Clarification from the agency

Current United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, United States Postal Service and United States Postal Inspection Service and Postal Regulatory Commission Employees only.

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This announcement provides the opportunity for a reassignment/promotion to Special Assistant United States Attorney (SAUSA) position detailed to the United States Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois (Chicago, Illinois). Bring your skills and voice to our team!

Previous criminal law experience and/or experience in litigation is required. Previous experience as an Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) or Special Assistant United States Attorney (SAUSA) is beneficial but not required. Experience with Postal Service matters, healthcare fraud, narcotics investigations and public corruption is desired, but not required. Additionally, the applicant must possess strong academic credentials from an ABA accredited law school, demonstrate excellent writing, research ability, advocacy, and investigative skills, work effectively in a team environment, and have a proven record of creative thinking. Applicant must be an active member in good standing to practice law in any state, U.S. Territory, or the District of Columbia and be an active member in good standing of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction).

The successful candidate will report to the USPS OIG Office of General Counsel (OGC) and the U.S. Attorney's Office (USAO) in the Northern District of Illinois (NDIL), Chicago, Illinois. He or she will primarily prosecute Postal employees who have engaged in theft of mail, embezzlement of funds, narcotics violations, healthcare fraud, and public corruption. The selectee will prosecute other cases as needed, for training or otherwise, as directed by the USAO. The successful candidate will engage in grand jury investigations and appear on behalf of the United States in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois for hearings, including: arraignments, bail hearings, preliminary and pretrial hearings, plea hearings, and sentencing hearings. The successful candidate will handle trials in United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and appeals in the United States Court of Appeals for the Seven Circuit. The successful candidate will be responsible for preparing and presenting investigative and charging documents to include warrants, complaints, information, and indictments.

NOTE: This is a TERM appointment, with an initial term of two years, with the possibility of three additional up to one-year extensions. The position may be extended further without competition.

NOTE: While this position reports to USPS OIG Headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, the candidate will be detailed full-time to the USAO NDIL. The candidate is expected to comply with residency requirements for the NDIL at the time they begin employment.

Candidates will be evaluated on the skills that they possess that are directly related to the duties of the position and the experience, education and training that indicate the applicant's ability to acquire the particular knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of the position. Only those candidates who meet all qualification and eligibility requirements and who submit the required information by 11:59 PM EST on 01/26/2026 will be considered.

The USPS OIG uses a Pay Banding system, which is equivalent to the Federal GS scale. Grade and salary determinations will be made based upon a candidate's education and professional experience.

This position is being advertised at the Journey/Attorney Band level, equivalent to a GS-13 - GS-14. The salary range for this position is $118,984.00 - $182,790.00. The salary figures include locality pay. Promotion potential to a GS-14 is at management's discretion.

Please note that the duties and responsibilities associated with this position may vary based upon the agency's needs at the time of hire. The following description of major duties and responsibilities is only intended to give applicants a general overview of the expectations.

• Provide legal advice and guidance to federal agents in the development of cases for prosecution.
• Conduct legal research, prepare and present to the district court necessary investigative documents, including motions, search warrants, and subpoenas to support the investigations undertaken by USPS OIG investigators.
• Lead the investigative team through investigations, case development, and grand jury presentation. This will include preparation of prosecution memoranda in compliance with the requirements of the USAO NDIL.
• Represent the USPS OIG and the federal government as the prosecuting attorney on assigned cases before judges and hearing officers at all stages of criminal litigation and appeal.
• Work closely with other USPS OIG attorneys, other USAOs, the Department of Justice, and other organizations to keep abreast of legal developments and best practices, and to effectively represent the USPS OIG's interests.

Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. citizen
• Must be able to pass a drug screening.
• Must be able to pass a background investigation
• Must be able to obtain and maintain Top Secret security clearance
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a government-issued credit card
• May be required to successfully complete a 12-month probationary period

Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
You must meet ALL of the minimum qualifications listed below.

• At least 4 years of post J.D. litigation and/or criminal law experience.
• Graduation from an ABA accredited law school.
• Excellent writing, research, and advocacy skills.
• Active member in good standing of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction).

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

• Knowledge of the U.S. Postal Service.
• Experience prosecuting healthcare fraud, narcotics and/or public corruption.
• Top academic credentials.
• Experience participating and/or leading a team.
• Proven record of creative thinking.

EVALUATION FACTORS
You must have the experience, knowledge and skills as listed in EACH of the evaluation factors. Failure to demonstrate that you meet all of the evaluation factor requirements as listed below will result in a score of zero (0); an ineligible status, and you will not be referred for further consideration. Include your major accomplishments relevant to the position requirements in your resume.

• Experience in criminal litigation, as prosecution or defense, preferably involving postal statutes, healthcare fraud, narcotics investigations, and/or public corruption.
• Skill in legal writing, including preparation of legal Memoranda, Motions and other court submissions, charging documents and appellate briefs.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively and work collaboratively while maintaining excellent client relationships.
• Ability to manage a diverse workload that includes investigations and active litigation, while maintaining effective communication with law enforcement partners, USAO management, and USPS OIG management.

You will no longer be considered for this position if you: fail to respond to all of the questions in the self-assessment questionnaire; fail to address a factor in the narrative section (no response or "See resume" or similar language will be scored a zero (0)); or receive a zero (0) rating on any evaluation factor.

Failure to demonstrate that you meet all evaluation factor requirements will result in a score of zero (0). Upon receipt of a zero score, you will be deemed "not minimally qualified," and you will not be referred for further consideration.

How you will be evaluated

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

The Human Resources Office will review your resume and supporting documentation to ensure that you meet the minimum qualifications required for this position.

You will no longer be considered for this position if you:

• Receive a zero (0) rating on any evaluation factor
• Fail to attach all required documentation
• Submit a resume that exceeds the two-page limit
• If your application materials indicate that you are not minimally-qualified for this position
• If you fail to qualify on the interview

Only the top-rated candidates will be referred to a review official or the selecting official for further consideration. Top-rated applicants may be required to participate in an interview. Your rating may be further adjusted or rated as ineligible by the review official or the selecting official based on your interview performance. Once all applicant scores are finalized, the selecting official will make a final decision. NOTE: If you receive a zero (0) rating on any evaluation factor or on the interview, you will be considered NOT MINIMALLY QUALIFIED for the position and rated ineligible.

Applicants for this position may be interviewed one or more times as part of the hiring process. During interviews, applicants may not use any AI tool or virtual assistant (such as ChatGPT) to help them answer questions, except for accessibility tools used as part of a reasonable accommodation. Applicants who fail to follow these rules will be disqualified from the hiring process.