Attorney-Adviser (General) Job in Philadelphia, PA

Vacancy No. DLAGC-24-12550620-RB Department Defense Logistics Agency
Salary $113,792.00 to $174,811.00 Grade 13 to 14
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 9/19/2024 Close Date 10/10/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Philadelphia, PA


Summary

See below for important information regarding this job.

DLA is the Nation's Combat Logistics Support Agency.

The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) is part of the Department of Defense (DoD).

The duty location will be in the will be in the Office of Chief Counsel - Troop Support, Philadelphia.

Duties

  • Serves as Senior Counsel/Team Leader - will perform the following duties:
  • Provides leadership, guidance, training, support, encouragement, and mentorship to team members.
  • Assigns work, plans, provides feedback, monitors, ensures coverage, and directs activities of lower-graded attorneys.
  • Develop team members, provide diverse and challenging opportunities so they can develop and enhance skills and continue to grow professionally, draft ethics opinions for the following issues: conflicts of interest, outside activities, post-Government employment (PGE), gifts, misuse of position, relations with non-Federal entities, travel, etc., enter opinions in AGEAR, when applicable, provide annual ethics training, with leader led component to workforce and record training attendance.
  • Represent the Agency during all phases of Personnel work.
  • Advisory services regarding proposed disciplinary actions, to include procedural regularity and evidentiary sufficiency.
  • Represent the Agency before the MSPB and the EEOC.
  • Advisory services regarding EEO matters, to include reasonable accommodations and other matters.
  • Advisory services, to include employment and labor law; ethics and fiscal law; Non-Appropriated Fund Instrumentalities (NAFIs) support; litigation support; litigation in which DLA Troop Support is not directly involved, but has some interest.
  • Representing the Agency in unemployment matters.
  • Representing management in labor relations matters.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen
  • This is an Excepted Service position.
  • Tour of Duty: Flexible
  • Security Requirements: Non-Critical Sensitive with Secret Access
  • Appointment is subject to the completion of a favorable suitability or fitness determination, where reciprocity cannot be applied; unfavorably adjudicated background checks will be grounds for removal.
  • Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): Exempt
  • Selective Service Requirement: Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service.
  • Recruitment Incentives: May Be Authorized
  • Bargaining Unit Status: No
  • Financial Disclosure Requirement: Required

Qualifications

REQUIREMENTS

Conditions of Employment
  • Must be a U.S. Citizen
  • This is an Excepted Service position
  • Tour of Duty: Set Schedule
  • Security Requirements: Secret
  • Appointment is subject to the completion of a favorable suitability or fitness determination, where reciprocity cannot be applied; unfavorably adjudicated background checks will be grounds for removal.
  • Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): Exempt
  • Selective Service Requirement: Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service
  • Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
  • Bargaining Unit Status: No
  • Financial Disclosure Requirement: Required

QUALIFICATIONSREQUIRED:

1) The first professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.);

2) Proof that you are licensed and a member in good standing with the bar of the highest court of a State, U.S. commonwealth, U.S. territory, or the District of Columbia. Annual bar certification cards issued from your state of licensure are not considered acceptable. Proof is a "certificate of good standing" issued by your state of licensure dated within 6 months of the closing date of this announcement or a screenshot of your bar status taken from your state of licensure website that is dated within 6 months of the closing date of this announcement or sworn statement to that effect. If there is not a date on the screen shot, you must provide a statement signed by you on the date that the screen shot was created. The successful applicant selected for employment must provide a "certificate of good standing" issued by their respective bar showing they are in good status and in active status prior to appointment.

3) In addition to 1 and 2 (listed above), each grade level has the following qualification requirements:


To Qualify at the GS-13 Level:

You must possess professional legal experience in excess of 2 years commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position.

To Qualify at the GS-14 Level:

You must possess professional legal experience in excess of 3 years commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position.

In accordance with DoDI 1442.2 (Personnel Actions Involving Civilian Attorneys), promotion for this position is based on the individual's time, performance, and mastery of skills at the required grade level and only with approval of the designated official (DLA General Counsel) in accordance with the applicable regulation.

