The Office of the General Counsel (OGC) is seeking an experienced attorney to provide authoritative legal counsel in support of the agency's governmentwide functions, oversee regulatory review and coordination, advise senior agency leaders, and supervise a professional legal and regulatory team. If selected, you will lead complex regulatory and administrative law work affecting the Federal civil service.
Summary
The Office of the General Counsel (OGC) is seeking an experienced attorney to provide authoritative legal counsel in support of the agency's governmentwide functions, oversee regulatory review and coordination, advise senior agency leaders, and supervise a professional legal and regulatory team. If selected, you will lead complex regulatory and administrative law work affecting the Federal civil service.
The Supervisory Attorney Advisor serves as a senior regulatory attorney, advisor, and first-line supervisor responsible for providing expert legal advice on complex policy, regulatory, and administrative law matters and managing OGC processes that support the development, review, clearance, and implementation of OPM regulations and related regulatory materials. In this role, the incumbent will:
Direct a small professional staff performing legal, regulatory, analytical, and process-management work supporting OPM's regulatory activities.
Serve as a senior attorney and principal legal advisor on rulemaking matters involving OPM's statutory authorities, civil service programs, and governmentwide personnel-management responsibilities.
Provide authoritative legal advice on complex regulatory, administrative law, and policy matters involving the development, interpretation, revision, and implementation of OPM regulations.
Review, draft, and prepare substantive rules and regulations, policy statements, interpretive rules, supporting legal analyses, and other regulatory documents to ensure legal sufficiency and compliance with applicable statutes, Executive Orders, and procedural requirements.
Analyze complex and novel legal issues involving OPM authorities, the Administrative Procedure Act, Executive Orders, OMB and OIRA requirements, the Paperwork Reduction Act, the Privacy Act, and other authorities affecting Federal rulemaking.
Advise OPM program offices on the development, revision, implementation, and defense of regulations and regulatory initiatives.
Coordinate OGC legal review of regulatory actions and policy initiatives, working with attorneys, management and program analysts, program offices, and senior officials to identify and resolve legal issues, support clearance, and meet regulatory deadlines.
Serve as an OGC point of contact with OPM program offices, OMB, OIRA, the Department of Justice, other Federal agencies, and other stakeholders on regulatory and major policy matters.
Develop and implement procedures, tools, templates, tracking methods, and quality-control practices to improve the efficiency, consistency, and legal sufficiency of OPM's regulatory review processes.
Advise senior officials on new legislation, Executive Orders, litigation developments, regulatory priorities, legislative proposals, oversight inquiries, and other matters affecting OPM programs or regulatory authorities.
Provide legal advice concerning litigation or potential litigation involving OPM policies and regulations and support DOJ or agency litigation counsel through legal analysis, regulatory history, administrative-record support, and subject-matter expertise.
Represent OGC in meetings, briefings, working groups, and inter-office committees addressing significant regulatory projects, legal positions, and agency priorities.
Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service
Suitable for Federal employment, determined by a background investigation
May be required to successfully complete a trial period
Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin
You will be required to report to an OPM assigned office.
This position is not eligible for inclusion in a bargaining unit.
Qualifications
Basic Qualifications:
A J.D. from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association;
Active membership, in good standing, of the Bar of a State, territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia; and
At least one full year of experience comparable in difficulty and responsibility to at least the GS-14 level in the Federal service.
Preferred Qualifications:
In addition to meeting the basic requirement, applicants must demonstrate professional legal experience that equipped them to perform the duties of this position at the GS-15 level. Qualifying experience should demonstrate substantial expertise in several of the following areas:
Providing authoritative legal advice on complex regulatory and administrative law matters;
Interpreting statutes, regulations, Executive Orders, and other authorities governing agency rulemaking;
Drafting, reviewing, or advising on proposed or final regulations, interpretive rules, policy statements, responses to public comments, or related regulatory materials;
Applying the Administrative Procedure Act and other procedural requirements applicable to Federal rulemaking;
Advising senior agency officials or executives on legally complex or high-impact matters;
Coordinating regulatory or legal work involving multiple organizational components or Federal agencies;
Developing legal strategies or recommendations in matters involving novel issues, limited precedent, competing interests, significant policy consequences, or compressed deadlines; and
Leading, supervising, or providing substantive direction to attorneys or other professional staff
You must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements 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.
Education
This position has a basic education requirement listed under the Qualifications section of this announcement.
Additional information
Relocation expenses will not be paid.
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional similar vacancies across OPM.
Incentive payments may be considered.
If you are unable to apply online and would like to request information about the Alternate Application process, please use the contact information at the bottom of this announcement.
As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:
- your performance and conduct;
- the needs and interests of the agency;
- whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
- whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
Upon completion of your trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
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.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
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.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
Your Resume that includes your bar number and issuing state.
