Attorney-Advisor (General) Job in Fort Belvoir, VA

Vacancy No. DCAA-25-HQ-12569363 Department Defense Contract Audit Agency
Salary $163,964.00 to $191,900.00 Grade 15 to 15
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 10/9/2024 Close Date 11/8/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Fort Belvoir, VA


Summary

Reemployed annuitant: This vacancy does not meet the criteria for appointment of annuitants.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

All U.S. Citizens

Duties

  • Serves as Attorney-Advisor (General) in the Audit Policy and Contract Litigation (DLA) Office, Office of General Counsel (DL), in the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA).
  • Renders written opinions and oral advice on legal matters which frequently involve extremely complex, technical, and sensitive legal questions, resulting in expenditures or claims of large sums of money.
  • Reviews Headquarters, DCAA policy issuances in the form of directives, regulations, instruction, contract audit manual, personnel management manual, memoranda, etc., to assure legal sufficiency.
  • Acts as the liaison on behalf of the agency in litigation involving DCAA, including, but not limited to, contract disputes, contract fraud, and PCS claims by agency employees.
  • Performs as the primary agency point of contact for contract litigation.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • Must be a U.S Citizen as verified through E-Verify Program

Qualifications

You may qualify for consideration if meeting time-in grade, specialized experience, education requirement, 90 days after competitive appointment requirement, and all other qualification requirements within 30 calendar days after the closing date of the announcement, unless otherwise indicated on the announcement.

You must meet the minimum qualification requirements as stated in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Operating Manual, Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions, http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/Standards/group-stds/gs-prof.asp.

Basic Requirement: Applicants must be a graduate of an accredited law school, be an active member of the bar of a state, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico in good standing (any jurisdiction). Applicants must possess excellent academic and professional credentials, and outstanding professional references.

Specialized Experience: In addition to meeting the basic requirement, applicants shall have professional legal experience in excess of 3 years that is commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position to be filled. Specialized experience must be documented in your resume. Specialized experience includes: experience providing legal advice and litigating in relation to complex contract and fiscal law concerns (e.g., managing statutory and regulatory contracting requirements (such as the Truthful Cost or Pricing Data Act, Competition in Contracting Act (CICA), Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS))and other DoD and Federal policies related to contract disputes, FAR cost principles, cost accounting standards, contract formation, contract administration and terminations), which result in claims against and by corporations before the Boards of Contract Appeals, Court of Federal Claims, Federal Circuit Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, or the General Accountability Office.

Volunteer Experience: 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, knowledge, and skills, and can provide valuable training and experience that translates to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Education

Basic Education Requirement: Applicants must be a graduate of an accredited law school, be an active member of the bar of a state, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico in good standing (any jurisdiction). Applicants must possess excellent academic and professional credentials, and outstanding professional references.

There is no substitution of education for the specialized experience.

Additional information

DCAA has a comprehensive benefits package that includes retirement, social security and thrift savings; health, life and long term care insurance; paid vacation, sick leave and holidays. DCAA employees enjoy our business-casual dress code, flexible work schedules, transit subsidies, and the opportunity to telecommute.

Selective Service: Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see www.sss.gov).

Initial Probationary Period: You will be required to serve an initial probationary period of 1 year if one has not already been completed.

Drug Testing: If you are given access to classified information, you will be subject to random drug testing. If you are selected for a special sensitive position, you will be placed in a drug testing designated position. You must pass a drug test before your assignment to such a position and you will be subject to random drug testing subsequent to your assignment.

Background Investigation: All selectees will be subject to a personnel security investigation which must be favorably adjudicated for occupancy of a sensitive position and/or access to classified information. If you are selected for a critical/special sensitive position, you will be subject to a Single Scope Background Investigation (SSBI). For a critical sensitive position, you must be able to obtain and maintain security clearance eligibility at the Top Secret level. For a special sensitive position, you must be able to obtain and maintain security clearance eligibility at the Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) level AND you will be subject to a random counterintelligence scope polygraph.

Telework: Telework availability will be based upon the mission requirements and supervisory determination.

Performance Appraisal: If you are a current Federal employee, you must be rated fully successful or higher on your current performance rating to be eligible for promotion. You may be asked to provide a copy of your performance appraisal during the evaluation and selection process.

