Lead Legal Administrative Specialist

Citizenship and Immigration Services; Charlotte (NC); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is seeking a Lead Legal Administrative Specialist to provide administrative oversight to a team and serve as a senior analyst on mission and administrative programs requiring a wide range of analytical methods.

The position requires meeting the GS-11 qualifications, with experience in program file reviews, inquiries, and reporting related to immigration cases. Direct Hire Authority applies for critical DHS hiring needs.

Qualifications

• Must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-09.
• Alternatively, a doctoral degree or three years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree in any field.
• Knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position include immigration case processing and eligibility determinations.

Responsibilities

• Conducting program file reviews and determining appropriate actions or deadlines.
• Monitoring, tracking, or responding to inquiries in accordance with established procedures and timelines.
• Preparing documentation or reports related to immigration cases.
• Communicating immigration eligibility determinations to customers.

Skills

Administrative oversight

Analytical methods

Team supervision

Customer communication

Education

Graduate education equivalent (PhD or LLM)

Job description

Protect your homeland and defend your culture. Join USCIS, America's frontline defense against illegal foreign infiltration and fraud. As a Lead Legal Administrative Specialist, you will provide administrative oversight to a team of subordinates and serve as a senior analyst to the supervisor on mission and/or administrative programs requiring application of a wide range of analytical methods and evaluative techniques.

The qualifications for this position must be met by 11:59 PM (Eastern Time) on 09/23/2026. Time in Grade does not apply to Delegated Examining Announcements, any reference to Time in Grade in the questionnaire will not apply to the rating and ranking of applicants. This announcement is issued under the Direct Hire Authority to recruit for positions for which the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, has a critical hiring need.

GS-11: You qualify at the GS-11 level if you possess one (1) year of specialized experience, which is equivalent to at least the GS-09 level in the federal government, that equipped you with the skills needed to successfully perform the duties of the position.

You must have experience performing the majority of the following duties:

• Conducting program file reviews and determining appropriate actions or deadlines;
• Monitoring, tracking, or responding to inquiries in accordance with established procedures and timelines;
• Preparing documentation or reports related to immigration cases;
• Communicating immigration eligibility determinations to customers.

OR You may substitute a doctoral degree (PhD or equivalent degree) or three (3) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree in any field, or L.L.M. if related for experience at the GS-11 grade level or such education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. Check with your school to determine how many credit hours comprise three years of graduate study. If that information is not available, use 54 semester or 81 quarter hours.