Supervisory Legal Administrative Specialist

Citizenship and Immigration Services•Arlington, VA

About The Position

As a Supervisory Legal Administrative Specialist with USCIS, you share responsibility for the management and technical direction of an Asylum Office. The work supports the office’s administration of applications for asylum and other benefits, including preparation, research, resolution, and processing. The role serves as an expert consultant on Asylum Division benefits and screenings, oversees research and evaluation of pending cases, and supervises Legal Administrative Specialists performing work in support of adjudications and applicant screenings. The position includes planning and assigning subordinate work, setting short-term priorities, preparing work schedules, and training and developing staff expertise. Appointment requires U.S. citizenship or U.S. national status, successful background investigation and drug screening, and compliance with the stated residency requirement for applicants not currently employed by USCIS. A 12-month supervisory or managerial probationary period may apply, and an appropriate supervisory training course may be required within one year of assignment. The announcement states that GS-11 applicants need one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 level, or may qualify through specified doctoral-level graduate education or a related LL.M. Current federal employees must meet the stated time-in-grade requirement. The position is not considered essential for reporting when the facility is otherwise closed.

Requirements

U.S. citizen or U.S. national.
Successfully pass a background investigation, including financial disclosure, and a drug screening.
Males born after December 31, 1959, must be registered with the Selective Service.
Applicants not currently employed by USCIS must meet the residency requirement: for three of the five years immediately before applying, they must have resided in the United States, worked overseas as a U.S. government employee in a Federal or Military capacity, or been a dependent of such an employee serving overseas.
May be required to serve a 12-month supervisory or managerial probationary period and complete an appropriate supervisory training course within one year of assignment.
For GS-11 qualification by experience: one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least GS-09, including experience in the majority of the listed areas: evaluating workflow and recommending operational-efficiency improvements; using systems or databases to research or analyze immigration status, eligibility, or other legal determinations; preparing documentation or reports related to immigration, legal, or administrative case processing; and providing guidance related to immigration applications or other legal determinations.
Alternatively, GS-11 qualification may be met with a doctoral degree or equivalent, three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree in any field, or a related LL.M., from an accredited college or university, demonstrating the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed for the work.
Current federal employees must have served 52 weeks at the lower grade or equivalent grade band; the time-in-grade requirement must be met by the stated deadline.
Submit a resume of no more than two pages and any required supporting documents by the application deadline; a transcript is required for education to be considered.

Responsibilities

Serve as an expert consultant on Asylum Division benefits and screenings administered at the Asylum Office.
Oversee research and evaluation of pending cases, including key system searches across available USCIS and DHS case management systems.
Supervise Legal Administrative Specialists performing duties in support of benefit adjudications and applicant screenings.
Plan subordinate work, set and adjust short-term priorities, and prepare schedules for completing work.
Train and develop subordinate expertise, and assign work and roles according to team members’ experience and knowledge.
Share responsibility for management and technical direction of a USCIS Asylum Office, including preparation, research, resolution, and processing of asylum and other benefit applications.