Public Notice for Attorney Advisor (Direct Hire) Job

Vacancy No. HQ-CCO-722157-12617889 -DHA Department Transportation Security Administration
Salary $62,107.00 to $191,900.00 Grade G to K
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 11/19/2024 Close Date 12/19/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Los Angeles, CADenver, COOrlando, FLBoston, MA


Summary

At the Transportation Security Administration, you will serve in a high-stakes environment to safeguard the American way of life. In cities across the country, you would secure airports, seaports, railroads, highways, and/or public transit systems, thus protecting America's transportation infrastructure and ensuring freedom of movement for people and commerce. If interested, please email your resume to: occ.bmo@tsa.dhs.gov & reference "Announcement Vacancy Number 12617889."

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

Open to All U.S. Citizens and U.S. Nationals

Duties

This Public Notice for Attorney Advisor (Direct Hire) position is located Direct Reports (DR), Chief Counsel Office (CCO), Transportation Security Administration, Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Duties include but are not limited to:

  • Provision of on-site legal support for TSA senior executives and management at the nation's Federalized airports on a wide range of issues such as civil and criminal enforcement, labor and employment law, civil rights, ethics, and the interpretation of statutes, regulations and executive branch orders pertaining to transportation, homeland and national security.
  • Provides guidance to lower-level staff to address diverse, complex legal issues impacting the transportation industry. Works with managers to advise on the development of legal precedents and case strategies, including the preparation of the TSA view of salient factors impacting the case. Develops approaches to address current or anticipated problems and issues impacting the success of the TSA legal brief. Works with management to jointly solve problems. Provides policy guidance and legal interpretations to others, both internally and externally.
  • Often serves as project manager or team leader by planning, coordinating, and developing legal briefs and approaches. Is responsible for developing, integrating, and implementing solutions to diverse, complex legal issues.
  • Proposes preventive actions and methods for ensuring TSA policies and practices align with emerging legal interpretations and precedents impacting transportation industry security operations. May participate in the development of recommendations for new and innovative approaches to supplement broad policies and objectives that are only indirectly applicable to emerging transportation legal issues.
  • Typically exercises direct responsibility for completing tasking's as part of the management of large, complex legal cases or projects. Identifies applicable precedents or legal theories for use in developing briefs and defending the TSA position.
  • Provides advice and guidance to key management officials regarding legal issues and the impact of legal decisions or past/emerging precedents on TSA policies and operations.
The major duties described above reflect the full performance level of this position. Typically, the lower pay band (G H I J Bands) performs the same duties but will receive more guidance and training; and/or projects/work assignments may be less complex.

Note: The duties are at the full SV-K performance level.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  1. You must possess U.S. Citizenship or be a U.S. National.
  2. You must have reached the minimum age (18) at the time of application.
  3. You must complete a favorable Background Investigation (BI).
  4. Selective Service registration is required.
  5. You must be an active member in good standing of the bar of the highest court of a State, U.S. Commonwealth, U.S. territory, or the District of Columbia.
  6. You must be a graduate of a law school accredited by the American Bar Association.
  7. Financial Disclosure: If selected, you may be required to disclose financial information (OGE Form 450).
If interested, please email your resume to: occ.bmo@tsa.dhs.gov & reference "Announcement Vacancy Number 12617889."

If you fail to meet the conditions of employment or any other pre-employment requirements, such as missing any of the scheduled appointments, the hiring agency may rescind their tentative offer of employment.

Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for TSA to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions.

Any offers of employment made pursuant to this announcement will be consistent with all applicable authorities, including Presidential Memoranda, Executive Orders, interpretive U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance, and Office of Management and Budget plans and policies concerning hiring. These authorities are subject to change.

