You are viewing a preview of this job. Log in or register to view more details about this job.

Correspondence Specialist

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Correspondence Specialist

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 Assistant Secretary for Financial Resources, located in Washington, District of Columbia.

This job is open to

Peace Corps & AmeriCorps Vista

Special authorities

Veterans

Military spouses

Land & base management

Individuals with disabilities

Federal employees - Competitive service

Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)

Clarification from the agency

This position is also open to PHS Commissioned Corps Officers. PHS Commissioned Corps (CC) Officers will be referred as CC personnel and not as a candidate for conversion to a permanent federal appointment. OPM Interchange Agreement; or Miscellaneous Authorities not regulated by U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

Duties

The Correspondence Specialist performs the following duties:

Identifies emerging policy or procedural problems and other pertinent issues of extreme importance to effectively communicate with internal and external audiences to support programs of significant importance to organizations financing and delivering health and human services.
Serves as liaison to the Executive Secretariat of the Department and aids in developing methods and procedures to improve the quality and timeliness of documents reviewed by the Secretary. Serves as records management coordinator for ASFR.
Serves as a knowledgeable point of contact in ASFR in collaborating and coordinating with HHS's FOIA Office to respond to requests for information about policy, process, and procedure and/or technical assistance concerning access to records maintained by the Office.
Collaborates with various Government agencies, to process the release of information under the FOIA.
Incumbent performs as the critical first point of receipt, review, assignment, and control of correspondence and other written communications and action items from, to, or through the Assistant Secretary.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

Security and Background Requirements: If not previously completed, a background security investigation will be required for all appointees. Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet these requirements may be grounds for appropriate personnel action. In addition, if hired, a background security reinvestigation or supplemental investigation may be required at a later time. Applicants are also advised that all information concerning qualifications is subject to investigation. False representation may be grounds for non-consideration, non-selection and/or appropriate disciplinary action.
E-Verify: If you are selected for this position, the documentation that you present for purposes of completing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Form I-9 will be verified through the DHS "E-Verify" System. Federal law requires DHS to use the E-Verify System to verify employment eligibility of all new hires and as a condition of continued employment obligates the new hire to take affirmative steps to resolve any discrepancies identified by the system. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is an E-Verify participant.
Direct Deposit: All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choice.
All qualification requirements must be met by the date the announcement closes.
Financial disclosure statement may be required: No
Travel, transportation, and relocation expenses may be paid: No
Bargaining Unit Position: No
Drug Screening Required: No
Recruitment incentives may be authorized: No
Student loan repayment incentive may be authorized: No
Annual leave for non-federal service may be authorized: No
One year probationary period may be required.
U.S. Citizenship Required: Yes
Males born after December 31, 1959 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service - http://www.sss.gov

Qualifications

Your resume must include detailed information as it relates to the responsibilities and specialized experience for this position. Evidence of copying and pasting directly from the vacancy announcement without clearly documenting supplemental information to describe your experience will result in an ineligible rating. This will prevent you from receiving further consideration.

Please limit your resume to 5 pages. If more than 5 pages are submitted, only the first 5 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications.

To qualify for the GS-9: you must have one year of specialized experience that is equivalent to at least the GS-7 grade level performing duties such as: Collaborating with staff across various departments and within an office; communicating information and instruction to internal staff and customers; preparing, formulating, and organizing documents ensuring adherence to standards of quality and consistency with departmental, organizational and agency, and policies; and performing evaluation criteria to measure and improve administrative operations and productivity for responding to customer requests.
OR
Have successfully completed a Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D., if related. (Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts.)

OR
Have a combination of successfully completed graduate level education and specialized experience as described above. This will be calculated using your resume and unofficial transcripts or a list of courses/course hours submitted with your application.

