Summary
OIG is organized into six operational units: the Immediate Office of the Inspector General, Office of the Counselor, Office of Audits and Evaluations, Office of Healthcare Inspections, Office of Investigations, and Office of Management and Administration. In addition to the Washington, DC, headquarters, OIG has offices located in more than 60 locations throughout the country.
This job is open to
The public
U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
Clarification from the agency
Open to all US citizens or US nationals; no prior federal experience is required
Duties
As an Attorney-Adviser (General), you will:
- Provide expert legal advice and guidance consistent with applicable laws and regulations on issues relating to the review and coordination of OIG audits, reviews, investigations, inspections, and other initiatives designed to prevent or detect inefficiency, waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in VA programs and operations.
- Review and/or prepare OIG subpoenas for testimony, books, and records related to VA programs.
- Develop comments and recommendations with other OIGs in relation to legislation and develop OIG positions on the impact of laws, regulations, policies and procedures on the economy and efficiency of, and the prevention and detection of fraud and abuse in, Department programs and operations.
- Provide technical legal assistance for investigations into allegations of fraud and incumbent misconduct.
- Represent the OIG in administrative forums, including but not limited to the Merit Systems Protection Board, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and state unemployment agencies.
Requirements
Conditions of employment
The experience may have been gained in either the public, private sector or volunteer service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/day/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week on your résumé.
Key Requirements:
- Click "Print Preview" to review the entire announcement before applying.
- Must be a U.S. Citizen or U.S. National.
Qualifications
You must meet the following requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
Be a current member of a bar with a valid license to practice law in a state or territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
To qualify for the GS-15 you must have four or more years of post-J.D. legal experience, of which two years must be equivalent to the GS-14 grade level. Examples of this specialized experience must include:
- Representing federal agencies or other parties in federal employment complaints and litigation, including, but not limited to, in the forums of the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEOC), Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), Office of Special Counsel (OSC), and federal courts;
AND
- Providing independent legal advice and guidance on federal employment issues including, but not limited to, federal employee misconduct and performance matters, federal employee fact-findings/investigations regarding misconduct, federal employee suitability matters, federal employee reasonable accommodation and leave matters, federal employee hours of duty and pay issues, and other federal employment policy matters.
Education
Must be a graduate of a law school accredited by the American Bar Association at the time of graduation (a copy of your transcript will be required if selected).
A college or university degree generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools which meet these criteria, please refer to Department of Education Accreditation page.
If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. Refer to the OPM instructions.
Additional information
- We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies. Applicants who apply for this position may be considered for other positions within the Office of Inspector General that require the same knowledge, skills, and abilities.
- This is a non-bargaining unit position.
- We offer opportunities for flexible work schedules.
- Office assignment may be at one of the locations listed on the announcement subject to availability and OIG management discretion.
Conditions of Employment (CONTINUED):
- A two year trial period may be required. Continued employment is contingent upon supervisory certification that continued employment will benefit the Federal Service; the certification will occur no less than 30 days before the end of the probationary/trial period.
- Within 30 days prior to the end of a probationary trial period, it must be certified by your first and second level supervisor that your continued employment would benefit the Federal service, or your appointment will be terminated.
- Must successfully complete a background investigation.
- Public Trust - Background Investigation will be required.
-If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so.
- Have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer.
- Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S.
- Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency.
- Obtain and use a Government-issued purchase card for business-related travel.
- Undergo an income tax verification.
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.
Our comprehensive benefits are very generous. Our benefits package includes:
- Challenging work, opportunities for advancement, competitive salaries, bonuses and incentive awards.
- Eleven paid holidays, 13 days of sick leave, and 13 to 26 days of vacation time each year.
- Access to insurance programs that may be continued after you retire.
- A wide choice of health insurance plans, coverage for pre-existing conditions, and no waiting periods. We pay a substantial amount (up to 75%) of the health insurance premiums.
- A retirement program which includes employer-matching contributions.
Learn more about Federal benefits programs at: USAJOBS Help Center - Benefits
Review our benefits
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Your application includes your résumé, responses to the online questions, and required supporting documents. Please be sure that your résumé includes detailed information to support your qualifications for this position; failure to provide sufficient evidence in your résumé may result in a "not qualified" determination.
Rating: This announcement is issued under excepted service hiring authority for Attorney positions (5CFR 213.3102): all candidates who meet all the qualification and other eligibility requirements may be referred for consideration. Competitive examining rules providing for rating and ranking and veterans' preference do not apply.
Referral: If you are among the top qualified candidates, your application may be referred to a selecting official for consideration. You may be required to participate in a selection interview and/or a writing assessment. Applicants who are selected for an interview may ask questions about the evaluation process at the time they are contacted for an interview.
Required Documents
A complete application includes 1. A résumé, 2. Vacancy question responses, and 3. Submission of any required documents. Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, you may not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible).
It is anticipated that there will be significant interest in the announcement. As a result, the announcement will close at 11:59 p.m. ET on the date of receipt of the 200th application or at 11:59 p.m. ET on 1/26/2026; whichever occurs first. Any required documents should be submitted at the time that you apply as documents will not be accepted after the vacancy closes.
All applicants are required to submit a résumé either by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one of their own choosing. (Cover letters are optional.)USA Jobs restricts resume uploads to a maximum of 2 pages. Resumes attached in other sections (such as "Documents" or "Other") will not be considered in the determination of specialized experience. To ensure readability, resumes must be formatted using an easy-to-read font (such as Lato, Calibri, or Arial) with a minimum font size of 10-points and margins no smaller than 0.5 inches. Failure to follow these formatting guidelines may result in disqualification from further consideration. To receive full credit for relevant experience, please list the month/date/year and number of hours worked for experience listed on your résumé. We suggest that you preview the online questions, as you may need to customize your résumé to ensure that it supports your responses to these questions.
For resume writing guidance, please visit USAJOBS Help Center - How do I write a resume for a federal job?
VETERANS' PREFERENCE DOCUMENTATION: If you are claiming veterans preference, please see applicant guide for required documentation. In order to be considered for veterans preference, you must submit all required documentation as outlined in the applicant guide.
EDUCATION DOCUMENTATION: Submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent. An official transcript will be required if you are selected. A college or university degree generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools which meet these criteria, please refer to Department of Education Accreditation page. If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. Refer to the OPM instructions.
How to Apply
VAOIG has partnered with the Treasury's Bureau of the Fiscal Service to provide certain personnel services to its organization. Fiscal Service's responsibilities include advertising vacancies, accepting and handling applications, and extending job offers.
The following instructions outline our application process. You must complete this application process and submit any required documents by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. ET, Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, please contact us by noon ET on the announcement's closing date.
The Bureau provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us if you require this for any part of the application and hiring process.
- 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 résumé 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 (USAJOBS Login)
-Under "application status," click "Track this application" and you will be taken to the agency website
where you can check your application status.
For more information regarding the job and applicant status, please refer to USAJOBS Help Center - How to see your application and job status
For additional information on how to apply, please visit the Partnership for Public Service's
Go Government website.
To preview the online questionnaire:
https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12862389Next steps
Once the online questionnaire is received, you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. We will review your résumé and transcript(s) (if appropriate) to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. We will evaluate each applicant who meets the basic qualifications on the information provided and may interview the best-qualified applicants. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct any required suitability and/or security background investigation.