About this role
Job SummaryThis position is located in Office of Administrative Law Judges (OALJ), Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA), Office of Finance and Operations (OFO), and reports to the Chief Administrative Law Judge (Chief ALJ). The OALJ conducts hearing appeals by grantees and other statutory and regulatory hearings administered by the Department, and as delegated by the Secretary of Education.
QualificationsExperience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills, and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. We will consider all qualifying experience, including any volunteer experience. Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order to be credited towards qualifications.
Major DutiesAPPLICATION LIMIT: This vacancy announcement is limited to the first 200 applications received and will close at 11:59PM Eastern Time on the day that we receive the 200th application, or at 11:59PM Eastern Time on the listed closing date, whichever occurs first. We encourage you to read this entire vacancy announcement prior to submitting your application. As an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ), your primary function is to hear administrative proceedings which the Department is required to conduct subject to the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) (5 U.S.C. Section 551, et. seq.). The ALJ issues decisions and orders in adjudicatory hearings and performs other duties consistent with the APA and remains judicially independent of the Secretary. Additionally, the ALJ may conduct informal fact-finding inquiries or preside over pre-offset hearings such as requests for employee salary waiver over-payment cases. The ALJ administers oaths and affirmations, rules upon motions, regulates the course of evidentiary hearings and receives relevant evidence, holds conferences regarding settlement and other issues, and disposes of procedural requests or similar matters. The ALJ regularly prepares a complete formal record of hearings and issues formal written decisions. Depending on the case type, the ALJ may issue an initial decision subject to further appeal to the Secretary, or a final agency decision, subject only to appeal to an Article III federal court. The ALJ issues all decision and holds all hearings in a timely manner. Some types of proceedings are governed by strict timelines to which the ALJ must adhere. In consultation with, and with prior approval of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management and the Chief ALJ and the Department of Education, the ALJ may be called to assist another agency on a temporary basis for the purpose of conducting formal administrative hearings before such other agency.RequirementsYou must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this vacancy announcement. You must be a U.S. citizen or national. You will be required to successfully complete a background investigation. If tentatively selected, you will be required to submit an OF-306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and an SF-85P, Questionnaire for Public Trust Positions, and provide fingerprints. All ALJ applicants must receive a favorable personnel security adjudication before a final offer of employment is extended. You are required to register for Selective Service if you are a male born after 12/03/1959. You will be required to maintain a professional license to practice law under the laws of a state, territory, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. For more details, see Licensure under the Qualifications section below. You will be required to submit a Public Financial Disclosure Statement, OGE-278, before a final offer of employment is extended and annually thereafter.