The position is an Attorney-Adviser in the Program Legal Services Branch, General Law Division, Office of Chief Counsel. The Program Legal Services Branch handles matters relating to FRA’s intercity passenger rail programs and Amtrak, FRA’s financial assistance programs; relevant environmental laws; and general (non-safety) issues.
Summary
The position is an Attorney-Adviser in the Program Legal Services Branch, General Law Division, Office of Chief Counsel. The Program Legal Services Branch handles matters relating to FRA’s intercity passenger rail programs and Amtrak, FRA’s financial assistance programs; relevant environmental laws; and general (non-safety) issues.
Applications will be accepted from any U.S. Citizen.
This position is in the Excepted Service. For information on the Excepted Service, please visit: Excepted Service Appointing Authorities@ https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/excepted-service/
Advise on the agency’s intercity passenger rail programs and work directly with relevant program offices on the development and delivery of major infrastructure projects.
Advise the agency on the development and implementation of financial assistance programs authorized by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
Advise on the agency’s environmental and historic preservation programs, including any reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), and related environmental laws and regulations, including representing the agency in any related litigation.
Communicate and coordinate with officials at all levels within the agency and work closely with interdisciplinary teams of agency experts including environmental protection specialists, grant managers, engineers, and project managers.
Provide legal services supporting a range of FRA’s non-safety programs, including fiscal law, contracting and acquisitions, administrative law generally, drafting regulations and guidance, Freedom of Information Act, and representing the agency in litigation and other disputes.
The ideal candidate for this position is ready for an exciting opportunity to join FRA as the agency implements a new surface transportation reauthorization and prepares to administer significant and transformative Federal funding for passenger and freight rail projects.
Applicants must have strong written and oral communication skills; the ability to analyze complex issues; skill and experience working collaboratively and productively with individuals with diverse background and experience; organizational skills; professional judgment; initiative; the ability to handle multiple projects, activities, and issues simultaneously; and the ability to excel in a fast-paced, demanding environment.
PLEASE NOTE: This announcement establishes an open continuous (1-year) vacancy announcement. The first referral of eligible applicants will be 3 weeks from the opening date. Note that there is no guarantee that your application will be reviewed under this vacancy, it depends on when and how often the selecting official(s) request to use this public notice.
You must be a U.S.Citizen and eligible for consideration.
Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date.
This is an Excepted Service position.
Required documents must be submitted by the closing date.
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:
SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered for Selective Service.
TRIAL PERIOD: This is an Excepted Service position. This job will be filled by an alternative hiring process and is not in the competitive service. Applicants selected for an excepted service position may be subject to a two-year trial period.
GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CARD: This position involves travel. A government contractor-issued travel card will be issued and must be retained for official business only.
ETHICS/CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT: All employees are subject to the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch, set out in Title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations, section 2635, including restrictions on owning financial interests that may conflict with performance of their duties. Some employees, like those involved in contracting or regulating non-Federal entities, are subject to Executive Branch Financial Disclosure requirements set out in Title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations, section 263. Please note that you may be required to file an annual financial disclosure.
Qualifications
To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must (1) meet the Education Requirement for the series, (2) provide a copy of transcripts for verification, AND (3) meet either the education or experience qualifications for the grade at which you are requesting consideration.
GRADE 11 - Possess a professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.), and be in good standing of a bar. No professional legal experience necessary.
GRADE 12 - A law degree, bar membership in good standing and one year of professional attorney experience.
GRADE 13 - A law degree, bar membership in good standing and two years of professional attorney experience.
GRADE 14 - A law degree, bar membership in good standing and at least three years of professional attorney experience.
GRADE 15 - A law degree, bar membership in good standing and at least four years of professional attorney experience.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas:
Administrative Law - Knowledge of state and Federal administrative laws, including procedures, regulations, guidelines, and precedents related to case preparation and settlements.
Oral Communication - Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.
Written Communication - Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience.
Problem Solving - Identifies and analyzes problems; weighs relevance and accuracy of information; generates and evaluates alternative solutions; makes recommendations.
