The FRTIB is looking for a highly qualified and motivated individual to serve as an Attorney-Adviser (Contracts).
This Job Opportunity Announcement (JOA) may be used to fill other Attorney-Adviser (Contracts), GS-0905-12/13/14 positions within the FRTIB in the same geographical location with the same qualifications and specialized experience.
Summary
The FRTIB is looking for a highly qualified and motivated individual to serve as an Attorney-Adviser (Contracts).
This Job Opportunity Announcement (JOA) may be used to fill other Attorney-Adviser (Contracts), GS-0905-12/13/14 positions within the FRTIB in the same geographical location with the same qualifications and specialized experience.
Serves as legal counsel to the General Counsel and other senior agency officials with responsibility for rendering legal advice and counsel on contract and procurement matters.
Applies comprehensive knowledge of the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), Inter-Agency Agreements, and the field of government contracting to provide legal review and advice on documents and actions at every stage of the acquisition lifecycle.
Researches and interprets legal sources, including Federal court decisions, Comptroller General decisions, and the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), and renders formal and informal legal opinions to Agency officials and staff on difficult procurement issues.
Analyzes contracting and acquisition issues and policies, identifies complex problems and concerns, and participates in developing and implementing solutions to ensure conformance with all applicable laws, regulations, and requirements.
Acts as an attorney for the development and presentation of cases involving contracts and procurement issues before court and administrative hearing officers.
Handles a broad scope of legal responsibilities in the areas of acquisition policy, procurement law, fiscal law, bid protest, disputes, claims, procurement integrity, and procurement fraud.
Must be an active member in good standing of a bar association of the United States, territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico;
All qualification requirements must be met by 07/25/2022. Your application package will not be considered if it is missing any of the required documents listed under the "Required Documents" tab.
Trial Period. Two-year trial period may be required.
Selective Service. If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law.
Selectee must complete and submit a confidential financial disclosure as a condition of employment.
Background Suitability Investigation. Continued employment is contingent upon satisfactory completion of a background investigation and the granting of a federal suitability or security clearance. If selected, you may be offered tentative employment until the background investigation has been fully adjudicated.
To ensure compliance with an applicable preliminary nationwide injunction, which may be supplemented, modified, or vacated, depending on the course of ongoing litigation, the Federal Government will take no action to implement or enforce the COVID-19 vaccination requirement pursuant to Executive Order 14043 on Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees. Therefore, to the extent a Federal job announcement includes the requirement that applicants must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 pursuant to Executive Order 14043, that requirement does not currently apply. Federal agencies may request information regarding the vaccination status of selected applicants for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as protocols related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.
Qualifications
To qualify for this position applicants must meet the education requirement, professional certification, and specialized experience requirement as described below.
Education Requirement
Possess a law degree (LL.B or J.D.) and be a graduate from a full course of study in a school of Law accredited by the American Bar Association, or equivalent training. Equivalent training is that training permitted in some states in lieu of attendance at a law school. To be acceptable, this training must be of the kind and nature required by the state in which the bar exam is taken or is to be taken;
AND
Professional Certification
Be a member in good standing of a bar association of the United States, territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico;
AND
Specialized Experience
GS-12: Applicants must have at least one year of full-time specialized work experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the next lower level (equivalent to the GS-11) in the federal government. Specialized experience is defined as: two years of post-J.D. / LL.B. work experience rendering legal advice on a federal contracts and acquisitions.
GS-13: Applicants must have at least one year of full-time specialized work experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the next lower level (equivalent to the GS-12) in the federal government. Specialized experience is defined as: three years of post-J.D. / LL.B. work experience rendering legal advice on a federal contracts and acquisitions.
GS-14: Applicants must have at least one year of full-time specialized work experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the next lower level (equivalent to the GS-13) in the federal government. Specialized experience is defined as: four years of post-J.D. / LL.B. work experience rendering legal advice on a federal contracts and acquisitions.
*Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations. 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.
A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.
Education
You must provide your transcripts to support your educational claims. Transcripts may be unofficial copies, but they must come from an accredited college or university, and they also must include course names and the number of credit / semester hours. Click here to search the database of accredited institutions.
Foreign Education. If you are using education completed at foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign education programs. Foreign education must be deemed equivalent to that gained at an accredited U.S. education program. For further information visit the U.S. Department of Education's website concerning foreign qualifications.
Additional information
The FRTIB offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes paid time off*, life insurance, health benefits, and participation in the 3-tier federal retirement system. The FRTIB also has wonderful benefits and work / life-balance flexibilities that may be right for you. We offer, if applicable:
Flexible work schedule options. The FRTIB offers three flexible work schedules, the Gliding Schedule, the Flexible 5-4/9 Schedule, and the Maxiflex Work Schedule. All work schedules allow for an arrival time between 6:30 and 9:30 am. Employees on the Gliding Schedule work 8 hours plus a 30-minute unpaid lunch period. Employees on the Flexible 5-4/9 Schedule work eight 9-hour days and one 8-hour day (plus the 30-minute unpaid lunch period) in each biweekly pay period, and receive one scheduled day off. Employees on the Maxiflex Work Schedule work between 4 and 10 hours per day, and core work hours apply; the latest departure time under Maxiflex is 8 pm.
