Duties

Summary

This position is located in the Department of Health And Human Services, Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Office of the General Counsel, Public Health Division located in Rockville, MD.

Additional selections may be made across the Department of Health and Human Services in multiple locations through this vacancy announcement.

These positions are in the Excepted Service.
Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

• Examines and prepares appropriate response to complaints and hearing requests, including determination of whether they state causes of action and comply with the jurisdictional and procedural requirements.
• Formulate the legal theories and strategies to support the Department's position and analyzes and organizes complex evidence.
• Interview potential witnesses, including expert medical and other technical witnesses and prepares witnesses for testimony, and conduct direct examination of witnesses during formal proceedings.
• Perform legal research and provides written and oral legal advice to officials of various Department of Health and Human Services components.

Travel Required

Not required

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
None

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.
• One-year probationary period may be required.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualification Requirements:

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

AND

Must have successfully completed a Juris Doctorate (J.D.) or Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from an accredited college and/or university.

AND

Have three (3) years of professional legal experience post bar admission with one year of experience equivalent to the GS-13 level representing parties in commercial, regulatory, civil and other related litigation matters; counseling large organizational clients, including senior leadership, on litigation strategy and options for resolving legal matters; researching regulations and policy; and providing guidance to attorneys in other practice areas of law.

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.

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.

Additional information

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 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.

Travel, transportation, and relocation expenses may be paid.

Bargaining Unit Position: No

Drug Screening Required: No

Recruitment incentives may be authorized.

Student loan repayment incentive may be authorized.

Annual leave for non-federal service may be authorized.

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

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): For information on how to apply as an 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.

If you are unable to apply online, please go to https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Alternate_Application_Information for more information on our alternate application method.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

Once the application process is complete, a review of the resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility. Category rating procedures will be used to rate and rank candidates. The category assignment is a measure of the degree in which your background matches the competencies required for this position. Qualified candidates will be ranked into one of three categories:

• Best Qualified - Applicants who have experience that is almost identical to those required by the position.
• Well Qualified - Applicants who have experience that is very similar to those required by the position.
• Qualified - Applicants who meet minimum qualification requirements, but do not identify any additional qualifying experience or skill.

Candidates in the highest category will be referred to the hiring agency.

The Category Rating Process does not add veterans' preference points but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category. Preference eligibles who meet the minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent must be listed in the highest quality category (except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-9 level or higher). Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):

To preview the assessment questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/10884465

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Not Required

Drug test required
No

Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

Trust determination process

Required Documents

Submission of a resume alone IS NOT a complete application. You must provide a complete online Application Package which includes:

• Your Resume: You are encouraged to use the USAJobs online resume builder to ensure that all required information is in your resume. Your resumemust clearly articulate how your skills and experiences align to the criteria defined in the qualifications section of this announcement and it must support your responses to the assessment questionnaire. For each position you must describe your duties, accomplishments, related skills, and responsibilities. Your resume must also include the day, month, and year that you began and ended for each position held. Full-time employment will be assumed unless otherwise stated on your resume. Part-time employment will be prorated in crediting experience. Not providing this information may result in the lowering of your assessment score or an ineligible rating. For resume writing guidance, please visit the USAJobs Resource Center or view their video tutorial .
• A complete Assessment Questionnaire ( https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/10884465 )
• Other required supporting documents.

Other Supporting Documents: (Only Submit if applicable to you.)

• College transcript (if qualifying all or in part based on your education)
• Veterans' Preference documentation:
  • Discharged Veterans: If you are claiming 5 point preference, you must submit a copy of your DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from the armed forces that supports dates of service and discharge status; if claiming 10 point preference, an application for 10-Point Veterans Preference (SF-15) and an official document dated 1991 or later, from the Department of Veterans Affairs or from a branch of the Armed Forces, and/or any other associated documentation based on your preference.
  • Active Duty Members: Under the VOW (Veterans Opportunity to Work) to Hire Heroes Act of 2011, if claiming 5 point preference, submit written documentation from the armed forces that certifies the service member is expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted with your application package.
• CTAP/ICTAP Documentation
  • A copy of your RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for failure to relocate, notice of disability annuity termination, or certification from the National Guard Bureau or Military Department that you are eligible for disability retirement;
  • A copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action'', documenting your RIF separation, noting your positions, grade level, and duty location, and/or Agency certification of inability to place you through RPL, etc.;
  • A copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and
  • Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential.

You are not required to submit official documents at this time; copies are sufficient.

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.