Litigation Coordinator

QUALIFICATIONS

Only experience and education obtained by 11/17/2023 will be considered.

IN ORDER TO QUALIFY FOR THIS POSITION YOU MUST POSSESS THE FOLLOWING:

Minimum Qualification [GS-11]

• One year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility equivalent to grade GS-6 in the Federal service. Experience may include (1) tracking and analyzing voluminous document collection and management activities involving laws, regulation, or policy and reporting to senior management on the status of various customer-focused projects; (2) drafting or writing documents which require compilation of information related to actions arising under state or federal laws, regulation, or policy; and/or (3) working with internal or external clients, customers, or colleagues to respond to requests for information requiring technical expertise in a field related to science, law, or data management and technology. OR
• Possess a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or three (3) years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in a major field of study directly related to this position. OR
• Possess a combination of specialized experience and graduate education beyond 2 years as described above that, when combined, equals 100% of the requirement.

Minimum Qualification [GS-12]: Possess one year of full-time specialized experience comparable in difficulty and responsibility to the next lower grade level (comparable to the GS-11) in the Federal service. Examples of qualifying experience may include (1) assisting in evaluating and analyzing the biological and legal implications of ESA-related lawsuits; (2) responding to litigation or notices of intent to sue, monitors litigation progress and outcomes, and assesses policy implications and resource impacts due to litigation (3) preparing documentation to be used in litigation; oversees proposed, pending, active, and completed litigation related to ESA listing activities.
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; 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.
Time In Grade Requirement: Applicants must meet both eligibility and qualification requirements for the position of interest by the closing date of the JOA. Specifically,
i. Area of Consideration.
ii. Time-in-grade (TIG) requirements as specified in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F.
iii. Time after competitive appointment as specified in 5 CFR 330.502.
iv. Qualification requirements outlined in OPM’s Qualifications Standards for General Schedule Positions or for Federal Wage System (FWS), wage grade positions, applicants are evaluated using the OPM Job Qualification System for Trades and Labor Occupations and the job element examining method
Your SF-50 will be used to confirm you meet all requirements

EDUCATION

PROOF OF EDUCATION: All applicants who are using education or a combination of education and experience to qualify must submit copies of official or unofficial transcripts which include grades, credit hours earned, major(s), grade point average or class ranking, institution name, and student name. If any required coursework is not easily recognizable on transcripts, or if you believe a portion of a particular course can be credited toward meeting an educational requirement, you must also provide a memorandum on letterhead from the institution’s registrar, dean, or other appropriate official stating the percentage of the course that should be considered to meet the requirement and the equivalent number of units. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable; however, if you are selected for the position, you will be required to produce the original official transcripts.
PASS/FAIL COURSES: If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society.
GRADUATE EDUCATION: One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school’s definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.
FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

IF YOU ARE RELYING ON YOUR EDUCATION TO MEET QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

• How to Apply

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=ReasonableAccommodationsforUSAHire
Review the appointment eligibility criteria in the application preview linked below. The eligibility section of the application allows you to choose how you wish to be considered for this vacancy announcement. You will ONLY be considered for the eligibilities that you select “yes” to and submit the required supporting documentation, as listed in the Required Documents section or the application text.
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package. See required documents section.

Click ‘Apply’ to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account.

• Follow the prompts to complete the announcement questionnaire and upload required documents. To preview the announcement questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12182494.
• Please ensure you check the acknowledgement checkbox then click the Submit Application button to submit your application.
• Applications must be received by 11/17/2023 to receive consideration by 11:59pm ET..
• After submitting an online application, you will be notified whether or not you are required to take additional online assessments through the USA Hire Competency Based Assessment system. This message will be delivered to you via email notification. The email may be routed to your “Spam” or “Junk” folder.
• If you are asked to take the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be presented with a unique URL to access the USA Hire system. Access to USA Hire is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Be sure to review all instructions prior to beginning your USA Hire Assessments. Click here for Computer System Requirements
• Note, set aside at least 3 hours to take these assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue at a later time, you can re-use the URL sent to you via email and also found on the Additional Application Information page that can be located in the application record in your USAJOBS account.
• To update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account (https://usajobs.gov). There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
• To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account at https://www.usajobs.gov. On the Home page, scroll down and locate your job application. Once the job has been located, click the “Track this application” link on the right under the application date. The page will refresh to display the Agency’s Application Information page where you can scroll down and review any notifications the agency has sent you. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.