To qualify for the GS-11: you must have one year of specialized experience that is equivalent to at least the GS-9 grade level performing duties such as: Collaborating with staff across various agencies, departments, and within the office; communicating information and instruction; preparing and formulating high-profile correspondence ensuring adherence to standards of quality and consistency with departmental, organizational and agency, precedents and policies; and performing analytical techniques and evaluation criteria to measure and improve administrative operations and organizational productivity for responding to FOIA requests.
OR
Have successfully completed 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.(Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts.)

To qualify for the GS-12: you must have one year of specialized experience that is equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level performing duties such as: Formulating office policies and procedures concerning executive correspondence; applying qualitative and quantitative methods to monitor and evaluate the efficiency and productivity of correspondence control and suspense actions for an organization; utilizing and assembling data and information used for reports and/or responses to inquiries; and overseeing the correspondence management system, record keeping, FOIA requests, and other administrative services for an organization.

Time-in-grade: Current General Schedule (GS) federal employees, and those that have served in GS positions within the last 52 weeks, must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade, or a combination of the next lower grade level and an equivalent band in the federal service. Provide a copy of your last or most recent SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action" to indicate your current federal status. You must also submit additional SF-50(s) to clearly demonstrate one year time-in-grade as required in the announcement. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate that you possess one year time-in-grade. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one year time-in-grade.

Documenting experience: 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.

Education

If education is required or you are using education to qualify, you must submit a copy of your college transcripts. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application; however, if you are selected, you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to entering on duty. Education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university.

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. For further information, visit: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.

Additional information

Special Hiring Authorities for Veterans - http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/shav/index.aspx

People With Disabilities (Schedule A) - https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/individuals-with-disabilities/

Military Spouses - https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/military-spouses/

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 email the agency 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 (CTAP): 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.

Interagency Career Transition Program (ICTAP): Applies to displaced Federal service employees per 5 CFR Part 330, Subpart G, and this Instruction. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet eligibility criteria for CTAP or ICTAP; 2) be rated well-qualified for the position; and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP 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

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.

In accordance with Executive Order 12564 of September 15, 1986, The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is A Drug-Free Federal Workplace. The Federal government, as the largest employer in the Nation, can and should show the way towards achieving drug-free workplaces through programs designed to offer drug users a helping hand, and at the same time demonstrating to drug users and potential drug users that drugs will not be tolerated in the 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. Applicants selected for this position will be subject to reasonable suspicion and post-accident drug testing upon hiring. To demonstrate commitment to the HHS goal of a drug-free workplace and to set an example for other Federal employees, employees not in a testing designated position may volunteer for unannounced random testing by notifying their Drug-free Federal Workplace Program Point of Contact upon hiring.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

Once the application process is complete, a review of the resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If, after reviewing your resume and or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

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, most recent performance appraisal), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the additional assessments required for this position, as applicable. If you are found tentatively eligible after a HR review, you may be further evaluated based on a subject matter review of your resume, a job knowledge test, a writing sample, or interview. Failure to comply with any of the additional assessment requirements will result in removal from further consideration.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):

- Interpersonal Skills
- Manages and Organizes Information
- Organizational Awareness
- Technical Competence- Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
- Written Communications

To preview the assessment questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12559042

Required Documents

Submission of a resume alone IS NOT a complete application. You must provide a complete online Application Package which includes:

Resume must clearly articulate how your skills and experiences align to the criteria defined in the qualifications section of this announcement and it must support your responses to the assessment questionnaire. For each position you must describe your duties, accomplishments, related skills, and responsibilities. Your resume must also include the month and year that you began and ended for each position held. Full-time employment will be assumed unless otherwise stated on your resume. Part-time employment will be prorated in crediting experience. Not providing this information may result in the lowering of your assessment score or an ineligible rating. Please limit your resume to 5 pages. If more than 5 pages are submitted, only the first 5 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. For resume writing guidance, please visit the USAJobs Resource Center.
A complete Assessment Questionnaire (https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12559042)

Other Supporting Documents: (Only Submit if applicable to you)

SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action" - if you are a current or former federal employee, please submit an SF-50 to clearly demonstrate one year time-in-grade as required in the announcement. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate that you possess one year time-in-grade. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one year time-in-grade.
Schedule A documentation (disability letter from you doctor or a licensed medical professional that proves your eligibility for Schedule A appointment)
Peace Corps (copy of your description of service or other proof of your noncompetitive eligibility)
Veterans: You must submit a DD Form 214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge) that has the dates of service and discharge status.
- Disabled Veterans: In addition to the DD-214 form, you must submit an official document dated 1991 or later, from the Department of Veterans Affairs or from a branch of the Armed Forces, certifying the service-connected disability rating.
- Active Duty Members: To claim status under the VOW (Veterans Opportunity to Work) to hire Heroes Act of 2011, you must submit written documentation from the armed forces that certifies you are expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted with your application package. Certifications must include: expected separation or retirement date, date terminal leave will begin (if applicable), and expected character of discharge (honorable, general, etc.).
- Parents of Deceased or Disabled Veterans, Widow or Widower: To claim preference, you must submit a copy of the deceased or disabled veterans' DD-214 AND the SF-15, Application for 10-point Veterans Preference.
- Spouse of a Living Veteran: To claim preference, you must submit a copy of the veterans' DD-214 AND the SF-15, Application for 10-point Veterans Preference, and documentation of veteran's inability to work because of a service-connected disability.
- Military Spouse Hiring Authority: A spouse of a current active-duty member must submit a copy of the marriage license and a copy of the service member's orders. A spouse of a former service member with a 100% service-connected disability must submit a copy of the marriage license, the service member's DD-214 and documentation from the Department of Veterans Affairs or branch of service reflecting a 100% service-connected disability. A widow/widower of a service member who was killed while serving on active duty must submit a copy of the marriage license, DD-214 or documentation of deceased service-member's service-connected death, and a statement validating that the widow/widower is unmarried.

Please follow the instructions in the SF-15 on required documentation to be submitted.

ICTAP/CTAP documentation: you must submit the following documents at the time of application: (1) Proof of Eligibility (Reduction-in-Force separation notice, Notice of proposed removal for failure to relocate, notice of injury compensation termination, OR notice of disability annuity termination); (2) Your latest performance rating showing a rating of at least "fully successful" (level 3); AND (3) Your most recent Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50), or equivalent personnel action, showing your tenure, position occupied, and duty station.

You are not required to submit official documents at this time; copies are sufficient.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section.

*To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
*Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package.
*It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.

To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account at https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link, and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.

To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account at https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.

If you are unable to apply online, please go to https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Alternate_Application_Information for more information on our alternate application method.

The complete Application Package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 10/09/2024.

Additional selections may be made for similar positions across the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) within the local commuting area(s) of the location identified in this announcement. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with interested selecting official(s) at HHS. Clearance of CTAP/ICTAP will be applied for similar positions across HHS.

Agency contact information

OMHA Human Resources Center

Email OSOMHAHRCServicesHQ@hhs.gov

Address Office of the Assistant Secretary for Financial Resources
200 Independence Avenue Washington, DC 20201 US

Next steps

Once the online questionnaire is received you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. The best qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interview. We expect to make a selection within 45 days of the closing date of this announcement.

You will receive notice via email or by mail, if no email address was provided by you during the application process, once this process is completed (generally 4-6 weeks).

Please contact OSOMHAHRCServicesHQ@hhs.gov with any questions about this announcement.

HHS has a critical preparedness and response mission: HHS protects the American people from health threats, researches emerging diseases, and mobilizes public health programs with domestic and international partners. In support of this mission, HHS offers its employees the opportunity to volunteer to become Federal Civilian Detailees and contribute their unique skills through voluntary temporary assignments to humanitarian emergencies or Departmental priorities countering new and emerging health, safety, and security threats.

Fair & Transparent

The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.