The legal experience described in your application package or resume will be evaluated and screened for competencies required to perform the duties of the position as described in the Major Duties section of this announcement. The QUALITY of experience will be evaluated and screened to determine how closely or to what extent your experience, education, and training are relevant to the duties and responsibilities of the announced position. Your application package or resume must demonstrate you have the competencies and quality of experience necessary to successfully perform the work of the position at the appropriate grade level.

PRINCIPAL SELECTION FACTORS:

Provide Knowledge, Skills, and Ability (KSA) narrative statements addressing the following principal selection factors:

a. Knowledge and experience in Federal personnel and labor law matters pertaining to equal employment opportunity, personnel, union-management rights.

b. Experience in litigating cases before the Merit Systems Protection Board, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Federal Labor Relations Authority, and Alternative Dispute Resolution.

c. Experience in preparing pleadings, trial briefs, motion practice, settlement negotiations, witness preparation, and discovery.

d. Knowledge and experience in government ethics and administrative law areas of practice.

OTHER SELECTION FACTORS:

KSA narrative statements are not required for the following other selection factors:
Analytical ability, including issue identification, legal research, analysis of options, risk analysis, and creative problem solving.
Excellent communication skills (oral and written).
Legal and business judgment.
Ability to provide superior service to clients.

Security Clearance: This position is designated Non-Critical Sensitive. If selected, you must obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance. If you are unable to obtain this level of security clearance (as a result of undisclosed or disclosed background issues), within a reasonable period of time (as defined by the agency), the employment offer may be withdrawn. In addition, incumbent is subject to periodic re-investigation to maintain security eligibility in accordance with DoD 5200.2-R.

EDUCATION

You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: Unofficial transcripts are acceptable at time of application.

GRADUATE EDUCATION: One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits/ hours that your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.

Education

You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims.

Unless otherwise stated: Unofficial transcripts are acceptable at time of application.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.

Additional information

Excepted Service Position: This job is being filled by an alternative hiring process and is not in the competitive civil service.

Veterans Information: There is no formal rating system for applying veteran's preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of Defense considers veterans' preference eligibility a positive factor for attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) to their submissions.

Although the point-preference system is not used, applicants eligible to claim a 10-point preference must submit a Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, and supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed. (SF-15, which lists the types of 10-point preference and the required supporting documents, is available from the Office of Personnel Management Website at www.opm.gov).
As of 23 December 2016, Military retirees seeking to enter federal service in the Department of Defense now require a waiver if they would be appointed within 180 days following their official date of retirement.

Reemployed Annuitants: This position does not meet criteria for appointment of Reemployed Annuitants. The DoD criteria for hiring Reemployed Annuitants can be found at: http://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/140025/1400.25-V300.pdf

Drug-Free Workplace: The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) has established a Drug-Free Federal Workplace Policy. All applicants tentatively selected for DLA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with DLA for a period of six months. This policy extends to random testing for the use of illegal drugs by employees who occupy testing designated positions defined as sensitive in Section 7(d) of Executive Order 12564. The Defense Logistics Agency's Drug Free Workplace Plan's drug testing panel includes testing for the following illegal substances: marijuana, cocaine, opiates (codeine/morphine), 6-Acetylmorphine (heroin), phencyclidine, amphetamines (amphetamine/methamphetamine), methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA), oxycodone, oxymorphone, hydrocodone, and hydromorphone. ADVISORY: By using cannabidiol (CBD) products you are risking a positive drug test result for marijuana.

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.

Selection(s) will be based on the judgment of the selecting official as to which applicant is best qualified to perform the duties of the position.

Once this announcement closes, candidates will be evaluated based on the application package submitted. An oral interview may be conducted with some, none, or all candidates, depending upon the relative qualifications of the applicants.

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes the items below.

Only complete application packages will be considered. APPLICATIONS THAT FAIL TO MEET THESE REQUIREMENTS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. APPLICATIONS THAT FAIL TO SUBMIT ITEMS 1 AND 2 BELOW WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. ITEMS 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, AND 8 MUST BE SUBMITTED WITH APPLICATION IF APPLICABLE. ITEMS 9 AND 10 MUST BE SUBMITTED BEFORE SELECTION.

