You are encouraged to read the entire announcement before you submit your application package.
This position is located in the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, DC, in the Office of the General Counsel, Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance and Food Security Division (GC/DCHA-BFS), at the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Summary
You are encouraged to read the entire announcement before you submit your application package.
This position is located in the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, DC, in the Office of the General Counsel, Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance and Food Security Division (GC/DCHA-BFS), at the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Occasional travel - Amount of travel will vary depending on the needs of the Office, but will not exceed 25% of the incumbent's time. Travel includes to domestic and international locations.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time - Full-time appointment in the Excepted Service. This position is not in the bargaining unit.
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
15 - The full performance level of this position is the GS-15 grade level.
The Office of the General Counsel (GC) provides legal advice, counsel, and services to the Agency and its officials and ensures that USAID programs are administered in accordance with legislative authorities and legal requirements. GC serves as the Agency's chief legal officer and is the principal advisor to the administrator on Agency-wide legal and policy matters. GC also advises on legal matters concerning the operation and administration of USAID programs, and on matters relating to legislation or proposed legislation affecting USAID.
As an Attorney Advisor, your duties may include:
Providing legal advice and guidance to the Bureau for Resilience and Food Security (RFS) and to other USAID attorneys in Washington D.C. and abroad relating to the functions and work of RFS.
Interpreting and providing advice concerning the following: the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended; annual appropriations acts; the Global Food Security Act, the Water for the World Act, other applicable legislation; applicable court and administrative decisions and government regulations, Executive Orders, and USAID policy and guidance;
Assisting RFS in developing and negotiating public-private partnerships, arrangements with other development partners, interagency agreements, and arrangements with public international organizations;
Assisting RFS in facilitating agricultural finance through collaboration with interagency and private sector partners;
Assisting RFS in responding to Congressional, Government Accountability Office, Inspector General, and public inquiries regarding RFS matters and activities;
Responding to inquiries and assignments from members of the Office of the General Counsel (GC) and field-based Resident Legal Officers (RLOs); and
Maintaining working relationships with other U.S. Government agencies and international institutions.
Must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance.
Males born after 12/31/1959, must be registered with the Selective Service.
Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer is required.
You will be required to serve a one-year probationary period.
You must be a member in good standing of the bar of a state, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States.
Qualifications
Required: To qualify for this position, applicants must possess ALL of the requirements below:
A J.D. degree,
Be duly licensed and authorized to practice as an attorney under the laws of any State, territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia, and be an active member of the bar in good standing, and
Specific grade level requirements:
GS-14: At least four (3) years of post J.D. legal experience, to include: (a) providing legal advice, guidance, and support to negotiate and draft binding and non-binding agreements, such as memorandums of understanding, gift agreements, and/or interagency agreements; (b) providing legal advice and guidance on the interpretation and implementation of laws, regulations, and policies; (c) providing legal advice and guidance with respect to Federal laws, regulations and procedures relating to government contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, and other obligating mechanisms; and (d) other legal experience relevant to the job duties above.
GS-15: At least five (5) years of post J.D. legal experience, to include: (a) providing legal advice, guidance, and support to negotiate and draft binding and non-binding agreements, such as memorandums of understanding, gift agreements, and/or interagency agreements; (b) providing legal advice and guidance on the interpretation and implementation of laws, regulations, and policies; (c) providing legal advice and guidance with respect to Federal laws, regulations and procedures relating to government contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, and other obligating mechanisms; and (d) other legal experience relevant to the job duties above.
Preferred: Legal experience working with non-governmental organizations, international organizations or governmental entities in the implementation of international development or humanitarian assistance programs, ideally in the areas of:
Agricultural research, agricultural development, agribusiness, and nutrition;
Plant genetic resource conservation, genetic engineering and biosafety, particularly in agricultural contexts;
Water, sanitation and hygiene; and/or
Access to finance in the agriculture and water sectors.
