FOIA Analyst

Western Door Federal is part of the Seneca Nation Group (SNG) portfolio of companies. SNG is the federal government contracting business wholly owned by the Seneca Nation of Indians. SNG meets mission-critical needs of federal civilian, defense, and intelligence community customers across a variety of domains. The SNG portfolio receives shared services support from its parent company Seneca Holdings and is comprised of multiple companies that participate in the Small Business Administration 8(a) program. To learn more visit www.senecanationgroup.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

The Seneca Nation Group companies offer competitive compensation and a strong benefits package including comprehensive medical and dental care, matching 401K, paid time off, flexible spending accounts, disability coverage, and other benefits that help provide financial protection for you and your family. We pride ourselves on our collaborative work environment and culture which embraces our mission of providing financial and non-financial benefits back to the members of the Seneca Nation.

Western Door Federal is seeking a highly professional, Public Trust clearance eligible individual who is technically proficient with relevant subject-matter expertise in the areas of FOIA. This individual will leverage their expertise to perform specific activities and produce work products as well as provide consultant advisory services for the holistic benefit of the Dept. of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Office of Information Governance and Privacy.

Roles and Responsibilities Include but Not Limited To

The FOIA Analyst will provide support to the ICE FOIA Officer, Deputy FOIA Officer and staff to support the activities outlined below.

• Assist with the ICE FOIA processing platform. This work consists of accessing pre-scanned images of records and logging certain information into ICE’s FOIA Request Tracking System (SecureRelease, eDiscovery) to create a FOIA case file.
• Perform the following tasks as part of Processing Support Services:
  • Analyzing FOIA subject matter and providing summary of analysis,
  • Developing recommendations on the formulation of responses,
  • Identifying risks and challenges related to responding to FOIA requests,
  • Preparing briefings for ICE FOIA Officer or management to outline details of FOIA and
  • Providing advisory guidance to ICE FOIA Officer, as requested.
• Perform the following tasks as part of Processing Support Services:
  • Analyzing FOIA subject matter and providing a summary of the analysis,
  • Developing recommendations on the formulation of responses,
  • Identifying risks and challenges related to responding to FOIA requests,
  • Preparing briefings for ICE FOIA Officer or management to outline details of FOIA and
  • Providing advisory guidance to ICE FOIA Officer, as requested.
• Maintain a database which will contain all FOIA requests, Privacy Act requests, and FOIA appeals. Create a new database entry for each new request, appeal and update each entry as needed throughout the life of the request/appeal, and date stamp new requests received by mail/email/web.
• Review FOIA requests against a defined set of business rules using a web-based review platform
• Work with POCs and/or document holders to gather potentially responsive documents
• Review documents to determine whether responsive and complete
• Determine whether FOIA exemptions apply to records and redact any non-releasable portions
• Redact documents using Adobe or reviewing the appropriateness of redactions others make
• Quality check/review all products before submitting to the government for legal review and signature.
• Draft FOIA response letters.
• Provide weekly reports on the status of responses to FOIA requests.
• Perform all other duties as assigned under the FOIA/PA (Privacy Act) guidelines.

The primary place of performance will be at ICE Headquarters facilities at 500 12th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20024.Telework is authorized, but the individual may need to report to HQ on occasion.

Requirements

• Minimum of three (3) years of experience in FOIA protocols and the Federal Policy as it relates to processing timely FOIA requests, including conducting quality control checks of FOIA work products.
• Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution, or in lieu of a degree, a minimum of five (5) years of experience in FOIA protocols and the Federal Policy as it relates to processing timely FOIA requests.
• Proficient knowledge of FOIA laws and regulations and reporting requirements under FOIA.
• Proficiency working with all FOIA Exemptions, especially 5, 6, and 7.
• Ability to use an electronic tracking system for managing FOIA requests (SecureRelease preferred; eDiscovery and FOIAXpress a plus)
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and outstanding organizational skills.
• Must be Security Clearance eligible and pass a background investigation.
• Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Must be proficient in database operations, word processing systems, and the use of Microsoft Office Suite, including MS Excel.
• Demonstrated ability to produce consistently high-quality work under fluid conditions
• Strong organizational, clerical and customer service skills.
• Analytical and critical thinking skills.
• Similar work experience in a federal government setting.
• Litigation experience a plus.
• Previous experience with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) preferred.
• Current or prior DHS clearance preferred.