Summary
Consistently ranked as the best place to work in the Department of the Interior (DOI), the Office of Inspector General (OIG) is an independent office whose mission is to promote excellence, integrity, and accountability throughout DOI. OIG offers exceptional work-life benefits, including flexible work schedules, a robust telework program, ample training opportunities, and a comprehensive employee recognition program.
Duties
This position is with the Office of Inspector General, Special Investigations and Reviews, headquarters in Washington, District of Columbia,with an office in Herndon, Virigina. SIR is a national program responsible for investigating high-profile, often sensitive and complex, misconduct and mismanagement allegations involving senior-level Department of the Interior employees. As an Attorney Advisor with SIR, the Incumbent will serve as team member of OIG Attorneys and Investigators, advising on substantive legal and other matters encountered in the investigation process, including developing investigative plans, engaging in discovery, and presenting potential criminal violations to U.S. Attorneys, and conducting thorough reviews and providing substantive feedback on all SIR reports of investigation and reviews. Specific duties will include but not be limited to:
Major duties include:
- Conducts investigations of potential violations of criminal, civil, or administrative statutes, regulations, rules, or policies, including developing investigative plans, preparing for and conducting interviews of witnesses and subjects, and reviewing emails and other documentary evidence;
- Prepares legal documents and other materials in connection with ongoing investigations, including subpoenas and document requests, analytical memoranda, and reports of interviews;
- Conducts legal research and provides legal guidance on the scope and conduct of investigations; advises SIR management and OIG leadership on substantive legal matters encountered during investigations, including determining legal precedent applicable to investigations, applying criminal, civil, and administrative laws to specific fact patterns, and assessing the sufficiency of evidence following investigative activities;
- Drafts reports of investigations or other analytical written products that present complex fact patterns, explain governing laws, rules, and policies, and analyze evidence gathered in an investigation to support findings.
This position requires detailed familiarity with conducting investigations and reviews of potential violations of criminal, civil, or administrative statutes, regulations, rules, and/or policies. The candidate must meet the OIG's high ethical and integrity standards and embrace the organizational values of objectivity, independence, integrity, and achieving results. The candidate must thrive in a fast-paced environment that values open communication, feedback, and constructive dialogue from all organizational levels.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- U.S. citizenship is required.
- Successful completion of a background investigation.
- Will be subject to initial and random drug testing.
- May be required to complete a one year trial period.
- OGE-450, Confidential Financial Disclosure Report will be required.
- Must have a current Bar License in Good Standing
- This position is in the Excepted Service
Qualifications
All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
Minimum Qualifications GS-15 :
- Five or more years of professional legal experience after passing the bar exam;
One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-14 grade level in the Federal service performing all of the following:
- Conducting complex investigations;
- Preparing complex investigative reports and legal analyses in a clear, concise, and factual manner;
- Working independently and within a team environment to plan and conduct investigations; and
- Presenting investigative findings and legal analyses related to potential criminal, civil or administrative violations to senior level managers for determination and action.
Education
You must have earned a professional law degree (J.D. or LL.B) from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association, be an active member and be in good standing of the Bar in a State or territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
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.
Applicants will be evaluated based on their possession of the following competencies required for the minimum qualifications identified above:
- Decisiveness
- Influencing/Negotiation
- Problem Solving
- Technical Credibility
With Emphasis on:
- Ability to conduct high level investigations of senior officials
- Ability to identify, analyze, and present pertinent legal issues
- Ability to present sensitive and controversial findings and recommendations to supervisor and senior management
Once the vacancy announcement closes, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications for the position.
Writing Sample: A writing sample on a topic of our choice that demonstrates your legal analytical abilities may be required as part of the interview process.
Veterans' Preference: There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the OIG considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., the DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, and other supporting documentation) to their application submission documentation.
Required Documents
All documentation, applicable to you, must be submitted by the closing date of this announcement. Failure to submit the required documents will disqualify you from further consideration for this position.
Resume (required) - Your resume must sufficiently describe how your experience fully meets the specialized experience requirements as stated in this announcement for each grade level(s) you are applying (see "Qualifications" section). Your resume must also support your responses to the assessment questionnaire. Credit will be given for paid and unpaid experience. We cannot assume you have performed the experience required for this position regardless of your employment history or academic career. We strongly recommend you use the USA Jobs online Resume Builder to submit a resume. If you choose to use your own formatted resume, you must ensure it contains all of the following for each experience/position listed: job title, name of employer, beginning and ending dates of employment (month/day/year format), hours worked per week, detailed description of duties performed, and if a Federal position, series and grade or equivalent. We will not access web pages linked on your resume to determine your qualifications. Do not include a photograph or video of yourself, or any sensitive information.
Foreign education equivalency documentation - Required if you have qualifying education completed outside of the United States.
Performance Appraisal and Awards - While not required, due weight will be given to appraisals and awards submitted during the interview/selection process conducted by the hiring manager. Such documents will not be used in determining if you meet the experience requirements.
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 job opportunity, you must submit complete application package including a resume and an on-line application through the Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) application system, USAJOBS. This information will be transferred to the Department of Interior's OIG Automated Application System. You have until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) 12/05/2024 to complete the following application 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 and 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 assistance with creating an USAJOBS account and for information on viewing your Application status, please visit: (https://help.usajobs.gov/get-started) AND (https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to).
You may update your application documents and some questions related to your personal information at any time during the announcement open period. However, you will not be able to make changes to questions related to assessing the minimum qualifications and competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics) mentioned in the "How You Will Be Evaluated" section above. To make an allowed update to your application, return to your USAJOBS account (https://help.usajobs.gov/get-started). There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Update Application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
If you are unable to apply online, you must request an alternative application which is available from the Human Resources Office. Please contact HR Assistant at doioig_vacancies@doioig.gov or 703-487-5408 to obtain an alternative application. The application package for alternate application procedures must be submitted and received in the Human Resources office no later than 11:59 p.m. ET on the closing date of this announcement. NOTE: Paper applications and information sent by mail WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
DOI uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit www.dhs.gov/E-Verify.
Next steps
To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account. All of your applications will appear on the Welcome page. The application record in your USAJOBS account provides an Additional Application Information page that provides information regarding the documentation you submitted and any correspondence we have sent related to this application. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/get-started
Note: If a determination is made that qualifications and/or experience have been inflated, your score will be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities.
Once the online questionnaire is received you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. After the closing date of the announcement, we will review your resume to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. You will be notified by email of your rating and/or referral of your resume to the hiring official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. You will be informed of the outcome via e-mail. We expect to make a selection
within 45 to 60 days of the closing date of the vacancy announcement.