General Attorney (Contract) Job in Anywhere in the U.S. (remote job)

Vacancy No. CERL244839966712D Department U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Salary $86,962.00 to $134,435.00 Grade 12 to 13
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 10/17/2024 Close Date 10/30/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Anywhere in the U.S. (remote job)


Summary

About the Position: This position is an opportunity to contribute to the Jacksonville District's missions - providing legal services for acquisition planning, contract execution, and construction of flood risk management, navigation, coastal storm risk management, and ecosystem restoration projects throughout Florida.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

U.S. Citizens

Duties

  • Serve as Assistant District Counsel to furnish expert legal advice and advocacy to the Jacksonville District.
  • Provide legal advice on procurement activities, complex contract claims and appeals, and other legal issues in the military and civil works areas.
  • Perform the full scope of legal services associated with the District’s contracting activities including acquisition planning, drafting contract provisions, review of solicitations for bids or proposals, and legality of contract awards.
  • Provide preventative counsel on various procurement matters such as bids and proposals protests, claims of mistake, task orders, contracts and modifications.
  • Review contract clauses of a novel or extremely complex nature and composes non-standard paragraphs or clauses for use.
  • Assist in the review and coordination of fiscal matters arising within District missions.
  • Advise and communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with senior leadership and team members at all levels in a manner to advise, inform, and educate.
  • Work effectively and collaboratively on teams, including clients, experts and other witnesses, and colleagues.
  • Analyze contract performance problems arising from difficult legal or factual questions or contract interpretation, negotiation, contract modification, and contractor performance issues.
  • Serve as procurement trial attorney for the District, preforming the full scope of trial work on contract appeals - depositions and discovery, briefs and motions, examination at hearing.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
  • This position requires you to submit a Public Financial Disclosure Report (OGE 278) or a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE450) upon entry, and annually thereafter.
  • Temporary Duty (TDY) is 10%.
  • May be selected at any grade level with non-competitive promotion potential to target grade. Non-competitive promotion potential to the target grade based on time-in-grade requirements and demonstrated ability to perform the higher graded duties.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: US Citizens

In order to qualify, you must meet the the education and requirements described below. requirements described below. 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. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document.

The following minimum qualifications requirements must be met before applicants are eligible for further consideration:

Education: Applicants must have successfully completed a full course of study in a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) and have the first professional law degree (LLB or JD) (NOTE: You must submit a copy of your transcripts).

Bar membership: Applicants must currently be a member in good standing of a bar of a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. A copy of your current certification must be submitted.

To qualify at the GS-12 grade level you must have one to two years of professional legal experience commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position. Examples of this experience are: 1. providing counsel on complex and difficult legal problems in the areas of contract and/or construction law; 2. providing legal advice on or representing clients in contract and/or construction law litigation matters and administrative law. 3. providing advice to clients including organizational leadership regarding procurement activities, including acquisition planning, drafting contract provisions, review of solicitations for bids or proposals, and legality of contract awards; and/or 4. Serving as counsel and/or assisting lead counsel in litigation before U.S. federal courts or executive branch tribunals.

To qualify at the GS-13 grade level you must have over two years of professional legal experience commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position. Examples of this experience are: 1.providing counsel on complex and difficult legal problems in the areas of contract and/or construction law; 2. providing legal advice on or representing clients in contract and/or construction law litigation matters and administrative law. 3. providing advice to clients including organizational leadership regarding procurement activities, including acquisition planning, drafting contract provisions, review of solicitations for bids or proposals, and legality of contract awards; and/or 4. Serving as counsel and/or assisting lead counsel in litigation before U.S. federal courts or executive branch tribunals.

NOTICE TO VETERANS PREFERENCE: There is no formal rating system for applying veteran's preference to Attorney appointments in the Excepted Service; however, the Department of the Army considers veteran's preference eligibility a positive factor for Attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veteran's preference must include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documents (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/).

