FOIA/Privacy Act Analyst

Harkcon, Inc. is seeking experienced Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act professionals to support a federal information-access and records-disclosure program. The FOIA/Privacy Act Analyst will process complex and potentially voluminous requests involving sensitive government records.

The successful candidate will understand the complete FOIA and Privacy Act request lifecycle, including request intake, clarification, records searches, document review, application of exemptions, redaction, correspondence, quality control, case tracking, and closeout. This position requires sound judgment, careful attention to detail, strong written communication, and the ability to manage multiple cases while meeting statutory, regulatory, and customer deadlines. The Analyst will work under the direction of Harkcon's Program Manager and collaborate with government attorneys, program offices, records custodians, classification personnel, and other stakeholders.

Location: On-site at customer's office in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Limited telework may be approved, but not guaranteed.

Clearance Requirement: Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Department of Energy Q clearance

*** This position is contingent upon award of a contract to Harkcon***

Essential Responsibilities

• Process Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act requests from intake through final response and administrative closeout.
• Review incoming requests to determine scope, sufficiency, complexity, and required processing actions.
• Communicate professionally with requesters to clarify or appropriately narrow requests.
• Coordinate searches for responsive records with government program offices, records custodians, and other stakeholders.
• Review electronic and paper records to determine responsiveness and identify information requiring protection.
• Apply appropriate FOIA exemptions, Privacy Act provisions, and other applicable disclosure restrictions.
• Redact sensitive information accurately using approved electronic tools.
• Prepare acknowledgement letters, clarification correspondence, interim responses, consultation and referral packages, final response letters, and related documentation.
• Process requests involving complex, sensitive, classified, law-enforcement, proprietary, personal, or predecisional information.
• Maintain complete, accurate, and timely case information in FOIAXpress or another commercial FOIA case-management system.
• Upload responsive records, correspondence, review documentation, and final case materials to the appropriate electronic repositories.
• Maintain comprehensive case notes that document processing decisions, communications, search activities, consultations, referrals, and case status.
• Monitor assigned cases, identify potential delays, and promptly elevate obstacles or unresolved issues.
• Coordinate consultations and referrals with other federal organizations when records contain external agency equities.
• Support the preparation and review of records associated with administrative appeals, litigation, or other high-visibility matters.
• Conduct quality-control reviews of response packages for accuracy, completeness, consistency, formatting, exemptions, redactions, and supporting documentation.
• Protect personally identifiable information, controlled unclassified information, classified information, and other sensitive records.
• Support large, time-sensitive, or multimedia requests involving extensive document collections, audio, video, or other electronic records.
• Prepare case-status information, workload metrics, production data, and recurring reports for program leadership.
• Assist with special projects, process improvements, backlog-reduction activities, and other FOIA/Privacy Act program requirements.
• Perform all work in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, policies, procedures, and customer quality standards.

Required Qualifications

Candidates must meet one of the following experience and education combinations:

• Bachelor's degree or higher in a relevant field and at least two years of professional FOIA experience; or
• At least five years of professional FOIA experience.

Candidates must also possess:

• At least two years of experience using FOIAXpress or another commercial FOIA case-management database.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and other commonly used Microsoft applications.
• Experience processing FOIA requests and reviewing records for responsiveness, exemptions, and release.
• Knowledge of the Freedom of Information Act, Privacy Act, and applicable federal information-disclosure requirements.
• Experience drafting clear, accurate, and professional FOIA correspondence.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple assignments and meet established deadlines.
• Strong analytical, research, proofreading, writing, and organizational skills.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with attorneys, program personnel, records custodians, and other analysts.
• Ability to exercise discretion when handling sensitive or protected information.
• U.S. citizenship and the ability to obtain and maintain a Department of Energy Q security clearance.
• Ability to satisfy federal suitability, security, identity-verification, and facility-access requirements.
• Ability to work in the Albuquerque, New Mexico area and report to a federal facility when required.

Preferred Qualifications

Preference may be given to candidates with one or more of the following:

• Advanced proficiency with FOIAXpress, including case creation, correspondence, document management, redaction, reporting, and case closeout.
• Experience supporting a federal department, agency, Office of General Counsel, or centralized FOIA office.
• Experience processing Privacy Act requests in addition to FOIA requests.
• Experience reviewing classified records or coordinating classification reviews.
• Experience processing complex, voluminous, aged, expedited, high-visibility, or litigation-related requests.
• Experience preparing administrative appeal packages, litigation-support materials, or Vaughn indices.
• Knowledge of federal records-management and electronic-records requirements.
• Experience conducting peer reviews or quality-control reviews of FOIA response packages.
• Experience interpreting and applying FOIA exemptions, including Exemptions 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7.
• Experience processing consultations and referrals involving multiple federal organizations.
• Experience working with Adobe Acrobat Pro or comparable electronic review and redaction tools.
• Experience producing workload reports, case-status reports, and program-performance metrics.
• Current or previously held federal security clearance.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Careful and defensible application of FOIA exemptions and Privacy Act protections.
• Exceptional attention to detail when reviewing records and preparing release packages.
• The ability to recognize sensitive information and prevent inappropriate disclosure.
• Clear and professional written and verbal communication.
• Sound judgment when addressing ambiguous, complex, or high-risk disclosure issues.
• The ability to organize large volumes of records and maintain an accurate audit trail.
• Responsiveness to changing priorities, urgent requests, and customer deadlines.
• A commitment to accuracy, public service, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Work Environment

Work may be performed in controlled federal office environments, including areas where sensitive or classified information is processed. The position may require handling electronic and physical records, working at a computer for extended periods, and coordinating with geographically dispersed stakeholders.

The normal work schedule will fall within established customer operating hours. On-site attendance and telework eligibility will be determined by customer requirements, security status, assigned work, and management approval.

Applicants should submit a resume that clearly identifies:

• FOIA and Privacy Act positions held.
• Employment dates and average hours worked per week.
• Types and complexity of requests processed.
• FOIA exemptions regularly applied.
• Experience with appeals, litigation, classified records, and quality control.
• FOIA case-management and redaction systems used.
• Current or previous federal security clearance, including type and status, without providing classified or sensitive security information.
• Availability to work in the Albuquerque, New Mexico area.

Harkcon, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity-Affirmative Action Employer - Minority / Female / Disability / Veteran / Gender Identity / Sexual Orientation / Age