Victim Witness Specialist

Summary

For more information on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorneys' Offices, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/. As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement. This position is also being announced to applicants eligible to apply through Merit Staffing procedures under 26-NYW-13044452-MS. .

Duties

At the full performance level, you will provide a variety of services related to the victim witness program. If selected, you will receive formal and/or on-the-job training as needed. Duties include: Directing dissemination of information pertinent to various victim and witness protection laws Speaking to public, civic, industry and special interest groups on victim's issues Coordinating efforts with local victim services providers, social services, law enforcement-based victim assistance providers, and prosecution-based victim-witness staff Responding to victim inquiries, assessing concerns, and determining program eligibility for victim-witness services Advocating on behalf of crime victims in regard to issues and problems caused by crime Providing information to victims on schedule changes, status of defendant's pleas, results of trial Providing in-court support during hearings and trials Obtaining services and assistance for victims and witnesses through specific federal programs and funds Reviewing literature on victim witness issues Generating statistical and quantitative reports and analyses of program activity Analyzing and applying changes in legislation, case law and court rules Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.

Qualifications

GS-9: To be eligible at the GS-9 level, you must meet at least ONE of the following conditions, as defined below: Specialized Experience, Education, OR a combination of Education and Experience. Specialized Experience: One full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7 level. Specialized experience is defined as experience performing the following types of duties: assisting in developing and maintaining accurate resource materials; communicating effectively by utilizing a variety of written media; managing a calendar of active victim cases which includes keeping track of hearings, trial dates, and sentencing dates; and developing and maintaining a tracking system for ongoing cases. Education: One of the following types of education in a related field (e.g., Criminal Justice): a Master's or equivalent graduate degree (such as an LL.B.); OR 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree. Education at the graduate level must be in an accredited college or university and must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the duties of the position. Combining Education and Experience: Combinations of specialized experience as described in A and education as described in B which when combined equals at least 100 percent of the requirements. To qualify based on a combination, graduate education must be in excess of 1 full year. GS-11: To be eligible at the GS-11 level, you must meet at least ONE of the following conditions, as defined below: Specialized Experience, Education, OR a combination of Education and Experience. Specialized Experience: One full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-9 level. Specialized experience is defined as experience performing the following types of duties: analyzing victim-witness communication needs; providing victims and witnesses with routine information about the criminal justice process and court proceedings; conducting workshops or meetings with victim-witness subject-matter specialists and related officials; and publicizing efforts to develop and improve assistance programs by speaking to public, civic, industry and special interest groups about victim issues. Education: One of the following types of education in a related field (e.g., Criminal Justice): a Ph.D. or equivalent doctorate degree; OR 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree. Education at the graduate level must be in an accredited college or university and must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the duties of the position. Combining Education and Experience: Combinations of specialized experience as described in A and education as described in B which when combined equals at least 100 percent of the requirements. To qualify based on a combination, graduate education must be in excess of 2 full years. GS-12: To be eligible at the GS-12 level, you must meet one full year of specialized experience as defined below. Specialized Experience: One full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level. Specialized Experience is defined as experience performing the following types of duties: coordinating with victim service providers (federal, state and local law enforcement) to provide resources and services to victims of crimes prosecuted in state, tribal or federal courts; providing victims and witnesses with information about the criminal justice process and court proceedings; assessing safety concerns of victims, witnesses and aids in safety planning; and coordinates with Federal, state and local law enforcement and victim service providers in establishing comprehensive assistance plans to support victims. Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP)- The ICTAP provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your ICTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in the announcement; and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and receive a score of 85 or better on established ranking criteria. You must provide proof of eligibility to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of ICTAP eligibility or a copy of your separation personnel action form. Additional information about ICTAP eligibility is at: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/. Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)-The CTAP provides eligible surplus and displaced competitive service employees in the Department of Justice with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your Department of Justice component has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your CTAP eligibility, 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement, and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and receive a score of 85 or better on established ranking criteria. You must provide a copy of your written notification of CTAP eligibility with your application. Additional information about CTAP eligibility is at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.

Education

All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, see http://www.ed.gov OR Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the above education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the Unite