General Attorney (Investigative Attorney)

Clarification from the agency

This vacancy announcement is open to Federal employees and other eligible applicants.

As a General Attorney (Investigative Attorney), you will perform the following duties:

• Plan, organize, and conduct investigations of alleged or suspected violations of federal criminal and civil laws and administrative regulations. Investigations can include allegations of sexual assault, stalking, grant fraud, contract fraud, and violations of whistleblower protections;
• Evaluate facts based on current law, specific court decisions, and current policy to provide legal advice and decide the appropriateness in using investigative techniques or equipment and develop new concepts and applications for the successful resolution of work assignments;
• Provide advice to case team members and decision-makers regarding planning and timing of complex investigation components;
• Plan, participate in, and organize interrogations, interviews, hearings, and conferences to resolve problems of considerable importance;
• Interpret OIG/Office of Investigations (OI), other law enforcement, agency, and Federal guidelines;
• Assist in effective coordination with other federal, state, and local agencies and private contractors in matters related to work assignments;
• Prepare clear, comprehensive, and cohesive investigative reports in a timely manner in accordance with established policies;
• Demonstrate strong interpersonal skills and the ability to convey information clearly, appropriately, and professionally with investigators, management, prosecutors, partners, and stakeholders;
• Recognize, identify, and address undefined investigative issues and elements, coordinating with other investigative participants to determine the nature and scope of the problems and the factors that will be instrumental in their resolution;
• Exercise sound judgment and discretion in high-visibility, sensitive, or complex matters; and,
• Analyze, explain, and advise on factual and legal issues arising in cases and investigative trends in order to ensure legal sufficiency and consistent referrals.

Conditions of employment

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• You may be subject to a background/security investigation
• This is not a remote position
• Relocation expenses are not authorized
• This is an excepted service position
• An active Bar license is required for verification. Bar license must reference Bar number and indicate the status of good standing. A Self-Certification Form is not acceptable verification.
• This is a positive education position. Transcripts are required to be considered for this position.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID-compliant cannot be used as acceptable forms of identification for employment.
• You must meet all eligibility requirements within thirty days of the date the announcement closes and continue to meet these requirements throughout the hiring process. Offers can be rescinded if requirements are not met.
• You will not need a clearance to accept this position, but you must be able to obtain - and maintain - one if needed.
• If you are a current federal employee holding a General Schedule (GS) position, you must meet the time-in-grade requirements.

All online applicants must provide a valid email address. If your email address is inaccurate or your mailbox is full/blocked, you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.

Qualifications

BASIC REQUIREMENT

Education: 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 (LL.B. or J.D.). Law school transcripts must be submitted at the time of application.

Bar Membership and Certification: Must currently be a member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory, or commonwealth of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Your active Bar license must include your Bar number and indicate your good standing status.

In addition to the BASIC REQUIREMENTS, applicants must also meet the following:

To qualify at the GS-13 or GS-14 level, you must have one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the grade below.

For the GS-14 level, applicants must have one year of specialized experience at the GS-13 level that includes: planning, organizing, and conducting investigations of alleged or suspected violations of federal criminal and civil laws and administrative regulations; evaluating facts based on current law, specific court decisions, and current policy to provide legal advice and decide the appropriateness in using investigative techniques or equipment; providing advice to case team members and decision-makers regarding planning and timing of complex investigations; planning, participating in, and organizing interrogations, interviews, hearings, and conferences; demonstrating strong interpersonal skills and the ability to convey information clearly, appropriately, and professionally with investigators, management, prosecutors, partners, and stakeholders; coordinating with other investigative participants to recognize, identify, and address undefined investigative issues and elements; analyzing, explaining, and advising on factual and legal issues arising in cases and investigative trends in order to ensure legal sufficiency.

For the GS-13 level, applicants must have one year of specialized experience at the GS-12 level that includes: supporting the planning, organizing, and conducting of investigations of alleged or suspected violations of federal criminal and civil laws and administrative regulations; assisting in evaluating facts based on current law, specific court decisions, and current policy; planning, participating in, and organizing interrogations, interviews, hearings, and conferences; demonstrating strong interpersonal skills and the ability to convey information clearly, appropriately, and professionally with investigators, management, prosecutors, partners, and stakeholders; coordinating with other investigative participants to recognize, identify, and address undefined investigative issues and elements; analyzing, explaining, and researching factual and legal issues arising in cases and investigative trends in order to ensure legal sufficiency.

