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Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Chief Counsel, located in Baltimore, MD.
06/16/2025 to 07/07/2025
$167,603 - $195,200 per year
GS 15
1 vacancy in the following location:
No
No
Occasional travel - You will be required to travel as needed for any mandatory training, and to provide legal support to or on behalf of CBP clients or to deliver training, in various field operating locations.
Yes—You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy.
Permanent
Full-time
Excepted
15
Yes
Yes
OCC-25/11-DE-12747405-LLE
838830000
The Office of Chief Counsel is one of the Government's largest and oldest legal offices. OCC attorneys work on cutting-edge legal issues and provide critical legal guidance across the CBP portfolio, including trade enforcement, search and seizure, immigration, and government ethics. They also represent the agency in labor and employment matters and provide litigation support to the Department of Justice.
This position starts at a salary of $167,603.00 (GS-15, Step 1) to $195,200.00 (GS-15, Step 10)
The Office of Chief Counsel provides legal guidance to, and legal representation of, CBP management in matters relating to the activities and functions of CBP. The Office is also responsible for reviewing proposed actions to ensure compliance with legal requirements, preparing formal legal opinions, preparing or reviewing responses in all court actions, civil or criminal, involving CBP, and developing, implementing, and evaluating nationwide programs and procedures within its functional areas. The Office of the Chief Counsel has both a Headquarters and a field structure. The Headquarters office is located in Washington, D.C. and its activities are divided broadly into three functional areas: Ethics, Labor and Employment; Enforcement and Operations; and Trade and Finance, under the supervision of Associate Chief Counsels. The field structure consists of Associate and Assistant Chief Counsels located in major cities across the United States and who advise CBP field managers in their geographic areas. Typical work assignments include:
Please see the Qualifications and Required Documents sections for more information if education is applicable to this position.
Relocation: Should relocation funding be available, expenses may be offered to the selectee either as a full "Permanent Change of Station" (PCS) or as a lump-sum payment under CBP's Voluntary Relocation Plan test program (VRP). Should the selectee be offered the VRP in lieu of any relocation benefits available under the Federal Travel Regulations (FTR), 41 C.F.R., Subtitle F, Chapter 302, the amount of the lump-sum payment will vary depending upon whether you rent or own your current residence and whether your residence is a single or multiple-person household. Any relocation expenses incurred that are greater than the VRP lump-sum payment amount will be your responsibility, and no subsequent claims for relocation expenses will be granted by CBP. The lump-sum payment, which will be made through direct deposit, will be treated as wages and, thus, will be subject to all applicable employment tax withholdings. To be eligible for the VRP, you must sign an employment agreement by completing CBP Form 334C-1 at the time of selection. Additional information can be found in CBP Directive 5330-026a, which is available on the CBPNet Policy Page.
Supervisory Trial/Probationary Period: CBP Directive No. 51250-009 requires that all first-time supervisors and managers serve an 18-month trial/probationary period upon initial appointment. You may also be required to complete an appropriate supervisory training course within 90 days of assignment to this position.
Financial Disclosure: The applicant selected for this position will be required to file a new entrant OGE Form 450 Confidential Financial Disclosure Report no later than 30 days after assuming this position, and on an annual basis thereafter while encumbering this position. If, however, the applicant has, within 30 days prior to assuming this position, left another position for which the filing of an OGE Form 450 is required and has previously satisfied the reporting requirements applicable to that former position, no new entrant OGE Form 450 shall be required. 5 C.F.R. Section 2634.903.
Travel: You will be required to travel as needed for any mandatory training, and to provide legal support to or on behalf of CBP clients or to deliver training, in various field operating locations.
This job is being filled by an alternative hiring process (Excepted Service) and is not in the competitive civil service.
Veterans Preference: There is no formal rating system for applying veteran's preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however the Office of Chief Counsel considers veteran's preference eligibility as a positive factor in the hiring process.
The Department of Homeland Security encourages persons with disabilities to apply, to include persons with intellectual, severe physical or psychiatric disabilities, as defined by 5 CFR § 213.3102(u), and/or Disabled Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more as defined by 5 CFR § 315.707. Veterans, Peace Corps/VISTA volunteers, and persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs. To determine your eligibility for non-competitive appointment and to understand the required documentation, click on the links above or contact the Servicing Human Resources Office listed at the bottom of this announcement.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Applicants will be rated based on their education, experience, demonstrated legal research and writing abilities, and performance during the interview process, which may include personal interview(s) and a writing exercise.
You must include the following information (in addition to specific information requested elsewhere in the vacancy announcement) to receive consideration for this position:
Cover letter: Your application package must include a cover letter expressing your interest in this position. Please do not exceed two pages. Application packages received without a cover letter will not be given consideration.
Resume: A resume describing your job-related qualifications is required and will be used for the purpose of reviewing your qualifications and determining grade setting. A resume in English is required. It must contain your full legal name, announcement number, veteran's preference, address, phone number, email, the last four digits of your Social Security Number, complete work history including a detailed description of your duties, the dates you performed those duties (MM/DD/YY), your hours worked per week, job title, as well as series, grade, and salary (if applicable). For additional required items, see the link. *Note: It is recommended that you upload your resume as a PDF instead of a Word document to ensure document quality. Ensure that your uploaded resume is not a password protected document, to include Office 365 passwords. USAJOBS Help Center - What should I include in my resume?
Transcripts: From an ABA approved law school or equivalent is required. Education must be from an institution accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Education obtained from a foreign university or college is not creditable unless it has been evaluated by an organization that specializes in interpretation of education credentials. If submitting documentation of an evaluation, transcripts are still required. Note: Official/unofficial transcripts will be considered when applying for the position. However, if selected the position, an official law school transcript will be required at the time of selection. For a listing of some accrediting agencies, please see http://www.naces.org/members.htm. See Recognition of Foreign Qualifications for more information.
Writing Sample: A writing sample is required as part of the application package and may not exceed five pages.
It is your responsibility to verify that information submitted (i.e., resume, veterans documentation, and SF-50's) is received and accurate and must be in English. Applications and supporting documentation will only be accepted by email at the address listed under the "How to Apply" section. The section also outlines the contact information for inquires.
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
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.
Applications and supporting documentation will not be accepted by fax, hand-delivery or USA jobs.
Submit your application to:
Submit your application to:Ileana.gomez@cbp.dhs.gov, (A) Associate Chief Counsel, Northeast Region
In the subject line of your email, you must reference Vacancy Announcement CC/25-11.
DHS offers competitive salaries and an attractive benefits package, including: health, dental, vision, life, and long-term care insurance; retirement plan; Thrift Savings Plan [similar to a 401(k)]; Flexible Spending Account; Employee Assistance Program; personal leave days; and paid federal holidays. Other benefits may include: flexible work schedules; telework; tuition reimbursement; transportation subsidies; uniform allowance; health and wellness programs; and fitness centers. DHS is committed to employee development and offers a variety of employee training and developmental opportunities. For more information visit this link. Disabled veteran leave will be available to any Federal employee hired on or after November 5, 2016, who is a veteran with a service-connected disability rating of 30 percent or more.The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Homeland Security and its Components from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete
Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to hc-recordsmgmt@cbp.dhs.gov.
GS Salary: Visit this link to view the locality pay tables by geographic area. If you do not see your geographic area listed, select the "Rest of United States" pay table.
The open period for this job opportunity announcement may be extended to allow for a sufficient applicant pool.
After review of the application packages, highly qualified applicants may be contacted for interviews.
Additional selections may be made beyond the total number of vacancies specified using this vacancy announcement. Further selections may also be made for additional organizational divisions and/or units within the duty location(s) listed above.
If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306 (Declaration for Federal Employment), and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment.
Any offers of employment made pursuant to this announcement will be consistent with all applicable authorities, including Presidential Memoranda, Executive Orders, interpretive U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance, and Office of Management and Budget plans and policies concerning hiring. These authorities are subject to change.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/838830000. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.