Attorney-Adviser (General) Job in Washington, DC

Vacancy No. FRTIB-25-ES-038-12789136 Department Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board
Salary $101,401.00 to $185,234.00 Grade 12 to 14
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 9/16/2025 Close Date 9/25/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Washington, DC


Summary

The FRTIB is looking for a highly qualified and motivated individual to serve as an Attorney-Adviser (General).

This Job Opportunity Announcement (JOA) may be used to fill other Attorney-Adviser (General), GS-0905-12/13/14 positions within the FRTIB in the same geographical location with the same qualifications and specialized experience.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

Excepted service

Duties

The major duties of the position are:

  • Serves as legal counsel to the General Counsel and other senior agency officials with responsibility for rendering expert legal advice and counsel on ethics and employee relations matters.
  • Represents the Agency in litigation on matters before decision-making bodies including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), and the DC Office of Administrative Hearings.
  • Leads the Agency's ethics program and responds to requests for advice on a range of ethics issues.
  • Reviews financial disclosure reports, prepares cautionary memoranda, and resolves conflicts of interest.
  • Utilizes specialized expert legal knowledge, training, and experience in federal employee relations and ethics law to conduct research and provide guidance to management officials and client offices regarding employee relations and ethics matters.
  • Applies comprehensive, in-depth knowledge of agency programs and applicable laws, regulations, and administrative decisions. Handles extremely complex and difficult legal questions and factual issues involving the interpretation and application of legislation, regulations, court or board rulings, and legal documents. Solving these problems often requires a high degree of original and creative legal analysis.
  • Prepares and provides training to Agency employees on their legal obligations in areas including ethics and employee relations.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

U.S. citizenship is required.

Must be an active member of the bar.

All qualification requirements must be met by 09/25/2025.

Trial Period. Two-year trial period may be required.

Selective Service. If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law.

Background Suitability Investigation. Continued employment is contingent upon satisfactory completion of a background investigation and the granting of a federal suitability or security clearance. If selected, you may be offered tentative employment until the background investigation has been fully adjudicated.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position applicants must meet the education requirement, professional certification, and specialized experience requirement as described below.

Education Requirement
Possess a law degree (LL.B or J.D.) and be a graduate from a full course of study in a school of Law accredited by the American Bar Association, or equivalent training. Equivalent training is that training permitted in some states in lieu of attendance at a law school. To be acceptable, this training must be of the kind and nature required by the state in which the bar exam is taken or is to be taken

AND

Professional Certification
Be a member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico;

AND

Specialized Experience

GS-12: Applicants must have at least one year of full-time specialized work experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the next lower level (equivalent to the GS-11) in the federal government. Specialized experience is defined as: To qualify at the GS-12 grade level, the applicant must have two years of post-J.D. / LL.B. work experience rendering legal advice on federal employee relations matters and/or federal ethics laws, including:

  • Conducting legal research and drafting memoranda on federal ethics and employment law issues to support agency decision-making and ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
  • Providing legal advice to senior officials on employee relations and ethics matters to guide agency actions and mitigate legal risk.
  • Representing the agency in administrative litigation before bodies such as the EEOC, MSPB, or DC Office of Administrative Hearings to defend agency decisions and resolve employment disputes.
  • Reviewing financial disclosure reports and resolving conflicts of interest to uphold ethical standards and prevent violations of federal ethics laws.

GS-13: Applicants must have at least one year of full-time specialized work experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the next lower level (equivalent to the GS-12) in the federal government. Specialized experience is defined as: To qualify at the GS-13 grade level, the applicant must have a minimum of three years of post-J.D. / LL.B. work experience rendering legal advice on federal employee relations matters and/or federal ethics laws, including:

  • Conducting legal research and drafting memoranda on federal ethics and employment law issues to support agency decision-making and ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
  • Providing legal advice to senior officials on employee relations and ethics matters to guide agency actions and mitigate legal risk.
  • Representing the agency in administrative litigation before bodies such as the EEOC, MSPB, or DC Office of Administrative Hearings to defend agency decisions and resolve employment disputes.
  • Reviewing financial disclosure reports and resolving conflicts of interest to uphold ethical standards and prevent violations of federal ethics laws.

GS-14: Applicants must have at least one year of full-time specialized work experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the next lower level (equivalent to the GS-13) in the federal government. Specialized experience is defined as: To qualify at the GS-14 grade level, the applicant must have a minimum of four years of post-J.D. / LL.B. work experience rendering legal advice on federal employee relations matters and/or federal ethics laws, including:

  • Conducting legal research and drafting memoranda on federal ethics and employment law issues to support agency decision-making and ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
  • Providing legal advice to senior officials on employee relations and ethics matters to guide agency actions and mitigate legal risk.
  • Representing the agency in administrative litigation before bodies such as the EEOC, MSPB, or DC Office of Administrative Hearings to defend agency decisions and resolve employment disputes.
  • Reviewing financial disclosure reports and resolving conflicts of interest to uphold ethical standards and prevent violations of federal ethics laws.

*Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations. Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

A full year of work is considered to be 40 hours of work per week (or 2,087 hours/per year). Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

Education

You must provide your transcripts to support your educational claims. Transcripts may be unofficial copies, but they must come from an accredited college or university, and they also must include course names and the number of credit / semester hours. Click here to search the database of accredited institutions.