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, relevant to the duties of the position to be filled, including volunteer experience.
A well-qualified candidate will not necessarily meet the definition of highly or best qualified when evaluated against other candidates who apply for a particular position. In the absence of selective and quality ranking factors, selecting officials will document the job-related reason(s) for qualification determinations.
Applicants must have, or be able to obtain through their Component/Agency, and maintain a Secret security clearance.
Education
You must be a graduate of an accredited law school. Transcripts to support your education will be required.
Additional information
USAID is an independent Federal Government agency that receives overall foreign policy guidance from the Secretary of State. With headquarters in the District of Columbia, we operate in more than 100 countries around the world, playing an active and critical role in the promotion of U.S. foreign policy interests. When crisis strikes; when rights are repressed; when hunger, disease and poverty rob people of opportunity; USAID acts on behalf of the American people to help expand the reach of prosperity and dignity to the world's most vulnerable people. USAID employees and contractors must commit to maintaining a workplace free of sexual misconduct, including harassment, exploitation, and abuse and adhere to USAID's Counter-Trafficking in Persons Code of Conduct. For information on the effort to counter all forms of human trafficking, including the procurement of commercial sex acts and the use of forced labor, visit http://www.state.gov/g/tip. For more information about USAID, visit http://www.usaid.gov.
This announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
These are Testing Designated Positions (TDP’s) under the Agency’s approved Drug Free Work Place Program. All applicants selected for this position will be subject to random drug testing once they begin working for the Agency.
Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer is required.
Moving and relocation expenses are not authorized.
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.
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.
Working for USAID offers comprehensive benefits including paid vacation, sick leave, holidays, life and health insurance, and the Federal Employees Retirement System. You can explore the benefits offered to most Federal employees at http://www.opm.gov/insure/health/. USAID's headquarters is in downtown Washington, D.C., at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center on 14th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., on the Federal Triangle Metro Blue, Silver, and Orange Lines. The office is within walking distance of restaurants, shops, museums, and Washington Monument. A physical fitness facility and food court are on site. You will be eligible for telework in accordance with Agency policy.
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 for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
BASIS OF RATING: Once the announcement closes, your application will be automatically evaluated and rated by the system and a Human Resources Specialist. To determine if you are qualified for this job, a review of your application and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating.
There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, USAID considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., the DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty and other supporting documentation) to their submissions. Although the "point" system is not used, per se, applicants eligible to claim 10-point preference must submit Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, and submit the supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed (visit the OPM website, www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf for a copy of SF 15, which lists the types of 10-point preferences and the required supporting document(s)). Applicants should note that SF 15 requires supporting documentation associated with service-connected disabilities or receipt of nonservice-connected disability pensions to be dated 1991 or later except in the case of service members submitting official statements or retirement orders from a branch of the Armed Forces showing that his or her retirement was due to a permanent service-connected disability or that he/she was transferred to the permanent disability retired list (the statement or retirement orders must indicate that the disability is 10% or more).
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.
Working for USAID offers comprehensive benefits including paid vacation, sick leave, holidays, life and health insurance, and the Federal Employees Retirement System. You can explore the benefits offered to most Federal employees at http://www.opm.gov/insure/health/. USAID's headquarters is in downtown Washington, D.C., at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center on 14th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., on the Federal Triangle Metro Blue, Silver, and Orange Lines. The office is within walking distance of restaurants, shops, museums, and Washington Monument. A physical fitness facility and food court are on site. You will be eligible for telework in accordance with Agency policy.
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.
If seeking eligibility based on any other special hiring authority (e.g. disabled veteran, Schedule A, special hiring programs).
If this position requires proof of higher education, you must submit a copy of your transcript(unofficial transcript) or a list of courses that includes the following information: name of accredited institution, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. Please refer to http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/policy/ApplicationOfStds-04.asp for more information. Please be advised that an official transcript will be required if you are selected for the position.
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.
