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

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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.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a United States Citizen or National.
• You will be required to complete a suitability review.
• You must be a current permanent Department of Justice employee with competitive status or a CTAP/RPL eligible candidate.
• You must meet all eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement and continue to meet those requirements throughout the hiring process. Offers can be rescinded if requirements are not met.
• Financial Disclosure: If selected, you may be required to disclose financial information in accordance with DOJ and Federal ethics guidelines.
• Additional selections may be made from this announcement, within 90 days, if further openings occur in this office or in other offices within the Civil Division.
• This position has supervisory/managerial responsibilities. A one-year supervisory/managerial probationary period is required upon selection. This may be waived if you have successfully completed the supervisory/managerial probationary period.

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.

Additional 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.

Benefits

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.