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.
All applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
Education
MANDATORY EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS:
In order to qualify for this position, candidates must have successfully completed a full course of study in a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) and have a professional law degree, and must currently be a member in good standing of the bar of a State or Territory of the United States or the District of Columbia.
Additional information
PLEASE NOTE: This is a Bargaining unit position represented by American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), Local 2814.
TELEWORK: Position is telework eligible, consistent with agency policy.
COVID VACCINATION: If selected, you will be required to provide information regarding your COVID-19 vaccination status for the purposes of implementing workplace safety protocols, such as protocols related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.
This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if similar vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.
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.
DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE: PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume/ application does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s). Your resume must contain sufficiently detailed information upon which to make a qualification determination. Please ensure that your resume contains specific information such as position titles, beginning and ending dates of employment for each position, average number of hours worked per week, and if the position is/was in the Federal government, you should provide the position series and grade level
For this announcement, all applicants will be reviewed to determine if they meet the basic qualifications for this position, specifically the educational and specialized experience requirements.
Applicants will not be rated or ranked.
All applications that are verified to meet the basic qualifications will be referred to the selecting official.
The answers you select in the on-line process must be substantiated in your application package. If upon review, it is determined that your described work history, competencies, and/or supporting documents do not support your answer choices, you may not be referred to the selecting official. Please ensure that your work history provides enough details to support your answers.
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.
ALL Applicants must provide a resume that fully supports the required specialized experience and respond to the vacancy questions by the closing date of the vacancy. Formatted resumes can be uploaded when you arrive at the DOT application system. For assistance with the resume builder, please visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/account/documents/resume/build/
The following is a list of documents that are only required based on the type of position. Please review each of the following sections to determine which documents you need to provide with your application.
COVER LETTER: (maximum 2 pages) The cover letter should specifically address your interest in the position and why you believe your experience, skills, and interest in the position qualify you for the position in light of the duties and qualifications described in this job announcement.
RESUME - Needs to be created within USA Jobs Resume Builder. It must show relevant experience, education and fully support the required specialized experience.
COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRE.
PROOF OF ACTIVE BAR MEMBERSHIP IN GOOD STANDING.
TRANSCRIPTS - Verifying that you meet the stated education requirements for the series. The transcripts need not be official.
WRITING SAMPLE: If selected for an interview, candidates may be asked to provide a writing sample. Please ensure that any confidential or privileged information is redacted or removed.
VETERANS: Your last DD214 (member 4 copy), Certificate of Release or Discharge From Active Duty, that shows the type of discharge and all dates of active duty is required to verify your eligibility. It need not be official.
If you are applying to a vacancy opened to all US Citizens under category rating and wish to be considered as a preference eligible, you need to submit a copy of your DD214 (member-4 copy).
If you are claiming preference eligibility as a disabled veteran, you must submit proof of entitlement of this preference which is normally a valid letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs certifying to the present existence of the service-connected disability and indicating the percentage of your disability. An SF-15 is desired, but not required.
If you are applying to a vacancy opened Status and you are requesting consideration under Veteran's Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) (https://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/shav/#veoa), you need to provide a copy of your last DD214 (member-4 copy), which verifies your military service dates, reason for separation, OR certification of separation that shows a discharge date within 120 days of the closing of this announcement, and eligibility for consideration under the Veterans Employment Opportunity Act.
Failure to submit any of the required documents by the closing date of the vacancy will result in your removal from consideration for this position. Please review your application prior to final submission and ensure you have submitted all appropriate documents. Uploading documents to USAJobs does NOT ensure inclusion with your application to our system. You must verify that the documents are in the system with your application prior to final submission.
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.
You must submit a complete application package (including resume, vacancy questions and supporting documents) no later than 11:59 pm (EST) on the closing date of the announcement.
To begin, click the "Apply Online" button on the job announcement posting.
Follow the directions to register, submit all required documents and complete the assessment questionnaire.