The following instructions outline our application process. You must complete this on-line application process and submit any applicable required documents by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement. If applying on-line poses an extreme hardship, you must notify the agency contact name herein office no later than two business days prior to the closing date of this vacancy announcement. You will be provided an alternative application method. After this time, requests to apply via alternative methods may not be granted.
Please note that all required documents must be received by the closing date, via online or alternative methods, and that we will determine your eligibility and qualifications based solely on the materials received by the closing date.
Step 1 - Review the Job Announcement Before you apply, we suggest you review the entire job announcement. Pay close attention to the Major Duties section and the How You Will Be Evaluated section where you will see the areas upon which your application will be evaluated and a link for previewing online questions.
-Create or upload a resume in USAJOBS. You may wish to customize your resume to ensure it supports your responses to the online questions and addresses the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section of the job announcement. For resume tips, click here.
-Although you must enter your Social Security Number (SSN) for USAJOBS, we will only see the last four digits for identification purposes.
Step 3 - Apply Online Click the "Apply Online" button on this announcement and then select the resume you wish to submit with your application. You will be redirected to the Department of the Treasury's CareerConnector website to complete the application process.
Step 4 - Answer the Online Questions and Submit Your Online Application If this is your first time on Treasury's CareerConnector website, you will be prompted to register by answering questions related to your eligibility for Federal employment. The system will save these responses and take you back to the main screen so that you can answer the job-specific questions. Select "Take me to the assessment" and click on the "Next" button to answer the job-specific questions. You must answer all the questions and click the "Finish" button.
Step 5 - Review and Confirm Your Submission You will now have the option to upload a document or print fax cover-sheets for documents (see Step 6 for details). Once you click "Done," you will see a summary of your application for your review. You may also print a copy for your records. When you click "Finish" at the bottom of the page, you will then be directed back to USAJOBS where you can confirm that your application has been submitted and track your application status.
Step 6 - Submit Documents You can submit any applicable required or optional documents (see below) by document upload, fax, or e-mail. Whichever method you choose, please include the job announcement number with your documents. To protect your privacy, we encourage you to remove your SSN from any documents that you submit.
Document Upload: You may upload documents in one of two ways: 1. Once you finish answering the questions in the job announcement, you will be prompted to upload your document(s) to your application. You will be given the choice to either upload the document as part of the application process or you can select a document that you've already loaded on USAJOBS. Or
2. You can upload a document to an existing application by logging into your USAJOBS account profile. Click on "My Applications" and search for the vacancy. Once you've located the vacancy, click on the vacancy and select "Apply Online." Move through your existing application to the Documents page and select Upload in order to add a document to your application. Be certain to review your complete application for confirmation that the document uploaded. In the Application Review section, you may verify acceptance of your documents in Career Connector if you see them listed on the "Vacancy Documents" screen. Then, click on "Finished" to be returned to USAJOBS.
Fax: Print a fax cover-sheet in Career Connector by following the "Faxing Supporting Documentation" instructions. The fax number will be provided on the cover-sheet.
If you are having difficulty within the Career Connector system and need technical assistance please email the help desk at careerconnectorhelp@treasury.gov. The help desk is available to assist you during the hours of 8:00 am- 4:30 pm EST daily, excluding Federal holidays.
United States Agency for International Development
1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington , District of Columbia 20523-0016
United States
Next steps
Applicants are evaluated using an automated applicant assessment system. After determining basic eligibility, a subject matter expert will be used to review applications and identify the best qualified applicants to be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and possible interviews. We will notify you of the outcome after each of these steps. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation. A final job offer is contingent upon a favorable suitability determination and a favorable SECRET level security clearance investigation and determination.
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." You will receive final notification via email when this vacancy has been filled. 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.
If seeking eligibility based on any other special hiring authority (e.g. disabled veteran, Schedule A, special hiring programs).
