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ATTORNEY-ADVISOR

Department of Homeland Security
Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers
This job announcement has closed

Summary

“The Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC), through strategic partnerships, prepares the federal law enforcement community to safeguard America's people, property, and institutions." We are a unique inter-agency organization preparing the next generation of law enforcement officers to meet our Nation's most pressing security challenges." Click here to learn more.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
08/10/2023 to 09/05/2023
Salary
$98,496 to - $151,308 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13 - 14
Location
Glynco, GA
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—This position is eligible for telework based on agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Travel to field locations may be involved.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—Applicable relocation expenses will be paid.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time - 40 hours/week
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
14 - If position is filled at the GS-13 level, you may be non-competitively promoted without further competition when the supervisor determines that the duties of the higher grade level are being performed and all regulatory requirements have been met.
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Secret
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
FLETC-DO-2023-0010
Control number
742250900

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from all United States citizens. This is an Excepted Service position. This job will be filled by an alternative hiring process and is not in the competitive service.

Duties

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Being an Attorney-Advisor (Labor) makes you a valuable member of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC) team and mission.  You will provide legal advice and counsel to the FLETC Director and other top agency officials with regard to the functions and activities of the Center in any area within the scope of the activities of the office, including personnel, appropriations, Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), fiscal, student and employee discipline, employee and labor relations, ethics, Privacy Act, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), procurement, tort claims and environmental law.  Typical assignments include:

  • Representing the Center before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA), and Federal Services Impass Panel (FSIP).
  • Performing research on potential and real areas of concern and preparing memoranda on complex factual and legal issues.
  • Collaborating creatively and diplomatically with agency employees to identify and resolve issues with ethical implications.
  • Providing training on the legal aspects of personnel, employment, labor law, and Federal sector labor management relations law.
  • Preparing, reviewing or coordinating legislative and litigation reports; drafting proposed legislation and Executive Orders.
  • Developing legally sound approaches regarding sensitive matters, such as employee and student misconduct standards, investigations of misconduct, proposed disciplinary actions, and investigations of equal employment discrimination complaints.
  • Establishing the legal framework and direction for FLETC's labor relations programs, to include serving as the legal technical subject matter expert on FLETC's interdisciplinary teams on matters relating to implementation of and compliance with federal labor laws.
  • Developing or overseeing the development of legal positions, legislative proposals, regulatory documents, policies, and operations that involve significantly broadening or restricting agency activities affecting the agency's security posture and the public interest and recommending legal approaches regarding novel issues for which the importance of the legal action/position as precedent is highly significant.  
  • Providing written and oral counsel, legal reviews, opinions, regulations or decisions in the application of the US Constitution, federal laws, legislation, or policies to programs conducted or assisted by DHS components, and the DHS policies.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must successfully pass a background investigation.
  • Must be able to maintain an active license to practice law.
  • This position participates in FLETCs Continuity of Operations Program. You are responsible for ensuring little or no disruption to the FLETC Mission Essential or Primary Mission Essential Functions in the event of an emergency.
  • You will need to set up direct deposit so we can pay you.
  • Must possess and maintain a valid state issued driver's license to conduct official government business.
  • This position is eligible for telework based on agency policy.
  • You will be required to complete an OGE 450, Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, within 30 days of starting your federal employment and annually thereafter as long as you occupy a position that requires financial disclosure reporting.
  • This position requires you to have access, safeguard, and store classified national security information on a regular basis. You must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance.
  • You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.

Qualifications

Please limit your résumé to 5 pages. If more than 5 pages are submitted, only the first 5 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. Please visit www.fletc.gov/site-page/employment-faqs website for further guidance regarding this page limit.

All applicants must meet the qualification requirements listed below by the closing date of this announcement.

All applicants must be graduates of a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association.  Applicants must possess the first professional law degree (LL.B. or JD) or the second professional law degree (LL.M).  Please provide a copy of your transcripts.

All applicants must also be an active bar member in good standing in every jurisdiction in which you are licensed of a state or territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and have a license to practice law.

