Supervisory Program Specialist

Summary

Join the Department of Justice's Civil Division and support one of its key compensation programs. The Division seeks a Supervisory Program Specialist to lead RECA payment operations, oversee claim review workflows, and ensure accurate, timely, and compliant delivery of monetary awards to eligible claimants.

Duties

As a Supervisory Program Specialist in the Civil Division, you will oversee critical operational functions supporting the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) Program. Two positions will be filled: one specializing in payment operations and one specializing in helpline operations. Each Specialist will supervise staff, ensure compliance with RECA requirements, and contribute to the program's mission of delivering accurate, timely, and equitable service to claimants and beneficiaries. Supervisory Program Specialist (Payments) The Payments Specialist oversees the full lifecycle of RECA payment processing and financial documentation. Specific duties include: Supervising staff responsible for preparing, reviewing, and processing RECA monetary awards. Ensuring the accuracy of payment actions, including acceptance forms, budget memos, fund transfers, and supporting documentation. Reviewing and analyzing program costs and supporting budget administration activities. Responding to audits, conducting quality-control review of claim files and denied claims, and ensuring consistency, accuracy and timeliness of dispositions. Coordinating with attorneys, claims examiners, and budget personnel to resolve payment issues and maintain compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements. Reviewing claimant correspondence to ensure clarity and accuracy regarding payment outcomes and program effects. Supervisory Program Specialist (Helpline) The Helpline Specialist is responsible for supervising claimant support operations and ensuring high-quality communication with applicants, beneficiaries, and the public. Specific duties include: Supervising staff who respond to claimant inquiries and provide guidance on eligibility, documentation, deadlines, and the RECA claims process. Ensuring helpline communications are timely, accurate, consistent, and aligned with RECA statute and program policies. Reviewing correspondence and public-facing communication for clarity, correctness, and compliance. Training and mentoring staff to ensure professional, high-quality claimant support. Collaborating with claims examiners, payment specialists, and leadership to resolve complex claimant issues and maintain consistent messaging across the program. Monitoring inquiry trends and recommending improvements to claimant service workflows and informational materials. Qualifications

To qualify for the GS-12 level, applicants must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of this position. Specialized experience for this position includes performing duties such as: defining and organizing tasks to be executed by staff; supervising staff responsible for processing award payments; reviewing and analyzing program costs to ensure accuracy and compliance with established requirements; reviewing audits of claim files and conducting comprehensive reviews of denied claims for consistency, accuracy, and timeliness; and reviewing correspondence and advising claimants on how authorized monetary awards may impact their eligibility for other benefit programs. You MUST meet all qualification requirements, including time-in-grade, by 10/16/2026 of this announcement. Your resume must support your responses to the application questionnaire and the qualification requirements. Failure to do so may result in an ineligible rating. See the Required Documents section for important notes about what must be included in your resume.

Education

Not required. How You Will Be Evaluated

Once the announcement closes, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be conducted by the HR Specialist. This information will be compared against your responses to the application questionnaire to determine your eligibility for Federal employment, and then whether you are qualified for this particular position. If a determination is made that you have inflated your responses when compared to your background information, you may be deemed ineligible. Additionally, you must meet the area of consideration (see above). Applicants who do not meet this requirement are ineligible for consideration. Basis of Rating: DOJ's Merit Promotion Procedures will be used to evaluate candidates. Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, and other characteristics): Attention to Detail Budget Administration Leadership Due Weight for Performance: Please submit 1) a copy of your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation within the last year and 2) performance award in the last three years (e.g. superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increase, etc. Pay adjustments are not awards. ) Any performance appraisal/evaluation and award documentation you provide will be forwarded to the selecting official. The selecting official will review this documentation and give it due weight consideration during the overall selection process. If you would like to preview the application questionnaire, please see: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12982118 Other Information

Additional selections may be made from this announcement. Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution. Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin. EEO Statement/Policy: The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor. More information can be found here: U.S. Department of Justice Equal Employment Opportunity Policy Issued December 31, 2025 DOJ Reasonable Accommodation Policy: Federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. The DOJ Reasonable Accommodation policy can be found here: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/reasonable-accommodation#policy Selective Service: If you were born male, on or after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. Additional information is found at: www.sss.gov. Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs: The Fair Chance Act prohibits Federal agencies from requesting an applicant's criminal history information before the agency makes a conditional offer of employment. If you believe a DOJ employee or Federal contractor acting on its behalf has violated your rights under this Act, you may submit a written complaint within 30 days of the date of the alleged non-compliance directly to [email protected]. Note: In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201(b) certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance Act.