About the Position: The US Army Corps of Engineers is an equal opportunity employer. The Corps is firmly committed to recruiting, retaining and developing a diverse and inclusive workforce where all employees are valued for their talents as members of the team.
Summary
About the Position: The US Army Corps of Engineers is an equal opportunity employer. The Corps is firmly committed to recruiting, retaining and developing a diverse and inclusive workforce where all employees are valued for their talents as members of the team.
Serves as Assistant Chief Counsel and Division Counsel, Office of Counsel, Southwestern Division (SWD)
Second level supervisor for over forty attorneys, paralegals, and administrative personnel in District Offices.
Makes decisions on matters of a national policy nature; however, the incumbent makes decisions on regional policies, recommends national policies for adoption and interprets directives from higher authority.
Advise the Division Engineer and staff, as well as district engineers and their staffs, on legal matters with respect to Federal, state, maritime, and local laws, as well as, DA and Corps of Engineers' policy, regulations, and directives.
Monitors developments on litigation of contractual matters before the courts, coordinating with DOJ, USACE Headquarters, and districts, as appropriate.
Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
This position requires you to submit a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE450) upon entry, and annually thereafter.
Qualifications
Who May Apply: US Citizens
The minimum qualification requirements must be met before applicants are eligible for further consideration:
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: For GS-15 or equivalent - Applicant must have three or more years of professional legal experience, acquired after being admitted to the bar, commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position. Graduation from an ABA-Accredited Law School in the top 25% of the class or an advanced law degree such as an LLM may substitute for one year of the required professional legal experience.
NOTE: ALSO ALL APPLICANTS MUST ADDRESS THE FOLLOWING KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES, EITHER IN THE RESUME OR IN NARRATIVE FORM:
1. Technical Knowledge.
A. Experience and/or knowledge in the specialized body of law applicable to procurement law, environmental, and fiscal law. This includes extensive experience with and knowledge of Federal, DoD and Department of the Army regulations, guidelines, and policies.
B. Experience and mature judgment in handling legal problems including statutory interpretations, preparing legal documents, and reviewing document for legal soundness and accuracy sufficient for accomplishment of difficult, complex and varied legal work relating to complex procurements, litigation, civil works, military construction, regulatory, ethics, fiscal law, and interagency agreements, labor and employment law, administrative and international law.
2. Management Skills and Leadership Abilities.
Workload and/or staff direction and management experience. Experience in establishing goals, executing processes, and leading staff to implement and adjust objectives to meet mission requirements.
3. Other Indicia of Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities.
Ability to advise and communicate effectively with senior leadership at all levels. Experience in recruiting, managing, and evaluating attorneys; ability to lead and manage complex legal issues, including reviewing work of legal subject matter experts. Credentials as indicated in the résumé and other application materials (e.g., awards, support for diversity and EEO, performance ratings, educational achievements).
TIME IN GRADE REQUIREMENTS: If currently employed as an attorney by the Federal Government you must have completed 1 year at the next lower level within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement, or previously served at the same or higher grade as the position being filled.
Education
For this job, you may qualify if your education meets the definitions below:
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 (LLB or JD).
Official law school transcripts must be submitted prior to accepting the position. These transcripts must show successful completion of a full 3-year course of study in an school of law accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) leading to a professional law degree ( LLB or JD) that included a major field of study or specific course requirements.
Only degrees from an accredited college or university recognized by the Department of Education are acceptable to meet positive education requirements or to substitute education for experience. For additional information, please go to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and U.S. Department of Education websites at - http://www.opm.gov/qualifications and http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html
Foreign education must be evaluated for U.S. equivalency in order to be considered for this position. Please submit your foreign education evaluation with your application.
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.
One year Supervisory probationary period may be required.
Direct Deposit of Pay is required.
This position requires you to submit 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 - Legal position.
You may claim military spouse preference (MSP). Excepted service DoD civilian attorney positions are wholly exempted from the spousal appointment procedures. However, military spouses preference should be equitably applied for spouses of active duty Service members when those spouses apply for GS-15 and below, or equivalent position as outlined in subchapter 315 of DoDI 1400.25. Military spouses preference shall not contravene existing statutes or regulations on veterans' preference or nepotism.
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.
Permanent Change of Station (PCS) allowances may be authorized, subject to the provisions of the Joint Travel Regulations and an agency determination that a PCS move is in the Government Interest.
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.
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: Qualified candidates will be assigned to one of three quality categories: Best Qualified, Highly Qualified and Qualified. Veteran preference eligibles are listed ahead of non-preference eligibles within each quality category.