In addition to submitting an application through usajobs.gov, applicants must submit a traditionally formatted resume and cover letter to FRAprogramlegalservicesjob@dot.gov.
If you are having difficulty applying online, please contact the DOT Automated Staffing Office via email at Transjobs@dot.gov.
DOT, FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION
Submit Application and Documents Online
1200 New Jersey Ave SE / HAHR - 50
Washington, District of Columbia 20590
United States
Next steps
You may check your application status by logging into USAJobs.com (Select "My USAJobs" and click "Applications". Within two weeks of the closing date, a Human Resources Specialist will evaluate your application. Qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager. Appropriate veteran's preference will be applied. If you are selected for an interview, the hiring agency will contact you directly. Once the position is filled, we will notify all applicants of their final status.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
ALL Applicants must provide a resume that fully supports the required specialized experience and respond to the vacancy questions by the closing date of the vacancy. Formatted resumes can be uploaded when you arrive at the DOT application system. For assistance with the resume builder, please visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/account/documents/resume/build/
The following is a list of documents that are only required based on the type of position. Please review each of the following sections to determine which documents you need to provide with your application.
COVER LETTER: (maximum 2 pages) The cover letter should specifically address your interest in the position and why you believe your experience, skills, and interest in the position qualify you for the position in light of the duties and qualifications described in this job announcement.
RESUME - Needs to be created within USA Jobs Resume Builder. It must show relevant experience, education and fully support the required specialized experience.
COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRE.
PROOF OF ACTIVE BAR MEMBERSHIP IN GOOD STANDING.
TRANSCRIPTS - Verifying that you meet the stated education requirements for the series. The transcripts need not be official.
WRITING SAMPLE: If selected for an interview, candidates may be asked to provide a writing sample. Please ensure that any confidential or privileged information is redacted or removed.
VETERANS: Your last DD214 (member 4 copy), Certificate of Release or Discharge From Active Duty, that shows the type of discharge and all dates of active duty is required to verify your eligibility. It need not be official.
If you are applying to a vacancy opened to all US Citizens under category rating and wish to be considered as a preference eligible, you need to submit a copy of your DD214 (member-4 copy).
If you are claiming preference eligibility as a disabled veteran, you must submit proof of entitlement of this preference which is normally a valid letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs certifying to the present existence of the service-connected disability and indicating the percentage of your disability. An SF-15 is desired, but not required.
If you are applying to a vacancy opened Status and you are requesting consideration under Veteran's Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) (https://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/shav/#veoa), you need to provide a copy of your last DD214 (member-4 copy), which verifies your military service dates, reason for separation, OR certification of separation that shows a discharge date within 120 days of the closing of this announcement, and eligibility for consideration under the Veterans Employment Opportunity Act.
Failure to submit any of the required documents by the closing date of the vacancy will result in your removal from consideration for this position. Please review your application prior to final submission and ensure you have submitted all appropriate documents. Uploading documents to USAJobs does NOT ensure inclusion with your application to our system. You must verify that the documents are in the system with your application prior to final submission.
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.
You must submit a complete application package (including resume, vacancy questions and supporting documents) no later than 11:59 pm (EST) on the closing date of the announcement.
To begin, click the "Apply Online" button on the job announcement posting.
Follow the directions to register, submit all required documents and complete the assessment questionnaire.
In addition to submitting an application through usajobs.gov, applicants must submit a traditionally formatted resume and cover letter to FRAprogramlegalservicesjob@dot.gov.
If you are having difficulty applying online, please contact the DOT Automated Staffing Office via email at Transjobs@dot.gov.
DOT, FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION
Submit Application and Documents Online
1200 New Jersey Ave SE / HAHR - 50
Washington, District of Columbia 20590
United States
Next steps
You may check your application status by logging into USAJobs.com (Select "My USAJobs" and click "Applications". Within two weeks of the closing date, a Human Resources Specialist will evaluate your application. Qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager. Appropriate veteran's preference will be applied. If you are selected for an interview, the hiring agency will contact you directly. Once the position is filled, we will notify all applicants of their final status.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
