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PARALEGAL SPECIALIST

Department of the Air Force
U.S. Northern Command
This vacancy has Department-wide consideration

Summary

Click on "Learn more about this agency" button below to view Eligibilities being considered and other IMPORTANT information.

The primary purpose of this position: Serves as the Senior Command Paralegal for the North American Aerospace Defense Command and United States Northern Command (NORAD & USNORTHCOM) Office of the Staff Judge Advocate (OSJA)

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
03/31/2026 to 04/06/2026
Salary
$91,870 - $119,434 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12
Location
FEW vacancies in the following location:
Peterson AFB, CO
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Sensitive Compartmented Information
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Special-Sensitive (SS)/High Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
6X-AFPC-12924788-236304-WMB
Control number
863069400

Duties

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  • Serves as the Senior Paralegal for NORAD & USNORTHCOM OSJA
  • Principal paralegal assistant to the National Security Law Section Chief
  • Principal paralegal assistant to the Administrative Law Section Chief regarding ethics, contract law, fiscal law, labor law, environmental law, and military justice issues related to the component commands
  • Supports all Freedom of Information Act / Privacy Act releases for the Office of the Staff Judge Advocate (OSJA) records

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship Required
  • Males must be registered for Selective Service, see www.sss.gov
  • Applicants must obtain and maintain a Top-Secret clearance w/SCI access
  • Locally Funded PCS: Travel and relocation expenses will be paid in accordance with the JTR
  • This position is subject to provisions of the DoD Priority Placement Program
  • This position is designated by the Air Force as a Test Designated Position (TDP) under the Air Force Civilian Drug Testing Program.
  • This position has been designated as Special Sensitive. The employee is required to obtain and maintain a Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information clearance as a condition of employment
  • May be required to perform Battle Roster functions during Exercises and Real-World events
  • IAW DoDI 3020-42 the position has been locally, or command designated as Mission Essential (ME) performing a Mission Critical Function (MCF)
  • Disclosure of Political Appointments
  • Work may occasionally require travel away from the normal duty station on military or commercial aircraft in accordance with Joint Travel Regulations in performance of temporary duty (TDY)
  • Employee may be required to work and/or be “on call” after normal duty hours, which may include evenings, weekends or holidays and is subject to short- or no-notice recall to duty during exercises, crises, or contingencies
  • Employee required to function as a Notary Public. Must be able to satisfactorily complete training to become a Notary Public and be able to meet other requirements inherent in the appointment as a Notary Public
  • YA002 = Eligible for situational telework only, including Ad hoc, Emergency, or OPM prescribed "Unscheduled” Telework.
  • Depending on the type of position (competitive/excepted) you are selected for, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period OR 2-year trial period.
  • Upon completion of your probationary/trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

In order to qualify, you must meet the specialized experience requirements described in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions, for Administrative and Management Positions

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicant must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 (or higher) grade level or equivalent pay systems. Specialized experience is a Comprehensive knowledge of Federal and State statutes, judicial opinions, and regulations and policy guidance from the DoW, the Military Departments, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Office of Management and Budget, and the Department of Justice, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the U.S. Secret Service, other Federal Agencies, the National Guard Bureau and the various State and Territory National Guard organizations regarding Homeland Defense, Defense Support to Civil Authorities, Counter Drug/Counter Transnational Organized Crime, and Theater Security Cooperation, a knowledge of the Commands' missions and functions, organizational structure of the Agency, and interrelationships with other DoW and non-DoW agencies to support and provide advice on a variety of relevant legal portfolios, a Knowledge of the concepts, principles, policies, and regulations of a Combatant Command is essential for the position. Must have the ability to coordinate, evaluate, and integrate the work of others into a cohesive final product which accurately reflects the SJA 's position as it relates to the Commander's major focus areas, a mastery skill at editing complex legal opinions and memoranda for technical correctness, verbal precision, ability to analyze and evaluate the relevance of particular technical evidence or questions which arise in the conduct of specialized legal programs, as well as skill at identifying legal issues of sufficient importance requiring dissemination to the field, and an Extensive procedural knowledge to examine a variety of legal and supporting documents. Knowledge and skill to use a variety of legal resources, computerized legal databases, Westlaw and LEXIS systems, various governmental systems (both federal and state) for reporting legal, regulatory, and policy guidance to employ resources in researching complex and novel legal topics

FEDERAL TIME-IN-GRADE (TIG) REQUIREMENT FOR GENERAL SCHEDULE (GS) POSITIONS: Merit promotion applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements to be considered eligible. One year at the GS-11 level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-12 level. TIG applies if you are in a current GS position or held a GS position within the previous 52 weeks. NOTE: Applicants applying as VEOA candidates who are current GS civil service employees or are prior GS civil service employees within the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas:
1. In-depth knowledge of the rules, procedures, policies, and legal principles across a broad spectrum of law, including operational, international, intelligence, national security, fiscal, and administrative law, particularly as they apply to the unique missions of a joint and bi-national Combatant Command (e.g. NORAD & USNORTHCOM) such as Homeland Defense (HD) and Defense Support to Civil Authorities (DSCA)
2. Mastery of legal research principles and techniques using electronic databases (e.g., Westlaw, Lexis) and traditional methods to analyze complex and often novel legal issues, interpret the impact of legislative developments and judicial decisions, evaluate the applicability of precedents, and recommend timely, accurate solutions to command attorneys and staff
3. Expert skill in preparing, reviewing, and editing a full range of complex legal documents, including opinions, memoranda, reports, and correspondence for senior leader and flag officer signature. Ability to ensure all written work is characterized by accuracy, correct grammar, proper citation, and compliance with security and classification procedures
4. Skill to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with representatives from U.S. and foreign military and civilian organizations, the Joint Staff, and other federal agencies. Ability to present legal information and analysis clearly and concisely to senior attorneys and leadership
5. Ability to independently support legal programs, processes, and complex caseloads. This includes gathering and analyzing facts, using effective analytical methods to assess information, managing automated tracking systems to report case status, and applying sound judgment to organize and prioritize work in a high-tempo operational environment
6. Knowledge of, and skill in using, a wide variety of office automation software, legal-specific applications, and data management systems (e.g., SharePoint, case tracking databases) to support office operations, manage e-discovery, and produce a variety of documents, reports, spreadsheets, and presentations


