Become part of the team that safeguards the financial system from the abuses of financial crime. At the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), we are at the forefront in preventing and detecting terrorist financing, money laundering, and other financial crime. Serve at the nation's financial intelligence unit and protect the United States financial system from criminals and terrorist financiers.
Summary
Become part of the team that safeguards the financial system from the abuses of financial crime. At the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), we are at the forefront in preventing and detecting terrorist financing, money laundering, and other financial crime. Serve at the nation's financial intelligence unit and protect the United States financial system from criminals and terrorist financiers.
FinCEN attorneys perform a variety of work, such as advising on legal issues raised by new cyber-payment systems and international agreements relating to counter-money laundering efforts, advising on civil enforcement actions and the use of targeted financial measures under Section 311 of the USA PATRIOT Act, drafting and interpreting BSA regulations, drafting memoranda of understanding for the sharing of financial intelligence between FinCEN and other federal, state, local, and foreign agencies, and participating in special agency projects. FinCEN attorneys also provide legal advice on information privacy issues arising under the Right to Financial Privacy Act, the Privacy Act, and the Freedom of Information Act; handle legal issues involving employment law; prepare briefs and pleadings in support of litigation affecting the agency; and perform other duties assigned. In a Bureau of approximately 300 people, FinCEN attorneys receive a great deal of client contact. The following are the duties of the position at the GS-13 level.
In consultation with management and other senior attorneys, performs legal research and provides legal and practical conclusions in the form of oral advice, briefings, presentations, and legal decision memoranda on extremely complex and difficult factual, legal and policy issues.
In consultation with management and other senior attorneys, prepares or reviews proposed legislation and prepares and reviews regulations, and policy issuances to ensure they conform to the substantive laws that they are intended to implement or interpret.
In consultation with management and other senior attorneys, analyzes, interprets, and applies statutes, regulations, court decisions, Departmental precedents, FinCEN policies, and technical publications involving many fields of law including: the Bank Secrecy Act, the detection and prevention of money laundering; countering the financing of terrorism; financial intelligence; financial criminal activity; national security law; contracts; appropriations and fiscal law; ethics; conflicts of law; Federal preemption of State law; Freedom of Information and Privacy Acts; the Federal Tort Claims Act; the Administrative Procedure Act; administrative law; personnel, labor relations and equal employment opportunity (EEO); procurement; and constitutional law.
In consultation with management and other senior attorneys, provides counsel to FinCEN officials on the broad range of issues that arise in the performance of their respective duties.
In consultation with management and other senior attorneys, responds timely to client requests for legal and business advice, directly or as assigned by the Chief Counsel; reacts to changing priorities; and anticipates, identifies and informs clients of legal issues that may arise in the context of specific matters.
Performs other duties as assigned.
Security Clearance: This position has been designated national security Level IV, Special Sensitive. Applicants must possess a favorably adjudicated Tier 5 level background investigation and have been awarded a Top Secret (TS) clearance with Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI). Failure to successfully meet these requirements will be grounds for termination. Continued employment with FinCEN is contingent upon satisfactory completion of the Tier 5 level background investigation, the results of which fully meet the FinCEN's special employment criteria. All employees are subject to satisfactory completion of periodic reinvestigation and a continuing life style in conformity with applicable national and FinCEN directives. Any unfavorable information developed during an investigation or other official inquiry may result in termination of employment in accordance with established security policies and procedures.
Please refer to "Conditions of Employment." Click "Print Preview" to review
Specialized Experience: Applicant must have a year of pertinent professional legal experience equivalent to the GS-12 level. The experience may have been gained in either the public or private sector. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/day/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week on your resume.
Qualifications
Applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
First professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.) from an ABA accredited law school and an active bar membership of a State, Territory of the United States, District of Columbia or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico as well as excellent written and oral communication skills.
Experience in at least one of the following areas is desirable, though not required: 1) administrative law, including with matters involving the Administrative Procedure Act; 2) the Bank Secrecy Act and its implementing regulations; 3) laws relating to the use of criminal investigative and law enforcement tools (including experience as agency counsel to a federal criminal law enforcement agency or multi-agency fusion center); or 3) national security-related matters, including with matters involving the use of classified information.
Completion of a clerkship with a federal judge is also desirable, but not required.
Previous experience with complex civil or criminal litigation is highly desirable, but not required.
Additional information
- This is an Excepted Service position. - We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies. - This is a non-bargaining unit position.
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: - A one year trial period may be required. - Must successfully complete a single scope background investigation. - Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency. - If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so. - Have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer. - Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S. - Submit to a drug test prior to your appointment and random drug testing while you occupy the position. - File a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report upon hire and on an annual basis thereafter.
All candidates will be considered regardless of their race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, protected genetic information, status as a parent, lawful political affiliation, marital status, physical/mental disability (if not a job factor), membership, non-membership in an employee organization, or any other non-merit factor. To file a complaint of discrimination, contact FinCEN, Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity on (703) 905-5052 or TDD (703) 905-3838.
