This position is located in the Office of General Counsel, National Endowment for the Arts (Arts Endowment). The incumbent serves as an Attorney Advisor and a principal subject-matter attorney for federal financial assistance and the legal development and implementation of the Arts Endowment programs.
Who May Be Considered:
U.S. Citizens
View common definitions of terms found in this announcement.
Summary
This position is located in the Office of General Counsel, National Endowment for the Arts (Arts Endowment). The incumbent serves as an Attorney Advisor and a principal subject-matter attorney for federal financial assistance and the legal development and implementation of the Arts Endowment programs.
Who May Be Considered:
U.S. Citizens
View common definitions of terms found in this announcement.
In this position, you will serve as an Attorney Advisor. Typical work assignments include:
Serving as a legal advisor to leadership on grants, cooperative agreements, and other federal financial assistance, including the design, development, implementation, administration and oversight of agency programs.
Advising leadership and program officials on whether proposed activities comply with statutory authority and agency appropriations.
Interpreting and applying federal frameworks, including the Federal Grant and Cooperative Agreement Act and the OMB Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200), appropriations provisions and other statutes, regulations, executive orders, government-wide requirements and agency policies governing agency financial assistance.
Providing legal review of public-facing materials, including program solicitations, application guidelines, eligibility requirements, and award terms and conditions.
Counseling program grants-management, budget, civil rights and other agency personnel-on applicant eligibility, cost allowability, and compliant merit-review panel procedures.
Advising on complex or sensitive award administration issues, such as changes in project scope, budget revisions, subawards, recipient noncompliance, suspension, termination, and intellectual property provisions.
Suitable for Federal employment, determined by a background investigation
May be required to successfully complete a probationary period
Selective Service registration required.
All employees are required to participate in Direct Deposit/ Electronic Funds Transfer for salary payments.
All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement and clearly documented in your resume.
Relocation expenses are not authorized. Other recruitment incentives may be authorized.
In accordance with Executive Order 14170, applicants are encouraged to respond to the four short, free-response, essay questions in the questionnaire. Answers to these questions are not scored or rated.
Your answers to the essay questions will be reviewed by the hiring manager and agency leadership if you are referred for selection consideration.
Qualifications
Applicants must demonstrate that they meet the Basic Requirements AND Minimum Qualification requirements as noted below.
BASIC REQUIREMENTS:
You must be a graduate of an accredited law school with an LLB or JD from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) a full course of study in a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA). (Must provide Transcripts)
You must be currently in good standing with the Bar of a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
AND
Minimum Qualifications:
GS-13: You qualify for the GS-13 grade level (starting salary $121,785.00) if you have at least 1.5 years of professional experience acquired after being admitted to the Bar, one of which was specialized experience at, or equivalent to, the level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent at GS-12 level in Federal service. Examples of such specialized experience include:
Providing legal advice concerning grants, cooperative agreements, or other financial-assistance programs; and,
Counseling program officials concerning the legal design, development, implementation, administration, or enforcement of such programs.
OR
GS-14: You qualify for the GS-14 grade level (starting salary $143,913) if you have at least at least 2.5 years of professional experience acquired after being admitted to the Bar, one of which was specialized experience at, or equivalent to, the level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent at GS-13 level in Federal service. Examples of such specialized experience include:
Providing legal advice concerning grants, cooperative agreements, or other financial-assistance programs; and
Counseling Program officials concerning the legal design, development, implementation, administration, or enforcement of such programs.
NOTE: Your resume must explicitly indicate how you meet this requirement, otherwise you will be found ineligible.
In order to qualify for this position, your resume must provide sufficient experience and/or education, knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of the specific position for which you are being considered.
Your resume is the key means we have for evaluating your skills, knowledge, and abilities as they relate to this position. Therefore, we encourage you to be clear and specific when describing your experience. Your resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the advertised grade level or pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector.
You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer and part time experience. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the dates worked and total number of hours per week.
National Service Experience (i.e., volunteer experience): 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.
Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.
Qualifications Must Be Met The qualification requirements listed above must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
Education
Education must be from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For additional information, refer to the U.S. Department of Education web site at http://www.ed.gov.Submit a copy of your college transcript (unofficial is acceptable) or you may submit a list with all of your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the courses.
Foreign Education: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet Federal qualification requirements if you can show that your foreign education is comparable to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States. For example, specific courses accepted for college-level credit by an accredited U.S. college or university, or foreign education evaluated by an organization recognized for accreditation by the Department of Education as education equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. college or university. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence with your application. See Recognition of Foreign Qualifications for more information.