Telework is currently three (3) days per week for eligible positions.
Employee Assistance Program (EAP). The EAP provides employees with free confidential assistance for help with personal issues that may be affecting work life. The program also provides consultation to supervisors who are trying to best help an employee with performance and/or attendance problems.
Work Life 4 You. The FRTIB provides all employees and their family members with access to the Federal Occupational Health managed referral and information service to assist in dealing with life, family, health, education, work, and finance. This service is provided at no cost to the employee.
*Annual and sick leave (paid time off). Employees of the FRTIB accrue both annual and sick leave depending on years of service with the federal government. Annual leave may be used for vacation or other personal reasons. Sick leave may be used when you are ill, when you have a doctor, dental, or optical appointment, or when you need to provide care to an ill family member.
Fitness center. The FRTIB employees, at no cost, have access to the fitness center conveniently located on the main level of the building featuring state of the art weight training and cardiovascular equipment.
Extensive training programs and tools supportive of enhancing organization effectiveness and employee development.
A monthly transit subsidy for a portion of your commuting costs to help defray the commuting costs of employees who use mass transportation, including commuter bus, Metrorail or Metrobus, or commuter rail systems.
Child care program. The FRTIB's childcare subsidy program offers up to $600 in monthly subsidy paid to qualified child care providers of employees meeting the eligibility requirements.
Student loan repayment or recruitment bonus, when applicable.
The FRTIB offices are conveniently located within a few blocks of the Union Station metro station. In addition, private parking is available in the building at the posted daily and monthly rates.
Relocation expenses are not authorized for this position; however, other recruitment incentives may be authorized.
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.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the above qualifications.
Once the application process is complete, a review of the resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If, after reviewing your resume 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. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.
Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):
Advising
Communication
Knowledge of government contracting
Legal review and analysis
NOTE TO APPLICANTS: A writing sample is required as part of a complete application. The writing sample should be 2-7 pages in length and less than five years old. The topic area is related to work you have completed pertaining to analyzing or advising on a federal procurement issue.
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.
Please be advised, the following documents are required even if you are already a current federal employee or employee of the FRTIB:
1. Resume (please include on your resume the experience you wish to be considered for the review of your qualifications, the dates of employment with month, day and year, and hours worked per week). Resumes that do not contain all of the necessary information to determine qualifications may be marked as insufficient and applicants may not receive consideration for this position. Your latest resume submission is the one that will be used to determine your qualifications.
2. Responses to the occupational questionnaire.
3. Law school transcripts. Transcripts must be legible and possess the school name imprinted on the transcript or be on school letterhead; you may be asked to submit official transcripts upon selection. Failure to supply such a transcript will result in an incomplete application package.
4. Bar membership. Applicant must provide evidence of current, active membership in good standing of the bar of a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Failure to supply evidence of membership in good standing of a bar association will result in an incomplete application package.
5. Writing Sample. Applicant must submit a writing sample with their application. Failure to supply a writing sample will result in an incomplete application package.
6. Veteran's documentation, if applicable. There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the FRTIB considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference are encouraged to include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., DD Form 214 or other substantiating documents) to their submissions. If you are currently on active duty you must submit an official statement of service from your command or other official documentation that proves your military service was performed under honorable conditions.
7. Schedule A documentation, if applicable. A qualifying letter from a doctor's or vocational rehabilitation office indicating you are eligible for hire under the Schedule A hiring authority.
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 apply through the USAJOBS online job application system. Complete the occupational 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 07/25/2022 to receive consideration.
*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 are submitted prior to 07/25/2022.
*To return to an incomplete application, 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.
*To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, 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.
NOTE TO APPLICANTS: To assist us with an expeditious application review process, please do not submit additional documentation from what is being requested in the announcement. The following documents are not required and do not need to be submitted with your application:
Diplomas of any type (when education documents are required, you must submit unofficial transcripts, not diplomas)
Letters of recommendation, reference, or congratulations, etc.
Any documents with a picture of the applicant
Awards documentation, including SF-50's for awards
Performance appraisals
Evaluations of any type
This and other positions announced by the FRTIB may be filled under Schedule A, 5 CFR 213.3102(u). Schedule A is an excepted service hiring authority used to appoint persons with severe physical, psychiatric, and/or intellectual disabilities. Such individuals may qualify for conversion to permanent status after two years of satisfactory service. Documentation of disability is required, e.g., Schedule A letter. Such documentation is used to verify the individual being hired is indeed a person with a severe physical, psychiatric, and/or intellectual disability. This documentation must be provided to the hiring agency at the time of application, before an individual can be hired. Documentation of eligibility for employment under Schedule A can be obtained from a licensed medical professional (e.g., a physician or other medical professional certified by a state, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. territory to practice medicine); a licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist (e.g., state or private); or any federal agency, state agency, or agency of the District of Columbia or a U.S. territory that issues or provides disability benefits. Submission of a VA letter does not automatically qualify as a Schedule A letter. Since the vacancy announcement you are viewing is a competitive announcement, if you wish to be considered under the Schedule A authority you must email your supporting documentation and resume to HROperations@tsp.gov for consideration.
