The Office of General Counsel (OGC) at the ODNI provides legal advice and counsel to the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) and other ODNI officials on a wide range of legal issues to include intelligence and national security law; procurement and acquisition law; personnel law; government ethics, fiscal law; general administrative law; legislative support; government information practices (Freedom of Information Act/Privacy Act); and intellectual property law.
Summary
The Office of General Counsel (OGC) at the ODNI provides legal advice and counsel to the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) and other ODNI officials on a wide range of legal issues to include intelligence and national security law; procurement and acquisition law; personnel law; government ethics, fiscal law; general administrative law; legislative support; government information practices (Freedom of Information Act/Privacy Act); and intellectual property law.
Open to current and former Federal employees with competitive or excepted status; and all U.S. Citizens. Former members of the Peace Corps may be considered for ODNI employment only if five full years have elapsed since separation from the Peace Corps. Current ODNI Cadre employees must apply via JobsDNI. Failure to apply via JobsDNI will result in your application being removed from consideration.
Independently conduct moderately complex research and analysis using all available resources on subjects affecting ODNI's duties and responsibilities under the National Security Act, Presidential directives, Executive Orders, and other related laws and policies; analyze statutes, regulations and other information to determine relevance, accuracy, completeness, inconsistencies, or importance.
Respond to routine and moderately complex legal inquiries by drafting legal correspondence and memoranda as well as cables, affidavits, declarations, regulations, bulletins, notices, claims summaries and notices, and summaries of legal research and analysis that are grammatically correct, technically sound, accurate, and concise.
Present informal briefings on limited topics to small audiences; prepare slide presentations and statistical data for use by attorneys.
Assist with planning, organizing, and coordinating activities related to the preparation and submission of files or documents related to United States (US) Government-wide and IC-wide policies, procedures, guidelines, rules, and standards.
Update and maintain databases, files, notebooks, and logs (e.g., case files, trial notebooks, case assignment notebooks) in compliance with pre-existing storage systems and procedures.
Complete moderately-complex administrative forms and paperwork and function as a note taker during moderately complex depositions, administrative hearings, trials, or meetings.
Develop and maintain productive working relationships with co-workers, clients, and persons outside the organization as appropriate and use these relationships to share information of interest and provide basic legal information.
Must be a U.S. Citizen residing in the United States
Appointment is subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance based on an SBI with eligibility for sensitive compartmented information (SCI)
Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
A two-year trial period is required for all new permanent appointments to the ODNI.
Qualifications
This is an excepted service GS-14 position open to the public and all current federal employees at the GS-14 and one level below. Current federal employees at the GS-14 and one level below may apply to this position, and if selected will maintain pay set at their current grade and step. Current federal employees at grade levels GS-12 and below are not eligible for this position and their application will not be forwarded to the hiring manager. All current federal employees that apply for this position must submit their most recent SF-50, Notification of Personal Action (i.e., dated within the last 52 weeks from the closing date of this vacancy announcement) to verify their status of eligibility.
Mandatory Requirements:
Demonstrated knowledge of the principles and practices of substantive and procedural law as well as legal research processes, legal terminology, legal standards and documentation.
Demonstrated knowledge of document control procedures, security measures, and privacy rules in order to mitigate the potential release of any investigative information that would endanger or compromise pending cases.
Demonstrated knowledge of moderately complex litigation processes and court proceedings as well as strong listening and oral comprehension skills to determine relevance of points of discussion and to clarify ambiguities.
Demonstrated written communication skills sufficient to draft basic and complex documents comprehensively and in the correct style and format; ability to edit own work and write in a clear and concise manner clearly and concisely, in oral and written communications.
Extensive ability to perform moderately complex legal review, investigative, research, and analysis work, as well as the ability to organize and maintain the assembly and filing of legal documents for moderately complex cases within established deadlines.
Demonstrated problem-solving skills sufficient to make clear cut decisions regarding moderately complex matters in a timely manner; considerable legal research skills using law libraries, the internet, and computer-based tools such as Westlaw or other similar resources.
Extensive ability to work in an independent manner under appropriate attorney supervision and as a contributing member of a work group; ability to work with a varied group of team members or clients and give and receive constructive feedback.
Extensive ability to develop constructive professional working relationships with coworkers, clients, and persons outside the organization.
Seven years of Paralegal work experience is preferred.
Appropriate Paralegal certification or law degree, as required in MD/VA, is preferred.
Education
Bachelors
Additional information
Selected candidate may be entitled to incentive/retention payments of 10% of base salary.
JOB INTERVIEW TRAVEL
Candidates from outside the Washington Metropolitan Area (WMA) may be selected for a telephone, teleconference, or in-person interview.
SALARY DETERMINATION
The ODNI uses a rank-in-person system in which rank is attached to GS employees on the basis of individual qualifications, experience, and performance. Individuals whose current GS grade is equivalent to the grade of the advertised position will retain their current grade and step. Individuals who transfer to the ODNI from a non-GS pay scale will have base pay converted to the appropriate GS grade and step as determined by the Chief of Human Resource Management.
In some cases when a current federal civilian employee applies for an ODNI position that is a lower grade than his or her personal grade, the candidate's personal grade will be downgraded to the grade of the advertised ODNI position and pay will be set at the step that is closest to, and not less than, the employee's current annual base rate of pay, not to exceed the maximum step rate of the GS grade to which assigned.
RELOCATION EXPENSES
For new ODNI employees, reimbursement for relocation is discretionary based on availability of funds.
REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS
For individuals requiring a reasonable accommodation to support a disability that interferes with completing the job application or hiring process, please contact ODNI Human Resource Management Reasonable Accommodation (HRM RA) by email at DNI_COO_HRM_RA_ALL@odni.gov. Requests for reasonable accommodation will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. To ensure ODNI HRM RA can respond to requests for reasonable accommodation in a timely manner, ODNI HRM RA will only respond to communications that are directly related to an individual's accommodation request. We appreciate your understanding in this matter.
The ODNI is an equal opportunity employer and abides by applicable employment laws and regulations.
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 must submit the supporting documents listed under the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. We will review your resume and supporting documentation to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. Only include documents listed under the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. If you have more than one copy of a document, only include your most recent copy. If you are among the best qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and may be called for an interview.
As part of the application process for this position, applicants will be required to respond to four free-response essay questions, which are detailed below. These responses will not be scored or rated as part of the initial evaluation. Instead, they provide applicants with an opportunity to elaborate on their qualifications, professional background, and commitment to public service.
FREE RESPONSE ESSAY QUESTIONS
All applicants must answer the following four short, free response essay questions. The responses cannot exceed 200 words per question. By submitting your responses to the following questions, you certify that you are using your own words and did not use a consultant or AI (such as a large language model [LLM]).
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.
In this role, you will be expected to professionally and efficiently implement executive direction. Provide an example where you implemented leadership direction on a strategy or policy decision that differed from your own recommendation.
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.
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.
a. RESUME: Resumes must be no longer than two (2) pages in length. Resumes longer than two (2) pages will be removed from consideration. Applicants are encouraged to carefully review the vacancy announcement, particularly the MDRs, and construct their resume to highlight their most significant experience and qualifications relevant to this job opportunity. You must ensure the resume contains all of the required information and you organize it so we can associate the following information for each experience/position: job title; name of employer; beginning and ending dates of employment (month/day/year format), and hours worked per week. We will assume full-time unless otherwise stated. Additionally, include a detailed description of job duties, accomplishments, related skills and responsibilities, to include any supervisory/managerial responsibilities and number of staff supervised (if applicable), and series and grade or equivalent (if a federal position).
b. COVER LETTER: Applicants must submit a professional narrative as a supplement to the resume to elaborate on their qualifications and previous work performed.
c. CURRENT SF-50: Federal Government employees must provide your official most recent SF-50 (i.e., dated within the last 52 weeks from the closing date of this vacancy announcement). An SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, is used to verify current federal status, position, title, grade, and organization of record. If your SF-50(s) does not provide the information needed to make a final determination for qualification, you will be found ineligible for the position.
d. POSITION NUMBER: Reference the announcement number in the subject line on each document submitted.
Failure to submit any of the above-mentioned required documents may result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted.
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.
We encourage you to read the entire announcement prior to submitting your application.
In order to be considered, you must apply via USAJOBS. The ODNI will not accept emailed applications. Your application must be received by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date of this announcement. Applications received after the closing date will NOT be eligible for consideration. All attachments should be in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format.
Do not include the following types of information in your profile or resume:
Classified or government sensitive information
Social Security Number (SSN)
Photos of yourself
Personal information such as age, gender, religious affiliation, etc.
GENERAL COUNSEL
Director Of National Intelligence
Washington, DC 20511
US
Next steps
Once you successfully complete the application process, you will receive an acknowledgement of receipt email. Please note that the acknowledgement email does not ensure completion of your application. You must ensure that you submit all required documentation.
The most highly qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interview. We expect to make a selection within 60 days of the closing date of this announcement. Due to the large number of applications received, applicants will be contacted ONLY if they have been selected for an interview.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
a. RESUME: Resumes must be no longer than two (2) pages in length. Resumes longer than two (2) pages will be removed from consideration. Applicants are encouraged to carefully review the vacancy announcement, particularly the MDRs, and construct their resume to highlight their most significant experience and qualifications relevant to this job opportunity. You must ensure the resume contains all of the required information and you organize it so we can associate the following information for each experience/position: job title; name of employer; beginning and ending dates of employment (month/day/year format), and hours worked per week. We will assume full-time unless otherwise stated. Additionally, include a detailed description of job duties, accomplishments, related skills and responsibilities, to include any supervisory/managerial responsibilities and number of staff supervised (if applicable), and series and grade or equivalent (if a federal position).
b. COVER LETTER: Applicants must submit a professional narrative as a supplement to the resume to elaborate on their qualifications and previous work performed.
c. CURRENT SF-50: Federal Government employees must provide your official most recent SF-50 (i.e., dated within the last 52 weeks from the closing date of this vacancy announcement). An SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, is used to verify current federal status, position, title, grade, and organization of record. If your SF-50(s) does not provide the information needed to make a final determination for qualification, you will be found ineligible for the position.
d. POSITION NUMBER: Reference the announcement number in the subject line on each document submitted.
Failure to submit any of the above-mentioned required documents may result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted.
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.
We encourage you to read the entire announcement prior to submitting your application.
In order to be considered, you must apply via USAJOBS. The ODNI will not accept emailed applications. Your application must be received by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date of this announcement. Applications received after the closing date will NOT be eligible for consideration. All attachments should be in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format.
Do not include the following types of information in your profile or resume:
Classified or government sensitive information
Social Security Number (SSN)
Photos of yourself
Personal information such as age, gender, religious affiliation, etc.
GENERAL COUNSEL
Director Of National Intelligence
Washington, DC 20511
US
Next steps
Once you successfully complete the application process, you will receive an acknowledgement of receipt email. Please note that the acknowledgement email does not ensure completion of your application. You must ensure that you submit all required documentation.
The most highly qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interview. We expect to make a selection within 60 days of the closing date of this announcement. Due to the large number of applications received, applicants will be contacted ONLY if they have been selected for an interview.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
