Paralegal Specialist

Summary As a Paralegal Specialist at the GS-0950-7, you will be part of Retirement Services Office of Personnel Management. The incumbent will be responsible for applying laws and regulations of the Civil Service Retirement System, the Federal Employees Retirement System, and the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. Responsibilities Responding to inquiries concerning the work and providing explanations of the features and requirements. Processing case; studying, analyzing, and conducting detailed analysis and determine if further evidentiary documentation or legal actions is needed. Reviewing files to ensure proper completeness of record, timeliness of the filing, and determining whether immediate action is needed. Examining case files; determine which statutes apply and the time limitations. Determining validity of acceptability of case files court order. Screening and controlling case files. Requirements Conditions of Employment Must be a U.S. Citizen or National Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service Suitable for Federal employment, determined by a background investigation May be required to successfully complete a probationary period Complete the initial online assessment and USAHire Assessment, if required This position is eligible for inclusion in the bargaining unit. The union that represents employees in this position is the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 32. Qualifications For the GS7: You must have one year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the private or public sector) performing all of the following: 1) Analyzing and evaluating information; AND 2) Planning, organizing, and coordinating work; AND 3) Performing general business fiscal operations practices such as accounting, bookkeeping, finance, human resource services, payroll, and/or employee benefits programs. OR One full year of graduate-level education that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. (You must submit a copy of your transcripts). OR A bachelor's degree and Superior Academic Achievement. (You must submit a copy of your transcripts). OR A combination of education and experience to qualify at this level. To calculate your percentage of education, divide the number of graduate semester hours earned by 18. If your education is in quarter hours, convert to semester hours by multiplying the number of quarter hours earned by 2/3rds. To calculate your percentage of experience, divide the number of months of full-time experience by 12. If your experience was part-time, convert to full-time by dividing the number of hours worked per week by 40 then multiply by the number of months worked. Add the percentages. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. (You must submit a copy of your transcripts). Merit promotion applicants must meet time-in-grade requirement as defined in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F. One year at the GS-05 level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS 7 level. You must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. 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; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Education Additional Information Relocation expenses will not be paid. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional similar vacancies across OPM. During the application process you will have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. Reasonable Accommodation 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 here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire If you are unable to apply online and would like to request information about the Alternate Application process, please use the contact information at the bottom of this announcement.