U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Hiring For Attorney Adviser (general) at New Orleans, LA, United States , United States Full Time

Job Description

Duties

• Responsible for legal advice and assistance on multiple missions, projects, and activities for legal services relating to the planning, programming, management, and execution of the Civil Works Program and environmental policy considerations.
• Review all project planning documents and environmental impact statements or assessments for compliance with project authorizations and the multitude of environmental statutes.
• Review and assist in drafting nonstandard agreements, including project partnership agreements, for development or changes to water resource projects.
• Serve as legal advisor on legal questions and litigation of a real estate nature.
• Responsible for review of preparation of Contracting Officer Decisions on claims and presentation of Government position on appeals; furnish legal recommendation to officials on the Federal Acquisition Regulations.
• Performs legal sufficiency reviews on a variety of project decision documents and advises on project authorization and appropriation issues through analysis of appropriate statutory and regulatory material.
• Provides litigation support to the Department of Justice for litigation arising out of the District?s projects and actions.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
• This position requires the incumbent to submit a Financial Disclosure Statement, OGE-450 (5 CFR 2634, sub-part 1 USOGE, 6/08) upon entering the position and annually, thereafter.
• May be required to serve a two-year probationary period.
• Must maintain active status, in good standing, with at least one attorney licensing authority. Must provide certification of this status upon appointment and every two years thereafter.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: US Citizens

In order to qualify, you must meet the education and experience 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 qualification requirements must be met before applicants are eligible for further consideration:

Education: An applicant 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 JD.)

Bar Membership: Applicant must currently be a member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Experience: To qualify for the GS-13 level, applicant must have two or more years of professional legal experience, acquired after being admitted to the bar, commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the positions.

Time in Grade GS-13: If currently employed as an attorney by the Federal Government you must have completed 1 year at the next lower level (GS-12) within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement, or previously served at the same or higher grade as the position being filled.

NOTE: Qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

NOTE: Experience MUST be documented in your resume.

NOTICE OF VETERANS’ PREFERENCE
There is no formal rating system for applying veterans’ preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of Defense considers veterans’ preference eligibility a positive factor for attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans’ preference must include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (for example, 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. The SF 15 will identify the supporting documentation required along with a list of the types of 10-point preference. The SF 15 is available from the OPM at https://www.gsa.gov/portal/forms/type/sf/

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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

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 a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE450) upon entry, and annually thereafter.
• Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees.
• 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 Career Program (CP) 56.
• You may claim military spouse preference (MSP).
• If a MSP applicant is determined best qualified and selected, placement must be at the full performance level for priority consideration.
• Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
• Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement.
• 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.
• If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.
• 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.
• Due to COVID-19, the agency is currently in an expanded telework posture. If selected, you may be expected to temporarily telework, even if your home is located outside the local commuting area. Once employees are permitted to return to the office, you will be expected to report to the duty station listed on this announcement within a designated time frame identified by the organization. At that time, you may be eligible to request to continue to telework one or more days a pay period depending upon the terms of the agency’s telework policy.
• Recruitment incentive and Relocation Incentive MAY be authorized.

• 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 résumé and supporting documentation will be compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine your level of experience. If, after reviewing your résumé 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: Your application package will be evaluated as to your level of competency in the following Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs):

1. Ability to develop and utilize innovative approaches in solving problems, formulating effective solutions, and resolving complex issues.


2. Knowledge, experience, and ability to effectively advise in the following areas of federal law and practice: a) civil works and support for other programs, including civil works project authorities, project formulation, appropriations, fiscal law, project cost sharing agreements, and other planning/project products/documents; b) contracting for services, supplies, and construction; contract procurement and protests; procurement fraud; contract administration; and contract dispute resolution, claims, and appeals; c) Equal Employment Opportunity, personnel and employment law, and labor-management relations; d) administrative law including Privacy Act, Freedom of Information Act, and non-contractual claims (tort, admiralty, and affirmative); e) environmental law, including regulation under the Clean Water Act, environmental planning, and natural and cultural resources law; f) ethics, conflicts of interests, and standards of conduct; and g) real estate acquisition, management and disposal. (address as many areas as applicable)


3. Knowledge and experience in handling complex litigation in a variety of practice areas in federal courts and administrative bodies such as EEOC, MSPB, and the ASBCA.


4. Ability to work effectively with senior management officials in both government and private industry, to balance customer programs with legal goals and priorities, and to develop legal approaches to solving problems and issues.


5. Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with diverse clients and constituencies on varied and complex topics.

• 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.
• Required Documents
  
  As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have – whether you’re a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you’re eligible under their policies.
  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 (External).

