Supervisory Paralegal Specialist

Summary DOL seeks to attract and retain a high performing and diverse workforce in which employees' differences are respected and valued to better meet the varying needs of the diverse customers we serve. DOL fosters a diverse and inclusive work environment that promotes collaboration, flexibility, and fairness so that all individuals can participate and contribute to their full potential. The duty location is in the National Office, in Washington, D.C. We invite you to apply Responsibilities This position is located in the Division of Federal Employees' and Energy Workers' Compensation (FEEWC). The Division, which is one of the National Office divisions in the Office of the Solicitor, is responsible for legal work primarily arising out of the Department's administration of two major Federal workers' compensation programs: the Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA) and the Energy Employees' Occupation Illness Compensation Act (EEOICPA). In addition, the Division processes and adjudicates administrative claims and assists the Department of Justice in defending cases under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA). This position is in the FECA Subrogation Unit, which administers all third-party subrogation matters under FECA. Incumbent serves as the first line supervisor over a staff of Paralegal Specialists and is an authority in the full range of FECA claims processing activities within the purview of the FECA Subrogation Unit. Incumbent assists the supervisor in developing and maintaining long and short-term plans for work management, processing, and review for the Subrogation Unit. Incumbent plans work to be accomplished by subordinate staff, sets and adjusts short­ term priorities, and prepares schedules for completion of work. Assigns work to subordinate staff members based on priorities, selective consideration of the difficulty and requirements of the work, and the individual capabilities of the staff. Evaluates subordinates' work performance. Provides technical advice and assistance on the analysis of legal and factual issues in cases handled by the Subrogation Unit to determine the possibility of a recovery from a potentially responsible third party for work related injuries or illnesses accepted by OWCP as covered by FECA and to require the claimant to take action to recover damages. Advises and assists staff Paralegal Specialists in ensuring that claimants report any amounts received from settlements or judgments, file the forms necessary to compute the required refund, seek approval of that computation by FEEWC, and refund the required amount. Incumbent provides advice and guidance to staff regarding the receipt of, accounting for, and transfer to OWCP of all monies received as required refunds, and accurate reporting to OWCP for credit to employing agencies of those funds, and of credit against future FECA benefits recorded on Statements of Recovery filed by claimants or their attorneys. Incumbent serves as a point of contact regarding matters relating to the third-party liability provisions of the FECA. This includes providing advice and guidance to National Office and Regional OWCP staff as well as attorneys and other representatives of claimants such as union representatives, employing agency staff, Congressional caseworkers inquiring on behalf of constituents, and other interested parties. Incumbent assists the Counsel in providing advice, guidance, and assistance to FEEWC attorneys in litigation concerning the subrogation provisions of FECA. Ensures that documents and information for use in preparing the case for transfer to the U.S. Attorney's Office for litigation for nonpayment of the Government's statutory right of reimbursement are complete, accurate, and timely. May assist in and sign declarations in support of pleadings filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications Federal Employees Please Note: Your SF-50 must include enough information to be able to determine that time-in-grade requirements have been met and reflect your position title, pay plan/series/grade, tenure, and the type of appointment (i.e. competitive/excepted). In some cases, you may need to submit more than one SF-50. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. POSITION TITLES ALONE CANNOT BE USED TO DETERMINE IF YOU ARE QUALIFIED. PLEASE LIST DATES IN MM/DD/YYYY FORMAT. THIS IS IMPERATIVE IN DETERMINING IF WHETHER YOU HAVE AT LEAST 1 YEAR OF CREDITABLE SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE. EXPERIENCE AND DATES WILL NOT BE ASSUMED. To be eligible at the GS-12 level, you must meet the basic requirements and the Specialized Experience to qualify for Supervisory Paralegal Specialist, as described below. For GS-12: Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level GS-11, in the Federal Service AND you must have one year of specialized experience. Specialized Experience is the experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform the duties of the position successfully, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level. Qualifying specialized experience for GS-12 includes: experience in (1) which involves progressively responsible independence to analyze/ identify facts and relevant evidence; (2) prepare cases and related documents; AND (3) research or apply various statutes, regulations or court decisions, etc. You MUST meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Your resume must support your responses to the questionnaire and qualification requirements. Failure to do so may result in an ineligible rating. Education Any applicant falsely claiming an academic degree from an accredited school will be subject to actions ranging from disqualification from federal employment to removal from federal service. If your education was completed at a foreign college or university, you must show comparability to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States and comparability to applicable minimum coursework requirements for this position. Click Evaluation of Foreign Education for more information. Additional Information Refer to these links for more information: GENERAL INFORMATION, REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION, ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION, FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES As a condition of employment, all personnel must undergo a background investigation for access to DOL facilities, systems, information and/or classified materials before they can enter on duty: BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION You may not be aware, but in the regulations for agency ethics programs, there are requirements for supervisors. Section 2638.103 of Title 5 of the CFR states: Every supervisor in the executive branch has a heightened personal responsibility for advancing government ethics. It is imperative that supervisors serve as models of ethical behavior for subordinates. Supervisors have a responsibility to help ensure that subordinates are aware of their ethical obligations under the Standards of Conduct and that subordinates know how to contact agency ethics officials. Supervisors are also responsible for working with agency ethics officials to help resolve conflicts of interests and enforce government ethics laws and regulations, including those requiring certain employees to file financial disclosure reports. In addition, supervisors are responsible, when requested, for assisting agency ethics officials in evaluating potential conflicts of interest and identifying positions subject to financial disclosure requirements. Click here for Telework Position Information. This is not a remote work position. The selectee will report to an assigned DOL office location on a regular basis and is eligible for participation in telework as determined by management in accordance with DOL policy. DOL has determined that the duties of this position are eligible for telework, and telework may be allowed with supervisory approval. Employees participating in telework work are subject to the terms and conditions of the Department of Labor's Telework Program and the Department of Labor's Expanded Work Schedule Flexibilities. The Fair Chance Act (FCA) prohibits Federal agencies from requesting an applicant's criminal history information before the agency makes a conditional offer of employment. If you believe a DOL employee has violated your rights under the FCA, you may file a complaint of the alleged violation following our agency's complaint process Guidelines for Reporting Violations of the Fair Chance Act. Note: The FCA does not apply to some positions specified under the Act, such as law enforcement or national security positions. All Department of Labor employees are subject to the provisions of the Drug-Free Workplace Program under Executive Order 12564 and Public Law 100-71.