Duties

WHAT YOU'LL BE DOING DAY TO DAY

As an General Attorney-Advisor (Contracts), you will use your knowledge of and experience with the Office of the General Counsel to optimize business results and customer experience by:

• Advising contracting officials on all aspects of the source selection process and contract administration, including the application of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), and other federal statutes and regulations regarding federal contracting;
• Litigating bid protests before the Government Accountability Office (GAO) as well as Contract Disputes Act claims before the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals;
• Examining and preparing appropriate responses to complaints and hearing requests;
• Preparing the answers, motions, reports, affidavits, briefs, or other pleadings appropriate to the defense of the cases for filing in the courts or administrative tribunals in conformity with applicable rules and regulations;
• Conducting depositions and all other discovery of adverse witnesses and performs cross examination during formal proceedings;
• Negotiating directly with opposing counsel regarding offers of settlements;
• Advising agency officials on other general and administrative law topics. Familiarity with other general law areas (e.g., federal appropriations law and federal information law) is desirable.

For more information on the Attorney Advisor positions, please refer to the link below: https://www.hhs.gov/about/agencies/ogc/careers/open-opportunities/index.html

Drug free language
In accordance with Executive Order 12564 of September 14, 1986, The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is A Drug-Free Federal Workplace. The Federal government, as the largest employer in the Nation, can and should show the way towards achieving drug-free workplaces through programs designed to offer drug users a helping hand, and at the same time demonstrating to drug users and potential drug users that drugs will not be tolerated in the Federal workplace. The use of illegal drugs, on or off duty, by Federal employees is inconsistent not only with the law-abiding behavior expected of all citizens, but also with the special trust placed in such employees as servants of the public. Applicants tentatively selected for this position may be required to submit to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment and be subject to reasonable suspicion and post-accident drug testing upon hiring. If required to submit to urinalysis, the appointment to the position will be contingent upon a negative applicant drug test result. In order to demonstrate commitment to the HHS goal of a drug-free workplace and to set an example for other Federal employees, employees not in a testing designated position may volunteer for unannounced random testing by notifying their Drug-free Federal Workplace Program Point of Contact upon hiring.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• U.S. Citizenship required
• Males born after December 31, 1959 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service - http://www.sss.gov
• Suitable for federal employment
• Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication. All information concerning qualifications is subject to investigation.
• Documentation that you present for purposes of completing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Form I-9 will be verified through the DHS "E-Verify" System.
• All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choice.
• All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date.
• Financial disclosure statement may be required.
• Probationary (or trial) period may be required.

Qualifications

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

Minimum Qualifications:

Must have successfully completed a Juris Doctorate (J.D.) or Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from an accredited educational institution.

AND

Must have a current active bar membership from any State, territory, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, District of Columbia, or Federal Court.

AND

For GS-11:
Must have successfully completed a Juris Doctorate (J.D.) or Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from an accredited educational institution AND possess a current active bar membership from any State, territory, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, District of Columbia, or Federal Court.

For GS-12:
Must have at least one (1) year of experience post bar admission in procurement law and related litigation, contract awards, contract appeals Freedom of Information Act, Executive Orders, Proclamations, Department Organization, Federal Advisory Committee Act, and Delegations of Authority; outstanding client counseling skills; superior legal writing and research ability with a demonstrated commitment to professionalism, ethics, civility and public service. One year of experience must be equivalent to the GS-11 level.

For GS-13:
Must have at least two (2) years experience post bar admission in procurement law and related litigation, contract awards, contract appeals Freedom of Information Act, Executive Orders, Proclamations, Department Organization, Federal Advisory Committee Act, and Delegations of Authority; outstanding client counseling skills; superior legal writing and research ability with a demonstrated commitment to professionalism, ethics, civility and public service. One year of experience must be equivalent to the GS-13 level.

For GS-14:
Must have at least three (3) years of experience post bar admission in procurement law and related litigation, contract awards, contract appeals Freedom of Information Act, Executive Orders, Proclamations, Department Organization, Federal Advisory Committee Act, and Delegations of Authority; outstanding client counseling skills; superior legal writing and research ability with a demonstrated commitment to professionalism, ethics, civility and public service. One year of experience must be equivalent to the GS-13 level.

Documenting experience: IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Qualifications are based on breadth/level of experience. In addition to describing duties performed, applicants must provide the exact dates of each period of employment (from MM/YY to MM/YY) and the number of hours worked per week if part time. As qualification determinations cannot be made when resumes do not include the required information, failure to provide this information may result in disqualification. Applicants are encouraged to use the USAJOBS Resume Builder to develop their federal resume.

Do not copy and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

In accordance with Office of Personnel Management policy, federal employees are assumed to have gained experience by performing duties and responsibilities appropriate for their official series and grade level as described in their position description. Experience that would not normally be part of the employee's position is creditable, however, when documented by satisfactory evidence, such as a signed memorandum from the employee's supervisor or an SF-50 or SF-52 documenting an official detail or other official assignment. The documentation must indicate whether the duties were performed full time or, if part time, the "percentage of times" the other duties were performed. It is expected that this documentation is included in the employee's official personnel record. In order to receive credit for experience in your resume that is not within the official series and grade level of your official position, you must provide a copy of the appropriate documentation of such experience as indicated above.

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; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to gain employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. If such experience is on a part-time basis, you must provide the average number of hours worked per week as well as the beginning and ending dates of the experience so it can be fully credited.

OPM Qualification General Policies Website

Education

Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov.

Note: Applications can be accepted from students who expect to complete qualifying education within 9 months from the date of application. Education was completed successfully before the applicant can be appointed.

Additional information

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

Federal agencies may request information regarding the vaccination status of selected applicants for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as protocols related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.

Incentives may be authorized; however, this is contingent upon multiple factors, including funds availability. If authorized, certain incentives may require you to sign a service agreement to remain in the Federal government for a period of up to 3 years. Note: This statement does not imply nor guarantee an incentive will be offered and paid. Incentives may include the following: moving expenses, recruitment or relocation incentive; student loan repayment, superior qualifications appointment, creditable service for annual leave for prior non-federal work experience or prior uniformed military service, etc.

Bargaining Unit Position: No

Research position: No

Drug Screening Required: No

Veterans' Preference - https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/veterans/

Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP/ICTAP): For information on how to apply as an CTAP/ICTAP eligible see http://opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp#ictap . To be well-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, displaced Federal employees must be rated at 85.0 or above on the rating criteria for this position.

Beginning January 1, 2010, agencies must seek prior approval from OPM before they can appoint a current or recent political appointee to a competitive or non-political excepted service position at any level under the provisions of title 5, United States Code. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employee in the executive branch, you MUST disclose that to the Human Resources Office.