Time in Grade Requirements:
Applicants currently employed as an Attorney by the Federal government must have completed one year of time-in-grade at the next lower grade level (GS-11 or GS-12) or the equivalent within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement, or previously served at the same or higher grade as the position being filled. You will be evaluated on the basis of your level of competency in the following areas:

Technical Knowledge
  • Demonstrated practical experience and mature judgment in solving legal problems, providing interpretations of statutes and regulations, drafting legal documents, and reviewing client documents for legal soundness and accuracy sufficient for the accomplishment of difficult, complex, and varied work.
  • Demonstrated experience providing legal advice and guidance on government contract law and/or construction law.
  • Demonstrated experience with fraud, bid protests, or matters analogous to contract disputes.
Litigation - Representation and Advocacy
  • Demonstrated experience providing legal advice and trial advocacy regarding litigation that presents complex factual issues requiring extensive research, analysis, and obtaining and evaluating expert testimony or information.
  • Demonstrated experience effectively representing and advocating for the client in litigation (preparing administrative records, pleadings, and dispositive motions; drafting and responding to discovery; hearing or trial experience) and in different forms of alternative dispute resolution.
  • Demonstrated experience representing and advocating for the client in various forums, including before external agencies, stakeholders, and members of the public, often on contentious matters that involve very large sums of money and/or involve extremely capable opposing legal talent.
Other Indicia of Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
  • Ability to advise and communicate effectively with senior leadership and team members at all levels in a manner to advise, inform, and educate, even when the legal advice may differ from what is desired.
  • Ability to work effectively on teams, including clients, experts and other witnesses, and colleagues.
  • Credentials as indicated in the resume and other application materials (e.g., awards, performance ratings, educational requirements.

Education

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show 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/.

Additional information

  • Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
  • You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship.
  • Two year trial/probationary period may be required.
  • Direct Deposit of Pay is required.
  • This position requires you to submit a Public Financial Disclosure Report (OGE 278) or a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE450) upon entry, and annually thereafter.
  • If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet.
  • This is a(n) Career Program (CP) 56 position
  • Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
  • Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement.
  • Payment of Permanent Change of Station (PCS) costs is not authorized, based on a determination that a PCS move is not in the Government interest.
  • Recruitment incentive may be authorized for a highly qualified candidate and an agency determination that payment is in the Government Interest.
  • If incentives are authorized a service agreement is required.

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.

Once the announcement has closed, a review of your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. If you are minimally qualified, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine your level of experience. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

You should list any relevant performance appraisals and incentive awards in your resume as that information may be taken into consideration during the selection process. If selected, you may be required to provide supporting documentation.

Basis for Rating: Qualified candidates will be assigned to one of three quality categories: Best Qualified, Highly Qualified and Qualified. Veteran preference eligibles are listed ahead of non-preference eligibles within each quality category.

  • Best Qualified. Candidates in this category possess exceptional skills and experience to exceed well above the minimum requirements for the announced position.
  • Highly Qualified. Candidates in this category possess good skills and experience above the minimum requirements for the announced position.
  • Qualified. Candidates in this category meet the minimum experience requirements for the announced position.
You may claim Military Spouse preference.

Military Spouse Preference (MSP) applicants will receive preference consideration and will be placed (if selected) at the highest grade for which they have applied and are determined best qualified, up to and including the full performance level.

You may claim Priority Placement Program (PPP) preference.

DoD Priority Placement Program (PPP) Applicants will receive preference consideration at the full-performance grade level only.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). If you are a Federal employee in the competitive service and your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority for this position. To receive selection priority, you must: (1) meet ICTAP eligibility criteria (2) be rated well-qualified for the position and; (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your ICTAP eligibility. To be considered well-qualified and receive selection priority applicants must satisfy all qualification requirements for the position and receive a score of 90 or above. Additional information about the program is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website.

