This position serves as an Assistant to the Counsel to the Inspector General, reporting to the Counsel and Deputy Counsel(s), and providing legal assistance and support.
Summary
This position serves as an Assistant to the Counsel to the Inspector General, reporting to the Counsel and Deputy Counsel(s), and providing legal assistance and support.
As an Attorney-Advisor, the incumbent will perform the following duties:
Provides legal advice in matters relating to audits and investigations of the Departments programs and operations, including preparation of legal opinions, including, but not limited to, matters involving the Inspector General Act.
Conducts legal sufficiency reviews of legal documents, including IG subpoenas, and legal correspondence.
Prepares memoranda, reports, legal documents, correspondence, and assists senior attorneys, the Counsel, and Deputy Counsel in preparing briefs, responses to motions, and other pleadings in coordination with U.S. Attorneys offices, and the Department of Justice on criminal, civil and administrative matters (including, for example, IG subpoena enforcement actions, tort matters and Bivens actions, FOIA, EEO, and MSPB litigation).
Advises agency officials in the evaluation of existing legislation and regulations relating to programs and operations of OIG and the Department concerning the impact of such legislation or regulations on the economy and efficiency of program administration and operations.
Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
A one (1) year trial period may be required.
A background investigation MAY be required.
CONFIDENTIAL FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE REPORT: If selected, you will be required to submit Form OGE-450 within 30 days of your initial appointment date, and annually thereafter. Selectee is subject to Financial Disclosure Requirements in 5 CFR 2635 (e) regarding business or personal transactions with applicants, borrowers, or business contacts who have or who are seeking business with USDA. SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER (SSN) – Your SSN is required under the authority of Executive Order 9397 to uniquely identify your record from those of other applicants who may have the same name. As allowed by law or Presidential directive, your SSN is used to seek information about you from your employers, schools, banks, and other who may know you. Failure to provide your SSN on your application materials will result in your application not being processed. REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION – This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the hiring office at 202-720-0966. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-case basis. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY – The USDA OIG is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Candidates will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, marital status, age, political affiliation, union, or non-union affiliation, sexual orientation, disability, or any other non-merit factors. DIRECT DEPOSIT – All employees must have their salary sent to a financial institution of their choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer. EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATION - Form I-9 on your entry-on-duty date will be verified through the DHS "E-VERIFY" system. Federal law requires the use of E-VERIFY to confirm the employment eligibility of all new hires. Under this system, the new hire is required to resolve any identified discrepancies as a condition of continued employment. SECURITY CLEARANCE - Selectee must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance.
Qualifications
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.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIREMENT FOR GS-11:
Specialized Experience for GS-11: You must have one year of professional legal experience after receiving your J.D. to include assisting in litigation, assisting in or conducting legal research on or providing legal opinions/advice on matters involving the IG Act, USDA programs or legal authorities, criminal matters, and FOIA/PA for Federal ethics authorities; OR
Possess a J.D. degree.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT FOR GS-12:
Specialized Experience for GS-12: You must have one year of professional legal experience, equivalent to the GS-11 level in the Federal sector, performing duties such as assisting or conducting litigation, independently conducting legal research on or providing legal opinions/advice on matters involving the IG Act, USDA programs or legal authorities, criminal matters, the FOIA/PA or Federal ethics authorities.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT FOR GS-13:
Specialized Experience for GS-13: You must have one year of professional legal experience, equivalent to the GS-12 level in the Federal sector, performing duties such as conducting litigation, independently conducting legal research on and providing legal opinions/advice on matters involving the IG Act, USDA programs and legal authorities, EEO and MSPB, Bivens, Torts, subpoena enforcement, criminal matters, the FOIA/PA or Federal ethics authorities.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT FOR GS-14:
Specialized Experience for GS-14: You must have one year of professional legal experience, equivalent to the GS-13 level in the Federal sector, performing duties including independently conducting legal research and providing legal opinions/advice on matters involving the IG Act, USDA programs, criminal, civil and administrative matters, and other related legal authorities; conducting litigation in areas such as EEO and MSPB, Bivens, Torts, FOIA or subpoena enforcement; providing review and comments on OIG products such as audit and investigation reports, forfeiture actions, agreements, agency policies, regulations, or legislation.
PLEASE NOTE: The J.D. must be from an ABA-accredited law school.
Candidates must be admitted to practice law before the highest court of a state or territory of the United States; the District of Columbia; or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; and must be an active member by the closing date of the announcement.
The professional legal experience may have been gained in the public sector, private sector, or Volunteer Service.
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/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week, on your resume.
Additional information
• This announcement may be used to fill multiple vacancies. • If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is neither implied nor guaranteed. • This position is eligible for telework and other flexible work arrangements
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.
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. Learn more about federal 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. Learn 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.
