to check on the status of your application.
Step 2: Create a Resume with USAJOBS or upload a Resume into your USAJOBS account. You may want to customize your resume to ensure it documents duties and accomplishments you have gained that are directly related to this position in order to verify that qualifications are met. In addition, your resume must support your responses to the online questionnaire (you may preview the online questionnaire by clicking on the link at the end of the How You Will Be Evaluated section of the job announcement).
Step 3: Click "Apply Online" and follow the prompts to complete the Occupational Questionnaire and attach any additional documents that may be required. You can update your application or documents anytime while the announcement is open. Simply log into your USAJOBS account and click on "Application Status." Click on the position title, and then select "Update Application" to continue.
NOTE: Please verify that documents you are uploading from USAJOBs transfer into the Agency's staffing system as there is a limitation to the number of documents that can be transferred. However, once in the Agency's staffing system, you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Uploaded documents must be less than 5MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, TXT or Word (DOC or DOCX). Do not upload Adobe Portfolio documents because they are not viewable.
Next steps
If you set up your USAJOBS account to send automatic email notifications, your will receive an email acknowledging: 1) the submission of your online Occupational Questionnaire and resume was successful, 2) if you were referred to the selecting official for consideration, and 3) if you were selected or not selected. Your application will be reviewed to verify that you meet the eligibility and qualification requirements for the position prior to issuing referral lists to the selecting official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. Log in to your USAJOBS account to check your application status. We expect to make a final job offer approximately 40 days after the deadline for applications.
Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
Under the Fair Chance Act, agencies are not allowed to request information about an applicant's criminal history until a conditional offer of employment has been made, except as allowed for access to classified information; assignment to national security duties or positions; acceptance or retention in the armed forces; or recruitment of a Federal law enforcement officer. An applicant may submit a complaint or any other information related to an organization's alleged noncompliance with the Fair Chance Act. The complaint must be submitted within 30 calendar days of the date of the alleged noncompliance. To make a Fair Chance Act inquiry or complaint, send an email with the appropriate information to pervis.lee@mspb.gov, subject line: Fair Chance Act.
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