Position Objective: Provide services as a FOIA Program Manager in support of the overall functions of the Office of the Director (OD), Office of Science Management and Operations (OSMO) within the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). The purpose of this position is to produce work products and documents associated with FOIA case processing, which includes correspondence, researching, analyzing, and evaluating data for information request responses for NIAID.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Research, analyze and evaluate data for information request responses, write final response letters with no redactions or with routine applicable exemption.

• Apply knowledge of the FOIA, the Privacy Act, DHHS FOIA Regulations, NIH policy and court decisions to review requests for information, determine the appropriateness of the release and review and make recommendations regarding appeals.

• Independently process FOIA requests, including correspondence, memoranda, and redacting documents.

• Refer FOIA and PA requests to the appropriate NIAID or IC Service Center client divisions and offices for response documents.

• Consult with members of the public, attorneys, congressional staffers, NIAID management and NIH intramural or extramural staff to resolve requests for sensitive documents which may involve proprietary commercial and financial information, invasions of personal privacy, on- going investigations, or pre-decision and deliberative material.

• Draft memoranda for NIH OD FOIA Office proposing a final determination on requests denied in part or full.

• Conduct research on relevant disclosure laws, regulations, policies, and precedents in order to reach conclusions regarding the release of requested information, and document results.

• Review documents and responses to ensure compliance with the Acts and the regulations and policies issued pursuant to them.

• Consult with the DHHS FOI Office and the Office of General Counsel in reviewing and arriving at recommendations regarding requests involving administrative appeals.

• Review appeals for non-release of information or fees charged under the FOIA.

• Evaluate appeals considering applicable laws, regulations, and or additional justifications provided by the requester.

• Recommend approval or disapproval of the appeal and write responses to the HHS FOIA Officer who decides administrative appeals.

• Coordinate information requests with other offices; maintain a record of information in case file as appropriate.

• Analyze regulations, case decisions, policies and procedures to determine whether private or confidential information can be released; draft memoranda based on findings.

• Participate in meetings and discussions with attorneys on how best to respond to lawsuits over information requests via phone and electronic correspondence.

• Analyze and provide written analyses of new regulations to determine their impact on existing policies and procedures.

• Use automated tracking systems to monitor requests for confidential information to ensure their timely resolution; extract information from multiple sources for use in writing reports.

• Respond to inquiries for the formal release of documents,

• Negotiate informal agreements and support formal agreements to resolve conflicts between the requesters and providers of information; determine what is needed by a requester and assist the requester in formulating a request that will satisfy the requesters information needs.

• Communicate with consumers, the public or special interest groups on behalf of NIAID.

  Basic Qualifications:

• This position requires at minimum a Bachelor’s degree in governmental affairs, public policy, or a related field.

• The candidate should have extensive knowledge of the Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy Act.

• The candidate should possess strong oral and written communication skills, and should have extensive experience with policy briefs and writing.

  Minimum Qualifications:

• Ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, with non-technical and technical staff.

• Detail-oriented and possess strong organizational skills with the ability to prioritize multiple tasks and projects

  *This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required by this position.

  To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

  GAP Solutions provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. If you need an accommodation to apply for a job, email us at recruiting@gapsi.com . You will need to reference the requisition number of the position in which you are interested. Your message will be routed to the appropriate recruiter who will assist you. Please note, this email address is only to be used for those individuals who need an accommodation to apply for a job. Emails for any other reason or those that do not include a requisition number will not be returned.

  GAP Solutions is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their race, ethnicity, ancestry, color, sex, religion, creed, age, national origin, citizenship status, disability, medical condition, military and veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, and gender expression, familial status, political affiliation, genetic information, or any other legally protected status or characteristics.

  This position is contingent upon contract award.

Requisition ID: 7129