You will be evaluated based on your qualifications for this position as evidenced by the experience, education, and training you described in your application package, as well as the responses to the Assessment Questionnaire to determine the degree to which you possess the knowledge, skills, abilities and competencies listed below:
Technical Competence
Interpersonal Skills
Oral and Written Communication
Legal, Government and Jurisprudence
Your application, including the online Assessment Questionnaire, will be reviewed to determine if you meet (a) minimum qualification requirements and (b) the resume supports the answers provided to the job-specific questions. Your resume must clearly support your responses to all the questions addressing experience and education relevant to this position. Applicants who meet the minimum qualification requirements and are determined to be among the best qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration. Noncompetitive candidates and applicants under some special hiring authorities need to meet minimum qualifications to be referred.
Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your rating may be lowered to more accurately reflect the submitted documentation. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection disciplinary action up to including removal from the Federal service.
Clicking the link below will present a preview of the application form; i.e. the online questionnaire. The application form link below will only provide a preview and does not initiate the application process. To initiate the online application process, click the "Apply Online" button to the right.
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.
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. Learn more about federal 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. Learn 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.
The following documents are required for your application to be complete. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, illegible fax transmissions, delays in mail service, your system failure or downtime, etc. Encrypted and digitally signed documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.
Resume: must include: 1) personal information; 2) education; 3) work experience including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; and title, series and grade if applicable; 4) supervisors phone number, e-mail address for each work period listed, and whether we may contact for reference checks; and 5) other qualifications.
College Transcripts: if education is required for meeting basic qualifications and/or used as a substitute for specialized experience. An unofficial copy is sufficient; however, if selected, an official transcript will be required prior to entering on duty. Education must have been successfully completed and obtained from an accredited school, college, or university. Foreign education must be evaluated by an approved organization. All transcripts must be in English or include English translation. Proof of bar membership: you must submit a copy of your bar membership as a part of your application package.
You must submit the documents below if you claim any of the following:
Current and Former Federal Employees:
SF-50 (Required): Most recent non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) showing that you are/were in the competitive service, highest grade (or promotion potential) held on a permanent basis, position title, series and grade AND
Performance Appraisal - Summary Rating Page AND ALL Accompanying Narrative Pages (Required): Most recently completed performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable. Do not submit a performance plan.
Current permanent FSA County employees: must submit your most recent non-award Notification of Personnel Action, (SF-50 or equivalent) showing your highest grade (or promotion potential) held on a permanent basis, position title, series and grade AND most recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) per above.
Veteran Hiring Authorities: VEOA, VRA and 30% Disabled Veterans: DD214, Certificate of Release from Active Duty, which shows dates of service and discharge under honorable conditions. If currently on active duty you must submit a certification of expected discharge or release from active duty service under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted. Veteran’s preference must be verified prior to appointment. If claiming 10-point veteran’s preference you must provide the DD214 or certification requirements (see above bullet), plus the proof of entitlement of this preference as listed on the SF-15 Application for 10-point Veterans Preference. The SF-15 should be included but is not required. Without this documentation, you will not receive veteran’s preference and your application will be evaluated based on the material(s) submitted. For more information on veterans preference please visit the Feds Hire Vets website.
Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act: o Copies of Notification of Personnel Action(s) (SF-50) showing the employee served in eligible appointment(s) for a period(s) of more than 24 mo. w/o a break between appointments of two+ years. Include initial hire actions, extensions, conversions and separation SF-50s for each period. o Submit performance rating(s) showing acceptable performance for each period counted towards eligibility signed by supervisor(s). If documentation does not exist for one or more periods, submit a statement from supervisor(s) indicating acceptable performance. Applicants who do not have performance documentation for any period shall provide a reason why the documentation is not available and statement that performance for all periods was at an acceptable level.
Schedule A, Persons with Disabilities Appointment: Letter from a physician, local, state or federal rehabilitation office citing eligibility under 5 CFR 213.3102 (u).
Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP priority: must provide proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330.
Other Special Hiring Authority: If claiming eligibility under a special hiring authority not listed above, see the requirements for that authority and submit the required supporting documentation
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.
Please read the entire announcement and all instructions before you begin. You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.
Applying online is highly encouraged. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00a.m. - 4:00p.m., Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, contact the Agency Contact listed below well before the closing date for an alternate method. All hardship application packages must be complete and submitted no later than noon ET on the closing date of the announcement in order to be entered into the system prior to its closing.
This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; contact the Agency Contact to request this.
To begin, click "Apply Online" and follow the instructions to complete the Assessment Questionnaire and attach your resume and all required documents.
NOTE: You must verify that uploaded documents from USAJOBS transfer into the Agency's staffing system. Applicants may combine all like required documents (e.g., all SF-50s) into one or more files and scan for uploading into the application. Each file must not exceed 3MB. Grouping like documents into files will simplify the application process. Documents must be in one of the following formats: GIF, JPEG, JPG, PDF, PNG, RTF, or Word (DOC or DOCX). Uploaded documents may not require a password, digital signature, or other encryption to open.
