Government Information Specialist

The facility Privacy/FOIA Officer has oversight for the data governance program and initiatives in the VHA Medical Center or Healthcare System and its supporting catchment area. The position makes unique facility-level determinations about disclosures, issuance of denials, redactions, access, use and dissemination of federal agency records. This position is located in White City Oregon. •Recruitment / Relocation Incentives MAY be available to highly qualified candidates•

Qualifications:

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet Time-In-Grade and Specialized Experience requirements within 30 days of the the closing date of this announcement, 06/03/2026.

Time-In-Grade Requirement :

Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09. For a GS-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade.

Note:

Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: GS-11

Minimum Requirements :

Specialized Experience:

You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-09 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Safeguarding of government information while supporting accountability and transparency initiatives; conducting strategic risk analysis pertaining to privacy/FOIA programs; coordinating training; managing outreach programs; implementing unique policies and procedures to manage agency information; providing services and assistance to the general public and staff members; researching, interpreting and applying laws, regulations, policies and guidance for access and disclosure of agency records and information.

Note:

Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, GS level (if a federal position), duties, month & year starting and ending dates AND hours worked per week.

OR, Education:

Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a 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. ( Transcripts Required)

OR, Combination:

Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond a master's degree to meet total experience requirements for the GS-11 level. To determine if you meet combination requirements, the total percentages of your qualifying experience and percentage of education required for the grade level must equal at least 100 percent. (Transcripts Required) . GS-12

Minimum Requirements :

Specialized Experience:

You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-11 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Independently working as a privacy/FOIA officer with little to no supervision; formulating policy; ensuring compliance with federal and state laws; conducting thorough research of implementing regulations, policies and procedures to manage agency/organization information; providing assistance and services to the general public, staff members and communicate information to the Executive Leadership, facility staff and outside stakeholders.

Note:

Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, GS level (if a federal position), duties, month & year starting and ending dates AND hours worked per week.

Preferred Experience:

Safeguarding of government information while supporting accountability and transparency initiatives. Strategic Risk Analyst Coordinated training Outreach Implementing unique policies and procedures to manage agency information Providing services and assistance to public and VA staff members Researching, interpreting and applying laws, regulations, policies, and guidance for access and disclosure of VA agency records and information. Analytical Reasoning Compliance Integrity/Honesty Strategic Thinking For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/ .