Notice of Veterans' Preference: There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of Defense considers veterans' preference eligibility a positive factor for attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., DD Form 214, "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty") to their submissions. Although the point-preference system is not used, applicants eligible to claim a 10-point preference must submit a Standard Form (SF) 15, "Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference," and supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed. (SF 15, which lists the types of 10-point preference and the required supporting documents, is available from the Office of Personnel Management Website at http://www.opm.gov/.)

All applicants are encouraged to apply electronically. If you are unable to apply on-line, you may contact 317-212-0454 for assistance.

This position is not covered by a bargaining unit.

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.

Your application will initially be reviewed to determine whether you meet the minimum eligibility and qualifications requirements. If you are qualified, you will then receive a numeric score based on the degree to which your background matches the knowledge, skills and abilities for the position listed below. If a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications, you will be assigned a rating commensurate with your background. Your final score will be used to determine if you are among the best qualified candidates.
Competencies:



Criminal History Inquiries- If you apply to this position and are selected, we will not ask about your criminal history before you receive a conditional job offer. If you believe you were asked about your criminal history improperly, contact the agency @ dcaa.belvoir.hq.mbx.ask-lmer@mail.mil

Required Documents

You must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

1. Resume - Each period of Federal experience must reflect the grade level of the position and whether the assignment is permanent or temporary. Your resume must document your specialized experience at the next lower grade level.
2. Assessment Questionnaire
3. Other supporting documents
a. SF-50 Notification of Personnel Action - Unless you are a current permanent DCAA employee, current and former Federal employees must provide their most recent SF-50 or the SF-50 reflecting Career/Career-Conditional tenure and the highest grade held on a permanent basis.
b. College Transcripts - If you are using education as a substitution for specialized experience, you must provide your college transcripts.
c. Certifications
d. Veterans Preference Documentation

  • You must submit a copy of your DD Form-214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty", showing the dates of active duty service, type of discharge and the character of service. Alternatively, If you are a current military member in active duty service and do not have a copy of your DD Form-214, you must submit a written documentation (certification) from your branch of service certifying that you are expected to be discharged or released from active duty under honorable conditions no later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted with your application for this position. The certification should also include your rank, dates of active duty service and what the condition of discharge is thought to be.
  • If claiming 10-point preference and/or are a 30% or more Disabled Veteran, you must submit both a DD Form-214 or expected discharge documentation as described above AND a copy of a letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) or your branch of service certifying the presence of service-connected disability and indicating the percentage of disability
  • If you are claiming eligibility based on 10-point derived veterans' preference (i.e. a spouse, widow/widower, or parent of a veteran claiming veterans' preference when the veteran is unable to use it), you must also submit a Standard Form 15 (SF-15) "Application for 10-Point Veteran's Preference" and any required documents indicated on the SF-15 to substantiate the claimed preference.
e. Other documents identified in this announcement

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 provide a complete Application Package. See required documents below.

Click 'Apply Online' to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account.
1. Follow the prompts to complete the assessment questionnaire and upload required documents.
2. Please ensure you click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application.
3. Check application status by logging into your USAJOBS account, clicking Application Status, then More Information for this position. Return to an incomplete application by logging into your USAJOBS account and clicking Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.

You can preview the Assessment Questionnaire here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12569363

WARNING: Failure to submit a complete Application Package including all required documentation by the closing date of the announcement at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time, or at the time of application for announcements with an extended closing date, may result in an ineligible rating and loss of consideration. To verify that your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, select Application Status and More Information. The Details page will display the status of your application. Once your application is "processed", you can review your submitted materials. It is your responsibility to verify that information you entered, uploaded, or faxed is received, legible and accurate. Neither Human Resources nor the Selecting Official will modify your submitted documents and information..

Agency contact information

HR Customer Care Center
Address
DCAA - HEADQUARTERS
8725 John J. Kingman Road
Ft. Belvoir, VA 22060
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

Once your application is received, you will receive an acknowledgement email. You will subsequently receive an email notice of your rating and whether you were referred to the hiring manager as best qualified. Qualified candidates eligible for non-competitive reassignment, repromotion, change to lower grade, transfer or reinstatement will also be referred. You may be contacted for an interview. You will be notified when the selection process is complete.


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