Qualifications

In addition to the Basic Education Requirements, to qualify for the SV-G Pay Band (equivalent to GS - 11), you must have three years of specialized experience at the SV-F or GS-09 in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private sector. Specialized experience is defined as experience that has equipped you with the knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Such experience is defined as:
  • Conducting legal research, analyzing statutes, writing legal opinions; AND)
  • Writing authoritative or advisory legal opinions involving interpretation of state or Federal laws, regulations, and orders, or the drafting of such regulations or orders; AND)
  • Developing drafts of letters, memoranda, and legal documents for the use by a higher graded attorney.
In addition to the Basic Education Requirements, to qualify for the SV-H Pay Band (equivalent to GS - 12), you must have three years of specialized experience at the SV-G or GS-11 in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private sector. Specialized experience is defined as experience that has equipped you with the knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Such experience is defined as:
  • Conducting legal research, analyzing statutes, writing legal opinions; AND)
  • Writing authoritative or advisory legal opinions involving interpretation of state or Federal laws, regulations, and orders, or the drafting of such regulations or orders; AND)
  • Developing drafts of letters, memoranda, and legal documents for the use by a higher graded attorney.
In addition to the Basic Education Requirements, to qualify for the SV-I Pay Band (equivalent to GS - 13), you must have three years of specialized experience at the SV-H or GS-12 in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private sector. Specialized experience is defined as experience that has equipped you with the knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Such experience is defined as:
  • Drafting and preparing legal documents, providing guidance and advice to management, establishing policies and procedures; AND)
  • Independently performing legal analysis and analyzing cases or requests for legal sufficiency.
In addition to the Basic Education Requirements, to qualify for the SV-J Pay Band (equivalent to GS - 14), you must have three years of specialized experience at the SV-I or GS-13 in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private sector. Specialized experience is defined as experience that has equipped you with the knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Such experience is defined as:
  • Drafting legal documents, providing guidance and advice to management, establishing policies and procedures; AND)
  • Providing comprehensive legal counsel and policy guidance to clients who manage programs related to intelligence, national security, or threats to transportation infrastructure and the traveling public.
In addition to the Basic Education Requirements, to qualify for the SV-K Pay Band (equivalent to GS - 15), you must have three years of specialized experience at the SV-J or GS-14 in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private sector. Specialized experience is defined as experience that has equipped you with the knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Such experience is defined as:
  • Experience addressing diverse and complex legal issues; AND)
  • Drafting legal documents, providing guidance and advice to management, establishing policies and procedures; AND)
  • Providing comprehensive legal counsel and policy guidance to clients who manage programs related to intelligence, national security, or threats to transportation infrastructure and the traveling public.
Credit for experience is given based on a 40-hour workweek. Part-time experience is credited on a part-time ratio, i.e., working 20 hours per week for two months equals one month of experience. No additional credit is given for overtime.

National Service Experience (i.e., 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 directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

Resumes must include the following:
  1. Narrative description of duties with start and end dates (including the month and year) for work experience.
  2. State the number of hours worked in a position (i.e. full-time or part-time). If part-time, state the total number of hours worked per week.
  3. Performance level (i.e. band or grade)
Utilizing the USAJOBS Resume Builder and completing all available fields is strongly encouraged.

If interested, please email your resume to: occ.bmo@tsa.dhs.gov & reference "Announcement Vacancy Number 12617889."

You must meet the qualification requirements for this position no later than the closing date of the vacancy announcement.

Education

In addition to the minimum qualifications described above, you must meet the following requirement(s) to be considered qualified for the position:

Applicants must have a Law Degree (e.g., J.D., LL.B.) from an American Bar Association (ABA) accredited law school. Must be an active member in good standing of the bar of the highest court of any state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States.

G-H Bands: 1. The first professional law degree (L.L.B or JD).

I Band: 1. The first professional law degree (L.L.B or JD) or the second professional law degree (LL.M.) AND2. Specialized professional legal experience in excess of two (2) years that is commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position, or two years of judicial clerkship.

J-K Bands: 1. The first professional law degree (L.L.B or JD) or the second professional law degree (LL.M.) AND2. Specialized professional legal experience in excess of three (3) years that is commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position. The quality of the individual's background may be evidenced by the relatedness of his or her specialization.

This position requires that you (1) hold a first-level law degree (e.g., J.D. or L.L.B.) from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association; you must indicate that type and year of degree(s) conferred, law school name and year of completion, proof of Bar membership; (2) be an active member in good standing of the bar of a state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States, and proof of Bar membership; and (3) provide a statement that you are an attorney in good standing. Failure to include this information may eliminate you from consideration for this position.

For positions requiring positive education requirements, or if you are using education to meet all or part of the qualification requirements, you MUST submit a copy of your transcripts or an itemized list of college courses from an accredited college or university, which includes equivalent information from the transcript (course title, semester/quarter hours, and grade/degree earned) in your resume. The information must be provided with the application by the closing date of the announcement. If selected, the applicant must supply a transcript or certification of degree.

Additional information

This position will be filled through use of TSA's Direct-Hire Authority pursuant to TSA MD 1100.30-26. Under the Direct-Hire Authority, category grouping and Veterans' Preference does not apply.

