Senior FOIA Specialist
Title: Senior FOIA Specialist
Location: Remote / Virtual
Schedule: Full-time
Salary: $73,000-$88,000, commensurate with experience
KMRG, LLC (KMRG) is a federal services company that hires talented professionals to support Government agencies and the communities they serve. We are hiring a Senior FOIA Specialist to support the U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid (FSA).
In this role, you will process Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), FOIA Appeals, and Privacy Act requests; apply FOIA exemptions and redactions; prepare response correspondence; maintain cases in FOIA Xpress; and provide regulatory and analytical support to FSA.
This position is a strong fit for an experienced FOIA professional who can independently handle complex requests, make sound disclosure determinations, and work accurately in a deadline-driven environment with minimal oversight.
Applications will be reviewed as they are received. Apply today!
RESPONSIBILITIES
FOIA & Privacy Act Request Processing
- Review, analyze, and process incoming FOIA and Privacy Act requests
- Participate in intake activities and assess requests for appropriate processing
- Enter FOIA requests and related correspondence accurately into FOIA Xpress and FSA tracking systems
- Coordinate with Department program offices to obtain responsive records and address request issues
- Communicate with requesters regarding scope, cost, identity certification, and other processing matters
- Track cases and complete required actions within statutory, regulatory, and Department timeframes
- Support efforts to reduce the number of pending FOIA and Privacy Act requests
- Maintain complete and accurate case documentation throughout the request lifecycle
Disclosure Review, Redactions & Responses
- Review responsive records and determine the appropriate treatment under FOIA and Privacy Act requirements
- Apply redactions using expert knowledge of the nine FOIA exemptions
- Process complex FOIA requests requiring careful analysis and disclosure determinations
- Prepare interim and final response letters and memoranda for signature, as appropriate
- Apply controlling case law, Department policy, regulations, procedures, and guidance to disclosure decisions
- Coordinate with appropriate Department personnel when legal, policy, or program input is needed
FOIA Appeals
- Process FOIA Appeals in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, policies, and procedures
- Review case records, prior determinations, responsive documents, and exemption applications
- Provide accurate analytical support for appeal review and resolution
- Maintain appeal documentation and related correspondence in applicable case-management systems
- Support timely completion of appeal actions and required follow-up
- Identify issues requiring additional review or coordination
FOIA Xpress & Case-Management Support
- Use FOIA Xpress to process, track, document, and report FOIA and Privacy Act activity
- Maintain accurate request data, case actions, correspondence, and status information
- Use FSA's internal FOIA Integrity Management System (FIMS) and other workflow tools as required
- Quickly learn and use internally developed systems supporting FOIA processing
- Recommend modified or new operational approaches, including improvements involving FOIA Xpress
- Support accurate management, tracking, and reporting of FOIA workload
Regulatory Guidance & Analytical Support
- Provide technical guidance on FOIA and Privacy Act laws, regulations, policies, procedures, and guidance
- Analyze factual information, evaluate significant factors, and solve complex processing problems
- Review options and provide recommendations regarding procedures, strategies, resources, and ongoing activities
- Aggregate and analyze data to support comparisons, reporting, and management decisions
- Provide subject-matter expertise to FSA FOIA management and internal stakeholders
- Support Department c