Technical Lead (FOIA)

Ardent Eagle Solutions•Silver Spring, MD

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

This role provides interdisciplinary legal expertise related to program planning and oversight in a team environment, developing performance metrics, coordination within and across agency lines, and legal interpretation of pertinent policies and guidelines to support NOAA Fisheries with FOIA coordination and processing. The position requires experience utilizing eDiscovery systems, performing legal editing, handling FOIA coordination and processing including reporting, managing administrative duties related to appeals, and assisting the NMFS FOIA lead with the intake, scope perfection, assignment, tracking, and closure of NMFS FOIAs. The role involves recommending draft FOIA policies and procedures, developing procedures for NMFS-wide compliance, reviewing FOIA requests, coordinating with other agency FOIA offices, monitoring FOIA processing timelines, and developing status reports. Additionally, the position requires participation in FOIA conference calls and meetings with the NOAA Office of General Counsel, reviewing and improving the NMFS FOIA program, and utilizing federal FOIA software and websites. Responsibilities also include drafting FOIA acknowledgment letters, fee estimates, response letters, identifying Subject Matter Experts, searching, reviewing, and redacting records, conducting scope clarifications, scheduling and documenting appeals interviews, drafting appeals notices, reviewing IG referrals and internal complaints, drafting inquiry interview questions, conducting interviews, and drafting referral responses and reports. The role also involves identifying relevant NOAA OCIO UMS search results, conducting FOIA training, and maintaining the NMFS FOIA Website. Finally, the position requires drafting redactions for responsive records, drafting FOIA training materials, and documenting research for FOIA, appeals, and complaints.

Requirements

8+ years’ experience providing interdisciplinary legal expertise related to program planning and oversight in a team environment, developing performance metrics, coordination within and across agency lines, and legal interpretation of pertinent policies and guidelines is required.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Adept at the federal FOIA website, FOIAonline, as well as Clearwell FOIA software.

Responsibilities

Experience utilizing eDiscovery systems (i.e., Clearwell, etc.) to create cases, ingest and export data, troubleshoot, create user accounts, etc.
Experience performing legal editing duties.
Experience with FOIA coordination and processing, including updating weekly, and monthly FOIA reports.
Experience handling administrative duties related to appeals administration.
Assisting the NMFS FOIA lead with the intake, scope perfection, assignment, tracking and closure of NMFS FOIAs.
Recommending draft FOIA policies and procedures for Government review and approval.
Developing procedures for ensuring NMFS-wide compliance with FOIA regulations and policies and correcting/guiding/training as needed.
Reviewing FOIA requests for completeness and recommending the most appropriate lead office for each FOIA.
Coordinating with higher level and other agency FOIA offices as necessary.
Monitoring the timely processing of NMFS FOIAs and alerting government leads before a backlog situation arises.
Developing monthly and annual status reports on NMFS FOIA requests.
Attending and participating in monthly and quarterly NMFS FOIA conference calls , including preparing and disseminating agenda , meeting minutes, and action items.
Attending and participating in biweekly meetings with NOAA Office of General Counsel concerning FOIA matters.
Reviewing the NMFS FOIA program, policies, and procedures ; identifying concerns and recommending improvements .
Utilizing federal FOIA software and websites , including FOIA online.
Developing FOIA acknowledgment letters, fee estimates, and interim and final response letters.
Identifying potential Subject Matter Experts (SME) within NMFS components who would likely possess records responsive to FOIA requests.
Searching for, reviewing and redacting records potentially responsive to a FOIA.
Conducting FOIA scope clarifications with requestors.
Scheduling appeals interviews, including witnesses, and proposing witness interviews to appeals officers.
Draft appeals notices, orders and decisions Notes for observed administrative hearings, the judge’s answers to questions and legal issues discussed.
Reviewing IG referrals and internal complaints and drafting case evaluations.
Alerting the NAO Chief of potential conflicts in an inquiry between the complainant , subject , and/or witnesses , and NAO staff.
Drafting inquiry interview questions, scheduling interviews , conducting interviews, and drafting interview summary statements.
Draft referral responses, Report of Findings, and internal inquiry memoranda
Identification of relevant NOAA OCIO UMS search results for FOIA and inquiries.
Draft evaluations for IG referred and internal complaints, summarizing complaint; identifying relevant statutes, regulations, case law, and policy for inquiries; and identifying potential personnel to be interviewed
Reviewing NOAA Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) Unified Messenger System (UMS) search results for FOIA and inquiries and identifying relevant information in results.
Conduct FOIA training.
Maintenance of the NMFS FOIA Website developed on the NOAA standard web location, Google Sites, using the NOAA standard Google web development software.
Draft FOIA acknowledgment letters, fee estimates, and interim and final response letters.
Draft NMFS FOIA Status Reports, and NMFS FOIA Annual Report.
Draft redactions for records responsive to FOIA requests.
Draft changes to NMFS FOIA policy and procedures
FOIA scope clarifications
Identification and appropriate redaction of potentially responsive records for FOIA requests.
Draft and final FOIA Training materials
Documenting statutory, regulatory, case law, and policy research for FOIA, appeals, and OIG referred and internal complaints.