Paralegal Specialist/Senior Paralegal Specialist (Information Services)

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.

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 [email protected] 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.

An Overview of FHFA's Benefits provides a summary of benefits for the current fiscal year. If you are a veteran with preference eligibility and are claiming 5-points veterans' preference, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 or other proof of eligibility. If you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference, you must also submit an SF-15, "Application for 10-Point Veterans' Preference" plus the proof required by that form.

For more information on veterans' preference visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Veterans. Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see https://www.sss.gov/RegVer/wfRegistration.aspx). Career Transition Assistance Programs: These programs apply to Federal employees who have been involuntarily separated or whose positions are surplus.

To receive selection priority, you must: (1) meet CTAP/ICTAP eligibility criteria; (2) be rated well-qualified with a score of 90 or above; and (3) submit required documentation. For more information, visit: For more information visit: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application.

Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision.

You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION: FHFA provides accommodations to applicants with disabilities unless it would create an undue hardship.

To request an accommodation, contact [email protected]. All requests are reviewed case by case. Ethics: FHFA employees are subject to government-wide ethical standards of conduct, financial disclosure requirements, and post-employment prohibitions.

In addition, certain FHFA employees are prohibited from accepting compensation from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for a two-year period after terminating employment with FHFA. Furthermore, to avoid financial conflicts-of interest or the appearance of conflicts-of-interest, FHFA employees may need to divest or sell certain assets they, their spouse, or minor children own or control, including securities issued by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, or the Federal Home Loan Banks. Employees who work on Federal Home Loan Bank issues may need to sell or divest financial interests with any of the Federal Home Loan Bank members, which may include stock in bank holding companies, insurance companies, and other financial services firms.

Questions regarding these requirements and prohibitions should be directed to the Office of General Counsel at (202) 649-3088.

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section.

The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: Click the Apply Online button. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.

Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email.

The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link.

Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments.

You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. Set aside about two (2) hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.

Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused. Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us.

To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To view the announcement status or your application status: Visit https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/howto/application/status/.

Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application. If you are unable to apply online, you must request an alternative application which is available from the Human Resources Office. Please contact Ryan Stanger at [email protected] or 771-233-7320 to obtain an alternative application.

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.

1. 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.

1. 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.

1. 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.).

1. 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.