In addition to the requirements listed above, to qualify at the GS-13 grade level, you must possess specialized professional legal experience in excess of two years equivalent to the GS-12 level demonstrated by substantial legal writing and communication skills; conducting original legal research and legal analysis; and demonstrated by experience representing an agency in complex labor and employment law matters including collective bargaining, negotiating agreements with union leadership and advising on employee litigation including removals and suspensions.  

Time-in-Grade: Current and former GS federal employees must have served 52 weeks at the GS-12 grade level in the federal service. The time-in-grade requirement must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

In addition to the requirements listed above, to qualify at the GS-14 grade level, you must possess professional legal experience in excess of three years equivalent to the GS-13 level demonstrated by substantial legal writing and communication skills; conducting original legal research and legal analysis; and demonstrated by experience representing an agency in complex labor and employment law matters including collective bargaining, negotiating agreements with union leadership and advising on employee litigation including removals and suspensions.  

Time-in-Grade: Current and former federal employees must have served 52 weeks at the GS-13 grade level in the federal service. The time-in-grade requirement must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

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). 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.

The Office of Personnel Management must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

Additional information

DHS uses E-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities.

If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment.

Background Investigation: To ensure the accomplishment of our mission, DHS requires every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet those standards, all selected applicants must undergo and successfully pass a background investigation for a Secret clearance as a condition of placement into this position. This will include a credit check after a tentative job offer is given, a review of financial issues such as delinquency in the payment of debts, child support and/or tax obligations, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs. Continued employment is contingent upon favorable adjudication of periodic reinvestigations.

The Department of Homeland Security encourages persons with disabilities to apply, to include persons with intellectual, severe physical or psychiatric disabilities, as defined by 5 CFR § 213.3102(u), and/or Disabled Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more as defined by 5 CFR § 315.707. Veterans, Peace Corps/VISTA volunteers, and persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs. To determine your eligibility for non-competitive appointment and to understand the required documentation, click on the links above or contact the Servicing Human Resources Office listed at the bottom of this announcement.

Physical Demands: Primarily sedentary. Travel to field locations may be involved.

Work Environment: Primarily office. The workplace includes offices, conference rooms, and library areas.

Re-employed annuitants’ annual salaries will be reduced by the amount of their retirement annuity and by further cost of living increases. FERS retirees receiving a FERS annuity supplement must also be aware that, like social security benefits, their FERS annuity supplement is subject to an earnings test and may be reduced if the salary earned is more than the social security exempt amount of earnings. Additional information is available on OPM’s website or by contacting OPM.

Additional selections may be made from this announcement within the same geographical area.

Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for DHS to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions.

Any Offers of employment made pursuant to this announcement will be consistent with all applicable authorities, including Presidential Memoranda, Executive Orders, interpretive U.S. Office of Personnel Management guidance and U.S. Office of Management and Budget plans and policies concerning hiring. These authorities are subject to change.

How you will be evaluated

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

We will review your resume and supporting documentation to ensure you meet the qualification requirements and to determine the degree to which your experience, education and training demonstrate the following competencies required by this position:

1.  Expertise in employment and labor law including (1) providing legal advice on the interpretation and application of the Federal Service labor-management Relations Statute; (2) providing legal advice and support to federal agencies on disputes that arise under Collective Bargaining Agreements; and (3) representing federal agencies in employment and labor matters before arbitrators, EEO, MSPB, the Federal Labor Relations Authority, and the Federal Service Impass Panel.

2.  Skill in using systematic and analytical processes in solving problems, making decisions, assuring success of planned activities and evaluating results.

3.  Ability to be persuasive and, as necessary, persistent with senior component leadership while deftly balancing the most sensitive political, operational and situational ramifications.

4.  Skill in communicating effectively and professionally both orally and in writing (includes using common Microsoft Office programs).

If you are determined to be best qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and may be called for an interview.

Veterans: There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the FLETC considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must include that information in their resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., the DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty and other supporting documentation) to their submissions.

Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP/ICTAP) Eligibles: If you have never worked for the federal government, you are not CTAP/ICTAP eligible. View information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibility on OPM’s Career Transition Resources website. To be considered eligible under CTAP/ICTAP, you must be placed in the well-qualified category for this position, as described above. In addition, you must submit the supporting documents listed under the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

Please limit your résumé to 5 pages. If more than 5 pages are submitted, only the first 5 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications.


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