Clarification from the agency

Status Candidates (Merit Promotion and VEOA Eligibles) and those eligible for other hiring authorities.

Office of General Counsel

The Office of General Counsel (OGC) provides legal advice and representation to every office in FHFA regarding all aspects of FHFA's activities and operations.

Position Overview

The Paralegal Specialist/Senior Paralegal Specialist provides expert and comprehensive legal support to the General Counsel, OGC attorneys and professional staff, and other FHFA Divisions and Offices, specifically focused on information services such as electronic discovery (eDiscovery), FOIA, privacy, records, and compliance.

Major Duties & Responsibilities

The Paralegal Specialist/Senior Paralegal Specialist (Information Services) duties listed below are at the EL-13 grade level. Depending on the grade level selected, the incumbent will perform the following duties with varying levels of supervision and difficulty:

• Provide comprehensive and authoritative technical and administrative support to the Information Governance Team within the Operations Branch.
• Support FHFA's eDiscovery program in coordination with attorney staff, the Managing Associate General Counsel, Operations, and the Deputy General Counsel, Operations.
• Develop and implement standard operating procedures relative to the eDiscovery program and make recommendations for improvements and refinements to procedures, as appropriate.
• Serve as liaison with other Divisions and Offices within FHFA, responding to routine, complex, and sensitive eDiscovery requests, including internal misconduct investigations, Office of Inspector General (OIG) requests, Congressional requests, and requests related to external litigation.
• Engage with managers, the Office of Human Resources Management (OHRM), the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO), and personnel attorneys, as appropriate, with respect to eDiscovery searches.
• Support the legal hold process, including the distribution of preservation notices to Agency custodians, identification of relevant data sources, and coordination with OCIO to enable preservation in place of potentially relevant data.
• Give authoritative advice and guidance to agency personnel on issues related to the processing and fulfilling of records, eDiscovery, and FOIA requests, and other related information governance issues.
• Provide operational support to the FOIA Program with case management utilizing FOIA tools, including case intake, drafting and editing correspondence, monitoring statutory deadlines, managing backlogs, and generating accurate status reports.
• Initiate actions to assist the Operations Branch with Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) compliance, coordinating with program offices to submit information collection requests for Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval.
• Provide main support to the Operations Branch in responding to internal and external audits (e.g., FHFA OIG, Government Accountability Office (GAO)) and in preparing annual and ad-hoc reports, including maintaining, gathering, and producing relevant information and records.
• Review and analyze Executive Orders, OMB memoranda, and other Federal guidance documents to determine their impact on Agency operations, including monitoring the Federal Register and other official channels for updated regulatory guidance.
• Serve as a Federal Register liaison, coordinating publication of FHFA systems-of-records notices, PRA notices, regulations, and other notices in the Federal Register.
• Perform complex and comprehensive legal research and technical duties in support of FHFA program matters.
• Conduct extensive and thorough research into relevant statutes, regulations, case law, and government-wide guidance.
• Perform legal research by utilizing a wide variety of electronic and hardcopy resources including electronic search engines and resources on the internet.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Conditions of employment

• Status Candidates (Merit Promotion and VEOA Eligibles) and those eligible for other hiring authorities.
• An SF-50 is required with the exception of current FHFA employees. Please include one showing your tenure and competitive status. You must provide an SF-50 that indicates your competitive eligibility. You will not be considered without this.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
• May be required to successfully complete a probationary period.
• Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.
• Status candidates must meet time-in-grade requirements (52 weeks at the next lower grade level).
• Suitable for Federal employment, as determined by background investigation.
• Resume and supporting documents (See How To Apply).
• FHFA participates in e-Verify. All New hires must complete the I-9 Employment Verification form either on or before their first day of employment. If a discrepancy arises, you must take affirmative steps to resolve the matter.
• Bargaining Unit Status: Ineligible.
• This is NOT a remote position; you MUST live within or be willing to relocate within a commutable distance of the duty location.
• If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

Qualifications

You may qualify for your desired series and grade level if you meet the following qualification requirements:

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Minimum Qualification EL-12: Applicants must have 52 weeks (one-year) of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level as described below.

Experience: I qualify for the EL/GS-12 because I have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience at the EL/GS-11 or equivalent demonstrating work experience with one or more of the statements described below.

Examples of specialized experience include:

• Coordinating the development, tracking, and execution of eDiscovery operations; AND/OR
• Supporting an information governance program such as a FOIA or Privacy program, for an agency or organization; AND/OR
• Conducting legal research in support of legal matters related to internal agency operations; AND/OR
• Drafting, editing, and finalizing technical and legal documentation related to information governance, such as for eDiscovery, Litigation Holds, FOIA, Privacy, or the Paperwork Reduction Act.

Minimum Qualification EL-13: Applicants must have 52 weeks (one-year) of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level as described below.

Experience: I qualify for the EL/GS-13 because I have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience at the EL/GS-12 or equivalent demonstrating work experience with one or more of the statements described below.

Examples of specialized experience include:

• Supporting programs in two of the following subject matter areas: FOIA; Privacy; Litigation Holds; or Paperwork Reduction Act; AND/OR
• Providing oversight of the development, tracking, and execution of eDiscovery operations; AND/OR
• Conducting legal research in support of legal matters related to internal agency operations; AND/OR
• Drafting, editing, and finalizing technical and legal documentation related to information governance, such as for eDiscovery, Litigation Holds, FOIA, Privacy, or the Paperwork Reduction Act.