USDA-OIG HRMD
1400 Independence Ave SW
Washington, D.C., 20250
United States
Next steps
Your application will be reviewed to verify that you meet the eligibility and qualification requirements for the position prior to issuing referral lists to the selecting official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. Log in to your USAJOBS account at USAJOBS account to check your application status. We expect to make a final job offer approximately 40 days after the deadline for applications.
Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
The following documents are required for your application to be complete. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, illegible fax transmissions, delays in mail service, your system failure or downtime, etc. Encrypted and digitally signed documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.
Resume: must include: 1) personal information; 2) education; 3) work experience including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; and title, series and grade if applicable; 4) supervisors phone number, e-mail address for each work period listed, and whether we may contact for reference checks; and 5) other qualifications.
College Transcripts: if education is required for meeting basic qualifications and/or used as a substitute for specialized experience. An unofficial copy is sufficient; however, if selected, an official transcript will be required prior to entering on duty. Education must have been successfully completed and obtained from an accredited school, college, or university. Foreign education must be evaluated by an approved organization. All transcripts must be in English or include English translation. Proof of bar membership: you must submit a copy of your bar membership as a part of your application package.
You must submit the documents below if you claim any of the following:
Current and Former Federal Employees:
SF-50 (Required): Most recent non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) showing that you are/were in the competitive service, highest grade (or promotion potential) held on a permanent basis, position title, series and grade AND
Performance Appraisal - Summary Rating Page AND ALL Accompanying Narrative Pages (Required): Most recently completed performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable. Do not submit a performance plan.
Current permanent FSA County employees: must submit your most recent non-award Notification of Personnel Action, (SF-50 or equivalent) showing your highest grade (or promotion potential) held on a permanent basis, position title, series and grade AND most recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) per above.
Veteran Hiring Authorities: VEOA, VRA and 30% Disabled Veterans: DD214, Certificate of Release from Active Duty, which shows dates of service and discharge under honorable conditions. If currently on active duty you must submit a certification of expected discharge or release from active duty service under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted. Veteran’s preference must be verified prior to appointment. If claiming 10-point veteran’s preference you must provide the DD214 or certification requirements (see above bullet), plus the proof of entitlement of this preference as listed on the SF-15 Application for 10-point Veterans Preference. The SF-15 should be included but is not required. Without this documentation, you will not receive veteran’s preference and your application will be evaluated based on the material(s) submitted. For more information on veterans preference please visit the Feds Hire Vets website.
Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act: o Copies of Notification of Personnel Action(s) (SF-50) showing the employee served in eligible appointment(s) for a period(s) of more than 24 mo. w/o a break between appointments of two+ years. Include initial hire actions, extensions, conversions and separation SF-50s for each period. o Submit performance rating(s) showing acceptable performance for each period counted towards eligibility signed by supervisor(s). If documentation does not exist for one or more periods, submit a statement from supervisor(s) indicating acceptable performance. Applicants who do not have performance documentation for any period shall provide a reason why the documentation is not available and statement that performance for all periods was at an acceptable level.
Schedule A, Persons with Disabilities Appointment: Letter from a physician, local, state or federal rehabilitation office citing eligibility under 5 CFR 213.3102 (u).
Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP priority: must provide proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330.
Other Special Hiring Authority: If claiming eligibility under a special hiring authority not listed above, see the requirements for that authority and submit the required supporting documentation
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.
Please read the entire announcement and all instructions before you begin. You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.
Applying online is highly encouraged. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00a.m. - 4:00p.m., Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, contact the Agency Contact listed below well before the closing date for an alternate method. All hardship application packages must be complete and submitted no later than noon ET on the closing date of the announcement in order to be entered into the system prior to its closing.
This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; contact the Agency Contact to request this.
To begin, click "Apply Online" and follow the instructions to complete the Assessment Questionnaire and attach your resume and all required documents.
NOTE: You must verify that uploaded documents from USAJOBS transfer into the Agency's staffing system. Applicants may combine all like required documents (e.g., all SF-50s) into one or more files and scan for uploading into the application. Each file must not exceed 3MB. Grouping like documents into files will simplify the application process. Documents must be in one of the following formats: GIF, JPEG, JPG, PDF, PNG, RTF, or Word (DOC or DOCX). Uploaded documents may not require a password, digital signature, or other encryption to open.
USDA-OIG HRMD
1400 Independence Ave SW
Washington, D.C., 20250
United States
Next steps
Your application will be reviewed to verify that you meet the eligibility and qualification requirements for the position prior to issuing referral lists to the selecting official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. Log in to your USAJOBS account at USAJOBS account to check your application status. We expect to make a final job offer approximately 40 days after the deadline for applications.
Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
