Positions under this announcement are being filled using a Direct Hire Authority (DHA). The number of applications accepted will be limited to 50 applications. The vacancy will close at midnight EST on the date the application limit is reached or on the closing date listed, whichever comes first.
Summary
Positions under this announcement are being filled using a Direct Hire Authority (DHA). The number of applications accepted will be limited to 50 applications. The vacancy will close at midnight EST on the date the application limit is reached or on the closing date listed, whichever comes first.
Office of Chief Counsel, IRS, is looking for enthusiastic individuals to join our team and gain valuable experience in a legal environment. Our mission is to serve America's taxpayers fairly and with integrity by providing correct and impartial interpretation of the internal revenue laws and the highest quality legal advice and representation for the IRS. It is a great place to work with an excellent benefits package and family-friendly atmosphere.
As a Paralegal Specialist, you will:
Review legal and administrative files to analyze facts and issues. Determine if jurisdiction is correct.
Review petitioner's settlement proposal. Communicate settlement recommendation, if appropriate, to supervising attorney. Draft counsel settlement memorandum and decision documents. Schedule and conduct conferences with petitioner and/or their representative.
Assist with trial preparation. Conduct legal, IDRS and internet research. Locate witnesses, draft subpoenas, interview witnesses. Assist attorneys in the maintenance of compilation of trial exhibits, stipulation of facts, etc. Monitor trial deadlines.
Assist with identifying and hiring expert witnesses and preparation of the expert witness procurement package. Monitor the status of expert witness contracts. Assist with closing cases taking into account the statute of limitations.
Assist with the review of taxpayer Offers-in-Compromise to determine whether all necessary documents are present and accurate and whether Counsel approval is warranted. Assist attorneys with handling cases filed in the U.S. District Court or the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.
This is not an all-inclusive list. If selected at a lower grade level, you will have the opportunity to learn to perform the duties of the position and will receive training to help you grow in the position.
Click "Print Preview" to review the entire announcement before applying.
Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
Qualifications
In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or experience requirements described below. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application.
To qualify for this position of Paralegal Specialist you must meet the qualification requirements listed below by the closing of this announcement:
For GS-09: Specialized Experience: Your resume must detail at least one year of specialized experience which includes conducting legal research; reviewing facts and evidence; drafting pleadings, including motions, answers, stipulations of fact, settlement documents; determining what evidence is needed for resolution of a case; assisting attorneys with preparing cases for trial; reviewing Offers-in-Compromise for legal sufficiency; and assisting with summons enforcement cases. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-07).
OR
Education Substitution: You may substitute education for specialized experience as follows: Master's or equivalent graduate degree, or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, or LL.B. or J.D. in a related field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position.
OR
Combination of Education and Experience: You may qualify by a combination of experience and education: Options for qualifying based on a combination are identified in the online questions.
For GS-11: Specialized Experience: Your resume must detail at least one year of specialized experience which includes independently conducting legal research; reviewing facts and evidence; drafting pleadings, including motions, answers, stipulations of fact, settlement documents; determining what evidence is needed for resolution of a case and recommending settlement where appropriate; assisting attorneys with preparing cases for trial; reviewing Offers-in-Compromise for legal sufficiency; and handling summons enforcement cases. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-09).
OR
Education Substitution: You may substitute education for specialized experience as follows: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, or LL.M. in a related field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position.
OR
Combination of Education and Experience: You may qualify by a combination of experience and education: Options for qualifying based on a combination are identified in the online questions.
NOTE: If qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application package.
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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. 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/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week, on your resume.
Education
For positions with an education requirement, or if you are qualifying for this position by substituting education or training for experience, submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent. An official transcript will be 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 page.
FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html
Additional information
We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies.
Relocation expenses are not authorized.
This is abargainingunit position.
We offer opportunities for telework.
We offer opportunities for flexible work schedules.
The salary range indicated in this announcement covers multiple locality areas. Your salary will be adjusted based on the post of duty for which you are selected.
Conditions of Employment Continued:
Subject to a 1-year probationary period (unless already completed).
Must successfully complete a background investigation.
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.
Undergo an income tax verification.
The employment of any candidate, including a current employee or a new hire, selected for this position may be conditional upon classification and/or audit of federal tax returns. This audit may include up to 2 years of returns.
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 qualifications above.
This position will be filled through the Direct Hire Authority. Under this authority, competitive rating, ranking, and veterans' preference procedures do not apply. Your application will be considered based on education, training, and quality of your experience. For more information on Direct-Hire Authority visit: OPM Direct Hire Fact Sheet.
Your application must include your resume, responses to the online questions, and required supporting documents. Please be sure that your resume 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.
Referral: Applicants who meet the basic qualification requirements may be referred to a selecting official for consideration. Candidates may be required to participate in a selection interview (telephonic and/or in person at the discretion of the Selecting Official in accordance with hiring practices). We will not reimburse costs related to the interview such as travel to and from the interview site.
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 found "well qualified" for the position. Well qualified is defined as: experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position, demonstrated by meeting all the competencies for this position.
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, 2. Vacancy question responses, and 3. Submission of any required documents. Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, you may not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible).
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.) To receive full credit for relevant experience, please list the month/year and number of hours worked for experience listed on your resume. We suggest that you preview the online questions, as you may need to customize your resume to ensure that it supports your responses to these questions. Please view Resume Tips.
Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) Documentation:
If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee, click CTAP/ICTAP for eligibility and a detailed list of required documents.
Education Documentation: For positions with an education requirement, or if you are qualifying for this position by substituting education or training for experience, submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent. An official transcript will be required if you are selected. See "Education" for more details.
The following instructions outline our application process. You must complete this application process and submit any required documents by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on 04/06/2023 or 12:00am (ET) on the date the application limit is reached, whichever comes first. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM. ET, Monday - Friday). To preview the Application Questionnaire, please click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11893611
To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
It is your responsibility to verify that your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan.
Additional information on how to complete the online application process and submit your online application may be found on the USA Staffing Applicant Resource Center.
Office of Chief Counsel, IRS
Staffing and Classification Branch
1111 Constitution Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20224
US
Next steps
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
A complete application includes 1. A resume, 2. Vacancy question responses, and 3. Submission of any required documents. Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, you may not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible).
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.) To receive full credit for relevant experience, please list the month/year and number of hours worked for experience listed on your resume. We suggest that you preview the online questions, as you may need to customize your resume to ensure that it supports your responses to these questions. Please view Resume Tips.
Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) Documentation:
If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee, click CTAP/ICTAP for eligibility and a detailed list of required documents.
Education Documentation: For positions with an education requirement, or if you are qualifying for this position by substituting education or training for experience, submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent. An official transcript will be required if you are selected. See "Education" for more details.
The following instructions outline our application process. You must complete this application process and submit any required documents by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on 04/06/2023 or 12:00am (ET) on the date the application limit is reached, whichever comes first. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM. ET, Monday - Friday). To preview the Application Questionnaire, please click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11893611
To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
It is your responsibility to verify that your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan.
Additional information on how to complete the online application process and submit your online application may be found on the USA Staffing Applicant Resource Center.
Office of Chief Counsel, IRS
Staffing and Classification Branch
1111 Constitution Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20224
US
Next steps
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
