Senior FOIA Analyst in Washington, District of Columbia at Sampson Jefferson and Associates

Location: [Insert Location]

Clearance: Must be able to obtain/maintain a DoD Secret Security Clearance

Position Type: Full-Time

The Senior FOIA Analyst will serve as a subject matter expert supporting Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) operations within a federal agency environment. This role involves managing the full lifecycle of FOIA requests, providing technical and policy guidance to junior analysts, ensuring compliance with FOIA and Privacy Act requirements, and coordinating with legal, records management, and program offices. The Senior FOIA Analyst will ensure timely, accurate, and legally compliant responses to high-visibility and complex FOIA cases.

• Manage and oversee the processing of complex and sensitive FOIA requests from intake through final response.
• Conduct thorough records searches, reviews, and redactions in accordance with FOIA exemptions and legal standards.
• Serve as a team lead/mentor to FOIA Analysts, providing guidance, training, and quality assurance on FOIA processing.
• Coordinate with legal counsel, program offices, and senior leadership on FOIA determinations and appeals.
• Draft, edit, and finalize response letters, justifications, Vaughn indexes, and litigation support documents.
• Perform quality control reviews of FOIA case files to ensure compliance with statutory deadlines and agency policy.
• Utilize FOIA case management systems (e.g., FOIA Xpress) to log, track, and manage requests.
• Advise management on FOIA trends, challenges, and program improvements.
• Support Privacy Act requests and advise on overlap with FOIA exemptions.
• Represent the agency in FOIA-related meetings, working groups, and potential litigation support activities.

• U.S. Citizenship and ability to obtain/maintain a Secret Security Clearance.
• Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, Legal Studies, Political Science, Information Management, or related field.
• Minimum 5–7 years of direct FOIA experience, with at least 2 years in a senior or lead analyst role.
• Expertise in applying FOIA exemptions, case law, and disclosure policies.
• Demonstrated experience with FOIA Xpress or similar case management/redaction software.
• Strong technical writing and communication skills, including drafting legal determinations and correspondence.
• Experience conducting quality control and peer reviews of FOIA responses.
• Strong knowledge of the Privacy Act (PA) and its relationship to FOIA.
• Ability to manage multiple high-profile requests under tight deadlines.

• Prior FOIA experience within a DoD component or federal agency.
• Experience supporting FOIA litigation and developing Vaughn indexes.
• Knowledge of classified records review and handling procedures.
• Supervisory or team lead experience in a FOIA program.

• U.S. Citizenship (required for federal contracting and security clearance eligibility).
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Secret Security Clearance (or higher, depending on agency requirements).
• Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, Legal Studies, Political Science, Information Management, or related field.
• 5–7 years of direct FOIA experience, including at least 2 years in a senior, lead, or supervisory FOIA role.
• Proven knowledge of FOIA laws, regulations, exemptions, and relevant case law.
• Demonstrated ability to review, redact, and process complex and sensitive records.
• Proficiency with FOIA case management and redaction tools (e.g., FOIA Xpress, Adobe Acrobat Pro, or similar).
• Strong legal/technical writing skills for drafting determination letters, appeal responses, Vaughn indexes, and justifications.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills; ability to manage multiple cases under strict deadlines.
• Effective communication and collaboration skills with legal teams, senior leadership, and requesters.

• Prior FOIA experience within a Department of Defense (DoD) component or other federal agency.
• Experience supporting FOIA litigation, including Vaughn index preparation and affidavits.
• Familiarity with the Privacy Act (PA) and its application alongside FOIA.
• Knowledge of classified and controlled unclassified information (CUI) review procedures.
• Prior mentorship, training, or team lead experience for FOIA staff.