This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
You are encouraged to apply online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application. Paper applications and information sent by mail will not be accepted. If you are unable to apply online view the following link for information regarding submission of an alternate application.
Office of General Counsel
77 K Street NE
Washington, DC 20002
US
Next steps
Once your application package is received you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. If your final rating places you among the top candidates, your application will be referred to the selecting official for further review. If your name is referred to the selecting official, you may be contacted directly by the office for a possible interview. You may also check the status of your application through your USAJOBS profile.
When the entire vacancy announcement process has been completed you will receive notice via email (or by mail if no email address was provided during the application process). Please allow at least 4-6 weeks after the vacancy has closed to inquire about the status of your application.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
Please be advised, the following documents are required even if you are already a current federal employee or employee of the FRTIB:
1. Resume (please include on your resume the experience you wish to be considered for the review of your qualifications, the dates of employment with month, day and year, and hours worked per week). Resumes that do not contain all of the necessary information to determine qualifications may be marked as insufficient and applicants may not receive consideration for this position. Your latest resume submission is the one that will be used to determine your qualifications.
2. Responses to the occupational questionnaire.
3. Law school transcripts. Transcripts must be legible and possess the school name imprinted on the transcript or be on school letterhead; you may be asked to submit official transcripts upon selection. Failure to supply such a transcript will result in an incomplete application package.
4. Bar membership. Applicant must provide evidence of current, active membership in good standing of the bar of a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Failure to supply evidence of membership in good standing of a bar association will result in an incomplete application package.
5. Writing Sample. Applicant must submit a writing sample with their application. Failure to supply a writing sample will result in an incomplete application package.
6. Veteran's documentation, if applicable. There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the FRTIB considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference are encouraged to include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., DD Form 214 or other substantiating documents) to their submissions. If you are currently on active duty you must submit an official statement of service from your command or other official documentation that proves your military service was performed under honorable conditions.
7. Schedule A documentation, if applicable. A qualifying letter from a doctor's or vocational rehabilitation office indicating you are eligible for hire under the Schedule A hiring authority.
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 apply through the USAJOBS online job application system. Complete the occupational 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 07/25/2022 to receive consideration.
*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 are submitted prior to 07/25/2022.
*To return to an incomplete application, 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.
*To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, 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.
NOTE TO APPLICANTS: To assist us with an expeditious application review process, please do not submit additional documentation from what is being requested in the announcement. The following documents are not required and do not need to be submitted with your application:
Diplomas of any type (when education documents are required, you must submit unofficial transcripts, not diplomas)
Letters of recommendation, reference, or congratulations, etc.
Any documents with a picture of the applicant
Awards documentation, including SF-50's for awards
Performance appraisals
Evaluations of any type
This and other positions announced by the FRTIB may be filled under Schedule A, 5 CFR 213.3102(u). Schedule A is an excepted service hiring authority used to appoint persons with severe physical, psychiatric, and/or intellectual disabilities. Such individuals may qualify for conversion to permanent status after two years of satisfactory service. Documentation of disability is required, e.g., Schedule A letter. Such documentation is used to verify the individual being hired is indeed a person with a severe physical, psychiatric, and/or intellectual disability. This documentation must be provided to the hiring agency at the time of application, before an individual can be hired. Documentation of eligibility for employment under Schedule A can be obtained from a licensed medical professional (e.g., a physician or other medical professional certified by a state, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. territory to practice medicine); a licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist (e.g., state or private); or any federal agency, state agency, or agency of the District of Columbia or a U.S. territory that issues or provides disability benefits. Submission of a VA letter does not automatically qualify as a Schedule A letter. Since the vacancy announcement you are viewing is a competitive announcement, if you wish to be considered under the Schedule A authority you must email your supporting documentation and resume to HROperations@tsp.gov for consideration.
This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
You are encouraged to apply online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application. Paper applications and information sent by mail will not be accepted. If you are unable to apply online view the following link for information regarding submission of an alternate application.
Office of General Counsel
77 K Street NE
Washington, DC 20002
US
Next steps
Once your application package is received you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. If your final rating places you among the top candidates, your application will be referred to the selecting official for further review. If your name is referred to the selecting official, you may be contacted directly by the office for a possible interview. You may also check the status of your application through your USAJOBS profile.
When the entire vacancy announcement process has been completed you will receive notice via email (or by mail if no email address was provided during the application process). Please allow at least 4-6 weeks after the vacancy has closed to inquire about the status of your application.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