If this position requires proof of higher education, you must submit a copy of your transcript(unofficial transcript) or a list of courses that includes the following information: name of accredited institution, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. Please refer to http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/policy/ApplicationOfStds-04.asp for more information. Please be advised that an official transcript will be required if you are selected for the position.
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.
The following instructions outline our application process. You must complete this on-line application process and submit any applicable required documents by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement. If applying on-line poses an extreme hardship, you must notify the agency contact name herein office no later than two business days prior to the closing date of this vacancy announcement. You will be provided an alternative application method. After this time, requests to apply via alternative methods may not be granted.
Please note that all required documents must be received by the closing date, via online or alternative methods, and that we will determine your eligibility and qualifications based solely on the materials received by the closing date.
Step 1 - Review the Job Announcement Before you apply, we suggest you review the entire job announcement. Pay close attention to the Major Duties section and the How You Will Be Evaluated section where you will see the areas upon which your application will be evaluated and a link for previewing online questions.
-Create or upload a resume in USAJOBS. You may wish to customize your resume to ensure it supports your responses to the online questions and addresses the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section of the job announcement. For resume tips, click here.
-Although you must enter your Social Security Number (SSN) for USAJOBS, we will only see the last four digits for identification purposes.
Step 3 - Apply Online Click the "Apply Online" button on this announcement and then select the resume you wish to submit with your application. You will be redirected to the Department of the Treasury's CareerConnector website to complete the application process.
Step 4 - Answer the Online Questions and Submit Your Online Application If this is your first time on Treasury's CareerConnector website, you will be prompted to register by answering questions related to your eligibility for Federal employment. The system will save these responses and take you back to the main screen so that you can answer the job-specific questions. Select "Take me to the assessment" and click on the "Next" button to answer the job-specific questions. You must answer all the questions and click the "Finish" button.
Step 5 - Review and Confirm Your Submission You will now have the option to upload a document or print fax cover-sheets for documents (see Step 6 for details). Once you click "Done," you will see a summary of your application for your review. You may also print a copy for your records. When you click "Finish" at the bottom of the page, you will then be directed back to USAJOBS where you can confirm that your application has been submitted and track your application status.
Step 6 - Submit Documents You can submit any applicable required or optional documents (see below) by document upload, fax, or e-mail. Whichever method you choose, please include the job announcement number with your documents. To protect your privacy, we encourage you to remove your SSN from any documents that you submit.
Document Upload: You may upload documents in one of two ways: 1. Once you finish answering the questions in the job announcement, you will be prompted to upload your document(s) to your application. You will be given the choice to either upload the document as part of the application process or you can select a document that you've already loaded on USAJOBS. Or
2. You can upload a document to an existing application by logging into your USAJOBS account profile. Click on "My Applications" and search for the vacancy. Once you've located the vacancy, click on the vacancy and select "Apply Online." Move through your existing application to the Documents page and select Upload in order to add a document to your application. Be certain to review your complete application for confirmation that the document uploaded. In the Application Review section, you may verify acceptance of your documents in Career Connector if you see them listed on the "Vacancy Documents" screen. Then, click on "Finished" to be returned to USAJOBS.
Fax: Print a fax cover-sheet in Career Connector by following the "Faxing Supporting Documentation" instructions. The fax number will be provided on the cover-sheet.
If you are having difficulty within the Career Connector system and need technical assistance please email the help desk at careerconnectorhelp@treasury.gov. The help desk is available to assist you during the hours of 8:00 am- 4:30 pm EST daily, excluding Federal holidays.
United States Agency for International Development
1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington , District of Columbia 20523-0016
United States
Next steps
Applicants are evaluated using an automated applicant assessment system. After determining basic eligibility, a subject matter expert will be used to review applications and identify the best qualified applicants to be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and possible interviews. We will notify you of the outcome after each of these steps. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation. A final job offer is contingent upon a favorable suitability determination and a favorable SECRET level security clearance investigation and determination.
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." You will receive final notification via email when this vacancy has been filled. 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.
