Government Information Special

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Fairfield (CA); On-site; USD 93,000 - 145,000; Full time

Job summary

The Veterans Health Administration seeks a Government Information Specialist to support FOIA compliance and privacy initiatives. You will develop policy, guide data governance, and coordinate responses to information requests from the public and stakeholders.

You will lead complex privacy and FOIA decisions, perform legal research across federal and state statutes, and provide training on data protection and daily operations.

Qualifications

• Transcript must be submitted with your application.
• Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with transcript required for foreign-education qualifications.

Responsibilities

• Implements policies to manage agency information and provides services to the public and staff.
• Supports developing a local data governance strategy and creating programs with independent policies.
• Monitors collection, use, and destruction of information; adjudicates privacy/FOIA decisions affecting employees, customers, and businesses.
• Performs in-depth legal research on federal and state statutes to support privacy/FOIA compliance.
• Teaches and trains employees on data protection procedures and privacy/FOIA practices; conducts required training.
• Investigates non-compliance and strengthens the privacy/FOIA program; communicates with internal and external partners to improve compliance.

Job description

• Department: Department of Veterans Affairs

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has adopted the VHA Freedom of Information Act Program for the implementation of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and establishes policy to comply with FOIA. The establishment of a VHA-wide standardized position description helps to ensure the consistent assignment of duties and responsibilities in an occupational field at VHA facilities.

Key Responsibilities

Implements unique policies and procedures to manage agency information, providing assistance and services to the general public and an organization, agency or facility staff members. Supports developing a local level strategy for data governance, which includes leading from the executive office and creating a unique program that includes diverse processes and specific policies which are independent of other facilities.

Monitors and covers all aspects of the collection, use, dissemination, disclosure and destruction of information within an organization, agency or facility. Develops and integrates policy-based processes, roles and controls that influences how data is created, collected, used, stored and destroyed throughout the organization. Adjudicates complex privacy and FOlA decisions that affect employees, customers and commercial businesses in the absence of supervision.

Performs in-depth legal research that pertains to both federal and state statutes to render expertise, provide solutions and facilitate corrective action. Safeguards information while supporting accountability and transparency initiatives. Analyzes all of the interrelated issues that affect the privacy/FOIA program and plans and conducts monitoring activities which measure the overall level of operational compliance by the facility.

Teaches and trains employees on general data protection procedures and detailed service specific practices for daily operations and uses technology to provide required privacy/FOIA training and supplemental education. Performs assessment of privacy-related risks associated with business activities that involve processing of personal and sensitive data.

Investigates non-compliance of privacy related issues at all levels of an organization, agency or facility and outside of these entities when information is involved. Strengthens and sustains the operational life cycle of the privacy/FOIA program by developing a communication strategy that fosters awareness for both internal and external partners to improve compliance, provide training and engage the public.

Ensures that organization, agency or facility correspondence for data governance is transparent, timely, accurate and complete in response to requests for info1mation from the general-public, Congressional representatives, law enforcement, courts and commercial business. Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level 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. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Ad-hoc Telework: This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Government Information Special/PD99538S and PD99843S Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements & Education

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/.

If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Which agency is hiring for this position?

This position is with Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs.

What is the salary for this position?

The posted pay range is $93358 - $145468/yr.

What security clearance is required?

This position requires a Other security clearance.

What is the application deadline?

Applications close on 2026-10-27.

Who is eligible to apply?

This position is open under the 'Fed Transition' hiring path.