Eligibility Examiner

Eligibility Examiner Open Date:

May 8, 2026

Position Type:

Permanent Excepted Service Job Vacancy #:

PDS-2026-19

Location:

500 Indiana Avenue NW Washington, DC 20001

About The Job PDS Overview:

The Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia (PDS) is a federally funded, independent organization governed by an eleven-member Board of Trustees. PDS provides legal representation for indigent individuals who are charged with criminal offenses in the District of Columbia and face a loss of liberty. PDS has approximately 200 employees, most of whom work at our main office located at 633 3 rd Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. The PDS staff consists of approximately 100 attorneys, and approximately 100 social workers, investigative specialists, administrative, and technical employees. PDS is funded by federal appropriations, and all employees are entitled to participate in certain federal benefits plans: health and life insurance, federal retirement system, and the Thrift Savings Plan . Employment at PDS is neither federal nor District of Columbia government employment, and all employees are at-will.

Division Overview:

This position is located in the Public Defenders Service for the District of Columbia (PDS), Defender Services Office (DSO). DSO offices are located in the D.C. Superior Court Moultrie Courthouse located at 500 Indiana Avenue NW, Washington D.C. Services provided by the DSO include:

• Eligibility interviews of all defendants and juvenile respondents and their families.
• Eligibility determinations for all defendants and respondents to determine what, if any, eligibility they may have for legal representation provided under Criminal Justice Act.
• Verification of eligibility.
• Assisting the court in the appointment of counsel process by coordinating the call-in list for available Panel attorneys.
• Processing the lock-up list and assessing the availability of PDS attorneys, clinical students and pro bono attorneys.
• Identifying conflicts in legal representation.
• Answering inquiries from the public, attorneys, court personnel and the Judiciary.
• Collection of statistical information.

Because the DSO provides critical technical support to the court for the initial appearance of arrestees, the DSO days of operation mirror those of arraignment court. Thus, the DSO is operational on all Saturdays and on all holidays, and management and staff coverage is ensured using a rotating schedule. On a rotating basis, the incumbent must work Saturdays and any day Arraignment Court is operational.

Major Duties:

As an Eligibility Examiner, the incumbent performs the following duties:

• Writes, or assists with writing, the lock-up interview sheets.
• Interviews defendants and juvenile delinquents in the cellblocks when made available by the U.S. Marshal's Service.
• Locates and interviews family members as needed.
• Elicits information from each interviewee as to financial status for the eligibility determination and other individual demographic information for input into the PDS statistical database.
• Organizes interview sheets and distributes to courtrooms as applicable.
• Assures that every adult defendant and juvenile respondent has been interviewed before first court appearance.
• On a rotational basis or when assigned, works at a counter approximately 4ft in height, handling a variety of inquiries and requests from the public and attorneys.
• May periodically prepare the attorney cut-off and limited lists.
• When summoned, interviews defendants in courtrooms, testifies with respect to information obtained through the interview process, and explains to judicial officers the office's eligibility determination for a particular defendant.
• Inputs interview data into PDS databases.
• Incumbent rotates work assignments, lockups, and counter duties.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications:

Educational Qualifications:

High school diploma or equivalent is required. Additional Qualifications

• Applicants must be at least 21 years of age as of the closing date of the announcement.
• Applicants must have accurate typing skills and possess basic data entry skills.
• Candidates must be able to: o effectively communicate orally with all who come in contact with DSO o interact tactfully and diplomatically with others o gather and assemble facts for analysis; and work well under pressured circumstances. In additional to the essential functions above, this position also requires the incumbent to be able to do the following:
• Constantly communicate fluently in oral and written English.
• Constantly communicate effectively with PDS staff and outside parties over multiple modalities such as phones, e-mail, video conferencing, facsimile, etc.
• Constantly operate a computer and other office equipment which may require repetitive movements.
• Constantly being able to read and interpret print in hard copy and electronic formats.
• Constantly be able to work in an environment that may include one or more of the following loud and unexpected noises, varying levels of lighting, and obstructed views.
• Constantly be able to work in an environment with locked doors, metal bars, with the inability to freely exit.
• Constantly be able to communicate across physical barriers, using increased volume and enunciation when necessary.
• Constantly navigate multiple programs both on the PDS network (such as e-mail, calendar, etc.), as well as shared programs with outside networks. Constantly regulate stress of workplace.
• Constantly navigate office environment to access file cabinets, drawers, office machinery, etc.
• Constantly perform sedentary office work.
• Constantly travel by walking, climbing stairs to complete eligibility interviews.
• Frequently be able to work at a counter approximately 4 feet in height, either sitting or standing.
• Frequently be able to utilize a handheld device which may exhibit a visible glare and weigh up to 10 pounds.
• Occasionally travel to offsite locations via vehicle, public transportation and/or walking.
• Occasionally enter buildings with limited access entrance and/or steps.
• Rarely lift weights 30 pounds or more.

Key Requirements:

(1) applicant must be a US Citizen or have current authorization to work in the United States. (2) incumbent must have no convictions as defined in D.C. Code Sec. 14.305(b)(1) (Impeachment by evidence of conviction of crime)

Other Employment Conditions and Work Requirements:

Incumbent will be required to work a tour of duty from Monday through Friday beginning at 8:00am and working until 4:30pm. The incumbent will be required to work the following:

• A minimum of two Saturdays each month
• Work during inclement weather;
• Work in rotation with other DSO staff on all federal and local holidays (e.g., Christmas, D.C. Emancipation Day);
• Work rarely on evenings and Sundays;
• Work when Superior Court's statutory courtrooms are operational.

