Administrative Specialist - Environmental Enforcement Section

Offices, Boards and Divisions•Washington, DC

About The Position

This position is in the Environmental Enforcement Section of the Energy and Natural Resources Division. The Section brings civil judicial actions under most federal laws designed to protect public health and the environment from pollution. The Administrative Specialist provides high-level administrative, operational, and quality assurance services to more than 150 Section personnel, including managers, attorneys, paralegals, and administrative staff. The position directs centralized administrative work, coordinates Section-wide programs and processes, supports hiring and human resources activities, oversees timekeeping, and leads staff teams. It also coordinates operational support for emergency planning, training, special projects, and law clerk and intern programs.

Requirements

U.S. citizenship or national status.
Completion of a background investigation, including pre-employment drug testing.
Selective Service registration, if applicable.
Completion of, or prior completion of, a one-year probationary period.
Maintain a bank account for direct deposit of salary.
For GS-12, one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-11 federal grade level or above evaluating office operations for effectiveness and organizational productivity, recommending process improvements, and supporting centralized administrative activities for an organization.
Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements of one year at the next lower grade by the announcement closing date.
Resume must document relevant experience, including the month and year each position began and ended; part-time experience is prorated.
There is no substitution of education for experience at this grade level.

Responsibilities

Serve as the main point of contact for employees and managers and direct the Section’s centralized administrative work.
Coordinate with management to identify volunteers for Department-sanctioned non-litigation opportunities.
Coordinate the Section’s Continuity of Operations Plan, including emergency planning and exercises, contacts, building maps, evacuation route maps, and volunteer rosters.
Liaise with the Office of Administrative Services on permits, parking, building and office equipment support, office space, and special events.
Oversee collection of annual reporting obligations, including state bar certifications, financial disclosures, and professionalism, ethics, and other training records.
Coordinate administrative and logistical support for conferences, retreats, training seminars, workshops, and special projects.
Coordinate training for new employees, conduct training on administrative matters, and create training plans and timelines.
Coordinate with the Division’s Law Clerk and Intern Coordinator to support law clerk and undergraduate intern programs.
Manage centralized human resources processes, including submitting SF-52s and tracking staff performance appraisals and promotions for attorneys and professional staff.
Coordinate hiring committees and manage logistics, including interview and panel scheduling, documentation, reference checks, recruitment recommendations, and hiring memoranda.
Coordinate with management to finalize recruitment documents, including vacancy announcements, position descriptions, crediting plans, work plans, and related documentation.
Serve as the Section’s primary timekeeper, audit leave balances, and resolve or troubleshoot time reporting system issues.
Lead teams performing work within the position’s scope, oversee their work, and provide performance input for Administrative Specialists, Legal Assistants, volunteer students, and other clerical staff.