Duties

Summary

This position is an Excepted Service position and a successful candidate in this position will serve as an Attorney-Examiner (General), reviewing and analyzing legal and factual questions and recommending disposition on a variety of cases.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

As a GS-12 full performance Attorney-Examiner (General), you will:

• Review and analyze legal and factual questions and recommend disposition on a variety of cases, which may involve matters without precedent, or with novel issues, due to the evolutionary nature of case law.
• Recommend resolution of appeals filed under Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act from determinations issued by other DOE Program Offices.
• Evaluate cases where a party seeks an exception from DOE regulations upon the ground that a regulatory requirements causes serious hardship, gross inequity, or unfair distribution of burden, and in cases involving petitions for special redress.
• Conduct investigations and hearings on complaints filed by DOE contractor employees who allege that their employer has taken improper action against them because they reported a violation of law, waste, fraud, mismanagement, or maters of health or safety.
• Serve as an Attorney-Examiner who considers cases concerning whether a contractor or DOE employee should be denied a security clearance or whether an existing clearance should be revoked.

Travel Required

Occasional travel - Occasional travel may be required to attend meetings, conferences and/or training.

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
12

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a United States Citizen.
• This employer participates in the e-Verify program.
• See "Other Information" section regarding Selective Service requirements.
• Resume and question responses must be submitted online.
• Subject to satisfactory security and suitability determinations.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

• This position is not covered under a Bargaining Unit.
• Requires a "Public Trust" background investigation prior to appointment.

Qualifications

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:

GS-11: A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate membership in good standing in a bar of a State, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico as well as advanced educational attainments that clearly indicate the ability to independently perform legal work.

GS-12: A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate membership in good standing in a bar of a State, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico AND a second professional law degree (LL.M) which requires one full year of graduate study OR one year of professional legal experience to the GS-11 grade level. Specialized experience is defined as assisting a higher level attorney in rendering legal advice and services on a wide variety of cases; or addressing legal matters without clear precedent, or novel issues and performing legal research in order to provide options and problem resolutions.

Your application and resume should demonstrate that you possess the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs). Do not provide a separate narrative written statement. Rather, you must describe in your application how your past work experience demonstrates that you possess the KSAs identified below. Cite specific examples of employment or experience contained in your resume and describe how this experience has prepared you to successfully perform the duties of this position. DO NOT write "see resume" in your application!

Knowledge of legal principles and specialized subject matter areas.

Skill in conducting legal research to provide creative options and problem resolutions.

Skill in applying fact-finding methodology and in establishing and maintaining working relationships with key individuals.

Skill in the preparation of written legal materials.

Ability and skill to develop solutions to legal and technical problems.

Ability to communicate legal advice and guidance effectively and persuasively.

Skill and ability to communicate both orally and in writing on sensitive matters with a variety of contractor and governmental personnel.

"Experience" refers to paid and unpaid experience. Examples of qualifying unpaid experience may include: volunteer work done through National Service programs (such as Peace Corps and AmeriCorps); as well as work for other community-based philanthropic and social organizations. 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.

CTAP/ICTAP candidates: To be considered "well qualified" you must meet all of the requirements as described in this section.

Education

EDUCATION:

• Candidates must be a graduate of a law school accredited by the American Bar Association with a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree or a Bachelor of Law (LL.B.) degree; AND
• Candidates must be an active member in good standing in the bar of a State, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

T his position has a positive education requirement, and transcripts (identifying degree conferred) must be submitted to receive consideration.

Proof of Bar Membership must be submitted to receive consideration.

Education must be obtained from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Foreign education must be reviewed by an organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education and a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, see the Department of Education website.

Additional information

The U.S. Department of Energy fosters a diverse and inclusive workplace and is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

• New employees to the Department of Energy will be required to successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit www.dhs.gov/E-Verify
• Veterans and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. For more information, please visit the links at the bottom of this page or visit the FedsHireVets website.
• If you believe that you are eligible for the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), please visit the OPM ICTAP/CTAP website for more information. In order to be considered under the ICTAP program, your application must score within the pre-established "well qualified" category as stated in the Qualifications section.
• More than one selection may be made from this vacancy announcement.
• Some positions may require completion of a probationary period of up to 1 (one) year.
• Many positions require successful completion of a background investigation.
• All males born after December 31st 1959 must abide by laws regarding Selective Service registration. To learn more about this law, visit the Selective Service web page, Who Must Register . If you are not registered and don't have an approved exemption, you will not be eligible for employment with the Federal government.

