Government Information Specialist

Full Job Description

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.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 02/03/2026.

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 by the closing date of this announcement.

For a GS12 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 as described below: Specialized Experience: 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.

Experience as a Privacy/FOIA officer working independently with little supervision, formulating policy, ensures compliance with federal and state laws and conducting thorough research of implementing regulations and policies and procedures to manage agency/organization information; providing assistance and services to the general public, staff members and communicated information to the Executive leadership, facility staff and outside stakeholders.

Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary. There will be episodes of moderate lifting or prolonged periods of standing and bending in searching various files.

There is lifting and carrying of such items as record boxes and bulky files.

The work involves considerable walking, standing and bending conducting rounds, auditing and providing training to both on-site and off-site personnel.

There is also occasional lifting and carrying of such items as boxes and files, weighing up to 30 lbs.

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/.

Major Duties:

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.

The position formulates policy, ensures compliance with federal and state laws and conducts thorough research of federal implementing regulations.

Major Duties include: Supports developing a local level strategy for data governance, which includes leading from the executive office and creating a unique program that includes diverse processes and specific policies which are independent of other facilities.

Develops the local privacy strategy that integrates the VHA Medical Center or Healthcare System Leverages key functions of the authority delegated from the facility Director to make final decisions of data disclosure, initiate independent investigations, conduct compliance activities and implement physical, technical and administrative safeguards across the facility Additionally, the Privacy/FOIA Officer will interact with high ranking external stakeholders to include Veteran Service Organizations (VSO's), Congressional representatives.

Develops and executes strategic management initiatives that establishes areas of control of information within the facility and interfaces with all business operations across service lines/departments.

Creates unique written policies that define the enterprise privacy principles, guidance and practices that influence the data governance model for the organization.

Systematically approves all facility policies and reviews business practices to ensure appropriate use and protection of information specific to each functional area.

Strengthens and sustains the operational life cycle of the privacy/FOIA program by developing communication strategy that fosters awareness for both internal and external partners to improve compliance provide training and engage the public Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:30am - 4:00PM Telework: Ad-Hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Government Information Specialist/PD080600 Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized