About this role
Job Summary
This Position Is Located in The Office of The Secretary, Office of The General Counsel, Office of General Law Under the Administrative Supervision of the Assistant General Counsel for General Law and is responsible for providing legal services to the Office of the Secretary and the operating elements of the Department on matters relating to the Department's programs and the scope of powers and authority of the Department and its officers.
Qualifications
To qualify, your experience should include experience and education equal or equivalent to the following: GRADE 13 - A law degree, bar membership in good standing and either TWO years of professional attorney experience OR one year of professional attorney experience and a second professional law degree (LL.M) which requires one full year of graduate study. GRADE 14 - A law degree, bar membership in good standing and at least THREE years of professional attorney experience.
GRADE 15 - A law degree, bar membership in good standing and at least FOUR years of professional attorney experience. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas: Legal, Government, and Jurisprudence- Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, legal practices and documents, Government regulations, Executive orders, agency rules, Government organization and functions, and the democratic political process.
Administrative Law- Knowledge of state and Federal administrative laws, including procedures, regulations, guidelines, and precedents related to case preparation and settlements. Compliance- Knowledge of procedures for assessing, evaluating, and monitoring programs or projects for compliance with Federal laws, regulations, and guidance. Oral Communication- Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately Written Communication- Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience.
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.
For additional information about applying to Federal positions, please click on the following link: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-policies/#url=e4 All applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
Major Duties
- The Attorney Advisor: Advises agency managers and leadership on issues and policies associated with a broad range of employment and labor law matters, including employee performance and conduct, reasonable accommodations, internal investigations, EEO, employment policy and whistleblower complaints.
- Serves as an advisor and representative for matters concerning labor/management relations, including grievances, arbitration, and collective bargaining.
- Serves as lead legal counsel in cases before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Merit Systems Protection Board, and Federal Labor Relations Authority.
- Performs legal analysis and research, conducting necessary conferences and consultations, preparing memoranda and opinions, and maintaining continuing liaison with clients and other affected stakeholders to ensure understanding of the legal issues associated with Federal government statutes and regulations involving ethics, conflicts of interest, gifts, outside activity, ethics pledges, political activity, and issues arising under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act.
- Advises on issues related to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
- The Ideal candidate is a highly motivated, self-reliant, and skilled individual willing to work in a challenging and fast-paced environment with experienced professionals committed to ensure that our Nation has the safest, most efficient, and modern transportation system in the world.
- This individual should have a keen interest in the legal areas listed in the Summary section of this announcement.
- The ideal candidate exercises initiative and must be creative in addressing complex/novel legal and policy matters and has excellent client communication skills.
Requirements
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
SELECTIVE SERVICE
Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered for Selective Service.
TRIAL PERIOD
This is an Excepted Service position. This job will be filled by an alternative hiring process and is not in the competitive service. Applicants selected for an excepted service position may be subject to a two-year trial period.
ETHICS/CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT
All employees are subject to the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch, set out in Title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 2635, including restrictions on owning financial interests that may conflict with performance of their duties. The Ethics in Government Act of 1978 requires the applicant selected for this position to submit a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450) within 30 days of appointment and annually thereafter.