EEO Policy: https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/EEO_Policy_Statement
Reasonable Accommodation Policy: https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/Reasonable_Accommodation_Policy_Statement
Veterans Information: https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/Veterans_Information
Telework: www.telework.gov
Selective Service Registration: http://www.sss.gov/

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

The Department of Energy uses an application tracking system to evaluate the responses you provide in the applicant assessment questionnaire to place you into an initial quality category via OPM's Category Rating procedures. Then, the HR Office and/or Subject Matter Expert (SME) will conduct a quality review of your application and supporting documentation to ensure you have been placed into the appropriate quality category.

Your application is rated based on the extent and quality of your experience, education (when applicable), and training as described in your resume and applicant assessment. Your credentials are measured against the established duties of the position at the grade level(s) being advertised.

The quality categories are usually defined as "Best Qualified", "Well Qualified", and "Qualified", although they may differ slightly based on individual agency policy.

If you are eligible for career transition assistance plans such as ICTAP or CTAP, you must meet the definition of "well qualified" which is defined as having a score of 85 or better.

If you are a Veteran Preference eligible candidate, you will be listed at the top of whichever quality category your rating places you in. CP/CPS veterans are placed at the top of the highest category for all positions except professional and scientific positions at GS-9 and higher.

If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses you provided in your online questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation before the vacancy closes, you may be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified', or your score may be adjusted accordingly.
To preview questions please click here .

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Other

Drug test required
No

Required Documents

Please carefully review the following list to determine what documentation you need to submit. Some documents may not apply to all applicants. If you are unsure, click the link for each document type to read more.

ALL APPLICANTS: You must submit a about what is expected in your resume." href="https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/How_to_create_your_resume" target="_blank" rel="noopener">resume supporting your specialized experience and responses to the online questionnaire.

• Your resume should list all work experience (paid and unpaid); you must list the full name and address of the each employer.
• For all types of work experience, you should indicate the start and end dates (include month, day, and year); you must also list the average number of hours per week that you worked.
• For paid work experience, please indicate your starting salary for each position and the highest salary you earned (if different).
• Your resume should also include any education and training you have completed (list the program title, subject area, number of hours completed, and completion date).
• For more information about what to include in your resume, please view this USAJOBS Resume Tutorial video on YouTube.

Most DOE offices will allow you to submit a resume in the format of your choice (as an attached document or as a USAJOBS Resume Builder format). However, some offices may require one specific format. You will be notified at the time you click 'Apply Online' which type of resume is acceptable. It is important that you are complete and thorough in your resume. If any of the above information is not included in your resume, we may not be able to fully credit you for your experience.

If specific educational requirements are indicated for this vacancy: experience." href="https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/Education" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Documentation verifying your educational claims which can include unofficial transcripts or any report listing institution, course title, credits earned and final grade. Please see the Education section for more information.

Veterans: authorities and the documentation you need to submit" href="http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/shav/index.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">veteran eligibility documentation (DD-214 Member #4 Copy, VA Letter, Standard Form (SF) 15 as applicable). Please note: If you are a veteran who has not yet been discharged, you may provide a statement of intent to discharge from your agency to receive Veterans Preference under the VOW (Veterans Opportunity to Work) to Hire Heroes Act of 2011.

Persons with Disabilities: Individuals with intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities may apply for appointment through the Schedule A hiring authority. flexibilities for persons with disabilities" href="https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/disability-employment/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Certified verification of a disability from a licensed medical professional; a licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist; or any Federal, state, or District of Columbia agency or U.S. territory that issues or provides disability benefits will be required.

Displaced Federal employees who qualify for CTAP/ICTAP: If you are a former Federal employee who was displaced due to a Reduction-in-Force (RIF) or surplused by some other means, please submit a copy of the separation letter or RIF notice from your agency. To be selected under I/CTAP, you must still be found well-qualified for this position. Please see the OPM Guide to Career Transition for more information.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

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.