Othersupporting documents, as applicable:
Veterans' Preference documentation, if applicable (e.g. DD-214 Member Copy 4 showing type of discharge/character of service; Current Active Duty members must submit a certification of expected discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions dated within 120 days; SF-15 Form and related documentation; VA letter.) There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, OPM considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring.
Performance Appraisals: Current Federal employees must submit their last three performance appraisals or explain why three are not available (e.g. employed in the government for fewer than three years).
Responses to four Merit Hiring essay questions described below (optional)
Merit Hiring Questions: Applicants may choose to submit responses to the four essay questions below. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools to generate or assist with these responses is not permitted. By submitting responses, you certify that the essays are your own work and were completed without the use of AI.
How has your commitment to the Constitution and the founding principles of the United States inspired you to pursue this role within the Federal government? Provide a concrete example from professional, academic, or personal experience.
In this role, how would you use your skills and experience to improve government efficiency and effectiveness? Provide specific examples where you improved processes, reduced costs, or improved outcomes.
How would you help advance the President's Executive Orders and policy priorities in this role? Identify one or two relevant Executive Orders or policy initiatives that are significant to you, and explain how you would help implement them if hired.
How has a strong work ethic contributed to your professional, academic or personal achievements? Provide one or two specific examples, and explain how those qualities would enable you to serve effectively in this position.
To apply for this position, you must submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above to the following email address: OGCJobs@opm.gov. Please include in the subject line your last name and the job announcement number for which you are applying. For example: Smith, 26-CLD-13034697-ATT.
You will receive an email acknowledgment when your application has been received. This is not an indication as to the completeness of your application; you are responsible for ensuring that you submit a complete application
OPM Human Resources
1900 E St., NW
Washington, DC 20415
US
Next steps
References, Writing Sample, and Other Supporting Documents: If you advance in the selection process, you may be required to: (1) submit three professional references; (2) submit a writing sample not more than 20 pages in length; and/or (3) complete one or more assessments. Deliberate attempts to falsify information in your application may be grounds for not selecting you or for dismissing you from the position/agency.
After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation.
An agency may not request, orally, in writing, or electronically through the USA Jobs website or other electronic means, that an applicant for appointment for a position in the civil service disclose criminal history record information before the appointing agency extends a conditional offer of employment. If you believe you were asked about your criminal history improperly, contact the agency or visit https://www.opm.gov/about-us/careers-at-opm/opportunities/
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
Your Resume that includes your bar number and issuing state.
Othersupporting documents, as applicable:
Veterans' Preference documentation, if applicable (e.g. DD-214 Member Copy 4 showing type of discharge/character of service; Current Active Duty members must submit a certification of expected discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions dated within 120 days; SF-15 Form and related documentation; VA letter.) There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, OPM considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring.
Performance Appraisals: Current Federal employees must submit their last three performance appraisals or explain why three are not available (e.g. employed in the government for fewer than three years).
Responses to four Merit Hiring essay questions described below (optional)
Merit Hiring Questions: Applicants may choose to submit responses to the four essay questions below. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools to generate or assist with these responses is not permitted. By submitting responses, you certify that the essays are your own work and were completed without the use of AI.
How has your commitment to the Constitution and the founding principles of the United States inspired you to pursue this role within the Federal government? Provide a concrete example from professional, academic, or personal experience.
In this role, how would you use your skills and experience to improve government efficiency and effectiveness? Provide specific examples where you improved processes, reduced costs, or improved outcomes.
How would you help advance the President's Executive Orders and policy priorities in this role? Identify one or two relevant Executive Orders or policy initiatives that are significant to you, and explain how you would help implement them if hired.
How has a strong work ethic contributed to your professional, academic or personal achievements? Provide one or two specific examples, and explain how those qualities would enable you to serve effectively in this position.
To apply for this position, you must submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above to the following email address: OGCJobs@opm.gov. Please include in the subject line your last name and the job announcement number for which you are applying. For example: Smith, 26-CLD-13034697-ATT.
You will receive an email acknowledgment when your application has been received. This is not an indication as to the completeness of your application; you are responsible for ensuring that you submit a complete application
OPM Human Resources
1900 E St., NW
Washington, DC 20415
US
Next steps
References, Writing Sample, and Other Supporting Documents: If you advance in the selection process, you may be required to: (1) submit three professional references; (2) submit a writing sample not more than 20 pages in length; and/or (3) complete one or more assessments. Deliberate attempts to falsify information in your application may be grounds for not selecting you or for dismissing you from the position/agency.
After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation.
An agency may not request, orally, in writing, or electronically through the USA Jobs website or other electronic means, that an applicant for appointment for a position in the civil service disclose criminal history record information before the appointing agency extends a conditional offer of employment. If you believe you were asked about your criminal history improperly, contact the agency or visit https://www.opm.gov/about-us/careers-at-opm/opportunities/
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
