Senior Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Specialist

Custom Software Systems (CSS) Inc. is seeking an experienced and highly skilled Senior Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Specialist to provide leadership, oversight, and subject matter expertise in support of federal FOIA operations. This role is ideal for a professional with a proven background in managing complex FOIA requests, ensuring compliance with statutory requirements, and guiding program improvements. The Senior FOIA Specialist will lead a small team, coordinate directly with federal stakeholders, and serve as a trusted advisor on sensitive or high-visibility requests. This position offers the opportunity to make a direct impact by strengthening transparency, accountability, and efficiency within a critical federal program.

Responsibilities
•    Leads a small team and provides administrative and FOIA program support with emphasis on program oversight and quality control.
•    Independently reviews and analyzes complex FOIA requests, determines applicability, and provides recommendations to Headquarters DAF FOIA analysts.
•    Coordinate directly with other federal agencies and higher-level stakeholders to facilitate processing and referrals.
•    Provides administrative and FOIA program support.
•    Independently reviews and analyzes FOIA requests and the records responsive to such requests and determines if the request/records fall under the purview of the supported office or should be referred to another agency for processing.
•    Coordinate directly with other federal agencies to facilitate the processing/referral of FOIA requests.
•    Process documents for release to include the redaction of documents using the FOIA Xpress software redaction capability.
•    Research, prepare, and coordinate responses to general/specific requests.
•    Conduct final review and verification of FOIA redactions applied by OPRs for accuracy and compliance.
•    Research, prepare, and coordinate responses for sensitive or high-visibility requests.
•    Determine applicability of exemptions and exclusions and prepare recommendations for senior review.
•    Monitor FOIA caseload and backlog reduction progress, providing weekly and monthly reporting deliverables.
•    Draft executive-level correspondence, briefings, and staff summary packages for leadership.
•    Provide customer service and act as a senior point of contact for escalated FOIA-related inquiries.
•    Assist in the management of FOIA litigation cases, including document preparation and case file coordination.
•    Prepare and deliver the monthly Caseload & Backlog Report and other Ad Hoc reports.
•    Provide mentoring and guidance to junior FOIA staff to ensure compliance with standards and consistency in processing.
•    Conduct legal research to support exemption decisions and litigation preparation.
Required Qualifications
•    Minimum five (5) years of experience supporting FOIA programs within the federal government.
Clearance
•    Secret
Citizenship
•    US Citizenship
Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities
•    Demonstrated expertise in FOIA processing, including exemptions, appeals, and litigation support.
•    Strong knowledge of related programs (Privacy Act, Records Management, Section 508, Information Quality, Civil Liberties).
•    Proven ability to prepare executive-level reports, correspondence, and briefings.
•    Ability to track, analyze, and report FOIA program performance data.
•    Experience mentoring or training junior staff on FOIA compliance and best practices.
•    Strong organizational skills, ability to lead process improvements, and manage high-profile requests.
Education
•    Bachelor’s degree Preferred 
Compensation & Benefits  
•    Wage Range: Negotiable
•    General Benefits: Custom Software Systems, Inc. offers our employees a competitive benefits package that may include:

    Health insurance plans 
    Health Savings Account (HSA)
    Dental
    Vision
    Long-term disability
    Short-term disability
    Basic term life insurance
    Supplemental term life insurance for employees, spouses, and dependents
    Simple IRA
    Parking/Commuting expense reimbursement
    Training/Education