Senior FOIA & Privacy Program Lead for National Security

Harkcon, Inc.; Albuquerque (NM); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Harkcon, Inc. seeks an experienced Senior FOIA/Privacy Act Program Manager to lead a team supporting a federal national security customer. The role oversees the accurate, timely processing of FOIA/PA requests, appeals, and litigation-related matters, with on-site work in Albuquerque, NM and limited telework possible.

You will supervise FOIA professionals, ensure QA, manage case workups, and liaise with legal counsel and government leadership. A DOE Q clearance or recent equivalent is required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in law, public administration, business, management, political science, information management, or another relevant field.
• 10+ years of management or supervisory experience.
• 10+ years of professional FOIA experience.
• 5+ years supporting FOIA appeals and litigation matters.
• Experience leading federal FOIA or Privacy Act personnel and workloads.
• Thorough knowledge of FOIA, Privacy Act, exemptions, and federal processing procedures.
• Experience reviewing records, applying exemptions, and redactions.
• Excellent writing and interpersonal skills; ability to communicate with senior government leaders.
• United States citizenship; DOE Q clearance or active within past five years.
• Ability to work full-time on-site in Albuquerque, NM area.

Responsibilities

• Lead and supervise a team processing FOIA/Privacy Act requests.
• Assign and prioritize cases by age, complexity, deadlines, and customer direction.
• Oversee full request lifecycle from intake to case closure.
• Monitor workload, aging cases, deadlines, and processing delays.
• Review final response packages for legal, technical, and editorial accuracy.
• Verify exemptions, redactions, and supporting documentation.
• Maintain FOIA case-management system records.
• Provide guidance on complex requests involving classified or sensitive information.
• Coordinate with counsel, program offices, records custodians, and security personnel.
• Support FOIA appeals, litigation, and high-visibility requests.
• Develop operating procedures, quality controls, and performance metrics.
• Prepare workload reports, status summaries, and briefings for leadership.
• Identify process improvements to increase timeliness and quality.
• Recruit, train, and retain cleared FOIA professionals.
• Maintain continuity during vacancies and workload surges.

Skills

Leadership

FOIA Expertise

Team Leadership

Executive Communication

MS Office

Federal Programs

Citizenship

On-site Adaptability

Senior Stakeholder Management

Clearance Navigation

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher in relevant field

Tools

FOIAXpress

MS Office Suite

Job description

Harkcon, Inc. seeks an experienced Senior FOIA/Privacy Act Program Manager to lead a team supporting a federal national security customer. The role oversees the accurate, timely processing of FOIA/PA requests, appeals, and litigation-related matters, with on-site work in Albuquerque, NM and limited telework possible.

You will supervise FOIA professionals, ensure QA, manage case workups, and liaise with legal counsel and government leadership. A DOE Q clearance or recent equivalent is required.