ATTORNEY-ADVISOR (GENERAL) Job in Westfield, MA

Vacancy No. MA-12636159-AF-25-104-005 Department Air National Guard Units
Salary $97,979.00 to $127,369.00 Grade 12 to 12
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 12/17/2024 Close Date 6/15/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Westfield, MA


Summary

THIS IS A NATIONAL GUARD TITLE 32 EXCEPTED SERVICE POSITION.

This National Guard position is for a ATTORNEY-ADVISOR (GENERAL), Position Description Number PDD2250000 and is part of the MA ANG 104th FW, National Guard. This is a Non-Bargaining Unit position. The unit point of contact and contact phone for this position is: Maj Brian Morecraft, brian.morecraft.2@us.af.mil or DSN 698-1244.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

Open to current members of the Massachusetts Air National Guard and those eligible to transfer to the Massachusetts Air National Guard. National Guard Membership IS required for this announcement.

Duties

1. Advises Commander and staff on interpretation of federal statutes and regulations, ensures that legal advice, consultation, and collaboration is furnished in a timely manner. Advises senior leadership of the alternatives and possible solutions which are legally permissible or desirable. Prepares, researches, and issues oral and written legal opinions and legal advice with regard to a wide variety of laws, regulations, instructions, directives and policies in the area of Administrative Law, including but not limited to: Freedom of Information Act, Privacy Act, reports of survey, line-of-duty determinations, constitutions and by-laws of private organizations, formal and informal investigations and commanders' inquiries, legal sufficiency reviews, collateral investigations, federal and state Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) complaints, Congressional Inquiries, Inspector General investigations, Equal Opportunity/Equal Employment Opportunity (EO/EEO) investigations, fiscal law, unfavorable personnel actions, standards of conduct, family advocacy, and public relations. Conducts classes and training for commanders, staff and other personnel on a variety of administrative and operational areas. Prepares legal opinions that involve complex legal and factual issues that often have far-reaching impact on the government. Assesses and evaluates, for legal compliance and sufficiency, local policies and practices, proposed wing command and staff actions and decisions, official conduct and authority, commercial transactions, draft documents and publications, investigations, responses to inquiries, public statements, plans, and initiatives. Researches, analyzes, and interprets federal, state, and local law, administrative decisions, case law, and legal opinions, as well as Department of Defense (DoD) instructions and regulations, Air Force instructions and guidance, National Guard, Air National Guard, and state specific instructions and guidance. Formulates and delivers legal advice and counsel through oral and written opinions. Represents the Wing command on legal committees, working groups, and inter-disciplinary teams, and at legal conferences and meetings. 30%

2. Provides advisery, guidance, consultation, and collaboration to Commander, staff, and supervisors. Coordinates with State Human Resources Office and the State Judge Advocate on all labor law training as well as impact on established programs, procedures, and methods of operation. Provides preventive law guidance to management personnel on the impact of regulatory changes. At the request of the State Judge Advocate: Prepares, researches and issues oral and written opinions, and may, upon designation by the State Adjutant General, participate in collective bargaining as a member of the management negotiating team and represent the organization in third-party administrative, quasi-judicial, and judicial proceedings. Makes recommendations for or against litigation based upon the weight of the evidence, importance of the case, necessity of uniform application of the law, the cost of litigation and other factors which
weigh on the advisability of initiating suit. Conducts settlement negotiations on behalf of the deciding official with opposing counsel, drafts settlement agreements, coordinates with commanders and staff on the meaning and resourcing of settlements, and forwards to NGB/JA for final approval. Briefs commanders and staff officials who have authority to settle cases, negotiates settlements and stipulations with employees and attorneys, prepares and presents the organization in administrative hearings. As authorized by JFHQ/JAG and NGB/JA/LIT: Represents the organization as a trial attorney before the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA), and EEO Commission, federal arbitrators, the DoD Office of Complaints Investigation, NGB Title 32 Hearing Examiners, and other similar boards. Promptly confers and coordinates with the state JFHQ/JAG and NGB/JA/LIT when potentially precedent setting issues are being raised, discussed, defended, mediated, negotiated, adjudicated or settled, and in all actions involving Title 5 civilians. Establishes case strategy and tactics in coordination with the state JFHQ/JAG and NGB/JA/LIT. Participates in pre-hearing conferences, examines and cross-examines witnesses, argues motions, prepares and presents opening statements and closing arguments. Evaluates adverse decisions for possibility of appeal in coordination with the state JFHQ/JAG and NGB/JA/LIT. Considers the importance of the case, the potential precedent cost of further litigation, likelihood of success on appeal, and other considerations that bear on the advisability of appeal. 15%

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • NATIONAL GUARD MEMBERSHIP IS REQUIRED. If you are not sure you are eligible for military membership, please contact a National Guard recruiter prior to applying for this position.
  • This is an excepted service position that requires membership in a compatible military assignment in the employing state's National Guard, required prior to the effective date of placement.
  • Selectee will be required to wear the military uniform.
  • Acceptance of an excepted service position constitutes concurrence with these requirements as a condition of employment.
  • Males born after 31 December 1959 must be registered for Selective Service.
  • Federal employment suitability as determined by a background investigation.
  • May be required to successfully complete a probationary period.
  • Participation in direct deposit is mandatory.
  • Favorable background check is required.
  • Incumbent must possess or be able to acquire the appropriate level security clearance for this position.
  • Must have a law degree (LLB or J.D) from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association and be an active member in good standing of a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico Bar.
  • Incumbent must be able to obtain and maintain a top secret security clearance.

