NOTE: This vacancy announcement has been extended 1 week.
The incumbent of this position serves as Counsel to the Chairman of the Federal Maritime Commission. In this capacity, the incumbent performs research and advisory work of a highly difficult and responsible nature. The incumbent is responsible for analyzing and preparing recommendations on various matters and assisting the Chairman in handling relations with officials at other agencies, the shipping industry, and the general public.
Summary
NOTE: This vacancy announcement has been extended 1 week.
The incumbent of this position serves as Counsel to the Chairman of the Federal Maritime Commission. In this capacity, the incumbent performs research and advisory work of a highly difficult and responsible nature. The incumbent is responsible for analyzing and preparing recommendations on various matters and assisting the Chairman in handling relations with officials at other agencies, the shipping industry, and the general public.
The following are the duties of this position at the full-performance GS-15 level. If you are selected at a lower grade level, you will have the opportunity to learn to perform all these duties and will receive training to help you grow in this position.
Serves as legal and policy advisor to the Chairman. Advises and collaborates with the Chairman with respect to all matters appearing on the Commission's docket and of special interest to the Chairman, including drafting proposed language for Commission orders, concurring, and dissenting opinions.
Reviews the record in proceedings subject to adjudication or to rulemaking, performs independent research and analysis as needed, summarizes the significant parts, and advises as to possible decisions to be made and advances cogent reasons on a pro-and-con basis.
Keeps up to date on national and international developments having to do directly or indirectly with any of the Commission's functions and responsibilities.
Represents or accompanies the Chairman in personal meetings or conferences with contacts within the government and with high- ranking officials of the shipping and maritime industries.
Researches and prepares speeches and other communications pertaining to performance of the Chairman's duties as requested and in conjunction with other senior staff.
Serves as primary contact with shipping industry leaders and Commission staff.
The 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.
It is your responsibility to ensure your resume states complete information for each job entry. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/year (MM/YYYY), and indicate number of hours worked per week, on your resume. If your resume does not provide enough information regarding your work history for us to make a creditable qualification determination, your application package may be rendered disqualified and you will no longer be considered for this position.
Candidates for all grades must meet the following by the close of the announcement:
Minimum educational requirements include a professional law degree (LL.B or J.D.) from an American Bar Association (ABA) accredited law school. NOTE: Applicants who have completed part or all of their education outside of the U.S. must have their foreign education evaluated by an accredited organization to ensure that the foreign education is comparable to education received in accredited educational institutions in the U.S. An ABA-approved law school may allow students to receive credit for law study or activities at a foreign institution and grant credit for the J.D. degree if those studies or activities are approved in accordance with the Rules of Procedure and Criteria adopted by the ABA's Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar.
Current active membership in a bar of any State, territory, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or the District of Columbia. Active bar association and a certificate that the member is in good standing will be verified prior to appointment and employees must maintain active bar membership in good standing while employed as an attorney with the FMC.
Applicants must possess excellent research skills, as well as the ability to communicate, both orally and in writing.
Education
Please refer to the qualifications section for applicable education requirements.
Additional information
[Add or delete as appropriate.]
Must be a U.S. citizen
Must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret clearance.
We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies.
We may fill like positions within 12 months of the close of the announcement.
This is a non-bargaining unit position.
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:
A 2-year trial period is required.
Must be able to obtain and maintain a 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.
Obtain and use a Government-issued charge card for business-related travel.
May be required to file a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report within 30 days of appointment and annually from then on.
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.
We will review your resume and supporting documentation to determine that you possess at least one year of professional, specialized law experience. Please ensure your resume includes detailed information to support your qualifications for this position.
Professional law experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position being filled. Law clerk experience (post J.D.) may be considered professional law experience if the candidate performed attorney duties.
Specialized experience is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Examples of specialized experience include:
Conducting research for large scope and/or high-profile cases, topics, and/or policy issues;
Working on complex rulemaking or policy proceedings;
Preparing and reviewing replies to correspondence or requests from members of Congress, other officials of the governments, and private industry; and
Serving as the legal and policy advisor to a Commissioner or senior-level leadership.
Desirable: Strong interest, and/or experience in Maritime Law/Industry preferred, but not required.
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.
A complete application includes 1. A resume, and 2. Law School Transcripts (Official or Unofficial). Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, you will not be considered for this position. All applicants are required to submit a resume either by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one of their own choosing. (Cover letters are optional). The following may be requested during the interview process and/or if selected:
Writing Sample
SF-50 (if applicable)
Performance Appraisal (if applicable)
Education Documentation:
An official transcript is required if you are selected.
A college or university degree generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools which meet these criteria, please refer to Department of Education Accreditation website.
If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. Refer to the OPM instructions.
Notice of Veterans Preference: There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Federal Maritime Commission 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 documents (e.g., DD Form 214, "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty") to their submissions.
To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. (EST) on the closing date of this announcement. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. EST, Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, please contact us by noon EST on the announcement's closing date.
To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package.
It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, 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. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
To return to saved application at a later date, 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.
Office of Chairman
800 North Capitol Street, NW
Suite 1000
Washington, DC 20573
US
Next steps
You may check the status of your application for this position at any time by logging onto the USAJOBS My Account tab and clicking on Application Status. For a more detailed update of your application status, you may click on more information.
Please notify us if your contact information changes after the closing date of the announcement. 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.
A complete application includes 1. A resume, and 2. Law School Transcripts (Official or Unofficial). Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, you will not be considered for this position. All applicants are required to submit a resume either by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one of their own choosing. (Cover letters are optional). The following may be requested during the interview process and/or if selected:
Writing Sample
SF-50 (if applicable)
Performance Appraisal (if applicable)
Education Documentation:
An official transcript is required if you are selected.
A college or university degree generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools which meet these criteria, please refer to Department of Education Accreditation website.
If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. Refer to the OPM instructions.
Notice of Veterans Preference: There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Federal Maritime Commission 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 documents (e.g., DD Form 214, "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty") to their submissions.
To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. (EST) on the closing date of this announcement. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. EST, Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, please contact us by noon EST on the announcement's closing date.
To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package.
It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, 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. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
To return to saved application at a later date, 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.
Office of Chairman
800 North Capitol Street, NW
Suite 1000
Washington, DC 20573
US
Next steps
You may check the status of your application for this position at any time by logging onto the USAJOBS My Account tab and clicking on Application Status. For a more detailed update of your application status, you may click on more information.
Please notify us if your contact information changes after the closing date of the announcement. 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.
