Legal Administrative Specialist

The Environmental Enforcement Section is comprised of talented lawyers and other professionals who work together to enforce the Nation's pollution, environmental cleanup, and natural resource damage laws - all to protect public health and the environment.

This vacancy is also being announced concurrently with Ann# ENRD-26-038-MP for employees with Federal status or eligibility and applicants eligible for special appointment authorities. Please review that announcement to determine if you are eligible to apply. Applicants must apply separately for each announcement. The successful candidate selected for this position will join a select team of highly respected professional staff in the Section's Case Management Unit ("CMU"). The CMU performs a broad range of specialized duties, critical to the operation of the Section and ENRD, most notably involving financial work. The CMU inputs and tracks civil financial debts owed to the United States, produces reports needed to satisfy reporting and tracking obligations, along with other assigned tasks that benefit the operation of the Section. The successful candidate must be comfortable working independently and as part of a small team and must be comfortable training and collaborating through a primarily Microsoft Teams-based platform that is essential for driving work performed across multiple databases and systems. The CMU operates within EES's Management Group, so the candidate selected will report directly to the Assistant Section Chief for Management. Responsibilities of a Legal Administrative Specialist include: Reviewing a variety of complex documents (including case referrals, memos, emails, settlement agreements, court judgments) to extract relevant data and case information, input data, and perform quality assurance across multiple databases. Interpreting settlement agreements, court judgments, and other legal documents to ensure accurate financial coding of all debts owed to the United States. Ensuring that certain penalties are routed to special funds, defendants are assessed the correct amounts, payments are routed to the proper federal agency, and monetary penalties are distinguished from costs and natural resource damages. Interpreting all non-monetary relief and accurately recording its estimated value; noting whether work required will take longer than 3 years to complete; and distinguishing between mitigation projects and injunctive relief work required to achieve compliance with relevant statutes. Coordinating with EES attorneys to tailor the language used in payment provisions for settlement agreements, so that provisions are sufficiently clear and precise for the subsequent creation of debts and the financial coding of payments. Writing clear and concise emails to attorneys summarizing financial data or seeking financial data and other case information. Ensuring that accurate and timely information is transmitted to the Department-wide debt collection database and notifying the Financial Litigation Program (FLP) of the U.S. Attorney's Offices to send payment instructions to defendants. Coordinating with ENRD attorneys, FLPs, client agencies and other internal and external stakeholders to support the accurate and timely collection of monies owed to the United States. Generating multiple standard (often monthly) reports and designing ad hoc reports as needed to assist managers. Reviewing and transmitting Federal Register notices for publication, gathering any public comments, and routing public comments to the appropriate attorneys. This is a dynamic role. The successful candidate should enjoy working with a cohesive team within EES' Management Group that is collegial, nimble and capable of very precise work. The CMU has a well-earned reputation for excellence and is routinely called upon by attorneys and managers to assist with matters within its specialized scope of duties.