All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement.
Additional information
Identification of promotion potential in this announcement does not constitute a commitment or an obligation of management to promote the employee selected at some future date.
Additional selections may be made from this vacancy.
VETERANS PREFERENCE: If claiming 5-point veteran preference you MUST submit copy number 4 of the DD-214. If you are claiming 10-point veteran preference you MUST submit an SF-15, Application for 10-point Veteran's Preference AND all other required documents in order to be granted the preference. All documents must be received by 11/05/2026. Additional information on veteran's preference is available at: http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/veterans.aspx
If you are selected for this Federal position, you will be required to complete a "Declaration of Federal Employment", (OF-306), prior to being appointed to determine your suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation. Failure to answer all questions truthfully and completely or providing false statements on the application may be grounds for not hiring you or dismissing you after you begin work, and may be punishable by fine or imprisonment (U.S. Code, Title 18, Section 1001).
The application contains information subject the Privacy Act (P.L. 93-579, 5 U.S.C. 552a). The information issued will be used to determine qualifications for employment, and is authorized under Title 5 U.S.C. Section 3302 and 3361.
Recruitment methods and selection procedures will based solely on merit after fair and open competition, and will be made without regard to political, religious, or labor organization affiliation or non-affiliation, marital status, race, color, sex, national origin, non-disqualifying disability, sexual-orientation or age.
If you are unable to apply online please contact staffacq-applicant@opm.gov.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply online if at all possible. Applying online, through your USAJOBS account, will expedite the application process and allow you to check your application status as well as verify the documentation submitted with your application.
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.
Once the application process is complete, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If, after reviewing your resume and or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, you may lose consideration for this position.
Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.
Qualified candidates will be assigned to one of 3 quality categories: Best Qualified, Highly Qualified, and Qualified.
The category assignment is a measure of the degree in which your background matches the competencies required for this position. Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):
Attention to Detail
Customer Service
Decision Making
Flexibility
Influencing/Negotiating
Integrity/Honesty
Interpersonal Skills
Learning
Reasoning
Self-Management
Stress Tolerance
Teamwork
Rule of Many: This announcement uses the cut score method under 5 CFR ยง 332.402. All applicants tied at the cut line will be referred. We will provide the selecting official with a sufficient number of names, when available, to consider at least three candidates per vacancy. If fewer than three eligible and available candidates per vacancy result, we will expand the group in accordance with our pre-announced supplement strategy and OPM policy. Referral: If you are among the top qualified candidates, your application may be referred to a selecting official for consideration. You may be required to participate in a selection interview.
Veterans: Qualified veterans who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10% are listed in the best-qualified category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level, or higher. This position is not considered scientific/professional. Other 10-point preference eligibles and veterans with 5-point preference who meet the eligibility and qualification requirements are placed above non-preference eligibles within the category in which they qualify. View information on www.fedshirevets.gov
If you are determined qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and may be called for an interview. Preview the Application Questionnaire, click
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 submit a complete Application Package which includes:
A resume: All applicants are required to submit a resume either by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one of their own choosing. (Cover letters are optional.)
USA Jobs restricts resume uploads to a maximum of 2 pages. Resumes attached in other sections (such as "Documents" or "Other") will not be considered in the determination of specialized experience. If multiple resumes are submitted, the resume submitted last (based on time stamp) will be the only one reviewed as a part of your application. To ensure readability, resumes must be formatted using an easy-to-read font (such as Calibri, or Arial) with a minimum font size of 10-points and margins no smaller than 0.5 inches. Failure to follow these formatting guidelines may result in disqualification from further consideration.
To receive full credit for relevant experience, please list the month/date/year and number of hours worked for experience listed on your resume.
Vacancy question responses: All applicants are required to complete vacancy question responses by clicking the apply online button of this vacancy announcement.
Submission of any required documents identified below, if applicable: Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, you may not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible).
VETERANS' PREFERENCE DOCUMENTATION:
Submit member copy 4 of your dd-214 or other (certificate of release or discharge from active duty) or notice form.
Those applying for 10-point preference must fill out the sf-15 and provide an official document dated 1991 or later, from the department of veterans affairs or from a branch of the armed forces, and/or any other associated documentation based on your preference.
If applying based on eligibility under the veterans opportunity to work (vow) act, you must submit certification from the armed forces that you will be discharged or released from active duty within 120 days from the date you submit your application. This must indicate your dates of service, your rank, and confirm that you will be separated under honorable conditions.
