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.
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.
U.S. citizens or U.S. Nationals; no prior Federal experience is required.
The OIG's Office of Investigations (OI) is seeking a highly qualified attorney to serve as GS-15 Investigative Attorney in its Administrative and Civil Enforcement Division. OI investigates potential crimes and civil violations of law involving VA programs and operations committed by VA employees, contractors, beneficiaries, and other individuals. These investigations focus on a wide range of matters including health care, procurement, benefits, education, construction, and other fraud; cybercrime and identity theft; bribery, embezzlement, and conflicts of interest; drug offenses; and violent crimes. OI is staffed by special agents, forensic accountants, and other specialized staff in headquarters divisions and regional field offices that use data analytics, cyber-tools, covert operations, and other strategies to detect and address conduct that poses a threat to or has harmed VA personnel, operations, and the veterans or other beneficiaries they service. Through criminal prosecutions and civil monetary recoveries, OI's investigations promote integrity, patient safety, efficiency, and accountability within VA.
The Investigative Attorney reports to the Chief Investigative Counsel and participates in the implementation of investigative/legal programs, participating in criminal and civil proactive initiatives, referrals, and investigations. These projects include working collaboratively with other OIG directorates and law enforcement agencies. The Investigative Attorney performs sensitive duties and assignments under the direction of the Chief Investigative Counsel and is expected to function with a high degree of independence.
This positions can be filled in any of the following VAOIG locations: Asheville, NC; Aurora, CO; Bay Pines, FL; Bedford, MA; Buffalo, NY: Cleveland, OH; Columbia, SC; Dallas, TX; Atlanta, GA; San Diego, CA ;Denver, CO; Detroit, MI; Fayetteville, NC; Hines, IL; Houston, TX; Jackson, MS; Kansas City, MO ;Las Vegas, NV; Long Beach, CA: Little Rock, AR : Los Angeles, CA; Manchester, NH ;Minneapolis, MN; Montgomery, AL; New Orleans, LA; Oakland, CA; Orlando, FL; Phoenix, AZ; Portland, OR; Sacramento, CA; Salt Lake City, UT; San Antonio, TX; Seattle, WA; Spokane, WA; Trenton, NJ; Newark, NJ; New York, NY ;Washington DC; West Palm Beach, FL
As an Attorney-Advisor (General) (Investigative Attorney), you will:
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 resume.
Key Requirements: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.
Basic Requirements (Attorney-Advisor): Applicants must (1) be a graduate of an accredited law school with an LL.B. or J.D.; (2) be a current member of a bar with a valid license to practice law in a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; and (3) meet all specialized experience requirements as described in the vacancy announcement.
To qualify at the GS-15 level, you must have four (4) or more years of post-J.D. legal experience, two of which were specialized experience at, or equivalent to, the GS-14 grade level.
Specialized experience is assisting with planning, directing, and executing multifaceted investigative, analytical, and legal reviews. Examples of such experience could include:
Must be a graduate of a law school accredited by the American Bar Association at the time of graduation (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.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
How You will be Evaluated: Your application includes 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.
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.
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).
It is anticipated that there will be significant interest in the announcement. As a result, the announcement will close at 11:59 p.m. ET on the date of receipt of the 200th application or at 11:59 p.m. ET on 07/13/2023; whichever occurs first. Any required documents should be submitted at the time that you apply as documents will not be accepted after the vacancy closes.
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/date/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.
VETERANS' PREFERENCE DOCUMENTATION: Even though veteran's preference does not apply to this excepted service authority you are still encouraged to submit your documentation. Please see applicant guide for required documentation.
EDUCATION DOCUMENTATION: 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. 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.
License/Certification Documentation: Submit a copy of your bar certification.
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
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.
VAOIG has partnered with the Treasury's Bureau of the Fiscal Service to provide certain personnel services to its organization. Fiscal Service's responsibilities include advertising vacancies, accepting and handling applications, and extending job offers.
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 the closing date of this announcement. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. ET, Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, please contact us by noon ET on the announcement's closing date.
The Bureau provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us if you require this for any part of the application and hiring process.
Once the online questionnaire is received, you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. We will review your resume and transcript(s) (if appropriate) to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. We will evaluate each applicant who meets the basic qualifications on the information provided and may interview the best-qualified applicants. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct any required suitability and/or security background investigation.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