Best Qualified. Candidates in this category possess exceptional skills and experience to exceed well above the minimum requirements for the announced position.
Highly Qualified. Candidates in this category possess good skills and experience above the minimum requirements for the announced position.
Qualified. Candidates in this category meet the minimum experience requirements for the announced position.
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 (e.g., 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. (SF 15, which lists the types of 10-point preference and the required supporting documents, is available from the Office of Personnel Management Website at www.opm.gov.)
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.
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.
1) Cover Letter, optional 2) A resume with vacancy announcement number annotated. Your resume may be submitted in any format and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations and you may not be considered for this vacancy. 3) Official law school transcripts and an official statement of relative class standing. Photo copies are acceptable when applying. 4) Copy of official certificate showing that the applicant is a member in good standing of the bar. The official certificate must be dated within three months of the date the application is submitted. You MUST submit a copy of your license or certification with your application package or you will be rated ineligible. See: Transcripts and Licenses 5) Either a sworn and notarized statement by the candidate that his or her fitness to practice law or conduct as an attorney has never been challenged in any jurisdiction OR if either has been challenged, a sworn and notarized statement giving the facts and circumstances, and any other explanation that the applicant considers appropriate. As an alternative to a sworn and notarized statement, a declaration under penalty of perjury may be submitted in the following format: I declare (or certify, verify, or state) under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States of America that the foregoing is true and correct, executed on (date)(signature of applicant)." (28 U.S.C.1746). The statement of fitness must be dated within three months of the date the application is submitted. The certificate and statement are required to be submitted by all applicants including attorneys currently appointed to positions under the qualifying authority of the Chief of Engineers. 6) List of three professional references. References from current and former supervisors are preferred. Please provide name, title, mailing address, telephone number, and relationship for each reference. We may contact references as part of the interview process. Applicants selected for interviews will be asked to provide three letters of recommendation. 7) A writing sample shall not exceed 10 pages including cover sheets, tables of content, etc. Any pages after page 10 will be discarded and not considered. 8) Current federal employees or reinstatement eligible applicants must submit a copy of their latest SF 50 and most recent performance evaluation. Applicants currently serving in the military must also submit a copy of their most recent OER and/or DD 214. (Items 2, 3, and 4 above do not apply to Current Corps of Engineers Attorneys).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.
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:
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.
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 08/31/2020 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/10887672).
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/.
FL-APF-W1B7AA HQUSACE CIVIL WORKS
DO NOT MAIL
APO, AP 96271
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.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
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.
1) Cover Letter, optional 2) A resume with vacancy announcement number annotated. Your resume may be submitted in any format and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations and you may not be considered for this vacancy. 3) Official law school transcripts and an official statement of relative class standing. Photo copies are acceptable when applying. 4) Copy of official certificate showing that the applicant is a member in good standing of the bar. The official certificate must be dated within three months of the date the application is submitted. You MUST submit a copy of your license or certification with your application package or you will be rated ineligible. See: Transcripts and Licenses 5) Either a sworn and notarized statement by the candidate that his or her fitness to practice law or conduct as an attorney has never been challenged in any jurisdiction OR if either has been challenged, a sworn and notarized statement giving the facts and circumstances, and any other explanation that the applicant considers appropriate. As an alternative to a sworn and notarized statement, a declaration under penalty of perjury may be submitted in the following format: I declare (or certify, verify, or state) under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States of America that the foregoing is true and correct, executed on (date)(signature of applicant)." (28 U.S.C.1746). The statement of fitness must be dated within three months of the date the application is submitted. The certificate and statement are required to be submitted by all applicants including attorneys currently appointed to positions under the qualifying authority of the Chief of Engineers. 6) List of three professional references. References from current and former supervisors are preferred. Please provide name, title, mailing address, telephone number, and relationship for each reference. We may contact references as part of the interview process. Applicants selected for interviews will be asked to provide three letters of recommendation. 7) A writing sample shall not exceed 10 pages including cover sheets, tables of content, etc. Any pages after page 10 will be discarded and not considered. 8) Current federal employees or reinstatement eligible applicants must submit a copy of their latest SF 50 and most recent performance evaluation. Applicants currently serving in the military must also submit a copy of their most recent OER and/or DD 214. (Items 2, 3, and 4 above do not apply to Current Corps of Engineers Attorneys).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.
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:
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.
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 08/31/2020 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/10887672).
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/.
FL-APF-W1B7AA HQUSACE CIVIL WORKS
DO NOT MAIL
APO, AP 96271
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.