For information on what each Application Status means, visit: USAJOBS Help Center | How to see your application status
If you are unable to apply online, you must request an alternative application which is available from the Human Resources Office. Please contact the Human Resources Office via email at fwshiring@fws.gov.

IF YOU ARE RELYING ON YOUR EDUCATION TO MEET QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Help

DUTIES

As a Litigation Coordinator your duties will include but are not limited to the following:

• Serves as Litigation coordinator to the Endangered Species Division and assists in evaluating and analyzing the biological and legal implications of ESA-related lawsuits. Serves as the principal contact and lead on litigation issues for the Solicitors’ Office and the Division of Endangered Species, coordinating responses to litigation-related information requests with Washington Office, Regional and field staff. Serves as liaison between the Solicitors’ Office and the Endangered Species Program providing technical expertise on policy and resource implications associated with litigation involving the ESA or other natural resource statutes. In conjunction with the Solicitors, Regional, and field office, and the Department of Justice, may enter into negotiations with potential plaintiffs in an effort to defer, eliminate or reduce the scope of potential litigation. Works closely with the Regional and national Solicitor’s Offices and the Wildlife Division of the Department of Justice as they prepare for litigation, court orders, and settlements. Develops litigation positions with Service Solicitors for the Service to respond to litigation or notices of intent to sue, monitors litigation progress and outcomes, and assesses policy implications and resource impacts due to litigation. Provides expert testimony on the ESA and resource issues, and advises staff on the development of Service policy, procedures, and administrative records to better address litigation or prevent litigation.
• Provides expertise and leadership in preparing documentation to be used in litigation; oversees proposed, pending, active, and completed litigation related to ESA listing activities, oversees the design and preparation of administrative records. Serves as technical resource specialist on litigation issues, and coordinates with Public Affairs to inform the public of litigation issues related to the ESA and other relevant statutes.
• Prepares a variety of legal records in consultation with the Solicitors Office and Department of Justice to be used in litigation, and ensures that legal records are complete and well organized. Prepares declarations, interrogatories, and other legal documents in response to notices of intent to sue, litigation, and appeals. Establishes priorities and objectives for the systematic tracking of litigation in the Regional Office to ensure that the Regional Office meets all litigation deadlines.
• Prepares policy memoranda for the Endangered Species Program management concerning litigation issues. Provides technical expertise and represents the Service at meetings addressing litigation related to the ESA and other statutes. Conducts briefings on litigation issues for the Regional and Field Offices. Provides overall leadership and coordination with the Field and Regional Offices, and other outside agencies on issues involving litigation.
• Advises Regional leadership and staff on records management procedures in accordance with Service and Departmental guidance. Serves on the Services’s eERDMS (Email Enterprise Records and Document Management System) Team for the Region participating in regular bi-monthly teleconferences and completing assignments from the National Coordinator.

This position involves a multi-grade career ladder. The major duties listed represent the full performance level of GS-12. At lower grade levels, you will perform assignments of a more limited scope and with less independence. You will progressively acquire the background necessary to perform at the full performance level of GS-12. Promotion is at the discretion of the supervisor and is contingent upon satisfactory performance, availability of higher level work, and availability of funds. The selectee may be promoted without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the online assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

• Familiarity with current scientific findings, new Service policies, and legal interpretations to apply to litigation issues, and ability to monitor new approaches developed in other Regions for potential application, as well as develop new approaches that can be used by other Service biologists
• Knowledge of the Endangered Species Act, working knowledge of Service policy, familiarity with Service responses to lawsuits in other Regions, and an ability to understand and articulate complex legal issues, scientific findings, and current and precedential case law.
• High level organizational skills to create and implement long-term and complex administrative records to be utilized by a wide variety of potential user groups.
• Ability to perform thorough research on legal matters, precedent cases, decisions, and opinions that may be applicable to particular litigation.
• Ability to work under short deadlines on highly complex FOIAs that may contain large volumes of records, and Administrative Records which may also contain large volumes of documents.
• Knowledge of and ability to apply the FOIA and PA laws and regulations to perform extensive and thorough reviews of biological, statistical, legal, and general information sufficient to adequately respond to the various FOIA requests.
• Attention to Detail, Customer Service, Decision Making, Flexibility, Integrity/Honesty, Interpersonal Skills, Learning, Reading, Reasoning, Self-Management, Stress Tolerance, and Teamwor