Summary For more information on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorneys' Offices, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/. The position advertised is located in either Austin or San Antonio, Texas. The location will be determined by the applicant selected. As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement. This position is also being announced to applicants eligible to apply through Merit Staffing procedures under 26-WDTX-12887690-MS. Responsibilities If selected for this position, you will serve as Victim Assistance Specialist for the United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas. As a Victim Assistance Specialist, you will provide assistance on a variety of cases, including immigration, drug trafficking, human smuggling, and cases targeting cartels and transnational criminal organizations. Typical work assignments will include: Direct dissemination of information pertinent to various victim and witness protection laws; Speaking to public, civic, industry, and special interest groups on victims issues; Coordinating efforts with local victim services providers, social services, law enforcement based victim assistance providers, and prosecution based victim-witness staff; Responding to victim inquiries, assessing concerns, and determining program eligibility for victim witness services; Advocating on behalf of crime victims in regard to issues and problems caused by crime; Providing information to victims on schedule changes, status of defendant's pleas, results of trial; Scheduling and managing travel of victims and witnesses after coordinating with AUSAs; Providing in-court support during hearings and trials; Obtaining services and assistance for victims and witnesses through specific federal programs and funds; Reviewing literature on victim witness issues; Generating statistical and quantitative reports and analysis of program activity; Analyzing and applying changes in legislation, case law, and court rules. Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications GS-11: To be eligible at the GS-11 level, you must meet at least one of the following conditions, as defined below: Specialized Experience, Education OR a combination of Education and Experience. Specialized Experience: At least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 in Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as experience advocating on behalf of crime victims; providing information to victims in regards to status of cases and results of trials; providing in court support during hearings; and obtaining services and assistance for victims; analyzing victim communication needs; developing and administering a comprehensive victim/witness program; conducting workshops or meetings with victim subject-matter specialists and related officials; and determining the elements of an effective victim assistance program. OR Education: One of the following @types of education in a related field (e.g., Criminal Justice, Social Work, Psychology, Sociology): a Ph.D. or equivalent doctorate degree; OR 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M, if related. OR Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of specialized experience as described in A and graduate education as described in B which when combined equal 100% of the requirements. To calculate your percentage of graduate education, first determine the total number of graduate hours that exceed 36 semester hours (or your school's definition of two years of graduate study), then divide the total number of your excess graduate semester hours by 18 (or your school's definition of one year of graduate study). To calculate your percentage of qualifying experience, divide your total number of months of qualifying experience by 12. Now add the two percentage together. The sum of the percentages must equal at least 100%. (Only graduate education in excess of the first two (2) years may be used in this calculation.) GS-12 To be eligible at the GS-12 level, you must meet the Specialized Experience as defined below. Specialized Experience: At least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 in Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as experience analyzing victim-witness communication needs in order to develop and administer a comprehensive victim-witness program; providing recommendations to senior management on victim related matters; providing information and direct support to crime victims throughout the legal process; and coordinating with organization personnel, law enforcement, and victim service providers to provide victim services required by law. 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 All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, see http://www.ed.gov OR Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the above education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to timely provide such evidence by submitting proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency with your application materials. More information may be found at http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html. All documentation must be in English or include an English translation. 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. Salary Information: The range of salary is as follows: Austin: $76,777 to $119,633 which includes 20.35% locality pay. San Antonio: $75,776 to $118,072 which includes 18.78% locality pay. 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 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, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor. Political Appointees (Current or Former): 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 or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the HR Office. Failure to disclose this information could result in disciplinary action including removal from Federal Service.
