Summary
Become part of the team that safeguards the financial system from the abuses of financial crime. At the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), we are at the forefront in preventing and detecting terrorist financing, money laundering, and other financial crime. Serve at the nation's financial intelligence unit and protect the United States financial system from criminals and terrorist financiers.
This job is open to
The public
U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
Clarification from the agency
U.S. citizens or U.S. Nationals; no prior Federal experience is required.
Duties
This position is located in our Office of Chief Counsel. As an Attorney-Adviser (General), you will:
- Complete highly sensitive assignments to include providing legal support to the Treasury Department and FinCEN national security and law enforcement mission involving Top Secret/SCI information and/or materials.
- Advise senior Treasury Department leadership on matters involving materials or information classified at the Top Secret/SCI level. Provide recommendations to FinCEN senior leadership and personnel, on all aspects of FinCEN mission involving information and materials classified at the Top Secret/SCI level
- Conduct legal research and provide legal and practical conclusions in the form of oral advice, briefings, presentations, and legal decision memoranda on extremely complex and difficult factual, legal, and policy issues.
- Prepare or review proposed legislation, regulations, and policy issuances to ensure they conform to the substantive laws that they are intended to implement or interpret. Stay abreast of legislative and regulatory developments in Congress and other Federal agencies. Coordinate and disseminate information received from the Department and other sources so that relevant or affected FinCEN policies and precedents are identified, and, when necessary, harmonized with those of the Department.
Requirements
Conditions of employment
Security Clearance: This position has been designated National Security Level IV, Special Sensitive and requires the incumbent to obtain and maintain eligibility for a Top Secret (TS) clearance with Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) access. Applicant must meet and continue to adhere to the requirements of a Tier 5 level background investigation. Failure to successfully meet these requirements will be grounds for termination. Continued employment with FinCEN is contingent upon satisfactory completion of the Tier 5 level background investigation, the results of which fully meet the FinCEN's special employment criteria. All employees are subject to satisfactory completion of periodic reinvestigation and a continuing life style in conformity with applicable national and FinCEN directives. Any unfavorable information developed during an investigation or other official inquiry may result in termination of employment in accordance with established security policies and procedures.
This position requires that the successful candidate undergo personnel vetting, which includes a background investigation and enrollment upon onboarding into "Continuous Vetting." Enrollment in Continuous Vetting will result in automated record checks being conducted throughout one's employment with Treasury. The successful candidate will also be enrolled into FBI's Rap Back service, which will allow Treasury to receive notification from the FBI of criminal matters (e.g., arrests, charges, convictions) involving enrolled individuals in near real-time.
There are three key documents that contain important information about your rights and obligations. Please read and retain these documents:
- Noncriminal Justice Applicant's Privacy Rights, for those who undergo an FBI fingerprint-based criminal history record check for personnel vetting, which includes Rap Back,
- FD-258 Privacy Act Statement - FBI (this is the same statement used when your fingerprints are submitted as part of your background investigation), and
- SEAD-3-Reporting-U.pdf (dni.gov), (applicable to those who hold a sensitive position or have eligibility for access to classified information).
Key Requirements:
- Please refer to "Conditions of Employment."
- Click "Print Preview" to review the entire announcement before applying.
- Must be U.S. Citizen or U.S. National.
Qualifications
You must meet the following requirements by the closing date of this announcement. 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.
Applicants must:
(1) be a graduate of an accredited law school with a LL.B., J.D. or equivalent;
(2) be an active member in good standing of the bar in a state or territory of the United States or the District of Columbia; and
(3) have at least 12 months of pertinent legal experience, which may include, for example, the private practice of law, practice in a government legal office, or a judicial clerkship.
Specialized Experience for the GS-15: You must have one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-14 grade level in the federal service. The expectation for selection for the GS-15 will be at least the following: 12 months of pertinent legal experience at the GS-14 (or equivalent). For this position, specialized experience is described as experience at the GS-14 (or equivalent) in the following areas of responsibility:
- Anti-money laundering; countering the financing of terrorism; economic sanctions; illicit finance; administrative law; corporate or contract law; ethics; intelligence law; international law; national security law; civil or criminal litigation; general law; or matters of similar scope and complexity.
Education
Law Degree: Applicants mustbe a graduate of an accredited law school with a LL.B., J.D. or equivalent. The education generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. 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
OTHER INFORMATION:
- We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies.
- This is a non-bargaining unit position.
- Relocation expenses: No
- Student loan repayment may be offered.
- We offer opportunities for telework.
- We offer opportunities for flexible work schedules.
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:
- All newly appointed employees to the competitive (or excepted) service are subject to a probationary (or trial) period. During this time, your performance, conduct, and suitability for continued employment will be evaluated. You will not automatically convert to permanent status at the end of the probationary (or trial) period. Your supervisor must affirmatively determine that continued employment is in the best interest of the Federal service. If no certification is made before the probationary (or trial) period ends, your appointment will be terminated. You are encouraged to actively engage with your supervisor, seek feedback, and understand role expectations. Additional guidance and support will be provided during onboarding.
- All new hires will be required to comply with federal ethics laws. A review of financial or other interests may be conducted to determine if they create any real or apparent conflict of interests with official Treasury duties.
- A two-year trial period may be required.
- Must successfully complete a background investigation.
- Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency.
- Have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer.
- 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.
- 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.
- Obtain and use a Government-issued charge card for business-related travel.
- File a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report within 30 days of appointment and annually from then on.
- Undergo an income tax verification
- Submit to a drug test prior to your appointment and random drug testing while you occupy the position.
- Applicants may be required to provide a writing sample and/or performance ratings at a later stage in the evaluation process.
FinCEN has partnered with Treasury's Common Services Center (TCSC) to provide certain personnel services to its organization. TCSC's responsibilities include advertising vacancies, accepting and handling applications, and extending job offers.
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.
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.
FinCEN offers flexible work schedules, 11 paid holidays, financial subsidies to employees who use public transportation to commute, in-house training, fitness center reimbursement, alternate work schedules (AWS) and telework opportunities, and eligibility for performance awards. FinCEN also offers attractive health, life, and long-term care insurance programs, and the employees' health insurance contributions are out of pre-tax dollars. Newer employees are covered by a three-tier retirement plan that includes a pre-tax retirement contribution program with matching funds or, as applicable, continuance in the Civil Service Retirement System.
Learn more about Federal benefits programs at: USAJOBS Help Center - 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.
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.
To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment (USA Hire) that measures critical general competencies needed to perform the job. Cheating on this assessment may result in your removal from consideration.
You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Attention to Detail, Customer Service, Decision Making, Flexibility, Influencing/Negotiating, Integrity/Honesty, Interpersonal Skills, Learning, Reasoning, Self-Management, Stress Tolerance, and Teamwork
Application of Veterans' Preference: There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Office of Chief Counsel considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. If you are claiming veterans' preference, you must submit a copy of your Certificate of Release or Discharge From Active Duty, DD-214 (Member 4 copy), or other official documentation from a branch of the Armed Forces or the Department of Veterans Affairs showing the dates of service and type of discharge.
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.
When FinCEN completes its hiring, the remaining list of qualified candidates may be shared with additional Treasury bureaus. You will have an opportunity to opt-in if you would like your name, application material, and assessment results shared to be considered for employment with additional Treasury bureaus. There is no guarantee of further consideration, and you can continue to explore other job opportunity announcements.
Required Documents
A complete application includes:
1. A résumé: 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.)
- Please limit your resume to two pages. Applicants with resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from 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.
- It is suggested that you preview the online questionnaire to ensure that your resume thoroughly describes how your skills and experience align to the criteria defined in the Qualifications section of this announcement and support your responses to the online questionnaire.
- For resume writing guidance, please visit USAJOBS Help Center - How do I write a resume for a federal job?
2. Vacancy question responses: All applicants are required to complete vacancy question responses by clicking the apply online button of this vacancy announcement.
3. Submission of any required documents identified below, if applicable. 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). Please ensure all required documents, including any required work samples, narratives, or other materials as stated in this announcement, are attached to your application package.
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:
For positions with an education requirement, or if you are qualifying for this position by substituting education or training for experience, submit a copy of your transcripts or a list of courses showing title, number of credits, grade, and date of completion.
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
Are you unsure how to write your federal resume? We are here to help. The Treasury Recruitment Service regularly offers Writing Your Federal Resume training sessions, and other career-related information sessions, to assist you in your career search journey. To register for a session, click here to go to our Career Information Sessions webpage.
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments, and required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:
- Click the Apply Online button.
- Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
- Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
- If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
- Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
- Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
- Set aside about two (2) hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.
Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.
Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement.To determine if you need a RA, please review the
Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. (
https://appsupport-usastaffing.opm.gov/hc/en-us/sections/45063131363475-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information)
For additional information on how to apply, please visit the Partnership for Public Service's
Go Government website.
The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Treasury and its bureaus from requesting an applicant's criminal history record
before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment.
In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to the Department of Treasury by email at,
FairChanceAct@treasury.gov.
To learn more, please visit our page at:
Treasury.gov/fairchanceact.
To preview the questionnaire:
https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13049013Next 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.
To verify the status of your application:
- Log into your USAJOBS account (USAJOBS Login). A list of announcements in which you have applied is at the Welcome screen.
- 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
If you wish to make changes/updates to your application and the vacancy is still open, you can click on the job announcement and "Update Application" to be taken back to your application. No updates can be made once the announcement has closed.
Please notify us if your contact information changes after the closing date of the announcement. Also, note that if you provide an email address that is inaccurate or if your mailbox is full or blocked (e.g., spam-blocker), you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.