Summary
The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) is seeking an experienced attorney and skilled presenter for our Washington, D.C. office. This role in the Outreach, Training, and Compliance Unit involves delivering engaging training, translating complex legal principles into practical guidance, and supporting OSC's mission to promote accountability, integrity, and fairness in the federal workplace.
This job is open to
The public
U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
Federal employees - Excepted service
Current federal employees whose agencies have their own hiring rules, pay scales and evaluation criteria.
Veterans
Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces or a spouse, widow, widower or parent of a veteran, who may be eligible for derived preference
Military spouses
Military spouses of active duty service members or whose spouse is 100 percent disabled or died on active duty.
Clarification from the agency
Applications will be accepted from U.S. citizens and nationals authorized to work in the U.S.
Duties
Why Join OSC?
OSC consistently ranks highly in the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) for workplace satisfaction!
Division Overview
The Outreach, Training & Compliance Unit (OTC) advances awareness and compliance with federal personnel law through outreach, training, and workforce development initiatives. OTC manages the 2302(c) Certification Program to educate employees on workplace protections, including whistleblower rights, and coordinates and/or delivers internal training to promote professional growth and a well-informed federal workforce. OTC also oversees OSC's Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) program to ensure compliance with federal anti-discrimination laws.
Duties
As a member of the Outreach, Training & Compliance Unit, you will:
- Serve as a subject matter expert, conducting external Prohibited Personnel Practices and 2302(c) Certification training for federal agencies.
- Collaborate with leadership to enhance training programs, researching emerging legal trends and best practices to develop advanced curricula that simplify complex laws through interactive techniques such as real-world hypotheticals and case studies.
- Provide authoritative legal guidance on complex factual and legal issues, requiring accurate analysis, extensive research, and integration of evolving case law.
- Develop and maintain training resources and manage the Unit's website to ensure timely, accurate, and accessible content.
- Administer OSC's 2302(c) Certification Program, assisting federal agencies and government corporations with fulfilling their statutory requirement to ensure employees understand their rights under the Civil Service Reform Act, the Whistleblower Protection Act, and related statutes.
- Coordinate workforce development initiatives, including internal training and professional development programs, and oversee compliance with mandatory training requirements.
- Support the management of OSC's EEO program, conducting legal research, advising on complex internal EEO matters, and drafting and reviewing documents to ensure compliance.
Ideal Candidate
OSC seeks a dynamic legal professional with exceptional oral presentation skills, strong interpersonal and collaboration abilities, and a commitment to public service. The ideal candidate will lead engaging training that transforms complex legal principles into practical guidance, build strong partnerships across government, and champion OSC's mission to promote accountability, protect whistleblowers, and uphold the Merit System Principles.
Requirements
Conditions of employment
- U.S. Citizenship or National authorized to work in the U.S.
- Individuals born after 12-31-1959 and required to register for Selective Service under the Military Selective Service Act of 50 USC App. 453, must be registered or otherwise exempt from Selective Service. See "Additional Information" section below.
- May be required to successfully complete a trial period.
- May be eligible for incentive pay.
- May be eligible for superior qualifications/special needs pay setting.
- Direct Deposit of pay is required.
- E-Verify will be used to confirm employment eligibility on new employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit e-verify.gov
- Suitable for Federal employment as determined by appropriate background investigation.
Qualifications
Education Qualifications for all positions: A professional law degree (L.L.B., J.D., L.L.M.) from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association.
In addition to Education, applicants must meet the minimum Experience Requirements outlined below:
- Applicants must possess a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an accredited law school and be an active member in good standing of the bar of a state, U.S. territory, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (proof of active bar membership in good standing is required; failure to provide documentation will result in disqualification).
- Experience developing curricula or educational materials that simplify complex concepts for broad audiences. All candidates will be required to conduct a mock presentation as part of the interview process to assess public speaking skills.
- Superior skills conducting in-depth legal research and analysis to interpret statutes, regulations, and case law, and communicating complex legal concepts through written materials and oral presentations.
- Knowledge of federal personnel law is preferred, with particular emphasis on experience providing legal guidance on reasonable accommodation requests and interpreting the Rehabilitation Act or ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA), as well as familiarity with the Merit System Principles, anti-discrimination statutes, and whistleblower protection laws.
Your resume must explicitly outline your qualifications. We will not make assumptions about your experience.
NOTE: To be considered for this position, you must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements for the GS-0905 series set forth in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards by the closing date of the announcement. A copy is available at:
https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including time-in-grade restrictions, specialized experience and/or education, as defined above.