PART-TIME OR UNPAID EXPERIENCE: Credit will be given for appropriate unpaid and or part-time work. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week.

VOLUNTEER WORK EXPERIENCE: Refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service Programs (i.e., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student and social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge and skills that can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): For information on how to apply as an ICTAP eligible click here. To be well-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, displaced Federal employees must be rated well qualified or above for this position. You must submit a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location.

Employed Annuitants (Reemployed Annuitants): Applicants in receipt of an annuity based on civilian employment in the Federal Service are subject to the DoD Policy on The Employment of Annuitants. Click here for more information.

120-Day Register: This announcement may result in a 120-day register that may be used to fill like vacancies for 120 days after the closing date. Applicants may be referred for consideration as vacancies occur.

Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Eligible: MSP applicants, if determined best qualified, must be selected and placed at the highest grade for which they applied. You must include a completed copy of the DD Form 3145-4, Military Spouse PPP Self-Certification Checklist dated within 30 days along with the documents identified on the checklist to verify your eligibility for MSP. Click here to obtain/download a copy of the DD Form 3145-4, Military Spouse PPP Self-Certification Checklist.

Priority Placement Program (PPP) Applicant Eligible: PPP Applicants, if determined well qualified and selected, will be placed at the at the full performance level. You must include the applicable completed copy of the PPP Self-Certification Checklist dated within 30 days along with the documents identified on the checklist to verify your eligibility as a PPP Applicant. Click here to obtain/download a copy of the applicable PPP Self-Certification Checklist (DD3145-1 through DD3145-4, select the appropriate checklist for your claimed preference). To determine the applicable PPP Self-Certification Checklist required to substantiate the eligibilities you are claiming, refer to the AF Civilian Employment Eligibility Guide located in the Required Documents section of this vacancy announcement.

Direct Deposit: All federal employees are required to have direct deposit.

Disabled veteran leave is available to a Federal employee hired on/after 5 Nov 2016, who is a veteran with a service-connected disability rating of 30% or more. For more information, click here.

If you have questions regarding this announcement and have hearing or speech difficulties click here.

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.

Your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine your eligibility, qualifications, and quality ranking for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

BASIS OF RATING:
Your application will be rated under the Cut Point procedures based on the extent to which the quality, depth, and complexity of your experience and education relate to the qualification requirements. Additional points are not added for Veteran's Preference; however, Veteran's Preference is considered where applicable.

Best Qualified Group: Candidates in this category possess exceptional skills and experience to exceed well above the minimum requirements
Fully Qualified Group: Candidates in this category possess good skills and experience above the minimum requirements.
Basically Qualified Group: Candidates in this category meet the minimum education and/or experience requirements.

The resume/documents you submit must support your responses to the online questionnaire. If your application contradicts or does not support your questionnaire responses, you will receive a rating of "not qualified" or "insufficient information" and you will not receive further consideration for this job.

For additional information on what to include in your resume, click here.

APPRAISALS/AWARDS: Hiring Managers use objective methods and consider previous performance appraisals and awards in the selection process. Current Federal Civilian employees should list any relevant performance related rating and/or awards in your resume.

Applicants who disqualify themselves will not be evaluated further.

U.S. Northern Command

The mission of the United States Air Force is: To fly, fight, and win...Airpower anytime, anywhere. To achieve that mission, the Air Force has a vision of Global Vigilance, Global Reach and Global Power. That vision orbits around three core competencies: Developing Airmen, Technology-to-Warfighting and Integrating Operations. Core competencies and distinctive capabilities are based on a shared commitment to three core values -- integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do.

Click here to view the AF Civilian Employment Eligibility Guide:

  • AF DCIPS Interchange
  • AF Internal Employee
  • Cyber Interagency Transfer Authority (CITA)
  • DoD Transfer (Excluding Air Force)
  • EO 13473 Appointment of Certain Military Spouses
  • Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan
  • Land Management Employee
  • Military Spouse Preference
  • Non-AF DCIPS Interchange
  • PPP DoD Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technicians
  • PPP DoD Retained Grade Preference Eligible
  • PPP Mil Res (MR) and Nat Guard (NG) Pref Eligible Technician Receiving Disability Retirement
  • Veterans Employment Opportunities Act

Agency contact information

Total Force Service Center
Phone
1-800-525-0102
Email
DO.NOT.EMAIL@CALL.ONLY
Address
NORTHCOM
250 Vandenberg Street
Suite B016
Peterson SFB, CO 80914
US

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