Required Documents

The documents you are required to submit vary based on whether or not you are eligible for preference in federal employment. A complete description of preference categories and the associated required documents is in the Applicant Checklist for Public Announcements. As described above, your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, 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 may not be considered any further.
1. Your resume:

  • Your resume may be submitted in any format and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement.
  • If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations, and you may not be considered for this vacancy.
  • For qualifications determinations your resume must contain hours worked per week and the dates of employment (i.e., HRS per week and month/year to month/year or month/year to present). If your resume does not contain this information, your application will be marked as incomplete, and you will not receive consideration for this position.
  • For additional information see: What to include in your resume.
2. Cover Letter:
  • Highlighting your relevant skills and experience as well as your interest in the position.

3. Official Transcripts:
  • Official law school transcript and an official statement of relative standing in class.
  • Photo static copies of documents are acceptable when applying but certified documents must be furnished before entering duty.
4. Official Certificate:
  • Official certificate showing that you are a member in good standing of the bar.
  • The Official Certificate must be dated within three months of the opening date of the announcement. If an official certificate is not immediately available, a personal signed sworn statement of good standing or a copy of a bar card or print out from a licensing authority denoting that the applicant is in good standing as a member of the bar of any state, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Territory of the United States, or District of Columbia dated within 90 days of the closing date of the announcement may be submitted with the application.
  • IMPORTANT NOTE: A current Official Certificate of Good Standing from the bar of any state, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Territory of the United States, or District of Columbia dated must be provided before any offer of employment can be tendered and accepted by an applicant.
  • The certificate is required to be submitted by all applicants to include attorneys currently appointed to positions under the qualifying authority of The Judge Advocate General (including active-duty Army Judge Advocates).
5. Sworn Statement:
  • A sworn (notarized) statement from you that your fitness to practice law or conduct as an attorney has never been challenged in any jurisdiction to the best of your knowledge, or if either has been challenged, a sworn (notarized) statement concerning the facts and circumstances, together with any explanation that you deem appropriate may be submitted.
  • As an alternative to a sworn (notarized) statement, a statement which includes a declaration under penalty of perjury may be submitted in the following format: "I declare (or certify, verify, or state) under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States of America that the foregoing is true and correct...executed on (date). (your signature)." (28U.S.C. 1746).
  • The statement must be dated within three months of the date that the application package is submitted.
  • The statement is required to be submitted by all applicants to include attorneys currently appointed to positions under the qualifying authority of The Judge Advocate General(including active duty Army Judge Advocates).
6. Writing Examples:
  • Examples of writing skills as demonstrated by legal briefs, memoranda, or letters.
  • These examples should total no more than ten pages in length.
  • Extracts of selected sections of larger documents are acceptable.
7. References:
  • Must provide a list of 3 professional references familiar with the applicants' work history with complete contact information (name, email, phone, and address) from current members of the legal Bar, including your current or most recent supervisor. (References will not be contacted until confirmed with the applicant.)
Required Documents for current US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Attorneys:
1. Resume
2. Most recent annual performance appraisal
3. Your most recent non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50)
4. Completed Occupational Questionnaire

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

Continued from Required Documents:
Other supporting documents:

  • This position requires a job-related license or certification. You MUST submit a copy of your license or certification with your application package or you will be rated ineligible. See: Transcripts and Licenses
NOTE: Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office. Some supplemental documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you. You may sanitize these documents to remove another person's personal information before you submit your application. You may be asked to provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected to confirm your eligibility.To apply for this position, you must complete the online questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section.

The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 10/30/2024 to receive consideration.
  • 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 (https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12576712).
  • Follow the prompts to select your resume 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. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
  • It is your responsibility to verify that your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan.
  • Additional information on how to complete the online application process and submit your online application may be found on the USA Staffing Applicant Resource Center.

To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), 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 information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.

Agency contact information

Army Applicant Help Desk
Address
RL-W2SR02 US ARMY ENGINEER DISTRICT-JACKSONVILLE
DO NOT MAIL
Jacksonville, FL 32202
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

If you provided an email address, you will receive an email message acknowledging receipt of your application. Your application package will be used to determine your eligibility, qualifications, and quality ranking for this position. If you are determined to be ineligible or not qualified, your application will receive no further consideration.


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


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