Summary This position is located in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Office of the General Counsel (OGC), General Law Division (GLD).
The primary purpose of this position is to support the Department by providing legal advice and counsel on acquisitions and procurement to DHS procurement and program officials and represent DHS in bid protests and claims appeals at various fora. Non-BU: This is a non-bargaining unit position.
Duties
As an Attorney-Advisor (General), GS-0905-14/15, your typical work assignments may include:
- Advising clients verbally and in writing on legal issues related to acquisition and procurement during all stages of the procurement process and providing training to clients on various procurement topics.
- Advising on acquisition planning, exceptions to competition, solicitation language, evaluation of offerors, preparing of contract award decisions, debriefings, award documents, and contract administration matters.
- Assisting clients during internal and external reviews and audits and assisting in the determination of what information is releasable.
- Coordinating with program offices and other OGC disciplines on acquisitions, litigation, and other legal matters and providing legal advice to management and program officials to ensure actions are taken in accordance with governing laws, regulations, and policies, and provide advice to avoid the development of litigation and other legal challenges.
- Serving as lead attorney in agency-level protests, Government Accountability Office (GAO) bid protests, and contract appeals filed before the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals (CBCA) and assisting Department of Justice (DOJ) on claims or protests at the U.S. Court of Federal Claims (COFC) or the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC).
View common definitions of terms found in this announcement: Common Definitions.
Qualifications
Basic Requirements:
GS-14 and GS-15:
- The first professional law degree (LL.B. or JD) or the second professional law degree (LL.M.); AND
- Specialized professional legal experience in excess of three (3) years that is commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position. The quality of the individual's background may be evidenced by the relatedness of his or her specialization.
Specialized Experience:
The skills and experience listed immediately below are of particular importance to the position, and applicants should provide specific detailed information in these areas, where applicable, as part of their application.
You qualify for the GS-14 grade level if you possess one year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-13 grade level in the Federal government.
You qualify for the GS-15 grade level if you possess one year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-14 grade level in the Federal government.
Specialized experience is experience providing legal advice and support on federal acquisition and procurement matters including advising contracting personnel, program offices, and senior agency leadership on procurement planning, contract formation, contract administration, bid protests, claims, disputes, and related litigation. This experience may include advising on complex, high-dollar, mission-critical, or time-sensitive acquisitions, including cyber-security, information technology (IT), professional services, operational support, or other mission-support acquisitions.
Substitution of education in lieu of specialized experience may not be used for this grade level.
All qualifications and eligibility requirements must be met by the closing date of the 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.
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.Education Applicants must be a graduate of a law school accredited by the American Bar Association. You must submit a copy of both your law school and college transcript with your application. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted. Official transcripts will be required if you are selected for the position.
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; applicant's resumes and supporting documentation should only reflect education received from schools accredited by such institutions. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following Website: https://ope.ed.gov/dapip/#/home.
If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency (a U.S. private organization's interpretation that such education has been deemed at least equivalent to conventional U.S. education programs) with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For more information regarding evaluation of foreign education for federal employment, please visit the U.S. Department of Education webpage on the Recognition of Foreign Qualifications. How you will be evaluated We will review your resume and supporting documentation to ensure you meet the minimum qualification requirements. If you meet the minimum qualifications, your experience, education and training will be rated using a job questionnaire that is based on the following competencies or knowledge, skills and abilities needed to perform this job:
- Ability to identify issues, conduct legal research, analyze options and risks, and provide recommendations on all pre-award procurement matters such as solicitation packages, statements of work, contract specifications and source selections.
- Experience advising clients and representing the Government when protests are filed with the Agency or Government Accountability Office (GAO) and assisting the Department of Justice (DOJ) on cases filed in Federal court.
- Skills dealing with complex legal issues, with particular emphasis on federal acquisition and procurement law issues and/or cybersecurity and information technology (IT) acquisition and procurement law issues.
- Ability to conduct legal research to provide oral and written advice on all post-award contract matters such as contract modifications, terminations and cancellations.
- Ability to apply federal government acquisition and procurement laws, including policies, procedures and regulations to address issues or as part of a review of procurement files.
- Ability to engage with senior level officials, whether within the Executive Branch, the Congress, or the private sector.
If you are the best qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and may be called for an interview. To preview the job questionnaire and application, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13072476
The Office of the General Counsel (OGC) will evaluate qualified applicants by comparing each candidate's qualifications to those pertinent to the position. OGC will consider relevant skills and experience, education and training, performance, and awards.
If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have overstated your qualifications and/or experience, you may be removed from consideration or your score may be lowered.
Application of Veterans' Preference: There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of Homeland Security considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference are encouraged to include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., DD form 214 or other substantiating documents) to their submissions.
Consideration may be given to performance appraisals and incentive awards as an indicator of quality of prior experience.
Interviews are required for this position. Failure to complete the interview may result in removal from further consideration.
How to apply To begin your online application, click "Apply Online" to create a USAJOBS account and follow the prompts or log in to your existing account. Your application packet must include a completed assessment questionnaire, a resume, and any applicable and or required supporting documentation. Please see the "Required Documents" section for additional information. All application materials, including transcripts, must be in English. If you are unable to apply online or need to submit a document you do not have in electronic form, visit this link for more information regarding an alternate application process.
Applications and supporting documentation will not be accepted by mail or email. The address below is for inquiries only. You may apply more than once, but the most recent application is the only one that will be used. You must submit your resume, your online questionnaire, and any supporting documents by 11:59 PM eastern standard time on the day the announcement closes.
It is your responsibility to verify that any information entered or uploaded is received and is accurate. Human Resources will not modify or change any part of your application. Determining your eligibility and qualifications is dependent on the supporting documentation and information provided, which may impact your referral for further consideration. If a document is not legible, you will not be able to view it in your application.
To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
Applicants must submit all required documentation to properly qualify for this position. Other information 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.
Pursuant to Executive Order 12564 and DHS policy, DHS is committed to maintaining a drug-free workplace and, therefore, conducts random and other drug testing of its employees in order to ensure a safe and healthy work environment. Headquarters personnel in safety- or security-sensitive positions are subject to random drug testing and all applicants tentatively selected for employment at DHS Headquarters are subject to drug testing resulting in a negative test result.
This position may be filled at the GS-14 or GS-15 grade level. If selection is made at the GS-14 level, promotion to the next higher level may occur without further competition.
You will be required to complete an OGE 450, Confidential Financial Disclosure Form.
If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration of 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.
Background Investigation: To ensure the accomplishment of our mission, DHS requires every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet those standards, all selected applicants must undergo and successfully pass a background investigation for Secret clearance as a condition of placement in this Non-Critical Sensitive position. This review may include financial issues such as delinquency in the payment of debts, child support and/or tax obligations, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs.
This is a permanent appointment in the excepted service and will be filled on a full-time permanent basis. Employees hired under an Excepted Service appointment are required to serve a two (2) year trial period, unless already completed. Upon successful completion of the required trial period, this position will be permanent. This position does not confer non-competitive conversion to the competitive service. Acceptance of an excepted service appointment from applicants in the competitive service will require a written statement of understanding when voluntarily leaving the competitive service.