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Summary

The Office of General Counsel (OGC) at the ODNI provides legal advice and counsel to the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) and other ODNI officials on a wide range of legal issues to include intelligence and national security law; procurement and acquisition law; personnel law; government ethics, fiscal law; general administrative law; legislative support; government information practices (Freedom of Information Act/Privacy Act); and intellectual property law.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
12/16/2025 to 01/13/2026
Salary
$167,603 to - $195,200 per year

Not applicable for detailees

Pay scale & grade
GS 15
Locations
few vacancies in the following locations:
Bethesda, MD
McLean, VA
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Multiple
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
None
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Sensitive Compartmented Information
Drug test
No
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
26-12854459-DNI/GC
Control number
852548300

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Internal to an Agency = Open to current permanent ODNI employees Federal Employees = This detail opportunity is for current competitive and excepted service employees only. If you are not a current federal civilian employee you will not be eligible for this position. ODNI Joint Duty Assignments do not apply to members of the Military service or contractors. Applicants from federal agencies may be considered for this position as a reimbursable detailee, if endorsed by the employing agency.

Duties

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Provide expert oral and written legal advice and guidance on the most complex areas of law, with appropriate input from supervisors and colleagues; expertly interpret and explain laws, regulations, policies, and other legal authorities, related to Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) and Intelligence Community (IC) business.

Counsel clients, including executive-level government officials, on the most complex legal issues and provide innovative and highly effective guidance on possible courses of action; expertly prepare complex, high profile, and persuasive legal documents on the most complex legal issues for a variety of internal and external recipients.

Adroitly coordinate legal guidance within the Office of General Counsel (OGC), ODNI, the IC, and the Executive Branch; expertly mediate, negotiate, and resolve inter-agency and intra-agency disputes covering a wide range of topics across multiple legal practice areas; consistently demonstrate "strategic lawyering" practices that anticipate or prevent legal problems.

Expertly conduct, or direct the conduct of, legal research and analysis on extremely complex or sensitive legal issues that have a significant impact on ODNI or IC interests, to include conducting interviews and investigations and briefing ODNI leadership on issues and findings.

Provide timely reviews of planned ODNI and IC activities for compliance with the law and brief ODNI and IC leaders on potential legal and policy issues and develop solutions to address the most difficult legal problems having potential high-level or large-scale impact on the ODNI's and IC's mission or activities.

Expertly analyze laws, bills, reports and Congressional records, as well as proposed Executive Branch orders, directives, regulations and policy statements, to determine their effect on the ODNI and the IC; provide authoritative advice and counsel to senior management on ODNI and IC legislative proposals, including Congressional testimony.

Provide expert briefings and advocate for ODNI and IC views on particular matters to judges, administrative bodies, Executive Branch entities, Congress, and private sector entities; cogently briefs senior ODNI and IC management on legal issues that relate to ODNI and IC activities.

Assist the Department of Justice in the most complex civil and criminal litigation by advocating for the ODNI's position, protecting classified information from disclosure, and defending the official actions of IC employees.

Expertly negotiate complex contracts and other agreements with other agencies, private sector entities, and foreign liaison.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

Must be a current permanent ODNI employee.

OR

Must be a current permanent Federal employee
Must have supervisory approval to apply to the Joint Duty Assignment.
Must be currently at the grade level of the detail. *No Temporary Promotion Opportunity*
The program does not apply to members of the Military service or contractors.

Qualifications

Expert ability to interpret laws, regulations, judicial decisions, Executive orders, and statutes involving complex concepts and issues, as well as expert-level research, analytical, and organizational skills.

Expert-level knowledge of one or more of the general or specialized areas of OGC's law practice, such as: federal taxation, federal employee ethics, Equal Employment Opportunity law, contracts, operations law, administrative law, and litigation.

Expert interviewing skills and techniques to skillfully collect relevant information; superior ability to balance client needs with professional objectivity and integrity.

Expert ability to prepare and edit logical, concise, and accurate written materials on the most complex topics that are easy to understand, persuasive, grammatically correct, and conform to OGC, ODNI, and other applicable legal standards for form and content.

Superior ability to quickly integrate and synthesize the facts and law to make legally sound decisions pertaining to the most complex situations, or in the context of ambiguous or ill-defined situations.

Superior ability to routinely communicate the most complex concepts and issues in a manner well matched to the audience being addressed, and to consistently make sound, timely decisions in complex, ambiguous or ill-defined situations.

Superior interpersonal, organizational and problem-solving skills, including ability to work effectively both independently and in a collaborative environment and superior creative problem-solving skills.

Juris Doctorate (J.D.) from an accredited ABA law school and Proof of Bar Status is required. To qualify for a position at the GS-15 level: You must possess a Juris Doctorate (J.D.) from an accredited ABA law school, active bar status in good standing, and at least five years professional legal experience post bar admission.

Education

Juris Doctorate.

Additional information

Job Interview Travel: Candidates from outside the Washington, D.C. area may be selected for a telephone, teleconference, or in-person interview.

Salary Determination: A current Federal Government employee, selected for a detail, will be assigned to the position at their current grade and salary.

Other Information

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES: The ODNI provides reasonable accommodations to otherwise qualified applicants with disabilities. IF YOU NEED A REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the Reasonable Accommodation Office Representative by classified email at DNI_Diversity_WMA@cia.ic.gov, by unclassified email at DNI_DRA@dni.gov, by telephone at 703-275-3900 or by FAX at 703-275-1217. Your request for reasonable accommodation will be addressed on a case-by-case basis. PLEASE DO NOT SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION TO THE EEOD EMAIL ADDRESS. THIS EMAIL IS FOR REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION REQUESTS ONLY.

The ODNI is an equal opportunity employer and abides by applicable employment laws and regulations.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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.

You must submit the supporting documents listed under the required documents section of this announcement. We will review your resume and supporting documentation to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. If you are among the best qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and may be called for an interview.



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