Summary
This position is part of the, Selective Service System,. The incumbent will be responsible for being the legal advisor to the Director, Chief Legal Officer for SSS, and the top legal authority for all legal advice and counsel.
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
Clarification from the agency
This position is in the excepted service and open to all U.S Citizens.
Duties
- Acts as the legal advisor to the Director, is the chief Legal Officer for the agency. Provides legal advice concerning all aspects of SSS programs and operations.
- Acts as the legal advisor to the Director, is the chief Legal Officer for the agency, and oversees the provision of legal and ethics advice by all attorneys with the agency. Provides legal advice concerning all aspects of SSS programs and operations.
- Determines the legal application of registration requirements and uses logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to agency problems.
- Provides legal advice on employee hiring, discipline, pay and benefits, whistleblower retaliation, reasonable accommodation, EEO, harassment, personnel security, and government contracts.
- Reviews documents to determine legal sufficiency, performs difficult original legal research, develops solutions to novel and complex legal issues, provides legal opinion and advice, and advises on legal sufficiency of Agency policy.
Requirements
Conditions of employment
- US Citizenship is required.
- Suitable for Federal employment, determined by background investigation.
- Direct Deposit of pay is required.
- Selective Service registration required for male applicants, unless exempt.
- Juris Doctorate (J.D.) required.
- Valid member of a Bar
- Pre-employment and periodic drug test required
Qualifications
Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered. You must meet all the following qualification requirements:
- You must possess a J.D. Law Degree from an accredited college or university. (You must submit a copy of your transcripts.) AND
- You must be an active member in good standing of the Bar of a state, a territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. (You must submit proof of Bar Membership to verify your standing).
For the GS-15, you must meet the following qualifications:
One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-14 level. Specialized experience is that which has equipped the applicant with the competencies to successfully perform the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. Specialized experience for this position is experience 1) litigating federal sector discrimination claims, including complex cases and class actions; 2) developing and providing training on legal issues in the federal sector; 3) providing oral and written advice including preparing and reviewing documents; and 4) researching and analyzing pertinent law including developing legal theories, tactics, and procedures in areas for example, civil rights, labor, and employment law.
All experience must be clearly described in your resume to receive credit.
Applicants must carefully review the information in the
"How You Will Be Evaluated" section for important information and instructions pertaining to the multi-hurdle assessment process for this position.
A written test is not required.
Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.
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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
Education
This position has a positive education requirement. You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims of possession of a law degree (J.D.) from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association.
Only education from institutions which are accredited or pre-accredited/candidate for accreditation may be used to meet education requirements.
FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/
Transcripts and proof of Bar membership MUST be provided with your application package to receive further consideration. Must have an active Bar membership in good standing. If selected, must maintain active Bar membership in good standing while employed as an attorney.
Additional information
Telework Suitability:
The duties of this position are suitable for situational telework with supervisor approval.
https://www.telework.gov/Telework_Enhancement_Act/
Stipulations of Employment:
Veterans Preference: It is not a requirement to apply Veterans Preference in filling this Excepted Service position. However, the agency will follow the principles of Veterans Preference to the extent administratively feasible. Applicants eligible for Veterans Preference are encouraged to include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation to their submissions (e.g., DD-214 Form, SF-15, or other substantiating documents).
This assignment may be made permanent without further competition.
As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial periodduring which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:
- Your performance and conduct;
- The needs and interests of the agency;
- Whether your continued employment would advance the organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
- Whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
Upon completion of your trial period,your employment may be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
This position is subject to a negative drug test prior to entrance on duty, and random drug testing while you occupy the position.
If selected, you will be required to file a Public Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 278e) as applicable within 30 days of your appointment.
Applicants must be eligible to obtain and keep a security clearance. Appointment is subject to the successful completion of a background investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet these requirements will be grounds for termination.
Work Schedule:
This position allows for a flexible work schedule.
Miscellaneous:
Selective Service System 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
http://www.uscis.gov/e-verify.
This vacancy announcement may be used to fill similar positions within 90 days.
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.
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.
You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the USA Hire Competency Based Assessment(s) required for this position (if applicable). You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):You will be evaluated for this job based on:
- The experience listed in your resume and how well you meet the experience listed in the qualification section of announcement and the competencies listed.
You will be assessed on the following technical and soft skill competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):
- Attention to Detail
- Compliance
- Customer Service
- Decision Making
- Flexibility
- Influencing/Negotiating
- Integrity/Honesty
- Interpersonal Skills
- Learning
- Legal, Government, & Jurisprudence
- Oral Communication
- Reasoning
- Self-Management
- Statutes, Regulations, Polices
- Stress Tolerance
- Teamwork
- Technical Competency - FOIA / Privacy Act
In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online USA Hire Competency Based Assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
Traditional rating and ranking of applications does not apply to this vacancy.
Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the
Reasonable Accommodation Information - Application Manager.
Required Documents
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
1. Your Resume listing work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment mm/yy and duties performed. If multiple resumes are submitted, only the most current resume will be reviewed for qualifications.
Please limit your resume to no more than 2 pages. If more than 2 pages are submitted, only the first 2 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications.
2. Other supporting documents:
- College transcript(s)-J.D. Law Degree transcripts from an accredited college or university.
- Certification of Bar membership: proof that you are a member in good standing of the Bar of a State, territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
- Cover Letter (optional)
If you are a veteran with preference eligibility and you are claiming veterans' preference, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 or other proof of eligibility. If applicable, you must also submit an SF-15, "Application for 10-Point Veterans' Preference" plus the proof required by that form. Failure to provide this documentation may result in a non preference determination. For more information on veterans' preference (see
https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/veterans-employment-initiative/vet-guide/).
Do not submit photographs with your application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials - you must remove your image from any badges, licenses, etc.
Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents. Adobe portfolio documents are not viewable by our agency's staffing offices.
Note: A PDF Portfolio contains multiple files assembled into an integrated PDF unit. The files in a PDF Portfolio can be in a wide range of file types created in different applications. To ensure the document is not a PDF Portfolio document, open the document and if there are multiple different documents with a variety of extensions, it is a PDF Portfolio document and will not be processed.
It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted prior to the closing date of the announcement.
How to Apply
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include the initial online assessment and submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section of this vacancy.
The application process is as follows:
- To begin the application process, click Apply Online button.
- Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. You may preview the Application Questionnaire at:https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13055612
- Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
- Read the Eligibility questions carefully. The questions address if you are eligible to apply to this JOA. Your responses will affect your consideration for the position. You may qualify for more than one eligibility, so please choose carefully. You will only be considered under the options you have selected. If you respond that you do not meet any of the eligibility questions, you will not be considered for this position.
- If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
- Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
- Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
- Set aside at least 3 hours to take the assessment; however, most applicants complete the assessment in less time. If you need to stop the assessment and continue at a later time, you can re-use your unique assessment link.
- Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.
Visit the
USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for general information, practice assessments and assessment preparation resources.
To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account (
https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login). There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to
Edit Application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
To view the announcement status or your application status: Click on this: USAJOBS Help Center - How to see your application and job status. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.
Next steps
If you have questions about this job, please contact the HR Office representative listed in the "Agency Contact Info" section of this vacancy announcement.
For status updates on your application, please follow the directions listed above in the How to Apply section. Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. If you are selected for an interview for this position, you will be contacted directly. A final job offer for this position is typically made within several weeks after the closing date of the vacancy announcement. After confirming a job offer, all other applicants will be notified of their non-selection.