Other supporting documents:
Cover Letter, optional
Official or unofficial College Transcript(s) , if qualifying based on education
Veterans' Preference documentation, if applicable (e.g., DD-214 Member Copy 4 showing type of discharge/character of service, SF-15 Form and related documentation, VA letter, etc.)
CURRENT OR FORMER POLITICAL SCHEDULE A, SCHEDULE C, NON-CAREER SES OR PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTEE EMPLOYEES: Submit a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information regarding your most recent political appointment:
1) a copy of your agency notice;
2) a copy of your most recent performance rating; and
3) a copy of your most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, noting your current position, grade level, and duty location.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 11/05/2026 to receive consideration.
Failure to submit a complete application package will result in an ineligible rating and loss of consideration.
To begin, click Apply Online to access an online application. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account or you may need to create a new account.
You will be taken to an online application. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the application.
You will receive an email notification when your application has been received for the announcement.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Application Status page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and your responses submitted to the online application.
Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
Office of the General Counsel
400 7th Street SW
Washington, DC 20506
US
Next steps
When the application process is complete, your application will be reviewed to determine if you meet the hiring eligibility and qualification requirements listed in this announcement. You will be rated based on the information provided in your resume and responses to the questionnaire, along with your supporting documentation to determine your level of knowledge, skill, and ability related to the job requirements.
Best qualified applicants will be referred to the hiring manager. The hiring manager may choose to conduct interviews. Once the selection is made, you will receive a notification of the decision.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:
A resume: All applicants are required to submit a resume either by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one of their own choosing. (Cover letters are optional.)
USA Jobs restricts resume uploads to a maximum of 2 pages. Resumes attached in other sections (such as "Documents" or "Other") will not be considered in the determination of specialized experience. If multiple resumes are submitted, the resume submitted last (based on time stamp) will be the only one reviewed as a part of your application. To ensure readability, resumes must be formatted using an easy-to-read font (such as Calibri, or Arial) with a minimum font size of 10-points and margins no smaller than 0.5 inches. Failure to follow these formatting guidelines may result in disqualification from further consideration.
To receive full credit for relevant experience, please list the month/date/year and number of hours worked for experience listed on your resume.
Vacancy question responses: All applicants are required to complete vacancy question responses by clicking the apply online button of this vacancy announcement.
Submission of any required documents identified below, if applicable: Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, you may not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible).
VETERANS' PREFERENCE DOCUMENTATION:
Submit member copy 4 of your dd-214 or other (certificate of release or discharge from active duty) or notice form.
Those applying for 10-point preference must fill out the sf-15 and provide an official document dated 1991 or later, from the department of veterans affairs or from a branch of the armed forces, and/or any other associated documentation based on your preference.
If applying based on eligibility under the veterans opportunity to work (vow) act, you must submit certification from the armed forces that you will be discharged or released from active duty within 120 days from the date you submit your application. This must indicate your dates of service, your rank, and confirm that you will be separated under honorable conditions.
Other supporting documents:
Cover Letter, optional
Official or unofficial College Transcript(s) , if qualifying based on education
Veterans' Preference documentation, if applicable (e.g., DD-214 Member Copy 4 showing type of discharge/character of service, SF-15 Form and related documentation, VA letter, etc.)
CURRENT OR FORMER POLITICAL SCHEDULE A, SCHEDULE C, NON-CAREER SES OR PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTEE EMPLOYEES: Submit a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information regarding your most recent political appointment:
1) a copy of your agency notice;
2) a copy of your most recent performance rating; and
3) a copy of your most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, noting your current position, grade level, and duty location.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 11/05/2026 to receive consideration.
Failure to submit a complete application package will result in an ineligible rating and loss of consideration.
To begin, click Apply Online to access an online application. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account or you may need to create a new account.
You will be taken to an online application. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the application.
You will receive an email notification when your application has been received for the announcement.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Application Status page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and your responses submitted to the online application.
Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
Office of the General Counsel
400 7th Street SW
Washington, DC 20506
US
Next steps
When the application process is complete, your application will be reviewed to determine if you meet the hiring eligibility and qualification requirements listed in this announcement. You will be rated based on the information provided in your resume and responses to the questionnaire, along with your supporting documentation to determine your level of knowledge, skill, and ability related to the job requirements.
Best qualified applicants will be referred to the hiring manager. The hiring manager may choose to conduct interviews. Once the selection is made, you will receive a notification of the decision.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