This experience must be fully supported and articulated in your resume to receive consideration. Please do not cut and paste the specialized experience from this announcement into your resume, as this will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

NOTE: 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 directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience

(NOTE: All Agency employees must provide a copy of their SF-50 "Notice of Personnel Action" that indicates proof of status. Do not submit an award SF-50. It is highly recommended that multiple SF-50s be submitted to verify that time-in-grade requirements are met.

How you will be evaluated

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

You will be rated on the following competencies for this position:

• Criminal Investigation
• Legal/Regulatory Compliance
• Effective Communication
• Decision-Making and Sound Judgment
• Documentation and Reporting
• Legal, Government, and Jurisprudence

For evaluating the quality of applicants for referral to the selecting official, a four-phased process will be used.

Phase 1: Applicants' resume and supporting documents will be reviewed by Human Resources (HR) to determine whether they meet the basic qualification requirements.

Phase 2: Applicants who are minimally qualified may be advanced to a Structured Resume Review assessment conducted by a Subject Matter Expert (SME) panel. SMEs may review applicants' resumes to evaluate technical qualifications for this position based on the required specialized experience.

Phase 3: Applicants who successfully pass the Structured Resume Review assessment may be advanced to a Structured Interview conducted by a Subject Matter Expert (SME) panel. SMEs may assess applicants' ability to demonstrate the required competencies for the position.

Phase 4: A final score, which may combine the results from one or more assessments, may be used to identify the top-rated applicants. Applicants meeting the established cut-off score may be referred to the selecting official for consideration and may be required to participate in one or more additional interviews as part of the hiring process.

RESUME: You must submit a resume (a two-page or less resume is required) containing the following pieces of information for each job entry listed in your employment history:

Resumes must include all of the following information outlined below:

• Contact Information: Name and preferred contact method, including email address and phone number.
• Relevant Work Experience
  • Job Title and Employer (including series and grade for any Federal positions)
  • Start and end dates with month/year (e.g., 05/2019 -08/2022 or present)
  • The number of hours you worked per week

MOST RECENT PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL: If a performance appraisal is not dated within the last 18 months, or if you are unable to provide a performance appraisal, an explanation of why must be provided. Please include a document in your application package explaining why the performance appraisal is not available.

NOTIFICATION OF PERSONNEL ACTION (SF-50): You must submit your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) or equivalent agency form. Do not submit an award SF-50; these do not contain sufficient information about your appointment. Your SF-50 should list the full position title, series, grade, and step, organization, duty location, service computation date, effective date, and your service type and tenure status. Applicants are encouraged to submit multiple SF-50s to meet eligibility requirements.

PROOF of BAR CERTIFICATION: A copy of your Bar License that certifies you are an active member of the Bar in good standing of any state, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, or any Territorial Court under the U.S. Constitution. Your active Bar license must include your Bar number and indicate your good standing status.

TRANSCRIPT: An unofficial copy of your transcripts is sufficient for this application package. The unofficial transcripts must be verifiable; contain the name of the institution, applicant's name, list of completed courses (with grades), semester hours, and GPA. If the position has a positive education requirement (i.e., LL.B. or J.D.), as indicated under the "Education" section, the unofficial transcripts must show the degree type and the degree date (conferred).

Failure to submit any of the required documents by the closing date of the vacancy will result in your removal from consideration for this position.

1. When claiming a Veterans' Preference, you must submit your last DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) form, specifically the Member #4 Copy, indicating dates and character of service and discharge type.
2. If you are a Veteran with a service-connected disability rating, you will need to additionally submit the SF-15 (Application for 10-point Veterans Preference) and a copy of your VA Letter stating your disability rating.
3. If you are the qualifying parent or spouse of a disabled, deceased, or deployed Veteran, and are seeking a derived preference eligibility, you must submit appropriate supporting documentation, such as the Veteran's DD-214, SF-15, VA Letter, and/or Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders. See Veteran Family Preference for more information.
4. For more information on each type of Veterans Preference, and the documentation required for each, see FedsHireVets.

1. You must submit proof of a disability documentation (Proof of a disability is a letter stating that you have an intellectual disability, severe physical disability, or psychiatric disability). The condition, diagnosis, or specific medical information is not required - simply the statement from a healthcare provider certifying that a disability (intellectual, physical, or psychiatric) exists.
2. You must get this letter from your doctor, a licensed medical professional, a licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist, or any Federal, state, or local agency that issues or provides disability benefits.

The NSF OIG provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Individuals with disabilities may contact
OIG-HR@nsf.gov for assistance with the application or hiring process.

Individuals who are eligible for a non-competitive appointment under an Office of Personnel and Management (OPM) special appointing authority may apply for consideration under a comparable non-competitive appointing authority.

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