FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT OFFICER

BID/JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

Freedom of Information Act Officer

Department of Finance

Policy and Legislation Division

Number of Positions: 1

(Additional vacancies possible pending budget approval)

Starting Salary: $66,612.00/annually

This position is open to the public and all current City employees covered under the City's collective bargaining agreement with AMERICAN FEDERATION OF STATE, COUNTY, AND MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES (AFSCME) - BARGAINING UNIT 1, 3, 4 & 5. Only employees in City job titles in this bargaining unit are eligible to bid.

BID INSTRUCTIONS: Apply on the bid site: https://chicago.taleo.net/careersection/103/jobsearch.ftl?lang=en AND

1. Check the box on your profile titled "Currently employed by the City of Chicago"

2. Enter your employee ID (located on your pay stub labeled 'payee/employee number')

3. Select your correct bargaining unit.

FAILURE TO FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS WILL RESULT IN A REJECTED BID APPLICATION.

Applications for this position will be accepted until 11:59 pm CDT on April 24, 2025.

Under general supervision, receives and responds to requests for information of public record, and court subpoenas using multiple resources and streams of data to research and locate relevant information, and speaks and writes about findings, and performs related duties as required.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

* Responds to requests for information filed by citizens, journalists, and outside entities pursuant to the State of Illinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) via email, GovQA, and in writing.

* Responds verbally and in writing to inquiries from the general public, business establishments, community organizations, media and governmental agencies regarding city programs, services, and business matters of public record.

* Researches, examines, and analyzes documents to provide responsive records in response to FOIA requests and makes appropriate redactions of exempt information utilizing Nuance PDF Editor, or other applicable redaction software.

* Resolves information requests within the required timeframes and where appropriate requests extensions in writing.

* Assesses whether the magnitude of information requested proves burdensome, or falls under another exemption, in adherence with FOIA.

* Obtains necessary information from electronic and warehoused files, and records.

* Responds to requests for information sent concerning departmental programs, services or matters of public record, as required.

* Oversees and participates in the submission of responses to written requests for information.

* Prepares and maintains statistical and narrative work activity reports.

* Maintains and updates log of all FOIA requests.

* Works with the Department of Law to respond to subpoenas for documents and appeals submitted through the Public Access Counselor Office of the Attorney General (PAC) or filed in Circuit Court.

* May review information to be posted onto the intranet and internet websites for accuracy regarding departmental programs and services, as required.

* May represent the department at public hearings and community meetings to explain and promote city services, programs, and upcoming events, as required.

Additional duties may be required for this position.

Location: 2 N. LaSalle St., Chicago, IL 60602

Days: Monday through Friday

Hours: 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM

THIS POSITION IS IN THE CAREER SERVICE

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree in journalism, communications, English or a directly related field, plus two years research and analysis work experience; or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.

Preference will be given to candidates possessing the following:

* Previous experience responding to FOIA requests

* Familiarity with GovQA or related online databases

* Previous customer service experience

* Proficiency using Microsoft Office Suite

SELECTION REQUIREMENTS

This position requires applicants to successfully complete an interview which will include a written exercise and/or skills assessment as part of the interview. The interviewed candidate(s) possessing the qualifications best suited to fulfill the responsibilities of the position, based on the oral and written parts of the interview will be selected.

For Information on our employees benefits please visit our benefits website at:

https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/fin/benefits-office.html

For Information on our salary and title structure visit our classifications website at:

https://www.chicago.gov/content/dam/city/depts/dhr/supp_info/JobClassification/2025_Classification_and_Pay_Plan.pdf

APPLICATION EVALUATION: Initial evaluation will be based on information provided on the application and the documents submitted. Department of Human Resource staff will review applications after the final posting date. Staff will follow any and all required Employment/Hiring Plan provisions, federal, state and local laws, and Collective Bargaining Agreements when applicable. Staff will apply hiring preferences as required by the municipal code. Placement on an eligibility list is not an offer or guarantee of an interview nor employment with the City of Chicago.

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY: To further our commitment to hiring applicants with diverse experience the City of Chicago has adopted the following ordinances 2-74-020 and 2-74-075. The ordinances provide a preference to applicants who meet minimum qualifications and who are veterans of the Armed Forces, and/or residents of Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Areas (SEDA) and/or Chicago Public School (CPS) high school graduates to be referred to departments for consideration. These hiring preferences do not apply to bidders, as Collective Bargaining Agreements define the hiring process for bidders. For positions covered by a collective bargaining agreement, bidders will be considered before external candidates. To learn more about our hiring practices click here.

ALL REFERENCES TO POLITICAL SPONSORSHIP OR RECOMMENDATION MUST BE OMITTED FROM ALL APPLICATION MATERIALS SUBMITTED FOR CITY EMPLOYMENT.

The City of Chicago is an Equal Employment Opportunity, Military Friendly, and Fair Chance Employer.

City of Chicago

Brandon Johnson, Mayor