Foreign Education. If you are using education completed at 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 the interpretation of foreign education programs. Foreign education must be deemed equivalent to that gained at an accredited U.S. education program. For further information visit the U.S. Department of Education's website concerning foreign qualifications.

Additional information

The FRTIB offers wonderful benefits and work/life-balance flexibilities to help empower and reflect respect for our employees. Our comprehensive benefits package includes paid time off*, life insurance, health benefits, and participation in the federal retirement system. We offer, as applicable, flexible work hours, annual and sick leave, transit and childcare subsidies, free and confidential employee assistance and occupational health referral services, free on-site fitness center, and off-site fitness membership reimbursement.

Further benefits and flexibility details are located here: FRTIB Employee Benefits.

The FRTIB offices are conveniently located within a few blocks of the Union Station metro station. In addition, private parking is available in the building at the posted daily and monthly rates.

Relocation expenses are not authorized for this position; however, other recruitment incentives may be authorized.

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

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.

To preview the occupational questionnaire, click on the following link https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12789136.

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the above qualifications. described in this announcement. After the announcement closes, we will review your resume, assessment questionnaire responses, and supporting documents to determine whether you meet the minimum qualification and eligibility requirements for this position. Your resume must clearly show the specialized experience required. If your questionnaire responses are inconsistent with the information in your resume or supporting documents, you may be rated ineligible. Providing false or inflated information may also result in removal from consideration.

Applicants who meet the qualification and eligibility requirements will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration. The hiring manager and interview panel will interview qualified applicants to help determine the best match for the position.

If you are invited to interview, you may also be asked to provide a recent (within the past five years) writing sample on an issue related to your work on an ethics or employee relations matter. The sample should demonstrate your subject matter expertise and your ability to analyze or advise on ethics or employee relations issues. It should be at least two, but no more than seven, pages in length.

The hiring manager will make a final selection from among the qualified applicants who are interviewed.

Required Documents

Please be advised, the following documents are required even if you are already a current federal employee or employee of the FRTIB:

1. Federal Resume Information: Your resume may be longer than two pages; however, only the first two pages will be reviewed when we evaluate your qualifications. Anything beyond page two will not be considered. Be sure the first two pages of your resume clearly show the relevant experience you want us to consider, including the start and end dates for each job (month, day, and year) and the number of hours you worked each week (for example, 40 hours/week). If your resume does not include this information, we may not be able to determine whether you qualify, and you may not be considered for this position. If you submit more than one resume, only the most recent version will be used to evaluate your application.

2. Responses to the occupational questionnaire.

3. Law school transcripts. Transcripts must be legible and possess the school name imprinted on the transcript or be on school letterhead; you may be asked to submit official transcripts upon selection. Failure to supply such a transcript will result in an incomplete application package.

4. Bar membership. Applicant must provide evidence of current, active membership in good standing of the bar of a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Failure to supply evidence of membership in good standing of a bar association will result in an incomplete application package.

5. Veteran's documentation, if applicable. There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the FRTIB considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference are encouraged to include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., DD Form 214 or other substantiating documents) to their submissions. If you are currently on active duty you must submit an official statement of service from your command or other official documentation that proves your military service was performed under honorable conditions.

6. Schedule A documentation, if applicable. A qualifying letter from a doctor's or vocational rehabilitation office indicating you are eligible for hire under the Schedule A hiring authority.

OPTIONAL DOCUMENTS

Optional Documents:

1. Writing Sample. Although not required at the time of application, you may include a recent (within the past five years) writing sample on an issue related to your work on an ethics or employee relations matter. If you choose to provide a writing sample with your application, it should (1) demonstrate your subject matter expertise and your ability to analyze or advise on ethics or employee relations issues and (2) be at least two, but no more than seven, pages in length. As noted earlier, if you are invited to interview for this position and did not provide a writing sample with your application, you may be asked to provide one at that time.

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

You must apply through the USAJOBS online job application system. It is your responsibility to ensure the complete application package is submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 09/25/2025 to receive consideration.

For details on applying through USAJOBS, please locate the "Apply" section at: USAJOBS Help Center | How to

FRTIB will only consider the last copy of the document uploaded/faxed when determining your eligibility and qualifications. For example, if you upload/fax two or more resumes only the last resume uploaded/faxed and submitted will be considered.

Note to applicants: To expedite the application review, please ONLY submit the documentation that is requested in the announcement. Do not submit:

  • Diplomas of any type (NOTE: A diploma certifies completion of a course of study. A transcript is record of courses taken and grades achieved.)
  • Letters of recommendation, reference, or congratulations, etc.
  • Any documents with a picture of the applicant
  • Awards documentation, including SF-50's for awards
  • Performance appraisals (only ICTAP eligible applicants need to submit their latest performance appraisal)
  • Evaluations of any type
This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

Paper applications and information sent by mail will not be accepted.

Agency contact information

HR Operations
Address
Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board
Office of General Counsel
77 K Street NE
Washington, DC 20002
US

Next steps

Once your application package is received you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. If your final rating places you among the top candidates, your application will be referred to the selecting official for further review. If your name is referred to the selecting official, you may be contacted directly by the office for a possible interview. You may also check the status of your application through your USAJOBS profile.

When the entire vacancy announcement process has been completed you will receive notice via email (or by mail if no email address was provided during the application process). Please allow at least 4-6 weeks after the vacancy has closed to inquire about the status of your application.


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


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