This announcement does not include locality pay. Salary will be adjusted in accordance with the locality pay of the approved duty location selected. Consistent with DHS Office of General Counsel policy, the salary for these positions cannot exceed the level of a GS-15, Step-10.

If interested, please email your resume to: occ.bmo@tsa.dhs.gov & reference "Announcement Vacancy Number 12617889."

Eligibility to apply for other Federal positions: TSA is an Excepted Service agency exempt from most of Title 5 United States Code, including regulations which apply to displaced Federal employees (CTAP/ICTAP) of other agencies, and employment with TSA does not confer "Competitive Status" that generally results from selection and service in Competitive Service agencies. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has established an Interchange Agreement, which allows most permanent TSA employees to apply and be considered for vacancies in Competitive Service agencies. Information from OPM on this or other Interchange Agreements is available at: www.opm.gov/

To ensure the accomplishment of our mission, DHS requires every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet those standards, all selected applicants must undergo and successfully pass a background investigation as a condition of placement into this position.

DHS uses E-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities.

If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment.

TSA employees who are absent for the purpose of performing military duty may apply for any vacancies announced in their absence.

More than one position may be filled from this announcement.

If you are entering TSA employment on an appointment without time limitations, you must serve a basic trial period unless you have already met the requirement.

DHS offers competitive salaries and an attractive benefits package, including: health, dental, vision, life, and long-term care insurance; retirement plan; Thrift Savings Plan [similar to a 401(k)]; Flexible Spending Account; Employee Assistance Program; personal leave days; and paid federal holidays. Other benefits may include flexible work schedules; telework; tuition reimbursement; transportation subsidies; uniform allowance; health and wellness programs; and fitness centers. DHS is committed to employee development and offers a variety of employee training and developmental opportunities. For more information, go to the DHS Careers website and select "Benefits." Disabled veteran leave will be available to any Federal employee hired on or after November 5, 2016, who is a veteran with a service-connected disability rating of 30 percent or more.

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.

You will be evaluated based on a comparison of the position requirements against the quality and extent of the experience and/or related education as reflected in your resume and supporting documentation. You are encouraged to ensure work experiences clearly show possession of the competencies required for this position. We will compare your resume and supporting documentation to your responses on the assessment questionnaire. If, after reviewing your resume and any supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have rated yourself higher than is supported by your application materials, your category placement may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies that are relevant to the duties of this position and must be fully supported by information in your resume.

Required Documents

In addition to a resume and the assessment questions, you must submit copies of any of the following documents if you are applying based on current or former Federal Government Status, or education or a combination of education and experience:

SF-50 Notification of Personnel Action - Current TSA employees are strongly encouraged to submit the most recent non-Award SF-50, at the time of application, to support eligibility for Status consideration. TSA employees who do not submit the SF-50 with the application must document their current TSA position in their resume and may be required to provide the SF-50 document during the selection process. TSA employees may obtain a copy of their most recent non-Award SF-50 at https://eopf.opm.gov/dhs/.

Transcripts - If you are qualifying based on education OR if there are mandatory education requirements listed under the Qualifications and Evaluations section, you MUST submit a copy of your college transcript(s) with your application. If selected, an official/sealed college transcript(s) will be required to verify education prior to employment.

If you do not submit required documentation described in this job opportunity announcement, your application will be deemed incomplete and you will be ineligible for further consideration for this vacancy.

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

All of the following must be received in our office by 11:59 PM EST (Eastern Standard time) on the closing date of this announcement. If we do not receive all required information by the closing date, your application may not be considered.

To apply for this position, please email your resume to: occ.bmo@tsa.dhs.gov & reference "Announcement Vacancy Number 12617889.", and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above. Your application must include:

  1. Resume
  2. Applicable supporting documents (see Required Documents Section)
  3. Location Interest

Agency contact information

HC ServeU Customer Care
Address
DR - CHIEF COUNSEL
DO NOT MAIL
Springfield, VA 22150
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

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/.

Employees who transfer to TSA from an agency that allows employees to maintain an annual leave balance higher than the maximum accumulation for the appointed position will have their leave ceiling set to the maximum accumulation for the appointed position (e.g., United States duty location - 240 hours, foreign duty location - 360 hours, or TSES position - 720 hours). TSA will not make a monetary payment for any leave forfeited under these circumstances.


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


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