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Legal Program Specialist

Department of Defense
National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency

Summary

Legal Program Specialists possess specialized knowledge and experience that enable the mission of the NGA Office of General Counsel (OGC) to provide timely, accurate, and practical legal advice to ensure NGA accomplishes its mission consistent with the Constitution and all applicable laws. They provide direct support to the attorneys and paralegal specialists working complex legal issues related t

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
04/27/2026 to 05/16/2026
Salary
$85,447 - $158,322 per year
Pay scale & grade
IA 03
Location
Many vacancies in the following location:
Springfield, VA
1 vacancy
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent - This is a permanent position.
Work schedule
Full-time - Full Time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
03
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Sensitive Compartmented Information
Drug test
Yes
Announcement number
20260152
Control number
866340500

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

External Applicants Only

Duties

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: This position is located in the main NGA facility in Springfield, VA. This position supports the Staff Director and Executive Assistant with administrative functions similar to those in a law office/environment. The Office of General Counsel is made up of about 50-55 employees consisting of attorneys, paralegals, and legal program specialists.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • US Citizenship is required.
  • Designated or Random Drug Testing required.
  • Security Investigation

SPECIAL INFO:
As a condition of employment at NGA, persons being considered for employment must meet NGA fitness for employment standards.

- U.S. Citizenship

- Security Clearance - Top Secret /Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI)

- Polygraph & Drug Test

- Direct Deposit

- Trial Period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. We may consider: performance conduct; needs and interests of the agency; and whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government and the efficiency of the Federal service

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
You must be able to obtain and retain a Top Secret security clearance with access to SCI. In addition, you are subject to a Counterintelligence Polygraph examination in order to maintain access to Top Secret information. All employees are subject to a periodic examination on a random basis in order to determine continued eligibility. Refusal to take the examination may result in denial of access to Top Secret information, SAP, or unescorted access to SCIFs.

Employees with SCI access and who are under NGA cognizance are required to submit a Security Financial Disclosure Report, SF-714, on an annual basis in order to determine continued eligibility. Failure to comply may negatively impact continued access to Top Secret information, Information Systems, SAP, or unescorted access to SCIFs.


NGA utilizes all processes and procedures of the Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System (DCIPS). Non-executive NGA employees are assigned to five distinct pay bands based on the type and scope of work performed. The employee's base salary is established within their assigned pay band based on their unique qualifications. A performance pay process is conducted each year to determine a potential base pay salary increase and/or bonus. An employee's annual performance evaluation is a key factor in the performance pay process.

This position is a DCIPS position in the Excepted Service under 10 U.S.C. 1601. DoD Components with DCIPS positions apply Veterans' Preference to preference eligible candidates as defined by Section 2108 of Title 5 USC, in accordance with the procedures provided in DoD Instruction 1400.25, Volume 2005, DCIPS Employment and Placement. If you are an external applicant claiming veterans' preference, as defined by Section 2108 of Title 5 U.S.C., you must self-identify your eligibility.

Qualifications

MANDATORY QUALIFICATION CRITERIA: For this particular job, applicants must meet all competencies reflected under the Mandatory Qualification Criteria to include education (if required). Online resumes must demonstrate qualification by providing specific examples and associated results, in response to the announcement's mandatory criteria specified in this vacancy announcement:

1) Experience managing projects and/or programs with multiple customers.
2) Experience with business process improvement to develop new or modified work methods, organizational structures, management processes, and/or program administration procedures to enable efficient legal business operations.
3) Experience using written and oral communication skills to convey information to audiences of various technical capabilities.
4) Experience researching and gathering relevant, timely, and accurate information to solve a problem set.
5) Experience preparing a variety of narrative and tabular material (e.g., legal briefs, correspondence, reports, technical papers, and/or manuals, etc.).
6) Experience performing a variety of business operations functions that operationalize the administration and operations of a law office (e.g., program management, records management, data/information management, manpower utilization, budget allocation and/or execution management, security administration, property management, reports management, and other related activities).

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATION CRITERIA: In addition to the mandatory qualifications, experience in the following is desired:

1) Experience working in a legal office/organization and/or experience as a legal assistant with support to one or more of the following areas: administrative law; national security law; international law; federal employment law policies, procedures, and programs; legislative proposals and reviews; information technology law; litigation; tort claims; ethics; privacy and civil liberties; U.S. Government information practices to include the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA); intelligence oversight; acquisition law; or intellectual property law.
2) Experience providing legal assistant services in support of the U.S. Military, Intelligence Community, Department of Defense, or other U.S. Government agencies.
3) Experience navigating ambiguity by adapting to new demands or information and handling situations with multiple variables and/or unknowns.
4) Ability to prepare and organize evidence to support a variety of legal matters.
5) Practical knowledge of legal terminology.

Additional information

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.

Applicants are not required to submit a cover letter for employment consideration with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. However, a cover letter is recommended. Applicants will have the option to attach a cover letter in the Qualifications - Attachments step of the online application.

APPLICANT EVALUATION PROCESS:

1) All applicants will be evaluated using the Mandatory Qualification Criteria,

2) Qualified applicants will then be evaluated by an expert or panel of experts using a combination of qualification criteria to determine the best-qualified candidates,

3) Best-qualified applicants may then be further evaluated through an interview process.

Military retiree applicants, if selected, may be impacted by the 180-day appointment restrictions of DODI 1402.01. HD personnel will provide additional information if applicable.

Applicants are encouraged to carefully review the Assignment Description, Additional Information Provided By the Selecting Official, and the Qualification Requirements; and then construct their resumes to highlight their most relevant and significant experience and education for this job opportunity. This description should include examples that detail the level and complexity of the performed work. Applicants are encouraged to provide any education or degree information referenced in the announcement that is relevant. If education is listed as a mandatory requirement, only degrees obtained from an institution accredited by an accrediting organization recognized by the Secretary, US Department of Education will be accepted. You must use the NGA resume builder and limit your resume to 2 pages.

In accordance with section 9902(h) of title 5, United States Code, annuitants reemployed in the Department of Defense shall receive full annuity and salary upon appointment. They shall not be eligible for retirement contributions, participation in the Thrift Savings Plan, or a supplemental or re-determined annuity for the reemployment period. Discontinued service retirement annuitants (i.e., retired under section 8336(d)(1) or 8414(b)(1)(A) of title 5, United States Code) appointed to the Department of Defense may elect to be subject to retirement provisions of the new appointment as appropriate. (See DoD Instruction 1400.25, Volume 300). Reemployed annuitants must meet additional selection criteria as outlined in the DODI 1400.25, v300.

All candidates will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, disability, or sexual orientation.

NGA provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. Applications will only be accepted online. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify us at recruitment@nga.mil. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-case basis.

National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency

Agency contact information

Recruitment
Phone
571-557-1999
Email
Recruitment@nga.mil
Address
NATIONAL GEOSPATIAL-INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
Mailstop: S44-HDR
7500 GEOINT Drive
Springfield, VA 22150
US

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https://www.nga.mil/about/pages/default.aspx

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