This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/528062300. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
This position is located in the Office of General Counsel (OGC), Civil Rights and Finance Law Office (CRFLO), Claims, Property, and Appropriations Law Practice Group, Washington, DC. For more information on this office, visit their website: https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/about-office-general-counsel-ogc
Learn more about this agency03/20/2019 to 04/03/2019
$134,789 - $164,200 per year
GS 15
1 vacancy in the following location:
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Occasional travel - You may be required to travel 1 to 5 days per month.
No
Permanent
Full-Time
Excepted
None
No
No
OGC-2019-0004
528062300
About the Civil Rights and Finance Law Office:
CRFLO is one of eight law offices that comprise OGC and consists of four practice groups, one of which is the Claims, Property and Appropriations Law Practice Group. The incumbent serves as the Practice Group Leader, and works on legal matters in the Claims, Property and Appropriations Law Practice Group.
This position is in the excepted service. Selection under this appointment authority does not confer civil service competitive status; however, this position is covered for the purpose of federal retirement and benefits.
Except in special circumstances, those new to the federal government will be hired at the starting salary (step 1) of the applicable grade range listed above.
If you are selected, you will be expected to report to work as soon as practical, but no later than thirty (30) days from the date you receive a final job offer. Extension of this reporting requirement may be granted only under extraordinary circumstances.
Responsibilities
Under the administrative supervision of the CRFLO Associate and Deputy Associate General Counsels, the incumbent provides expert legal counsel to the Agency on a wide range of issues. Incumbent serves as the Assistant General counsel and Practice Group Leader for the Claims, Property, and Appropriations Law Practice Group in CRFLO. Incumbent provides and oversees the provision of advice relating to claims, property, appropriations, and general law matters. Claims matters include claims arising under the Federal Tort Claims Act, the Military Personnel and Civilian Employees' Claims Act, the Federal Claims Collection Act, the waiver of Government claims for erroneous payment of pay under 5 U.S.C. 5584, and other related statutory and regulatory provisions. Property matters include the acquisition of property rights under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, EPA's obligations under the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act, and real and personal property issues involving Title 40 of the United States Code and other related statutory and regulatory provisions. Appropriations matters include the application and interpretation of Title 31 of the United States Code, appropriations act for EPA and other departments and agencies, decisions of the Comptroller General and the Department of Justice's (DOJ) office of Legal Counsel, and the issuance of formal opinions related to the liability of disbursing and certifying officers, and the application and interpretation of interagency agreements.
Incumbent is responsible for administering the Agency's claims program, including the resolution of administrative claims by and against the Agency and the conduct of litigation related to claims adjudications. Incumbent provides direction and guidance to attorneys and paralegal specialists in the processing, investigation, and resolution of claims, Incumbent is responsible for overseeing the legal determination on the final Agency decision on claims by and against the Agency, As the Assistant General Counsel , incumbent identifies and assesses legal issues in the areas of claims, personal and real property, and appropriations. Incumbent determines the work to be handled by practice group members, including the issues that need to be addressed and their relative priority, and assigns work in consultation with group members and the Associate General Counsel or Deputy Associate General Counsel, as appropriate. Review and coordinates the work or group members. The amount and depth of review exercised by incumbent is related to the experience and ability of each group members. Provides feedback to group members on assigned tasks to ensure the delivery of consistent, coherent, and sound legal advice. Shares information with group members and discusses significant legal issues in the assigned area. On legal issues significant to the group as a whole, after consultation with group members, makes ultimate legal decisions that do not warrant resolution by the Associate General Counsel for Deputy Associate General Counsel.
You must be a U.S. citizen.
If you are selected, a pre-employment background check is required.
You must submit a resume and required documents (See How To Apply).
You may be required to travel 1 to 5 days per month.
Applicant must have an LL.B. or J.D. degree from an accredited law school; must be admitted to practice before the highest court of a State, U.S. territory, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; and must maintain active status as a member of the bar of one of these jurisdictions. Applicants must have significant experience in providing legal advice and counsel and managing other attorneys at EPA, other federal, state or local agencies, or in private practice.
To qualify for the GS-15 level, you should have four (4) or more years of post-J.D. legal experience, at least one of which included specialized experience at, or equivalent to, the GS-14 grade level or higher. Please explain any specialized experience working under these statutes in your written statement of interest, if applicable.
The ideal candidate will possess extensive management experience and a comprehensive knowledge of the Claims, Property and Appropriations practice.
If you are selected, you will be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Form prior to your first day of employment and annually thereafter.
This position is designated as Moderate Risk and requires a background investigation. Unless an appropriate background investigation is already on record with the Office of Personnel Management, you must undergo a background investigation.
EPA participates in e-Verify. E-Verify is an Internet based system operated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in partnership with the Social Security Administration (SSA) that enables participating employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their newly hired employees. For additional information: http://www.epa.gov/careers/epa-job-vacancy-announcements-policies-and-procedures
If you have part-time work experience, read this: http://epa.gov/ohr/ezhire/vacancy_requirements.htm
If you are selected, travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will not be paid by EPA. Any travel, transportation, and relocation expenses associated with reporting to work in this position will be your responsibility.
Position has portable work and selectee may be eligible to telework.
It is the policy of the Government not to deny employment simply because an individual has been unemployed or has had financial difficulties that have arisen through no fault of the individual. Information about an individual’s employment experience will be used only to determine the person’s qualifications and to assess his or her relative level of knowledge, skills, and abilities. Although an individual’s personal conduct may be relevant in any employment decision, including conduct during periods of unemployment or evidence of dishonesty in handling financial matters, financial difficulty that has arisen through no fault of the individual will generally not itself be the basis of an unfavorable suitability or fitness determination. For more information, visit https://hru.gov/Studio_Recruitment/tools/Mythbuster_on_Federal_Hiring_Policies.pdf.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Initially, you will be evaluated based on the information contained in your resume packet. If an interview is granted, you will also be evaluated based on the responses you provide during an interview. In responding to interview questions, you should be sure to cite specific examples of experience, explain exactly what you did and the outcome.
There is no numerical rating system for applying veteran’s preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Office of General Counsel considers veteran’s preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring.
Documents to be submitted should be in PDF format only:
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.
You are strongly encouraged to read the entire announcement before you submit your application for this position.
To begin the application process, click the Apply button to the right on this screen, follow the prompts to log-in/register and submit all required documents. To be considered, you must submit a complete application package by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the day the announcement closes.
All required supporting documents will be collected electronically via the USAJOBS document portfolio feature.
If you cannot apply online, you must contact the Human Resources Office listed below for assistance no later than three business days prior to the closing date of this announcement. You must provide complete application materials by the day the announcement closes.
For detailed instructions to assist you in ensuring your application package is received, go to EPA Announcement Policies and Procedures.
The most highly qualified candidates will be referred for interviews for further consideration. We expect to make a selection within 60 days of the closing date of this announcement. You will be notified of the outcome.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/528062300. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
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