About the Position: This is a permanent supervisory position with Headquarters, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Office of the Chief Counsel, National Model A-South Atlantic Division (SAD) located in Atlanta, Georgia.
Summary
About the Position: This is a permanent supervisory position with Headquarters, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Office of the Chief Counsel, National Model A-South Atlantic Division (SAD) located in Atlanta, Georgia.
As Division Counsel, is responsible for directing and coordinating all legal activities in connection with the work of the South Atlantic Division.
Interprets policies, procedures, and regulations of higher authority pertaining to the legal program, and issues supplemental instructions and procedures to the districts as necessary.
Maintains continuing review of all legal functions and activities, and directs improvements needed to better serve the Division's missions and operational requirements.
Incumbent will be responsible for Government's defense in all contract appeals before Armed Services Board Contract Appeals, and Engineer Board of Contract Appeals.
Serves as legal and policy advisor to the Division Engineer and his staff and to District Engineers and District Offices of Counsel on all questions of law.
Advises on statutes, executive orders, regulations, and the opinions and decisions of the Comptroller General or OCE General Counsel.
Makes final legal decisions of the more complex legal problems and determines when a legal matter is of sufficient importance to require concurrence of higher authority.
Serves as first-line supervisor, exercising personnel management responsibilities.
Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
This position requires you to submit a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE450) upon entry, and annually thereafter.
Qualifications
Who May Apply: US Citizens
The minimum qualification requirements must be met before applicants are eligible for further consideration:
Bar membership: Applicant must currently be a member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
Experience: For GS-15 or equivalent - Applicant must have three or more years of professional legal experience, acquired after being admitted to the bar, commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position. Graduation from an ABA-Accredited Law School in the top 25% of the class or an advanced law degree such as an LLM may substitute for one year of the required professional legal experience.
****APPLICANTS WILL BE EVALUATED ON THE FOLLOWING KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:****
a. Technical Knowledge:
i. Experience and/or knowledge in the specialized body of law applicable to civil works authorities, military programs, fiscal law, environmental law, ethics, information law, and general law. This includes extensive experience with and knowledge of Federal, DoD and Department of the Army regulations, guidelines, and policies.
ii. Experience and mature judgment in handling legal problems including statutory interpretations, preparing legal documents, and reviewing document for legal soundness and accuracy sufficient for accomplishment of difficult, complex and varied legal work relating to complex procurements, litigation, civil works, military construction, regulatory, ethics, fiscal law, and interagency agreements, administrative and international law.
b. Management skills and leadership abilities:
Workload and/or staff direction and management experience. Experience in establishing goals, executing processes, and leading staff to implement and adjust objectives to meet regional mission requirements.
c. Other indicia of knowledge, skills, and abilities:
Ability to advise and communicate effectively with senior leadership at all levels. Experience in recruiting, managing, and evaluating attorneys; ability to lead and manage complex legal issues, including reviewing work of legal subject matter experts. Credentials as indicated in the résumé and other application materials (e.g., awards, support for diversity and EEO, performance ratings, educational achievements).
TIME IN GRADE REQUIREMENTS: If currently employed as an attorney by the Federal Government you must have completed 1 year at the next lower level within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement, or previously served at the same or higher grade as the position being filled.
Education
An applicant must have successfully completed a full course of study in a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) and have the first professional law degree (LLB or JD). Only a degree from an accredited college or university recognized by the Department of Education acceptable to meet positive education requirements, or to substitute education for experience.
Only degrees from an accredited college or university recognized by the Department of Education are acceptable to meet positive education requirements or to substitute education for experience. For additional information, please go to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and U.S. Department of Education websites at - http://www.opm.gov/qualifications and http://www.ed.gov//admins/finaid/accred/index.html.Foreign education must be evaluated for U.S. equivalency in order to be considered for this position. Please include this information in your resume.
Additional information
Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship.
Two-year supervisory trial probationary period may be required.
Direct Deposit of Pay is required.
This position requires you to submit a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE450) upon entry, and annually thereafter.
Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees.
If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet.
This is a Career Program (CP) 56 - Legal position.
You may claim military spouse preference (MSP).
Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement.
If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.
Permanent Change of Station (PCS) allowances may be authorized, subject to the provisions of the Joint Travel Regulations and an agency determination that a PCS move is in the Government Interest.
A relocation incentive OR recruitment incentive MAY BE authorized.
This is a permanent position in the excepted service without time limitation and will not be filled by a competitive appointment. Service in this position may be fully creditable toward civil service retirement. Any selected applicant who is in the competitive service will be taken out of the competitive service when he or she occupies this position and will compete only with other excepted status employees in the event of a reduction-in-force.
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.
Once the application process is complete, a review of your application will be made to ensure you meet the qualification requirements for further consideration. If you are qualified for further consideration, your resume and supporting documentation will be reviewed and evaluated as to whether and how your experience, knowledge, skills, training and/or education clearly reflect that you possess the required knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) to successfully perform the duties of the position. It is in an applicant's best interest to thoroughly address all KSAs in their application. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is an equal opportunity employer. The Corps is firmly committed to recruiting, retaining, and developing a diverse and inclusive workforce where all employees are valued for their talents as members of the team.
Once the announcement has closed, a review of your application package (resume and supporting documents) will be reviewed to verify that you meet the basic eligibility and qualification requirements. If qualified, your application package will be evaluated as to whether and how your experience, knowledge, skills, training and/or education clearly reflect that you possess the required knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) to successfully perform the duties of this position.
