Attorney-Advisor (General)

Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to: All U.S. Citizens

This position is located in the Defense Legal Services Agency (DLSA), and the duty station is at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in the Office of General Counsel. Under the supervision and oversight of the DARPA General Counsel and the Deputy General Counsel, the Assistant/Associate General Counsel provides a full range of legal support to assigned DARPA offices and programs. The Assistant/Associate General Counsel also serves as a designated ethics counselor.

This is a Career Ladder Position. If selected at the GS-13 level (Assistant General Counsel), the incumbent may be noncompetitively promoted to the GS-0905-14 level (Associate General Counsel) and ultimately to the target position, GS-0905-15 level (Associate General Counsel), without further competition once time-in-grade, training, satisfactory performance, and other requirements of the higher grade level are met. The duties listed below are examples of full performance at the GS-0905-15 level.

The duties for levels GS-0905-13 and GS-0905-14 are similar or the same as those for the GS-15 level except for the volume and/or complexity of work and level of assistance and oversight provided.

As an Attorney-Advisor (General), you will be responsible for the following duties and other duties as assigned:

• Serves as a legal advisor to assigned DARPA offices and programs, providing legal advice, counsel, and guidance on the full range of DARPA operations across multiple practice areas including federal procurement, intellectual property, fiscal, civilian personnel, environmental, ethics and Standards of Conduct, international, space, cyber, and privacy law.
• Provides advice to DARPA contracting officials regarding the administration of DARPA contracts, including contract drafting, negotiation, interpretation, termination, and disputes. Provides similar legal services for non-procurement instruments such as Other Transaction Agreements, grants, cooperative agreements, Cooperative Research and Development Agreements, and Partnership Intermediary Agreements.
• Advises on ethics/standards of conduct issues such as conflicts of interest, seeking employment, outside activities, and post-government employment.
• Represents DARPA and as applicable assists the Department of Justice in litigation matters. Litigation matters include: patent infringement claims, copyright claims, and other intellectual property disputes; protests and claims before the Government Accountability Office and Court of Federal Claims; harassment/discrimination complaints before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; and appeals of personnel actions before the Merit Systems Protection Board.
• Assists DARPA's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) team in reviewing and responding to FOIA requests, including advising on FOIA litigation matters.

Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen
• Application materials must be received by 11:59PM EST on the closing date.
• This is a drug testing designated position.
• This is an Excepted Service position.
• Work Schedule: Full Time
• Overtime: Occasionally
• Recruitment Incentives: May be authorized at management's discretion.
• Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): Exempt
• Financial Disclosure: Required
• Telework Eligibility: This position is eligible for situational telework only.
• Occasional Travel
• Males born after December 31, 1959 must be registered for Selective Service: https://www.sss.gov
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information Clearance
• May be required to successfully complete a probationary/trial period

Qualifications

Applicants will be evaluated on: (1) depth, breadth, and quality of recent and relevant professional legal experience with an emphasis on FAR-based contracting and non-procurement instruments such as Other Transaction Agreements, grants, cooperative agreements, Cooperative Research and Development Agreements, and Partnership Intermediary Agreements; (2) analytical, research, and writing skills; (3) oral communication; (4) ability to establish relationships with clients; and (5) ability to provide timely, accurate, practical, and responsive legal advice.

To qualify at the GS-13 level, applicants must have recent and relevant professional legal experience in excess of two (2) years that is commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position.

To qualify at the GS-14 level,applicants must have recent and relevant professional legal experience in excess of three (3) years that is commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position.

To qualify at the GS-15 level, applicants must have at least five (5) years recent, substantial, and relevant professional legal experience that is commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position. In addition, to qualify at the GS-15 level, applicants must demonstrate the ability to perform with substantial independence even when working on the most complex or difficult matters. Knowledge of and experience with DoW is highly desirable but not mandatory. Applicants with experience advising senior officials or clients are desired.

Salary will be set within the range specified in this vacancy announcement based on the complexity of work to be performed, the applicant's experience, education, training and availability of funds.

Qualification standards for attorney positions may be found in DoD Directive 1442.02, "Personnel Actions Involving Civilian Attorneys," at DoD Instruction 1442.02, April 13, 2023 (whs.mil).

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Once the application period closes, your application will be reviewed to determine whether you meet the eligibility and qualification requirements for the position. Your resume and any required supporting documentation will be carefully evaluated to assess your qualifications and experience. Applicants are expected to accurately and fully describe their qualifications and experience. If a review of your resume and/or supporting documentation determines that you have overstated or inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may be found ineligible or not qualified for the position. Please follow all application instructions carefully as errors or omissions may affect your eligibility or evaluation.

Applicants who meet the basic qualification and eligibility requirements will be referred to the Selecting Official for further consideration. All applicants must meet the qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

A complete application package includes your resume and documents which prove your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further:

1. Cover Letter: Applicants must submit a cover letter addressing the evaluation criteria for the position and explaining their interest in the position. The cover letter must also identify the lowest grade level the applicant will consider and indicate if relocation expenses are required.

2. Resume: A complete resume demonstrating relevant experience including job titles, duties, and accomplishments. The resume must provide sufficient detail for each position to demonstrate that the applicant meets the minimum qualification requirements. If an applicant submits multiple resumes, only the most recently submitted resume will be reviewed to determine qualifications and eligibility for referral to the Selecting Official.

3. Performance Appraisals or Equivalent: Applicants who are current Federal employees must the two (2) most recent performance appraisals with the rating official narrative, if available. Applicants who are not current Federal employees must submit their most recent performance appraisal or equivalent performance evaluation from their current or most recent employer. The appraisal should include the overall rating and, if available, the supervisor's assessment of the applicant's performance and accomplishments. If an applicant is unable to provide a performance appraisal or equivalent because one is not available, the applicant should provide a brief explanation.

4. Writing Samples: Two (2) recent legal writing samples of no more than five (5) pages each that demonstrate analytical and/or advocacy abilities. Excerpts of larger pieces may be submitted.

5. Transcript(s): Attorneys who have graduated from law school less than five (5) years prior to the announcement closing date must provide a copy of their law school transcript(s), including class rank. We accept unofficial transcripts, as long as it contain the applicant's name, the name of the school, the date the law degree that was awarded, and the list of classes and credits earned.

6. References: The names, phone numbers, and email addresses for at least three (3) professional references who may be contacted.

7. SF-50: For current federal employees, a copy of your most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action. Please redact social security numbers from any submitted documents.

8. Certificate of Good Standing: Current certificate demonstrating that you are a current active member of the bar with a valid license to practice law in a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Additional documents you may be required to submit vary based on what authority you are using to apply (i.e., applying for one of the categories such as a veteran, a current or former permanent Federal employee, etc.).

LEASE REVIEW THE BELOW LINK FOR OTHER SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS needed for proof of eligibility:
https://www.dla.mil/Portals/104/Documents/Careers/downloads/DODCustomersRequiredSupportingDocumentation.pdf?

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