Qualifications

Military Grades:
Officer Grades: 2Lt to Lt Col

Compatible Military Assignments:
AFSC: 51JX
*All applications will be considered regardless of Branch AFSC*

AREA OF CONSIDERATION: Open to current members of the Massachusetts Air National Guard and those eligible to transfer to the Massachusetts Air National Guard. National Guard Membership IS required for this announcement.

NATIONAL GUARD MEMBERSHIP IS REQUIRED: This is an excepted service position that requires membership in a compatible military assignment in the National Guard. Selectee will be required to wear the military uniform. Acceptance of an excepted service position Constitutes concurrence with these requirements as a condition of employment. Applicants who are not currently a member of the National Guard must be eligible for immediate membership and employment in the National Guard in the military grade listed in this announcement. If you are not sure you are eligible for military membership, please contact a Massachusetts Air National Guard recruiter prior to applying for this position.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Must have at least experience with positions involved in rendering legal advice and services with respect to questions, regulations, practices, or other matters falling within the purview of a Federal Government agency (this may include conducting investigation to obtain evidentiary data and recommending an agency course of action); preparing interpretative and administrative orders, rules, or regulations to give effect to the provisions of governing statutes or other requirements of law; drafting, negotiating, or examining contracts or other legal documents required by the agency's activities; drafting, preparing formal comments, or otherwise making substantive recommendations with respect to proposed legislation; editing and preparing for publication statutes enacted by Congress and opinions or decisions of a court, commission, or board; drafting and reviewing decisions for consideration and adoption by agency officials.

PART-TIME OR UNPAID EXPERIENCE: Credit will be given for appropriate unpaid and or part-time work. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of months/years.

VOLUNTEER WORK EXPERIENCE: Refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service Programs (i.e., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student and social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge and skills that can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Additional information

If you are a male applicant who was born after 12/31/1959 and are required to register under the Military Selective Service Act, the Defense Authorization Act of 1986 requires that you be registered or you are not eligible for appointment in this agency (https://www.sss.gov/RegVer/wfRegistration.aspx).

MILITARY INCENTIVES - BONUSES AND STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM: If you are selected for this position, you may lose your eligibility for your National Guard Enlistment/Reenlistment Bonus and Student Loan Repayment Program incentives. In order to avoid losing your incentive eligibility, you should check with your incentives manager prior to accepting an offer for the position.

For M-Day/Traditional personnel who are currently receiving incentives to include Bonuses and the Student Loan Repayment Program incentive, the following termination rule applies:

Incentive Termination without Recoupment:
If you accept an Active Guard Reserve (AGR) position or a Military Technician (Mil Tech) Permanent or Indefinite position after 25 February 2010 where membership in the National Guard is a condition of employment, your bonus will be terminated with no recoupment.

Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act of 2019
An employee of an agency may not request, in oral or written form, that an applicant for an appointment to a position in the civil service disclose criminal history record information regarding the applicant before the appointing authority extends a conditional offer to the applicant. An applicant may submit a complaint, or any other information, to an agency within 30 calendar days of the date of the alleged non-compliance by an employee of an agency. To file a complaint please click this link and scroll to the bottom of the page for more information.

Benefits

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.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility. Once the application process is complete, a review of resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position.

Required Documents

Resume must be submitted with the following information:

  • Your name and contact information.
  • Work Experience section of your resume must include:
    • Name of the organization you worked at.
    • Job title you held at the organization.
    • Start and end dates for the position (dates must have month and year).
    • Bulleted statements regarding duties you performed in the position. Be clear and concise in stating your duties, we will not make any assumptions regarding your experience. Your bulleted statements should reflect that you have the required specialized experience described in this announcement.
    • If your position was in the civil service, include the grade and series for the position.
    • If applicable, include TRADITIONAL GUARDSMEN experience. Enter your AFSC, bulleted statements of duties, and start and end dates (dates must have month and year).
  • Education and certificates if applicable. Include name of school, degree, or certificate, start and end dates.
  • Part-Time, unpaid, volunteer work if applicable. Include duties and responsibilities and start and end dates (dates must have month and year).
Unofficial Transcripts, if used to qualify (An official transcript may be required before being hired.)

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the online application/Occupational Questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. To view the Occupational Questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12636159

A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration.

To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.

Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.

After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.

You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.

To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.

Agency contact information

MA HRO STAFFING INBOX
Address
MA ANG 104th FW
175 Falcon Drive
Westfield, MA 01085-1482
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated by the Human Resources Office to determine your eligibility for the position. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another notification regarding the status of your application.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.