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.
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.
Your application includes your resume, responses to the online questions, and Veterans' preference documentation, if applicable. Applicants also are encouraged to provide a cover letter that briefly (no more than two pages) explains their experience in any of the areas identified in the “Qualifications” section of this announcement.
Your application package will be evaluated for basic qualification requirements and for the skills needed to perform the duties of the position, as described in this vacancy announcement and identified by the Selecting Official.
Application of Veterans’ Preference: There is no formal rating system for applying veterans’ preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, FinCEN considers veterans’ preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. If you are claiming veterans’ preference, you must submit a copy of your Certificate of Release or Discharge From Active Duty, DD-214 (Member 4 copy), or other official documentation from a branch of the Armed Forces or the Department of Veterans Affairs showing dates of service and type of discharge.
Do NOT include your social security number on any part of your application materials.
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.
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.
Please note that all required documents must be received by the closing date and that we will determine your eligibility and qualifications based solely on the material received by the closing date.
Application of Veterans’ Preference: If you are claiming veterans’ preference, you must submit a copy of your Certificate of Release or Discharge From Active Duty, DD-214 (Member 4 copy), or other official documentation from a branch of the Armed Forces or the Department of Veterans Affairs showing dates of service and type of discharge.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
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.
The following instructions outline our application process. You must complete this application process and submit any required documents by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date (8/15/2017) of this announcement. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. ET, Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, please contact us by noon ET on the announcement's closing date.
FinCEN provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us if you require this for any part of the application and hiring process.
To begin, either click the “Create a New Account” button and follow the prompts to register or if you previously registered, click the "Apply Online" button and follow the prompts.
You will be re-directed to FinCEN’s CareerConnector system to complete your application process; answer the online questions, and submit all required documents. (To submit supporting documents, click one of the available options; Upload; Fax; or Reuse existing documents. To protect your privacy, we suggest you first remove your SSN). Also, go to “My Account” to view and update your information, as necessary.
To complete, you must click the “Finish” button located at the bottom of the “Application Review” page.
To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application.
To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN)
P.O. Box 39
Vienna, Virginia 22183
United States
Next steps
1. Login to your USAJOBS account, select the "Applications" section and click on the vacancy you would like to view and have already applied for.
2. Under "application status," click "additional application information" and you will be taken to the CareerConnector website where you can check your application status. The "additional application information" link may not be available if your application status is "Unavailable." This indicates that your application is not complete.
If the "additional application information" link is not available and the vacancy is still open, you can click on the job announcement and "Update Application" to be taken back to the CareerConnector portion of the application.
If your contact information changes after the closing date of this vacancy announcement, send your updated information to legalvacancy@fincen.gov to ensure you can be contacted throughout the selection process. Also, note that if you provide an email address that is inaccurate or if your mailbox is full or blocked (e.g., spam-blocker), you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
Please note that all required documents must be received by the closing date and that we will determine your eligibility and qualifications based solely on the material received by the closing date.
Application of Veterans’ Preference: If you are claiming veterans’ preference, you must submit a copy of your Certificate of Release or Discharge From Active Duty, DD-214 (Member 4 copy), or other official documentation from a branch of the Armed Forces or the Department of Veterans Affairs showing dates of service and type of discharge.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
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.
The following instructions outline our application process. You must complete this application process and submit any required documents by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date (8/15/2017) of this announcement. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. ET, Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, please contact us by noon ET on the announcement's closing date.
FinCEN provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us if you require this for any part of the application and hiring process.
To begin, either click the “Create a New Account” button and follow the prompts to register or if you previously registered, click the "Apply Online" button and follow the prompts.
You will be re-directed to FinCEN’s CareerConnector system to complete your application process; answer the online questions, and submit all required documents. (To submit supporting documents, click one of the available options; Upload; Fax; or Reuse existing documents. To protect your privacy, we suggest you first remove your SSN). Also, go to “My Account” to view and update your information, as necessary.
To complete, you must click the “Finish” button located at the bottom of the “Application Review” page.
To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application.
To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN)
P.O. Box 39
Vienna, Virginia 22183
United States
Next steps
1. Login to your USAJOBS account, select the "Applications" section and click on the vacancy you would like to view and have already applied for.
2. Under "application status," click "additional application information" and you will be taken to the CareerConnector website where you can check your application status. The "additional application information" link may not be available if your application status is "Unavailable." This indicates that your application is not complete.
If the "additional application information" link is not available and the vacancy is still open, you can click on the job announcement and "Update Application" to be taken back to the CareerConnector portion of the application.
If your contact information changes after the closing date of this vacancy announcement, send your updated information to legalvacancy@fincen.gov to ensure you can be contacted throughout the selection process. Also, note that if you provide an email address that is inaccurate or if your mailbox is full or blocked (e.g., spam-blocker), you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