  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 will not be considered any further.

  If you are a current U.S. Army Corps of Engineers attorney, you MUST submit:

  • Resume: If you submit a resume with inappropriate material e.g. photos, you will not be considered for this vacancy. Your resume may be submitted in any format. 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). Resumes that do not contain this information will be marked as insufficient and applicants may not receive consideration for this position;
  • Your two most recent annual performance appraisals;
  • Your latest, non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50);
  • Evidence of the Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities of the position (KSAs), and
  • All applicants are required to submit a sample of legal writing, not to exceed 10 pages.

  If you are NOT a current U.S. Army Corps of Engineers attorney, you MUST submit:

  • Resume: If you submit a resume with inappropriate material e.g. photos, you will not be considered for this vacancy. Your resume may be submitted in any format. 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). Resumes that do not contain this information will be marked as insufficient and applicants may not receive consideration for this position.;
  • Evidence of Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities of the position (KSAs);
  • Official law school transcript. Photo static copies of documents are acceptable when applying but certified documents must be furnished before entering on duty;
  • 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 date that the application is submitted. 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);
  • A sworn statement, certifying that your fitness to practice law or your conduct as an attorney has never been challenged in any jurisdiction. This statement should be notarized, and dated no more than 3 months before the opening date of this announcement. IF CHALLENGED, you must provide a notarized statement concerning the facts and circumstances, and any other explanation that you deem appropriate. As an alternative to a sworn and notarized statement, a declaration under penalty of perjury may be submitted pursuant to, (28 U.S.C. 1746). The statement and certificate must be dated within 3 months from the date the application is submitted. The statement and certificate are required to be submitted by all applicants to include attorneys currently appointed to positions under the qualifying of the Judge Advocate General, Army;
  • Writing Samples, No more than 10 pages;
  • Three letters of recommendation from members of the bar, dated within 12 months of the opening date of this announcement;
  • Applicants currently serving in the military must submit a copy of their most recent officer evaluation report and/or DD-214.

  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.
  

  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
  
  To apply for this position, you must complete the online questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.

  The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 09/06/2022 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/11580360).
  • Follow the prompts to select your résumé 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

  GY-APF-W2R902 US ARMY ENGINEER DISTRICT, NEW ORLEANS
  DO NOT MAIL
  New Orleans, LA 70160
  US
  

  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.

• Fair and Transparent
  
  The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
  • Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
  • Reasonable accommodation policy
  • Financial suitability
  • Selective Service
  • New employee probationary period
  • Signature and false statements
  • Privacy Act
  • Social security number request

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 (External).

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 will not be considered any further.

If you are a current U.S. Army Corps of Engineers attorney, you MUST submit:

• Resume: If you submit a resume with inappropriate material e.g. photos, you will not be considered for this vacancy. Your resume may be submitted in any format. 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). Resumes that do not contain this information will be marked as insufficient and applicants may not receive consideration for this position;
• Your two most recent annual performance appraisals;
• Your latest, non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50);
• Evidence of the Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities of the position (KSAs), and
• All applicants are required to submit a sample of legal writing, not to exceed 10 pages.

If you are NOT a current U.S. Army Corps of Engineers attorney, you MUST submit:

• Resume: If you submit a resume with inappropriate material e.g. photos, you will not be considered for this vacancy. Your resume may be submitted in any format. 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). Resumes that do not contain this information will be marked as insufficient and applicants may not receive consideration for this position.;
• Evidence of Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities of the position (KSAs);
• Official law school transcript. Photo static copies of documents are acceptable when applying but certified documents must be furnished before entering on duty;
• 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 date that the application is submitted. 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);
• A sworn statement, certifying that your fitness to practice law or your conduct as an attorney has never been challenged in any jurisdiction. This statement should be notarized, and dated no more than 3 months before the opening date of this announcement. IF CHALLENGED, you must provide a notarized statement concerning the facts and circumstances, and any other explanation that you deem appropriate. As an alternative to a sworn and notarized statement, a declaration under penalty of perjury may be submitted pursuant to, (28 U.S.C. 1746). The statement and certificate must be dated within 3 months from the date the application is submitted. The statement and certificate are required to be submitted by all applicants to include attorneys currently appointed to positions under the qualifying of the Judge Advocate General, Army;
• Writing Samples, No more than 10 pages;
• Three letters of recommendation from members of the bar, dated within 12 months of the opening date of this announcement;
• Applicants currently serving in the military must submit a copy of their most recent officer evaluation report and/or DD-214.

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.

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.

Help

This job is open to

• The public

  U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.