The incumbent will be required to have direct contact and conduct interviews with individuals charged with serious crimes in a secure cellblock operated by the US Marshals Service. This position will require the incumbent to handle the physical demands of this position to include but not limited to frequently walking to and from the courtrooms and cellblocks, and frequently using stairs, elevators, and escalators. This position also requires strict adherence to ALL safety procedures enforced by the US Marshals Service and court security personnel.

• All candidates are subject to a criminal background check.

Preferred Qualifications:

Highly Desirable Qualifications:

• Knowledge of and skill in applying basic business office rules, procedures, and operations sufficient to perform a full range of support tasks within a legal office environment
• Strong customer service experience
• Knowledge of MS Office Suites
• Candidates with bilingual Spanish/English and/or American Sign Language skills are strongly encouraged to apply.

Grade Qualifications:

Qualifications Required for the Grade 5 All candidates must possess the above noted educational qualification and one year of general experience as described below:

• General experience is progressively responsible clerical, office or other work that indicates the possession of, or the ability to acquire, the particular knowledge and skills needed to perform the clerical duties such as filing, telephone usage, typing, record keeping, etc.

Qualifications Required for the Grade 6 To qualify for the Grade 6, a candidate must possess the aforementioned educational requirement and two years of general experience (described below), which must have been at a level of difficulty comparable to the GS-5 level.

• General experience is progressively responsible clerical, office or other work that indicates the possession of, or the ability to acquire, the particular knowledge and skills needed to perform the clerical duties such as filing, telephone usage, typing, record keeping, etc.

Qualifications Required for the Grade 7 To qualify for the Grade7 a candidate must possess the aforementioned educational requirement, at least two years of the general experience described above, and at least 1 year the following specialized experience:

• Candidates must have demonstrated and progressively responsible experience that is in, or closely related to, the work of the position that has provided the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to apply a body of rules, regulations, decisions, or statutes; extracting data from various sources; and dealing with people for purposes such as assessing eligibility for and advising on benefits and obligations for social services or similar purposes.

Application Evaluation:

How you will be evaluated: Your application package includes your cover letter, resume and requested supporting documentation. Please ensure your application package includes detailed information to support your qualifications for this position. Failure to provide sufficient evidence in your application package and requested supporting documents can result in a rejection of your application package. Prior to the closing date of the announcement, PDS reserves the right to conduct rolling interviews.

Rating:

Your application package will be rated and ranked among other applicants, based on your experience, education, training, and awards relevant to the duties of this position. Your rating can be lowered if your application package is not supported by the requested documents.

Referral:

If you are among the top qualified candidates, your application package will be referred to a hiring manager for consideration at which time you may be invited to participate in a selection interview.

Interview Structure:

Those who are selected for interviews will be required to interview via Web- X, Skype, or some other communications platform.

Note:

PDS reserves the right to interview prior to the closing date.

Number of vacancies:

1

Pay Series:

0998

Compensation:

$45,146 to $72,703/ per annum

Minimum Starting Salary:

$45,146 per annum

Promotion Potential:

AD-07 (equivalent to GS-07)

Grade Range:

AD-0998-Grades 05 thru 07 (Full Performance Level (FPL)

AD-0998-07

) Promotion Potential The incumbent may be promoted to the next grade without further competition upon completion of one year of exemplary performance; promotion is subject to approval of the PDS Director.

Benefits:

PDS is funded by federal appropriations, and employees are entitled to participate in federal benefits plans, federal retirement systems, and the workers compensation program. Transferring federal employees will receive recognition of creditable federal service for leave accrual and retirement (if applicable) purposes.

Benefits include:

• Federal Employees Retirement Systems (retirement annuity)
• Thrift Savings Plan (similar to a 401K program)
• Federal Employees Health Benefits (health insurance)
• Federal Employees Group Life Insurance (life insurance)
• Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program
• Flexible Spending Accounts (for health care and dependent care)
• Employee Assistance Program
• Federal Occupational Health (access to health clinic and services)

Telework:

This position requires on-site presence, both in the office and in the field, as necessary to meet the demands of the role. Currently, this position is not eligible for telework.

Who May Apply:

Open to US Citizens or those authorized to work in the United States How to

Apply:

You must provide a complete application package which includes: (1) a cover letter that addresses your qualifications and interest in the position; please explain why you are leaving current employer, or why you left your most recent employer. (2) Resume. (3) Provide three professional references, (4) Provide your most recent performance appraisal (if appraisal is not available, please address this in your cover letter. Please submit your application package in MS WORD or PDF documents; please combine application documents in 1 PDF document, if able. Applications MUST be emailed to PDSHRMailbox@pdsdc.org . To ensure your application receives proper consideration, the subject line of your application email MUST include the job announcement number and the position title (i.e.

PDS 2026-19

Eligibility Examiner). All applicants' materials become property of PDS and will not be returned. PDS will not accept application packages by postal mail, fax, or personal delivery. For applicants with disabilities, this organization provides reasonable accommodations which will be decided on a case-by-case basis. To request a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or interview process, please contact Teara McCray, HR Specialist at (202) 824-2434 or at tmccray@pdsdc.org PDS is an Equal Opportunity Employer and an E-Verify Participating Agency