Summary

For more information on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorneys' Offices, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/.

As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement.

This job is open to
Internal to an agency

Current federal employees of this agency.

Clarification from the agency

Current Federal employees in permanent competitive service positions (status candidates) in all U.S. Attorneys' offices and the Executive Office for the U.S. Attorneys, plus well-qualified surplus and displaced DOJ employees (CTAP) in the local commuting area. Internal Employees Only.

Duties

If selected for this position, you will join a well respected team of legal professionals with the U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Texas in Houston, Texas. You will support the Litigation Support team while managing the District's Law Enforcement Coordination (LEC) Program. Duties will include the following:

• Initiates and maintains direct contacts with specialized groups, non-profit organizations, law enforcement/public safety officials, governmental entities, and individuals in the community to support communities, prevention/intervention efforts and public safety.
• Develops targeted and specialized communication and information-sharing strategies designed to facilitate effective relationships with groups that are indifferent or sometimes hostile to the law-enforcement and outreach goals of the USAO. Devises an overall strategy to solicit and respond to concerns of public safety agencies and applicable community organizations without regard to race, gender, socio-economic status or geographic location.
• Coordinates with federal, state, county, and local law enforcement officials around certain project activities, including the development and implementation of training and strategic initiatives, which may involve coordinating groups of law enforcement who meet regularly to address specific challenges, concerns, needs and solutions.
• Facilitates the development and implementation of programs and strategies to complement outreach and prevention/intervention efforts using all available tools and resources.
• Advises and assists personnel in other Federal agencies and Department components, as relevant, on carrying out community and law enforcement relations and prevention/intervention activities. Furnishes policy guidance, develops directives for local policy procedures, as relevant, and evaluates program effectiveness.
• Identifies and disseminates information on and increases awareness about DOJ grant programs, solicitations and training/technical assistance that will advance training and programs within the district.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.

Requirements
Conditions of Employment
You must be a U.S. Citizen or National
Background investigation, credit check, and drug test required
You must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable
If selected, you may be required to complete a one year probationary period.
Time-in-Grade: Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements within 30 days after the closing date of this announcement.
You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days after the closing date of this announcement and before placement in the position.
Qualifications
GS-11: To qualify at the GS-11 level, you must have one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in Federal service.

Specialized experience is defined as: 1) experience recommending strategies to support community engagement and public safety efforts. 2) initiating and maintaining contact with communities in the district. 3) measuring the public reaction to USAO programs; and 4) assisting with identifying and providing guidance on available resources.

GS-12: To qualify at the GS-12 level, you must have one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level in Federal service.

Specialized experience is defined as: 1) experience developing and implementing strategies to support community engagement and public safety efforts. 2) devising and conducting outreach within communities in the district. 3) information gathering techniques in collecting and analyzing public reaction to USAO programs. 4) developing recommendations for management in improving communication with the general public and stakeholder groups; and 5) identifying and providing guidance on available resources, including federal grant opportunities

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP)- The ICTAP provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your ICTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in the announcement; and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and receive a score of 85 or better on established ranking criteria. You must provide proof of eligibility to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of ICTAP eligibility or a copy of your separation personnel action form. Additional information about ICTAP eligibility is at: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)-The CTAP provides eligible surplus and displaced competitive service employees in the Department of Justice with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your Department of Justice component has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your CTAP eligibility, 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement, and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and receive a score of 85 or better on established ranking criteria. You must provide a copy of your written notification of CTAP eligibility with your application. Additional information about CTAP eligibility is at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.
Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

Payment of relocation expenses will not be authorized.

The Department of Justice offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation; sick leave; holidays; telework; life insurance; health benefits; and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System.

Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) -VEOA allows eligible veterans to apply and compete for positions announced under merit promotion procedures when the hiring agency is recruiting from outside its own workforce. To be eligible for a VEOA appointment, a veteran must be honorably separated and either a preference eligible or have substantially completed three (3) or more years of continuous active military service. If you are applying for a Merit Promotion announcement and wish to be considered under VEOA, you must submit a copy of the Member Copy 4 of your DD-214, in addition to any other required documents listed on this announcement.

Special Employment Consideration - Persons with disabilities, veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more, certain other veterans, spouses of certain members of the armed forces, and returning Peace Corps volunteers are examples of individuals who are potentially eligible for non-competitive appointments. For further information, click on the links provided below . You must specify in your online questionnaire under what authority you wish to be considered and submit appropriate documentation to verify your eligibility.

Noncompetitive Appointment Authorities Links:
https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/competitive-hiring/#url=Types-of-Appointments

Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See http://www.sss.gov/.

Reasonable Accommodation Statement: Federal Agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities, where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

EEO Statement: The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, status as a parent, genetic information, disability, age, membership or non-membership in an employee organization, or on the basis of personal favoritism.

Benefits
How You Will Be Evaluated

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

Your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed on this announcement. If you are basically qualified for this job, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses on the Occupational Questionnaire. If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job. If you are found to be among the top candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.

You will be rated on the following Competencies (see The OPM Website for definitions):
Attention to Detail, Decision Making, Legal, Government and Jurisprudence, Oral Communication, Self-Management, and Writing

The Occupational Questionnaire will take you approximately 20 minutes to complete.

Required Documents

You must provide a complete Application Package, which includes:

• Required: Your responses to the Online Occupational Questionnaire (This is completed automatically during the apply online process).
• Required: Your resume showing relevant experience and dates (month/day/year) of employment and work schedule for each (e.g., part-time XX hours per week or full-time)(cover letter optional).

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, Ameri Corps) 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. (cover letter optional).

• Required if you are a current or former Federal employee: a recent copy of an SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, showing title, series, grade, and full performance level (FPL); AND a copy of your most recent performance appraisal. Please note your SF-50 must include your FPL in the remark section (e.g., appointment, reassignment, promotion actions), pay adjustments and awards do not include this information so they are not acceptable.
• Required, if applicable: CTAP/ICTAP documentation (a copy of a separation notice or other proof of eligibility) for priority selection; a copy of an SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, showing current position, grade, promotion potential, and duty location; AND a copy of your most recent performance appraisal.

Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office by providing a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information regarding your most recent political appointment:

Position title;
Type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee);
Agency; and
Beginning and ending dates of appointment.

How to Apply

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

The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 09/15/2024 to receive consideration.

1. 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.

2. Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package. (It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation are submitted prior to the closing date.)

3. To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, 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 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.

To preview the Assessment Questionnaire, please click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/View Questionnaire/12533583

You are encouraged to apply online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application. If you are unable to apply online, contact Ivy Wilson at 713-567-9000 or ivy.wilson@usdoj.gov as soon as possible to arrange an alternative application process.

You must specify in your questionnaire under what authority you wish to be considered and submit appropriate documentation to verify your eligibility.

Reasonable Accommodation Statement: Federal Agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities, where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

Agency contact information
Ivy Wilson
Phone
713-567-9000
Email
ivy.wilson@usdoj.gov
Address
Southern District of Texas
1000 Louisiana Street
Suite 2300
Houston, TX 77002
US

Next steps

We will notify you of the outcome after each step of the recruitment process has been completed. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation, to include a credit check, and drug test by urinalysis. We expect to make a final job offer within 80 days after the closing date of the announcement.