Annual Leave Accrual Credit
Selectees for
their first Federal position may be eligible to earn a higher annual leave accrual rate based on prior non-Federal or uniformed service work experience. The amount of service credited will be based on specialized experience or qualifying experience that is provided on the applicant resume and documentation submitted.
Additional information
ACTIVE-DUTY SERVICE MEMBERS: In accordance with VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011 (Public Law 112-56),Current military members may apply by submitting a "certification" of active service in lieu of a DD-214. A "certification" letter should be on letterhead of the appropriate military branch of the service and contain: (1) your rank; (2) dates of active duty service; (3) type of discharge and projected character of service (i.e. honorable); (4) projected Veteran's preference, if applicable; (5) date terminal leave begins, if applicable; (6) date of expected discharge or release that is within 120 days of your employment application submission; and (7) signed by, or by direction of, the adjutant, personnel officer, or commander of your unit or higher headquarters. If selected, your qualifying separation, veteran's preference, and/or appointment eligibility will be verified prior to appointment. Active-duty members that fail to provide a valid "certification" of service with their initial application will be found to have an incomplete application. Military members may be appointed before the effective date of their military retirement/separation if on terminal leave.
SELECTIVE SERVICE: Individuals born after December 31, 1959 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service. You can find more information on Who Must Register and Exemptions here. In addition, you can find more information on what to do if you failed to register here.
DEVELOPMENTAL POSITION: This position can be filled at the GS-13 or GS-14 grade level. If filled at the lower grade level, noncompetitive promotion to the next grade level is authorized but not implied. It is dependent upon meeting time-in-grade requirements, specialized experience, required training and any other management requirements to demonstrate ability to perform the next higher/target grade level.
These are not Bargaining Unit positions.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.
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.
Once the application process is complete, your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed on this announcement. If you are found to be among the top candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.
Management will consider any Federal performance appraisals and/or awards you submit with your application as an indication of your experience and work history. These documents will not be scored as part of the assessment process.
In accordance with 5 C.F.R. Section 302.101(c), positions in the Excepted service and not subject to the provisions of Veteran's Preference. However, candidates who list and provide verification of their Veteran's Preference will have their Preference status identified to the selecting official for consideration as part of their application package.
Required Documents
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
- Resume, including a) personal information such as name, address, contact information; b) education; c) detailed work experience related to this position including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment (month/year), title and Grade level for any Federal service, i.e. GS-9); d) scope and complexity of the functions, activities and services you managed and your level of contacts; and any other qualifications. We recommend that your resume not exceed two (2) pages as only the first two (2) pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications;
- Cover Letter, required;
- Writing Sample, dated within the last five (5) years;
- Other required supporting documents:
- Law school transcript(s) to confirm your education;
- Verification an active membership in good standing in a bar of a state, U.S. Territory, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth or Puerto Rico, if applicable;
- Current or Previous Federal (whether Excepted or Competitive Service) employees:
- Most recent non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) with highest grade held (or promotion potential) on a permanent basis, position title, series and grade; AND
- Most recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable. A performance plan, without a rating, is not an acceptable substitute.
- DD-214, SF-15 Form and VA letter, or certification of expected discharge or release from active duty for consideration of Veteran status.
If you submit multiple copies of the same document, only your most recent uploaded document (by date & time stamp) will be considered. If your resume or supporting documents are illegible or unreadable, or if you fail to include any of the above-mentioned required documents, you may lose consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted.
Applicants who disqualify themselves will not be considered further. If your application materials contain sensitive or inappropriate information, including but not limited to: photographs; classified or government sensitive information; copied and pasted portions of this job announcement; obscene information, etc., you may not be considered.
Falsifying your background, education, and/or experience is cause for non-selection, disqualification from further consideration or withdrawal of tentative or final job offers.
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 and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above.
Your application and supporting documents must be submitted and received through the online application process by 11:59 pm EST on the closing date of this announcement.
- To begin, click Apply Online 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 if you do not have one.
- You will be taken to an online application. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the application.
- To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account, 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.
Next steps
Once your online application is submitted, you will receive a confirmation notification by email that your application was received.
Your application will be evaluated as outlined above and if you are found to be among the qualified candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for consideration. We anticipate a large number of applicants, and only the top candidates will be contacted for interview. You will receive automated notifications through the USAjobs system as updates are available.
Selecting officials may choose any appropriate competitive, non-competitive or alternative candidate under Federal regulations and Agency policy. Interviews may be conducted individually, by panel, by third party, teleconference, video teleconference, or in person. Selecting officials have the option to interview any, all or none of the referred candidates. Management has the right to fill or not a fill this vacancy, as well as to cancel and re-announce as appropriate.
Additional Vacancies
This announcement may be used to fill additional or similar vacancies at the same or equivalent grade level.