What are the responsibilities and job description for the Government Information Specialist position at Bruce W Carter Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center?
The Government Information Specialist 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.
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 GS- 11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS- 9. 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:
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; religions; 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.
Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.
Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary. Work requires some walking, standing, bending and carrying light items such as books, folders, papers, etc.
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/.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Government Information Specialist/PD99538S
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Qualifications:
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 06/10/2026.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 GS- 11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS- 9. 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:
- Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-9 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:
- Knowledge of FOIA, Privacy Act, Title 38 United States Code and HIPAA Privacy Rule.
- Ability to establish and maintain good working relationships with senior leadership and staff.
- Effective oral and written communication to present data governance reports, findings and recommendations to senior leadership and staff.
- Experience developing a system of internal monitoring that identifies potential organizational risks throughout the facility.
- Experience with strategic planning skills, forecasting and organizing workload.
- 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. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation.
- Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond graduate-level education (beyond the first year). NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without document.
- Attention to Detail
- Compliance
- Customer Service
- Flexibility
- Integrity/Honesty
- Interpersonal Skills
- Interpersonal Skills
- Knowledge Management
- Reading Comprehension
- Self-Management
- Stress Tolerance
- Teamwork
- Technical Credibility
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; religions; 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.
Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.
Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary. Work requires some walking, standing, bending and carrying light items such as books, folders, papers, etc.
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/.
Responsibilities:
Duties include, but may not be limited to the following:- Provides guidance while communicating complex information to the Executive leadership, facility staff and outside stakeholders.
- Involves interaction with all levels of Medical Center personnel on a day-to- day basis along with other federal and non-federal agencies.
- formulates policy, ensures compliance with federal and state laws and conducts thorough research of federal implementation regulations
- Participates and represents the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) members on Medical Center committees and workgroups and in meetings that support the hospital mission.
- Responsibilities include the safeguarding of Government information while supporting accountability and transparency initiatives.
- Solely responsible for all aspects of the Privacy/FOIA Program to include Strategic and Risk analysis, planning, program outreach, coordinating training, developing metrics and ensuring that federally mandated information governance and accountability measures are in place.
- Carries out a variety of special assignments as required by these committees, work groups, and the needs of top management and the facility.
- Diverse issues and frequently have short deadlines.
- Frequently interprets regulations and policies on his/her own initiative, applies new methods to resolve complex and/or intricate, controversial, or unprecedented issues and problems, and resolves most conflicts that arise.
- Will assess gaps in policy, measure the knowledge of individual staff and facilitate improvements against the ever-changing policies, regulations and statutes that impact the privacy and FOIA programs.
- Involves implementing unique policies and procedures to manage agency information, helping and services to the public and VA staff members.
- Requires researching, interpreting and applying laws, regulations, policies and guidance for access and disclosure of VA agency records and information.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Government Information Specialist/PD99538S
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Salary : $79,533