Program Specialist, GS-0301-13, FPL 13 (DE)

Summary This position is located in the Department of Education, Federal Student Aid, Ombudsman (Office of the Ombudsman).  FSA is a Principal Office of the United States Department of Education responsible for awarding billions of dollars in federal student aid funds. Learn more about this agency Duties APPLICATION LIMIT: This vacancy announcement is limited to the first 75 applications received and will close at 11:59PM Eastern Time on the day that we receive the 75th application, or at 11:59PM Eastern Time on the listed closing date, whichever occurs first.  We encourage you to read this entire vacancy announcement prior to submitting your application.As a PROGRAM SPECIALIST, GS-0301-13, you will be responsible for:•  Serves as a subject matter expert in resolving highly complex, unprecedented, or sensitive Title IV–related complaints and borrower disputes requiring authoritative interpretation of statute, regulation, policy, and loan servicing requirements.   •  Analyzes loan and grant account data across FSA and external systems to determine whether Title IV aid was properly awarded, originated, disbursed, and/or serviced in accordance with statutory, regulatory, and policy requirements; develops authoritative determinations which may result in required corrective action by servicers, institutions, or other program partners.   • Applies expert-level knowledge of Title IV legal, regulatory, and operational requirements to negotiate and resolve contested cases involving borrowers, institutions, servicers, guarantors, legal representatives, and other stakeholders.    • Advises and mentors Complaint Resolution Specialists and other analysts on methods to obtain, analyze, interpret, and present complex servicing data and regulatory findings; provides non-supervisory leadership in elevating technical capability across the team.    • Represents the Office of the Ombudsman in engagements with internal and external stakeholders, including senior FSA leadership, Office of General Counsel, public affairs, borrower advocates, legal aid organizations, servicers, guarantors, schools, and the Department of Justice, as appropriate. Requirements Conditions of employment You must be a United States citizen to apply. You may be subject to serve a one-year probation period. Males 18 and over must be registered with the Selective Service. Must complete a Background Investigation and Fingerprint check. Condition of Employment: As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a probationary period or trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: • your performance and conduct; • the needs and interests of the agency; • whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and • whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this vacancy announcement. If you are a current federal employee, you must meet all time-in-grade and time-after competitive appointment qualifications within 30 days of the closing date of this vacancy announcement. To verify that you meet these requirements, we will review your responses to the core eligibility questions on the occupational questionnaire, as well as your submitted resume and required documents. To make an accurate determination, you will need to include on your resume your federal position title, pay plan, occupational series, grade level, agency, dates for which you held the grade level (stated as MM/YYYY to MM/YYYY, OR MM/YYYY to PRESENT), and total hours worked per week. 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). Qualifications Minimum Qualification Requirements You may meet the minimum qualifications for the GS-13, if you possess the specialized experience.Specialized Experience for the GS-13 One year of experience in either federal or non-federal service that is equivalent to at least a GS-12 performing two (2) out of three (3) of the following duties or work assignments: 1. Experience assisting resolving Title IV–related complaints, disputes, or servicing issues requiring interpretation and application of federal student aid statutes, regulations, and policy guidance.2. Experience reviewing loan or grant account data across multiple systems to determine whether federal student aid was properly awarded, originated, disbursed, and/or serviced in accordance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements, and developing written determinations or recommendations that may result in corrective action.3. Experience relaying technical guidance to staff or stakeholders (e.g., borrowers, institutions, servicers, legal representatives, oversight entities) on regulatory or servicing matters and offering assistance on case analysis or dispute resolution.Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) The quality of your experience will be measured by the extent to which you possess the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs). You do not need to provide separate narrative responses to these KSAs, as they will be measured by your responses to the occupational questionnaire (you may preview the occupational questionnaire by clicking the link at the end of the Evaluations section of this vacancy announcement).1.    Knowledge of Title IV statutes, regulations, and operational requirements sufficient to interpret and apply governing authorities to resolve complex borrower and institutional disputes.2.    Skill in reviewing and reconciling loan and grant account data across multiple systems to evaluate compliance with regulatory requirements and develop well-supported determinations.3.    Ability to effectively negotiate and resolve complex disputes by balancing regulatory requirements, stakeholder interests, and program compliance considerations.4.    Skill in mentoring and providing technical guidance to analysts on complex regulatory interpretation, case analysis, and complaint resolution methodologies.5.    Ability to represent the organization in high-visibility engagements and communicate complex regulatory findings clearly and credibly to diverse stakeholders. Education Education cannot be substituted for experience for this position and grade level.  Additional information Veterans’ Career Counseling: If you are a veteran interested in receiving tips on preparing a Federal resume and/or how to prepare for an interview, you may email [email protected] to schedule a session with a career counselor (“Veterans Counseling Session” should be placed in the subject line of the email). Student Loan Default: If selected for this position, we will verify that you have not defaulted on any loan funded or guaranteed by the U.S. Department of Education. If you are found to be in default, we will contact you to make arrangements for repayment prior to making an official offer of employment. Suitability and Investigation: If selected for this position, you will be required to complete the Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) to determine your suitability for federal employment and successfully complete a pre-appointment investigation/background check.Essential/Non-Essential: This position is considered non-essential for purposes of reporting to work during federal government closures.Financial Disclosure: This position does not require financial disclosure.Bargaining Unit: This position is included in the bargaining unit (American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 252).  Selections: Agencies have broad authority under law to hire from any appropriate source of eligibles and may fill a vacancy in the competitive service by any method authorized. We may make additional selections from this vacancy announcement within 90 days from the date the selection certificates are issued, should vacancies occur. We may also share selection certificates amongst program offices across the agency. Expand Hide  additional 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. Benefits 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. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits. As an ED employee, you will also benefit from our family-friendly work environment. As part of our commitment to maintain a work life balance, we offer excused leave for Parent/Teacher Conferences (3 hours); excused leave for annual health screenings (4 hours); and matching leave for community volunteer service. Other flexibilities that may be available to you include alternative work schedules. You may be eligible to receive a recruitment incentive for this position. To receive this incentive payment, you will be required to sign a service agreement obligating you to remain with the U.S. Department of Education for a specified period as agreed upon. You may be eligible to receive a relocation incentive for this position. To receive this incentive payment, you will be required to sign a service agreement obligating you to remain with the U.S. Department of Education for a specified period as agreed upon. You may be eligible to participate in the Student Loan Repayment Program as a recruitment incentive for this position. To receive student loan repayments, you will be required to sign a service agreement obligating you to remain with the U.S. Department of Education for a specified period as agreed upon. 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.