Correspondence Specialist

To qualify for this position, your resume must state sufficient experience and/or education, to perform the duties of the specific position for which you are applying. 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; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer and part time experience.

You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week.

01MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

GS-11 Specialized Experience: Your resume must demonstrate at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-09) in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector performing the following type of work and/or tasks: Experience reviewing, editing, and coordinating correspondence and other written materials for accuracy, completeness, proper format, and compliance with established policies and procedures; researching and gathering information to prepare responses to inquiries and correspondence; maintaining correspondence tracking and records systems and monitoring assignments to ensure established deadlines are met; and coordinating with program officials and other stakeholders to resolve correspondence issues and provide status information.

Experience applying established correspondence policies, procedures, and writing standards to ensure written communications are clear, accurate, responsive, and appropriate for executive-level review or signature. OR Completed a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years (54 semester hours) of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work or LL.M, if related.

OR Combination of education and experience that when combined fully meet the minimum qualifications for this position. The total percentage equals at least 100 percent to qualify for this GS-11 grade level. Must submit transcripts. GS-12 Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level.

Examples of specialized experience include: Experience reviewing, analyzing, editing, and coordinating executive-level correspondence and controlled documents to ensure accuracy, responsiveness, proper format, and compliance with established policies, procedures, and standards.

Experience researching and evaluating information to prepare or revise responses to complex inquiries; determining appropriate routing, priority, and action for incoming correspondence; and monitoring correspondence through completion to meet established deadlines. Experience providing technical guidance on correspondence requirements, maintaining and analyzing correspondence tracking data and reports, and coordinating with program officials and other stakeholders to resolve issues involving correspondence.

This position has promotion potential to the GS-GS-12 grade level. Promotion to the next grade level is at management's discretion and is based on your demonstrated ability to perform the higher-level duties, the continuing need for the higher-level duties, and "Regulatory/Administrative" approval. Promotion to the next higher grade level is not guaranteed and no promise of promotion is implied.

Time In Grade Federal employees in the competitive service are also subject to the Time-In-Grade Requirements: Merit Promotion (status) candidates must have completed one year of service at the next lower grade level. Time-In-Grade provisions do not apply under the Excepted Service Examining Plan (ESEP). You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement.

Serves as Executive Secretariat Staff (ESS) primary focal point for Indian Health Service and external organizations for the verification, validation, and processing of incoming controlled documents. Provide document status; determination of appropriate format; interpretation of policies, procedures, standards; and prioritization of documents. Analyzes incoming documents and decides whether incoming materials require the ESS Director's attention or should be routed to the appropriate IHS/HHS official or component.

Identifies the action to be taken, Keeps abreast of changes in correspondence protocol and procedures for meeting timeliness and quality demands, Provides quality control management of controlled documents agency-wide to ensure conformity with established policies and standards.

Informs IHS clerical support staff about Executive Secretariat policies, procedures, and formats required for congressional and other highly specialized correspondence as prescribed by HHS and provides orientation to all new IHS employees on matters pertaining to the control and preparation of correspondence. Assists in the development of special policies and procedures which enhance the functions relative to the processing of internal controls and integrity constraints for the ESS and IHS-wide.

Assist the Director, ESS, in the development and enforcement of all written communication standards that affect the signature of the Director, IHS. Prepares summary reports, and analyzes and interprets these reports for Director ESS, making recommendations for improvements in performance of controlled correspondence.

Maintains close liaison with ESS counterparts in other HHS Operating/Staff divisions, and Office of the Secretary's Executive Secretariat to ensure timeliness and proper control of document coordination and correspondence requiring signature of officials organizationally above the Director, IHS. Manages, maintains, develops, and generates management reports regarding correspondence statistics and timeliness of responses.

Reviews and analyzes documents to determine the nature, complexity, and extent of the reply, which necessitates researching published literature, precedent policies and document file, and assembling pertinent background for preparing a response. Independently prepares reply for select documents based on knowledge of subject matter involved and the information obtained from researching reference materials.