Attorney-Advisor (General) Job

Vacancy No. 24-FS-554-X Department Bureau of the Fiscal Service
Salary $122,198.00 to $181,216.00 Grade 14 to 14
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 8/21/2024 Close Date 9/23/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Birmingham, ALWashington, DCHyattsville, MDKansas City, MO


Job Description (Please follow all instructions carefully)

Summary

The position is in the Office of the Chief Counsel, Bureau of the Fiscal Service, a bureau within the Department of the Treasury. The Bureau's mission is to promote the financial integrity and operational efficiency of the federal government through exceptional accounting, financing, collections, payments, and shared services.

Please refer to the "Duties" section for additional information.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

U.S. citizens or U.S. Nationals; no prior Federal experience is required.

Duties

PLEASE NOTE: Based on the current hiring restrictions, selectees may be subject to additional approvals prior to an offer being extended.

This position will focus on Information Technology and cybersecurity law, as these authorities pertain to the Bureau's operations and programs, advising clients as to issues in existing activities as well as proactively scanning horizon for emerging risks and opportunities. The incumbent will render legal advice and opinions to agency officials, including executives and other supervisors of the Bureau on legal matters, including in support of the Information & Security Services and the Chief Information Officer, and across the range of the Bureau's programs and activities.

As an Attorney Advisor (General), you will:
- As an attorney working at the expert level, the employee generates new theories; assignments are characterized by full technical responsibility for issues of considerable scope; and solutions may, at times, be controversial or require the resolution of competing viewpoints. The employee uses expert legal knowledge and extensive experience to work on very difficult legal assignments, often unassisted except for very general oversight from the supervisor.
- At this level, in collaboration with the senior attorney in this portfolio, the attorney may be responsible for being a formal or informal team lead of a particular practice area(s) and will often be the main point of contact for those respective clients primarily in the areas of information technology (IT) and cybersecurity law. The attorney often acts as a mentor to more junior attorneys and/or interns in the office.
- Perform legal research and render opinions in the form of oral or written advice, briefings, presentations, and legal decision memoranda. Evaluate, interpret and apply statutes, regulations, court decisions, administrative decisions, Departmental precedents, Bureau policies and technical publications across the range of Bureau operations and programs, with a focus on the areas of federal fiscal, appropriations, budgetary, and accounting law.
- Assist in defending or advocating the Bureau's position in Federal court litigation, when the Bureau is a party, by providing technical assistance and information to U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) litigation counsel, and by preparing litigation reports, and assisting in the drafting of pleadings, affidavits, and briefs, when appropriate.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • A one year probationary period may be required.
  • Must successfully complete a background investigation. Periodic reinvestigation is required no later than five years after selection and at least every succeeding five years.
  • 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.
  • 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. For more information about individual rights, Noncriminal Justice Applicant's Privacy Rights - FBI, FD-258 Privacy Act Statement - FBI, and SEAD-3-Reporting-U.pdf (dni.gov).

Key Requirements:

  1. Please refer to "Conditions of Employment."
  2. Click "Print Preview" to review the entire announcement before applying.
  3. 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.

For the GS-14, you must have at least two years of experience as a practicing attorney with at least 18 months of that experience at the GS-13 or equivalent level.

Examples of this experience could include:
- Experience with Interpreting and drafting current and proposed legislation, authorization and appropriation language, policy and other guidance in support of agency and governmentwide technology matters. OR- Experience with advising on federal information technology and cybersecurity laws, regulations, executive orders, and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) circulars and bulletins and other guidance. OR
- Experience working on matters involving standards, policies, and guidance issued by The Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002 and/or National Institute of Standards and Technology bulletins OR
- Experience thinking strategically and communicating clearly about legal and other operational risk, and accepting new tasks and responsibilities as such. OR
- Experience working with a legal office's leadership to help organizational management officials think strategically about practices and postures to improve litigation outcomes, including thinking outside the box to obtain improved outcomes. OR
- Experience carrying out significant negotiations on behalf of clients, focusing on customer service.

Education

Education Requirements:
Law Degree:
Applicants must possess a J.D. or LL.B from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA)

AND

Bar Membership:
Applicants must currently be an active member in good standing of the bar in any state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. If selected, the applicant must provide proof of bar membership.

Additional information

OTHER INFORMATION:

  • Factors such as cost effectiveness, labor market conditions and difficulties in filling the position will be reviewed in determining if payment of relocation expenses is in the best interest of the Government.
  • We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies.
  • This is a non-bargaining unit position.
  • This position is a special sensitive position.
  • We offer opportunities for telework, per signed agreement.
  • We offer opportunities for flexible work schedules.

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: https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/Pay_and_Benefits

The Bureau of the Fiscal Service offers challenging and meaningful work, opportunities for advancement and internal movement to a different career path, a competitive salary, work/life balance, and generous benefits. Maximum telework and flexible work schedule options are also available. Incentives such as student loan repayment, recruitment and relocation incentives, and advanced annual leave accrual may be offered. Some remote work opportunities exist. Approval of these incentives and flexibilities are based on the position, business requirements, applicant/employee qualifications and performance, and other work-related factors.

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.

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.

Rating: Your application will be evaluated among others regarding your experience, education, training, performance appraisals and awards relevant to the duties of this position.

Since this is an Excepted Service position, a non-rated method of evaluation will be used. We will evaluate your application by comparing your description of your work experience, level of responsibility, and accomplishments with the requirements of the position to determine whether you meet all the qualification requirements. Competitive examining rules for rating and ranking do not apply.

There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Fiscal Service 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.

Referral: Candidates who meet all the qualification and other eligibility requirements will be referred to the selecting official for consideration and possible interview.

Required Documents

A complete application includes 1. A résumé, 2. Vacancy question responses, and 3. A copy of your law school transcripts or a list of law school courses showing title, number of credits, grade, and date of completion. 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.

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.) 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. Please view résumé tips.

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.

RECOMMENDED DOCUMENTS:
If you have worked in the Federal government within the previous 52 weeks, submit a copy of your SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, which shows your current (or highest) grade.

How to Apply

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.

Fiscal Service 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). 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 https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/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.

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 assessment questionnaire: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12500507

Agency contact information

Applicant Call Center
Address
Office Of The Chief Counsel
200 Third Street
Parkersburg, WV 26101
US
Learn more about this agency

Next 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.


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