FOIA Program Manager and SME

Socket.dev; Albuquerque (NM); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical plan options

Dental Insurance

Disability Insurance

Life Insurance

AD&D Insurance

401(k) match

Job summary

Socket.dev in Albuquerque, NM is seeking an experienced Program Manager to lead a federal FOIA and Privacy Act disclosure program. This on-site role directs a team of disclosure professionals handling sensitive government information requests and ensuring regulatory compliance.

The ideal candidate will have extensive FOIA knowledge, strong leadership, and experience working with government officials, legal advisors, and security stakeholders to deliver timely, accurate responses.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in a related discipline.
• Minimum of 10 years of supervisory/management experience.
• At least 10 years supporting FOIA programs.
• At least 5 years supporting FOIA appeals, reviews, litigation support.

Responsibilities

• Provide day‑to‑day direction for FOIA/Privacy Act case processing.
• Allocate resources according to priorities and deadlines.
• Recruit, mentor, and retain disclosure staff.
• Ensure program performance during staffing changes and workload surges.
• Oversee lifecycle of FOIA requests from intake to disposition.
• Develop executive dashboards and performance reports for senior leadership.

Skills

FOIA knowledge

Leadership

Policy compliance

Staff management

Stakeholder communication

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher

Tools

FOIAXpress

Case-management systems

Job description

Program Manager, FOIA & Information Disclosure Operations

This position is contingent on a successful near‑term contract award by the Federal Government.

Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico (on-site customer facility)
Work Arrangement: Primarily on-site. Limited telework opportunities may be available based on contract requirements and client approval.

Security Clearance Requirement: Candidates must possess or have previously held a DOE Q or Top Secret clearance within the last five years.

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced Program Manager to lead a federal information disclosure program supporting Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Privacy Act operations. This role combines operational leadership, personnel management, and subject matter expertise to ensure the effective handling of sensitive government information requests.

The selected individual will direct a team of 4 disclosure professionals responsible for processing complex requests, maintaining compliance with statutory requirements, and supporting high‑profile matters involving appeals, litigation, and classified information. Success in this position requires strong leadership capabilities, exceptional knowledge of federal disclosure regulations, and the ability to work closely with government officials, legal advisors, and security stakeholders.

What You Will Do

Program Leadership & Staff Management

• Provide day‑to‑day direction and oversight for a team responsible for FOIA and Privacy Act case processing.
• Allocate resources and assign work according to government priorities, statutory deadlines, request complexity, and workload demands.
• Recruit, mentor, develop, and retain qualified disclosure specialists and support personnel.
• Ensure uninterrupted program performance during staffing transitions, workload increases, and evolving mission requirements.
• Address performance challenges and elevate significant operational, security, or quality concerns to company and government leadership.

FOIA & Privacy Act Operations

• Manage all phases of the request lifecycle from intake through final disposition.
• Oversee records searches, consultations, referrals, document reviews, redaction activities, response preparation, and case closure.
• Provide technical guidance on requests involving classified information, controlled unclassified information (CUI), proprietary data, personally identifiable information (PII), and other sensitive records.
• Ensure the consistent application of FOIA exemptions and Privacy Act requirements.
• Support complex cases, appeals, congressional inquiries, and litigation‑related activities.

Quality, Compliance & Reporting

• Conduct final reviews of outgoing correspondence and disclosure determinations for legal sufficiency, accuracy, and completeness.
• Verify the integrity of case documentation and ensure records are properly maintained in government‑approved case‑management systems.
• Track workload trends, backlog indicators, processing times, and statutory compliance metrics.
• Develop performance reports, executive briefings, and recommendations for senior government decision‑makers.
• Establish and maintain standard operating procedures, quality‑control measures, and workflow processes that promote efficient and compliant operations.
• Identify and implement process improvements that enhance responsiveness while safeguarding protected information.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Collaborate with agency counsel, security organizations, records managers, classification authorities, program offices, and records custodians.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to government leadership on disclosure policy, operational challenges, and risk mitigation strategies.
• Communicate program status, emerging issues, and recommendations to executive‑level stakeholders.

Required Qualifications

To be considered, candidates must possess the following:

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Public Administration, Business Administration, Political Science, Information Management, Law, or a related discipline.
• Minimum of 10 years of supervisory or management experience.
• At least 10 years of professional experience supporting Freedom of Information Act programs.
• At least 5 years supporting FOIA appeals, administrative reviews, litigation support, or related legal disclosure activities.
• Demonstrated success leading federal FOIA and Privacy Act teams, programs, or workloads.
• Comprehensive understanding of FOIA, the Privacy Act, disclosure regulations, exemptions, and federal records‑release procedures.
• Experience conducting record reviews, applying exemptions, preparing redactions, and preparing official response packages.
• Strong background performing quality assurance reviews on complex disclosure matters.
• Proven ability to brief senior government officials and communicate risk, compliance issues, and operational recommendations.
• Excellent written communication, analytical, organizational, and interpersonal skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and collaboration platforms.
• U.S. citizenship.
• Current DOE Q Clearance, or a DOE Q or Top Secret clearance held within the last five years.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DOE Q Clearance.
• Ability to work full‑time in the Albuquerque area and report to the customer site as required.

Desired Qualifications

Candidates with one or more of the following qualifications are strongly encouraged to apply:

• Active DOE Q Clearance.
• Prior support to the Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), or similar national security organizations.
• Experience using FOIAXpress or other enterprise FOIA tracking and case‑management platforms.
• Familiarity with the review and processing of classified records and specialized controlled information.
• Experience managing requests involving multiple organizations, laboratories, agencies, or stakeholder groups.
• Direct collaboration experience with government FOIA Officers, attorneys, records managers, and classification officials.
• Knowledge of federal records management requirements, information protection programs, CUI regulations, and privacy regulations.
• Experience leading backlog reduction initiatives, surge support efforts, or high‑volume disclosure programs.
• Demonstrated ability to develop executive dashboards, workload analyses, operational metrics, and process‑improvement initiatives.
• Proven success recruiting, onboarding, mentoring, and retaining cleared federal disclosure professionals.

Why Join Our Team?

This position offers the opportunity to lead a mission‑critical federal disclosure program supporting national security operations. You will work alongside senior government stakeholders, legal professionals, and information management experts while influencing program performance, compliance, and operational excellence in a highly visible environment.

Benefits include:

• Medical plan options with UnitedHealthcare
• Dental Insurance
• Long‑term and Short‑term Disability Insurance
• Life Insurance
• AD&D Insurance
• Generous 401(k) match

All benefits are effective on day one of employment.

This job posting is not intended to be a comprehensive list of duties or qualifications. The qualifications and requirements listed in this posting are intended as a general guide. Meeting these criteria does not guarantee selection, as additional factors (including nature of experience, skills, and organizational needs) will be considered during the review process.

Global Engineering & Technology, Inc. (GET) does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, color, religion, age, national origin, marital status, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other reason prohibited by law in provision of employment opportunities and benefits.