Librarian (Law)

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE); Birmingham (AL); On-site; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) invites applications for a federal librarian role within the Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OPLA).

This position supports reference and research on legal resources, guides users to legislative histories, and trains staff in new library technologies and information sharing. The role includes drafting outreach materials, publishing content on SharePoint, and contributing to the library budget while coordinating with DHS and partner agencies.

Qualifications

• Completion of 1 full academic year of graduate study in library science (with transcripts).
• A total of at least 5 years combining college education, training and experience in librarianship.

Responsibilities

• Provide reference and research support to users, guiding to legal resources and legislative histories.
• Advise and train OPLA employees in library tech, references and information.
• Draft written training and outreach materials.
• Assist content publication via SharePoint.
• Assist with maintaining the library budget and budget requests.
• Enhance resource sharing through DHS and agency partnerships.

Skills

Research queries

Legal information

Legislative tracking

Information gaps analysis

Education

Graduate study in library science

Job description

Summary

This position is located in the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OPLA), in various locations around the US.

Salary

The salary range indicated in this announcement will be adjusted to include locality payment for selected duty location. General Schedule locality pay tables may be found under Salaries & Wages .

Duties

• Provide reference and research support, including guiding users to appropriate legal resources and compiling legislative histories.
• Advise and train OPLA employees in new and emerging library technologies, references, and related information.
• Draft written training and outreach materials.
• Assist in preparing content for publication via SharePoint.
• Assist with maintaining the library budget and preparing budget requests.
• Enhance resource sharing through DHS and other agency partnerships.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.
• You must successfully pass a background investigation. This may include a credit check, a review of financial issues, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs.
• Selective Service registration required.
• Complete the initial online assessment and USAHire Assessment, if required.
• One-year probationary period may be required.
• A pre-employment drug test will be required.
• If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application.
• DHS uses e-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States.
• All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
• Incentives may be authorized; however, this is contingent upon funds availability.
• License required: No
• Pre-employment physical required: No
• Bargaining Unit Position: No

Qualifications

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

Do not copy and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

Applicants must demonstrate that they meet the Basic Requirement, Specialized Experience, AND Law Specialization Requirement as noted below.

You must meet one of the items listed below (A or B):

• Completion of 1 full academic year of graduate study in library science in an accredited college or university, in addition to completion of all work required for a bachelor's degree. (Must provide transcripts)

or

• A total of at least 5 years of a combination of college-level education, training, and experience. To qualify on this basis, the applicant must establish conclusively that the education, training, and experience provided a knowledge and understanding of the theories, principles, and techniques of professional librarianship; a knowledge of literature resources; and the knowledge and abilities essential for providing effective library and information services. (Must provide transcripts)

AND

Specialized Experience, GS-13:

You must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the GS-12 level in the Federal service that included performing at least 3 of the following:

• Assisting customers with research queries involving multiple variables;
• Locating legal information to address novel questions;
• Monitoring legislative or regulatory developments to provide information to customers; and
• Identifying information gaps to provide targeted research solutions.

AND

Law Specialization Requirement:

Because this position is primarily concerned with providing library services in law and legal reference, applicants must also meet the requirements specified in one of the paragraphs below:

Legal Education

Completion of at least 24 semester hours of legal study in an accredited law school for positions primarily concerned with providing library services in law or legislative reference. (Must provide transcripts)

or

Law-Related Experience

Four years of pertinent experience of such nature and level to provide a knowledge of the basic principles, theories, practices, techniques, terminology and expressions of law; an understanding of the standard methods, procedures, and techniques of research and analysis in law or legal-related field; ability to acquire additional information about the field and related fields; and some knowledge of literature resources in the field. Such experience must be equivalent to that which would have been acquired through successful completion of legal training as described in (a) above.

or

Combination of Legal Education and Experience

Any time-equivalent combination of experience as described in (b) above and education as described in (a) above.

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Qualification claims will be subject to verification.

NOTE: 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.

Education

This position requires specific coursework and/or a degree to meet the basic education requirement. You must submit an official transcript, unofficial transcript, or a list including courses, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. Your transcript(s) must clearly demonstrate the course(s) listed in the qualification requirement section. If the transcript(s) does not clearly demonstrate this you must submit a copy of the course description and/or other documentation demonstrating that the courses are equivalent.

If you are claiming education as any part of your qualifications for this position, you must submit an official transcript, unofficial transcript, or a list including courses, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned.

Special Instructions for Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. Failure to provide such documentation with your application will result in lost consideration. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/ .

Additional Information

Note: One or more positions may be filled using this vacancy announcement. Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for DHS to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions.

Promotion Potential: This position is at the full performance level.

Career Transition Assistance Program: This program applies to Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed, or employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet eligibility criteria for CTAP or ICTAP; 2) be rated well-qualified for the position; and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. Well-Qualified includes those applicants whose knowledge, skills, and abilities clearly exceed the minimum qualification requirements for the position. For information on eligibility criteria and required documentation, go to: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp

Selective Service: Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see http://www.sss.gov/ ).

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 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, based on your adjudication decision. 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 . ( https://appsupport-usastaffing.opm.gov/hc/en-us/sections/45063131363475-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information )

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding.

DHS offers competitive salaries and an attractive benefits package, including: health, dental, vision, life, and long-term care insurance; retirement plan; Thrift Savings Plan [similar to a 401(k)]; Flexible Spending Account; Employee Assistance Program; personal leave days; and paid federal holidays. Other benefits may include: flexible work schedules; telework; tuition reimbursement; transportation subsidies; uniform allowance; health and wellness programs; and fitness centers. DHS is committed to employee development and offers a variety of employee training and developmental opportunities. For more information, go to the DHS Careers website and select "Benefits." Disabled veteran leave will be available to any Federal employee hired on or after November 5, 2016, who is a veteran with a service‑connected disability rating of 30 percent or more.

A student loan repayment incentive may be available, in which case a service agreement will be required.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full‑time, part‑time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

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):

• Attention to Detail
• Customer Service
• Decision Making
• Flexibility
• Integrity/Honesty
• Interpersonal Skills
• Learning
• Reasoning
• Self-Management
• Stress Tolerance
• Teamwork

In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.

If you meet the minimum qualifications, you will be placed in one of the following quality categories:

• Best-Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate high proficiency in all of the critical competencies, including all Selective Placement Factors (SPF) and appropriate Quality Ranking Factors (QRF) as determined by the job analysis.
• Well-Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrates acceptable proficiency in all of the critical competencies, including all SPFs and appropriate QRFs as determined by the job analysis
• Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate basic proficiency in most of the critical competencies, including all SPFs and appropriate QRFs as determined by the job analysis.

If you are best qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and may be called for an interview.

The Category Rating Process does not add veteran's preference points but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non‑preference eligibles within each category. Preference eligibles who meet the minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service‑connected disability of at least 10 percent must be listed in the highest quality category (except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-9 level or higher). Veteran preference eligibles will receive selection consideration before non‑preference eligibles within each quality category.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.