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Attorney-Advisor

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Affairs, Inspector General
This job announcement has closed

Summary

OIG is organized into seven operational units: the Immediate Office of the Inspector General, Office of the Counselor, Office of Audits and Evaluations, Office of Healthcare Inspections, Office of Investigations, Office of Management and Administration, and Office of Special Reviews. In addition to the Washington, DC, headquarters, OIG has offices located in more than 60 locations throughout the country.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
04/02/2021 to 04/16/2021
This job will close when we have received 200 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$144,128 to - $172,500 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 15
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Washington, DC
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - 1-5 Nights per month. The incumbent should anticipate frequent walking and standing as a component of this travel.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent - Full-time
Work schedule
Full-time - Excepted Service
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
15
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Announcement number
21-VAOIG-145-X
Control number
597273400

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

U.S. citizens and U.S. Nationals; no prior Federal experience is required.

Duties

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The incumbent of this position serves in the Office of the Counselor to the Inspector General as an Attorney-Advisor to the Inspector General (IG) in the Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA). In that capacity, the Attorney-Advisor is responsible for providing the IG and his/her nationwide staff of auditors, analysts, criminal investigators, and healthcare inspectors with critical legal policy advise needed to carry out the statutory responsibilities imposed by the IG Act of 1978, as amended.

As an Attorney - Advisor (General), you will:

  • Provide legal advice and guidance related to healthcare operations and delivery.
  • Play a key operational role in the planning, coordination, and review of OIG work products, to include audits, evaluations, inspections, reviews, and investigations.
  • Represent the OIG before the Merit Systems Protection Board, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and other administrative bodies.
  • Engage in important legal policy making determinations that significantly affect OIG operations, consulting with the VA Office of General Counsel as well as VA Offices of Regional Counsel where necessary.
  • Provide independent legal advice and guidance related to OIG operations and activities including contract law, protection and release of information, ethics and VA programs and operations.
  • Serve as a legal advisor for OIG management, including the Assistant Inspector Generals (AIGs), the Deputy AIGs (DAIGs), and other OIG supervisors at headquarters and field offices.
  • Coordinate liaison activities with high-level VA program officials, the Department of Justice, United States Attorneys' Offices, other Federal agencies, and Congress.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Please refer to "Conditions of Employment."
  • Click "Print Preview" to review the entire announcement before applying.
  • Must be U.S. Citizens or U.S. Nationals.

The experience may have been gained in either the public, private sector or volunteer service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/day/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week on your résumé.

Qualifications

You must meet the following requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Be a current member of a bar with a valid license to practice law in a state or territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Specialized experience:  To qualify at the GS-15 level, you must have four (4) or more years of post-J.D. legal experience, one of which was specialized experience at, or equivalent to, the GS-14 grade level.  

Examples of specialized experience include:

  • Representing Federal agencies or other entities in litigation;
  • Serving as first-chair in hearings before administrative entities or courts;
  • Providing independent legal advice and guidance on a wide range of complex agency programmatic responsibilities;
  • Serving as liaison with high-level Federal agency program officials.


Education Requirements:

Must be a graduate of a law school accredited by the American Bar Association at the time of graduation with an LL.B. or J.D (a copy of your transcript will be required if 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 page.

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.

The experience may have been gained in either the public or private sector. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/day/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week on your résumé.

Additional information

- We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies. Applicants who apply for this position may be considered for other positions within the Office of Inspector General that require the same knowledge, skills, and abilities.
- This is a non-bargaining unit position.
- A recruitment incentive may be offered.
- We offer opportunities for flexible work schedules.
- Full-time telework may be temporarily required if space is not currently available at the location chosen by the selectee.  Selectees will be notified prior to their start date if this is necessary.  Telework on a more permanent basis will be determined by management upon completion of all telework requirements and availability needs.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:
- A two year trial period may be required.
- Must successfully complete a background investigation.
- Public Trust – Background Investigation will be required.
- 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 purchase card for business-related travel.
- File a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report within 30 days of appointment and annually from then on.
- Undergo an income tax verification.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Your application includes your résumé, responses to the online questions, and required supporting documents. Please be sure that your résumé includes detailed information to support your qualifications for this position; failure to provide sufficient evidence in your resume may result in a “not qualified” determination.

Rating: This announcement is issued under excepted service hiring authority for Attorney positions (5CFR 213.3102): all candidates who meet all the qualification and other eligibility requirements may be referred for consideration. Competitive examining rules providing for rating and ranking and veterans' preference do not apply.

Referral: If you are among the top qualified candidates, your application may be referred to a selecting official for consideration.  You may be required to participate in a selection interview and/or a writing assessment. Applicants who are selected for an interview may ask questions about the evaluation process at the time they are contacted for an interview.

If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee (eligible for the Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP)) you must be assigned the middle category or better to be rated as “well qualified" to receive special selection priority.


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