Time-In-Grade: Current or former Federal government employees who have held an EL/GS position in the preceding 52 weeks, must meet the time-in-grade requirement.

• To be eligible for the EL-12 position, applicants must have served 52 weeks as an EL/GS-11 or higher in the Federal Service.
• To be eligible for the EL-13 position, applicants must have served 52 weeks as an EL/GS-12 or higher in the Federal Service.

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.

How you will be evaluated

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

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.

You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

• Attention to Detail
• Customer Service
• Decision Making
• Flexibility
• Integrity/Honesty
• Interpersonal Skills
• Learning
• Reading Comprehension
• Reasoning
• Self-Management
• Stress Tolerance
• Teamwork

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

We recommend that you preview the online questions for this announcement before you start the application process. To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12969554

All of the information you provide will be verified by a review of the work experience and/or education as shown on your application forms, by checking references or through other means, such as the interview process. This verification could occur at any stage of the application process. Any exaggeration of your experience, false statements, or attempts to conceal information may be grounds for rating you ineligible.

In accordance with the Fair Chance Act, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) may not request, in oral or written form, that an applicant for an appointment to (FHFA) disclose criminal history record information before the appointing authority extends a tentative offer to the applicant. Allegations of FHFA violations of this Act may be submitted to fairchanceactcomplaints@fhfa.gov or to Fair Chance Act Complaints, Office of Human Resources Management, Employee Relations Branch, FHFA 400 7th Street, SW Washington DC 20219 within 30 days from the agency employee's alleged non-compliance with the law.

FHFA's application process has been specifically developed to ensure that we only ask you for the information we absolutely need to evaluate your qualifications and eligibility. All applicants are required to submit the following supportive documents:

1. Your Resume: Whether you have written a federal resume before or not, you may want to check out the new USAJOBS Help Center links (USAJOBS Help Center - How do I write a resume for a federal job?), as they detail what you should, and should not, include in your resume. Below you will find some of the required information that you should include in your federal resume:

• Contact Information: Your name and the best way to contact you.
• Relevant work experience: Job experience should include employer name, job title, start and end dates (month/year), the number of hours worked per week and descriptions that explain how you meet the required qualifications in the job announcement.
• Education, certifications or licensures: If the job announcement requires any education, certifications or licensures, make sure you include the required information on the resume.

Other important information regarding your resume:

• As a part of the Executive Order 14170 titled, "Reforming the Federal Hiring Process and Restoring Merit to Government Service", all applicant resumes must be 2 pages or less. The long-form Federal resume style is now prohibited under this Executive Order. To be compliant with this guidance, please limit your resume to 2 pages. If more than 2 pages are submitted, only the first 2 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications.
• Due to the new 2-page resume limitation, finalists for this position may be asked to provide additional previous employment information for pay setting purposes.

2. SF-50's are required with the exception of current FHFA employees. Please include an SF-50 that shows your tenure (1 or 2 in Block 24) and competitive status (1 in Block 34). You will not be considered without this. The SF-50 should show highest grade held on a permanent basis in the competitive service. You must provide an SF-50 that indicates your competitive eligibility.

3. Required, if applicable: This position requires a minimum level of education or a combination of education and experience. Please submit your transcripts (official or unofficial) along with your application if you choose an option that requires transcripts. Failure to provide transcripts, when required, will result in removal from the hiring process. Note: If you are selected for a position, an official transcript will be required before onboarding.

4. Required, if applicable: CTAP/ICTAP documentation (a copy of a separation notice or other proof of eligibility for priority selection; a copy of an SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, showing current position, grade, promotion potential, and duty location; AND a copy of your most recent performance appraisal.)

5. Required, if applicable: Veteran's Preference Documentation (DD-214, Member Copy 4 or other documentation containing dates of service and character of discharge. Disabled veterans and other applicants eligible for 10-point Veteran's Preference please include: documentation to validate your claim - VA letter, SF-15, etc.).

6. Other Supporting Documents:

• Cover Letter, optional
• Schedule A letter, if applicable

Important Notes:

• Utilize the preview feature of USA Jobs to view your documents and ensure the formatting remains and all documents are legible.
• Additional materials will not be accepted after the announcement closes (e.g. updated grades, updated resume, etc.).
• Your full name must be clearly visible on all documents.
• Do not submit encrypted documents.
• Tips: Encrypted documents do not transmit properly through USA Jobs. We recommend, you save the document as a new PDF or Print to PDF to ensure the document comes through properly and is displayed properly using the USA Jobs preview feature.
• If the position has an education requirement or you are qualifying on the basis of education, you need to list your education history including the type of degree and your major of study. If the position requires a certain number of credit hours, you are strongly encouraged to list the relevant courses in your resume. Do not include a photograph or video of yourself, or any sensitive information (age, date of birth, marital status, protected health information, religious affiliation, social security number, etc.) on your resume or cover letter. We will not access web pages linked on your resume or cover letter to determine your qualification.

Failure to submit any of the above-mentioned required documents may result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted.

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