OFFICE SPECIALIST-UMP - FOIA PROGRAM SPECIALIST
About The Position
As an Office Specialist- FOIA Program Specialist for the Division of Justice Services, this role involves receiving responses to FOIA requests from ISP employees as requested by the FOIA Officer. The specialist will review documents for compliance with FOIA, identifying exempt provisions and recommending necessary redactions. This position serves as a FOIA liaison with the Illinois State Police Legal Office FOIA Unit. The role requires inquiring into myriad data sources to create responses to requests and reviewing documents for accuracy prior to release. Coordination of information release is essential, ensuring compliance with state law and applicable privacy rights. The specialist will provide guidance and training to other Records Unit staff as needed, advise their immediate supervisor regarding additional training needs, and coordinate with the ISP Legal Office FOIA Unit to obtain further training on proper ISP FOIA procedures, processes, rules, and regulations. Duties also include updating databases, opening and distributing mail, answering phones, keyboarding, filing, photocopying, and editing correspondence and reports. A key responsibility is reviewing correspondence for neatness, accuracy, and proper grammar, as well as proofreading, editing, or finalizing materials prepared by other staff.
Requirements
- Requires knowledge, skill, and mental development equivalent to completion of two (2) years of secretarial/business college and one (1) year of office experience, or completion of high school and three (3) years of office experience or three (3) years of independent business experience.
- Qualifying state employees, in the employee Upward Mobility Program, may complete combinations of specific proficiency tests and training programs leading to a certificate of proficiency in lieu of the stated requirements for this classification.
Nice To Haves
- Prefers one (1) year of experience applying the principals of FOIA in a law enforcement environment.
- Prefers two (2) years of experience applying the principals of FOIA.
- Prefers two (2) years of experience providing administrative and/or clerical support in a law enforcement environment.
- Prefers three (3) years of experience writing in a business or professional environment.
- Prefers three (3) years of experience utilizing Microsoft Office products, including but not limited to Access.
- Prefers extensive knowledge of composition, grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
- Prefers the ability to follow oral or written instructions.
- Prefers experience with answering phones and/or email in a business or professional environment.
Responsibilities
- Serves as a FOIA Program Specialist regarding FOIA issues performing complex and specialized technical and paraprofessional functions for the Program Administration Bureau, Patrol and Investigative Records Section, FOIA / Subpoena / External Request / Expungement Unit.
- Processes Subpoenas, External Requests, and Expungements.
- Serves as a subject matter expert within the PAB Records Management Section regarding FOIA.
- Provides general office management and support services to the PAB Records Management Section.
- Performs other duties as required or assigned which are reasonably within the scope of the duties enumerated above.
- Receives responses to FOIA requests from ISP employees as requested by the FOIA Officer.
- Reviews documents for compliance with FOIA looking for exempt provisions and recommending redactions to documents as necessary.
- Serves as a FOIA liaison with the Illinois State Police Legal Office FOIA Unit.
- Inquiries myriad data sources and creates responses to requests.
- Reviews the documents for accuracy prior to release.
- Coordinates the release of information where necessary ensuring compliance with state law as well as applicable privacy rights.
- Provides guidance and training to other Records Unit staff as needed.
- Advises immediate supervisor regarding additional training needs.
- Coordinates with the ISP Legal Office FOIA Unit to obtain additional training regarding proper ISP FOIA procedures, processes, rules and regulations when necessary.
- Updates databases, opening and distributing mail, answering phones, keyboarding, filing, photocopying and editing correspondence and reports.
- Reviews correspondence for neatness, accuracy and proper grammar, proofreads, edits or finalizes materials prepared by other staff.
Benefits
- Health, life, vision, and dental insurance.
- 12 weeks paid maternity/paternity leave.
- Pension Plan
- Deferred Compensation, and other pre-tax benefit programs.
- Employees earn twelve (12) paid sick days annually.
- Ten to twenty-five (10-25) paid vacation days based on years of service.
- Employees earn three (3) paid personal days pro-rated based on start date.
- Thirteen-Fourteen (13-14) paid state holidays annually.
Stand Out From the Crowd
Upload your resume and get instant feedback on how well it matches this job.
What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
Education Level
Associate degree