APPLICANTS MUST SUBMIT THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION WITH APPLICATION:

1. Resume: You must submit a resume. At a minimum, your resume should contain your name, address, and contact information, a general description of all past employment relevant to the practice of law, including dates of employment, law school attended, and date of first admission to bar.

You may include additional information in your resume or cover letter at your discretion. If not included on your resume, be advised that former and current supervisor name(s) and telephone number(s) will be required. After interviews, the hiring panel will normally perform reference checks on the top 1-3 applicants.

2. A short writing sample (no more than 10 pages double-spaced).

APPLICANTS MUST SUBMIT THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION WITH APPLICATION, IF APPLICABLE:

3. A Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA) narrative statement specifically describing the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position listed above in the REQUIREMENTS section under the QUALIFICATIONS as the PRINCIPAL SELECTION FACTORS section of this announcement. You must fully address each KSA. If you fail to do so, you will be rated as ineligible.

4. A copy of your law school transcript if you have been licensed to practice law less than 10 years. [IF SELECTED, YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE TRANSCRIPTS TO VERIFY POSSESSION OF THE FIRST PROFESSIONAL LAW DEGREE (LL.B OR J.D.)]

5. A copy of your most recent SF-50 (if current Federal employee).

6. A copy of your most recent performance appraisal (if current Federal employee).

7. Supporting documentation for Veterans' Preference (if applying under Veterans' Preference).

8. Supporting documentation for military spouse preference (if applying under Military Spouse Preference).

APPLICANTS MUST SUBMIT THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION BEFORE SELECTION:

9. Proof that you are licensed and a member in good standing with the bar of the highest court of a State, U.S. commonwealth, U.S. territory, or the District of Columbia. Proof is a "certificate of good standing" issued by your state of licensure within 6 months of the date of application or a screenshot of your bar status taken from your state of licensure website dated within 6 months. If there is no date on the screen shot, you must provide a statement signed by you on the date that the screen shot was created. The successful applicant selected for employment must provide a "certificate of good standing" issued by their respective bar showing they are in good standing and in active status prior to appointment.

10. A statement signed by you as to whether or not you have ever been found by any tribunal to have committed any crime or other act reflecting upon your suitability to practice law.

Applications will NOT be accepted or considered if sent by mail or facsimile. Only on-line applications will be considered.

HOWTO APPLY:
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 pm (EST) on the closing date identified. To begin the process, click the Apply Online button to create an account or log into your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the occupational questionnaire. Please ensure you click the Submit My Answers button at the end of the process.

To review the status of an application through USAJOBS:

  1. Log into y our USAJOBS account.
  2. Click Application Status within our profile to expand your application.
  3. Click the more information link under the Application Status column for this position. You will be routed to Application Manager.
  4. Click the Vacancy ID link to the open the Application package. The Details tab displays by default. The Details tab displays comprehensive information about the selected Application Package including assessment(s) and the status, supporting documents and their status, correspondence sent to you by the hiring agency, and your application processing status.

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Mr. Antjuan Mills
Supervisory Paralegal Specialist
215-737-7715
Antjuan.mills@dla.mil

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

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application.

Applications must be submitted ON-LINE via USAJobs by 11:59 pm EST on the closing date of the announcement.

Only complete application packages will be considered. APPLICATIONS THAT FAIL TO MEET THESE REQUIREMENTS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.

To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section.

  • To begin, click Apply to access an online application. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account or you may need to create a new account.
  • You will be taken to an online application. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the application.
  • You will receive an email notification when your application has been received for the announcement.
  • To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Application Status page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and your responses submitted to the online application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
To preview the questionnaire, please go to https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12550620


Agency contact information

JIMMANUEL MELENDEZ
Address
DLA General Counsel
8725 John J Kingman Road
Fort Belvoir, VA 22060
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

Once your complete application is received, the most highly qualified candidates will be forwarded to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interview.

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/ .


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