Summary This position is located in the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Office of the General Counsel, located in Bethesda, Maryland. **This announcement will be open for 5 business days OR until the first 100 applications have been received, whichever happens first.** Responsibilities The nature of the work is to provide a variety of legal administrative, operations and support services. This position serves as Legal Administrative Specialist to the General Counsel, independently performing a wide range of confidential and sensitive assignments requiring an intimate knowledge of the supervisor's priorities and interests concerning current HHS issues Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications Applicants must demonstrate that they meet the Minimum Qualification requirements as noted below. ' Minimum Qualifications: GS-11: You must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors) performing 3 of the 4 duties listed below: 1. Assisting with the preparation of legal documents in litigation proceedings. 2. Compiling exhibits, affidavits, legal documents, and other material for transmittal to administrative law judges, adjudicators, arbitrators, and private parties. 3. Supporting office functions (such as timecards, supply orders, etc.) to ensure continued operations. 4. Preparing confidential and time sensitive correspondence, reports, and other documents for review by senior leadership. OR Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, or LL.M., if related, or a combination of education and experience. GS-12: You must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the GS-11 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors) performing 3 of the 4 duties listed below: 1. Preparing legal documents in litigation proceedings. 2. Researching and assembling exhibits, affidavits, legal documents, and other material for transmittal to administrative law judges, adjudicators, arbitrators, and private parties. 3. Analyzing office operations and functions to identify areas to increase effectiveness. 4. Preparing confidential and time sensitive correspondence, reports, and other documents for review by senior leadership. Documenting Experience: IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Qualifications are based on breadth/level of experience. In addition to describing duties performed, applicants must provide the exact dates of each period of employment (from MM/YY to MM/YY) and the number of hours worked per week if part time. As qualification determinations cannot be made when resumes do not include the required information, failure to provide this information may result in disqualification. Applicants are encouraged to use the USAJOBS Resume Builder to develop their federal resume. Do not copy and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position. In accordance with Office of Personnel Management policy, federal employees are assumed to have gained experience by performing duties and responsibilities appropriate for their official series and grade level as described in their position description. Experience that would not normally be part of the employee's position is creditable, however, when documented by satisfactory evidence, such as a signed memorandum from the employee's supervisor or an SF-50 or SF-52 documenting an official detail or other official assignment. The documentation must indicate whether the duties were performed full time or, if part time, the "percentage of times" the other duties were performed. It is expected that this documentation is included in the employee's official personnel record. In order to receive credit for experience in your resume that is not within the official series and grade level of your official position, you must provide a copy of the appropriate documentation of such experience as indicated above. 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; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to gain employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. If such experience is on a part-time basis, you must provide the average number of hours worked per week as well as the beginning and ending dates of the experience so it can be fully credited. Time-in-Grade Requirement: Under competitive merit promotion procedures, any individual who is currently holding, or who has held within the previous 52 weeks, a General Schedule position under non-temporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service, must meet "time-in-grade" requirements (have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade of the grade for which you are applying). You must include an SF-50 (you may need to submit more than one) that supports meeting this requirement with your application package. OPM Qualification General Policies Website www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-policies/#url=app All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement. Education If you are claiming education as any part of your qualifications for this position, you must submit an official transcript, unofficial transcript, or a list including courses, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. Special Instructions for Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. Failure to provide such documentation with your application will result in lost consideration. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information INCENTIVES Incentives may be authorized; however, this is contingent upon multiple factors, including funds availability. If authorized, certain incentives may require you to sign a service agreement to remain in the Federal government for a period of up to 3 years. Note: This statement does not imply nor guarantee an incentive will be offered and paid. Incentives may include the following: moving expenses, recruitment or relocation incentive; student loan repayment, superior qualifications appointment, creditable service for annual leave for prior non-federal work experience or prior uniformed military service, etc. In accordance with Executive Order 12564 of September 14, 1986, The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is A Drug-Free Federal Workplace. The use of illegal drugs, on or off duty, by Federal employees is inconsistent not only with the law-abiding behavior expected of all citizens, but also with the special trust placed in such employees as servants of the public. Reasonable Accommodation: This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please see Agency Contact Information for whom to contact for more info. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. You must contact the HR contact on the vacancy announcement at least three business days before the closing date of this announcement to receive assistance. For more information on disability employment, please visit https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/disability-employment/ Career Transition Program: This program applies to Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed, or employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet eligibility criteria for CTAP; 2) be rated well-qualified for the position; and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP eligibility. Well-Qualified includes those applicants whose knowledge, skills, and abilities clearly exceed the minimum qualification requirements for the position. For information on eligibility criteria and required documentation, go to: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee\_guides/career\_transition.asp Political Appointment: Beginning January 1, 2010, agencies must seek prior approval from OPM before they can appoint a current or recent political appointee to a competitive or non-political excepted service position at any level under the provisions of title 5, United States Code. If you are currently or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employee in the executive branch, you MUST disclose that to the Human Resources Office. If you are unable to apply online, please contact the Mid-Atlantic Services Branch at NORFOLKMAIL@OPM.GOV for more information.