NOTICE OF VETERAN'S PREFERENCE: There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of Defense considers veterans' preference eligibility a positive factor for attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (for example, DD Form 214, "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty") to their submissions.
Although the point-preference system is not used, applicants eligible to claim a 10-point preference must submit a Standard Form (SF) 15, "Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference," and supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed. The SF 15 will identify the supporting documentation required along with a list of the types of 10-point preference. The SF 15 is available from the OPM at https://www.gsa.gov/portal/forms/type/sf/."
Attorney spouses of active duty military may apply for available positions in accordance with the military spouse program, as identified in DODI 1500.25 Volume 315.us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.
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.
As described above, your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further. 1) Cover Letter (optional). 2) A resume with vacancy announcement number annotated. Your resume may be submitted in any format and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations and you may not be considered for this vacancy. 3) Official law school transcripts and an official statement of relative class standing. Photo copies are acceptable when applying. 4) Copy of official certificate showing that the applicant is a member in good standing of the bar. The official certificate must be dated within three months of the date the application is submitted. You MUST submit a copy of your license or certification with your application package or you will be rated ineligible. 5) Either a sworn and notarized statement by the candidate that his or her fitness to practice law or conduct as an attorney has never been challenged in any jurisdiction OR if either has been challenged, a sworn and notarized statement giving the facts and circumstances, and any other explanation that the applicant considers appropriate. As an alternative to a sworn and notarized statement, a declaration under penalty of perjury may be submitted in the following format: I declare (or certify, verify, or state) under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States of America that the foregoing is true and correct .. executed on (date)(signature of applicant)." (28 U.S.C.1746). The statement of fitness must be dated within three months of the date the application is submitted. The certificate and statement are required to be submitted by all applicants including attorneys currently appointed to positions under the qualifying authority of the Chief of Engineers. 6) List of three professional references. References from current and former supervisors are preferred. Please provide name, title, mailing address, telephone number, and relationship for each reference. We may contact references as part of the interview process. Applicants selected for interviews will be asked to provide three letters of recommendation. 7) A writing sample shall not exceed 10 pages including cover sheets, tables of content, etc. Any pages after page 10 will be discarded and not considered. 8) Current federal employees or reinstatement eligible applicants must submit a copy of their latest SF 50 and most recent performance evaluation. Applicants currently serving in the military must also submit a copy of their most recent OER and/or DD 214. (Items 2, 3, and 4 above do not apply to Current Corps of Engineers Attorneys).
NOTE: Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office. Some supplemental documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you. You may sanitize these documents to remove another person's personal information before you submit your application. You may be asked to provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected to confirm your eligibility.
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.
To apply for this position, you must complete the online 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 05/18/2023 to receive consideration.
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 (https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11930372).
Follow the prompts to select your résumé 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.
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/.
RA-W1B7AA HQ US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS
DO NOT MAIL
Washington, DC 20314
US
Next steps
If you provided an email address, you will receive an email message acknowledging receipt of your application. Your application package will be used to determine your eligibility, qualifications, and quality ranking for this position. If you are determined to be ineligible or not qualified, your application will receive no further consideration.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
As described above, your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further. 1) Cover Letter (optional). 2) A resume with vacancy announcement number annotated. Your resume may be submitted in any format and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations and you may not be considered for this vacancy. 3) Official law school transcripts and an official statement of relative class standing. Photo copies are acceptable when applying. 4) Copy of official certificate showing that the applicant is a member in good standing of the bar. The official certificate must be dated within three months of the date the application is submitted. You MUST submit a copy of your license or certification with your application package or you will be rated ineligible. 5) Either a sworn and notarized statement by the candidate that his or her fitness to practice law or conduct as an attorney has never been challenged in any jurisdiction OR if either has been challenged, a sworn and notarized statement giving the facts and circumstances, and any other explanation that the applicant considers appropriate. As an alternative to a sworn and notarized statement, a declaration under penalty of perjury may be submitted in the following format: I declare (or certify, verify, or state) under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States of America that the foregoing is true and correct .. executed on (date)(signature of applicant)." (28 U.S.C.1746). The statement of fitness must be dated within three months of the date the application is submitted. The certificate and statement are required to be submitted by all applicants including attorneys currently appointed to positions under the qualifying authority of the Chief of Engineers. 6) List of three professional references. References from current and former supervisors are preferred. Please provide name, title, mailing address, telephone number, and relationship for each reference. We may contact references as part of the interview process. Applicants selected for interviews will be asked to provide three letters of recommendation. 7) A writing sample shall not exceed 10 pages including cover sheets, tables of content, etc. Any pages after page 10 will be discarded and not considered. 8) Current federal employees or reinstatement eligible applicants must submit a copy of their latest SF 50 and most recent performance evaluation. Applicants currently serving in the military must also submit a copy of their most recent OER and/or DD 214. (Items 2, 3, and 4 above do not apply to Current Corps of Engineers Attorneys).
NOTE: Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office. Some supplemental documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you. You may sanitize these documents to remove another person's personal information before you submit your application. You may be asked to provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected to confirm your eligibility.
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.
To apply for this position, you must complete the online 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 05/18/2023 to receive consideration.
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 (https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11930372).
Follow the prompts to select your résumé 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.
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/.
RA-W1B7AA HQ US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS
DO NOT MAIL
Washington, DC 20314
US
Next steps
If you provided an email address, you will receive an email message acknowledging receipt of your application. Your application package will be used to determine your eligibility, qualifications, and quality ranking for this position. If you are determined to be ineligible or not qualified, your application will receive no further consideration.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
