Duties

Summary

This position is located in the Land Acquisition Section (LAS) in Washington, D.C. LAS is responsible for acquiring land and other real property interests on behalf of the United States through condemnation proceedings for purposes ranging from establishing public parks to creating military training facilities to expanding our border security infrastructure. LAS staff experts also serve as a resource on appraisal and title matters for the Department of Justice and other federal agencies.
Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

This vacancy is also being announced concurrently with Ann# ENRD-20-075-MP for employees with Federal status or eligibility and applicants eligible for special appointment authorities. Please review that announcement to determine if you are eligible to apply. Note: Applicants must apply separately to receive consideration for each announcement.

Recent cases handled by LAS include the acquisition of land to create and expand national parks and forests such as the Flight 93 National Memorial and the Florida Everglades National Park. LAS also has initiated hundreds of cases throughout the United States for military and national security measures, including construction of border security infrastructure, expansion of military training facilities, and storage of the nation's Strategic Petroleum Reserve. The legal and factual issues involved in our condemnation cases are often complex and include the ascertainment of market value for the property interests acquired, analysis of competing valuations, applicability of zoning regulations, and problems related to subdivisions, capitalization of income, and comparable sales selection.

As the Chief Appraiser for LAS, you will:

• Manage an appraisal unit consisting of a four-member staff who serve as expert valuation consultants and analysts in complex matters involving the acquisition of real property by any of the departments, divisions, bureaus and agencies of the United States Government.
• Provide work assignments, conduct staff reviews and guide the appraisal unit on a broad range of acquisitions involving complex valuation issues.
• Represent the Department of Justice on inter-agency committees relating to appraisal issues and compliance with the Uniform Appraisal Standards for Federal Land Acquisitions (also known as the "Yellow Book").
• Provide training to federal agencies throughout the country on appraisal principles and Yellow Book compliance and work with title counsel and other LAS attorneys to provide training to federal agencies on the role of appraisals in the federal acquisition process.
• Serve as an expert review appraiser for complex, controversial and difficult appraisals involving real property associated with a broad range of federal projects from natural disaster restoration projects to homeland security.
• Perform appraisal reviews and provide litigation support in complex and controversial cases involving significant compensation claims.
• Analyze and review appraisal reports of real property for adequate development of pertinent legal and appraisal premises, proper application of appraisal techniques, factual and technical accuracy and overall professional quality.
• Serve as an expert litigation consultant on appraisal procedures and protocols within the Division, the Department and other federal agencies. Act as a technical advisor on compliance with formal appraisal guidelines, including the Uniform Appraisal Standards for Federal Land Acquisitions.
• Study and analyze a broad range of real property issues and prepare reports and recommendations. These reports include feasibility and economic analyses of properties with complex characteristics and uses, lease buyout analyses, highest and best use analyses when potential use of the site is unclear or unknown, and analyses of risks in insuring, building, leasing, or disposing of property.

Travel Required

Not required

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
15

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen or national.
• You must complete a background investigation to include pre-employment drug testing.
• Selective Service Registration is required, as applicable.
• You must complete or have completed a one-year probationary period.
• You must maintain a bank account for direct deposit of salary.

Qualifications

To qualify for GS-15 : You must have one year of specialized experience at, or equivalent to, the GS-14 Federal grade level or above analyzing and reviewing appraisal reports of real property for development of pertinent legal and appraisal premises, proper application of appraisal techniques, factual and technical accuracy, and overall professional quality; and (2) a valid General Appraisal Certification (in any state or territory) and is designated by a professional appraisal association that is either a current sponsor of The Appraisal Foundation or has requirements for designation that equal or exceed those of the General Certification.

The following experiences are highly desirable but not required :
(1) management experience; (2) experience appraising real property involving complex valuation issues; (3) knowledge and experience with standards and guidelines governing federal acquisitions, including the Uniform Appraisal Standards for Federal Land Acquisitions ("Yellow Book") and the Uniform Standards for Professional Appraisal Practice ("USPAP"); (4) experience training on appraisal principles and compliance with USPAP and the Yellow Book; and (5) experience providing support in litigation.

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 skill and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

YOUR RESUME MUST support your responses to the online questionnaire. Failure to provide support may result in an ineligible rating. Your latest resume submitted for this vacancy announcement will be used to determine qualifications and supersedes previous submissions.

YOUR RESUME MUST provide specific details as to how your experience meets the specialized experience as described in the vacancy announcement if you are using experience to meet all or part of the qualification requirements. Please ensure that your resume includes the month and year that you began and ended each position held or that position will not be credited toward meeting the specialized experience requirement. Part-time employment will be prorated in crediting experience. Failure to provide details will result in an ineligible rating.

Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.
To preview questions, please click here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/10920107

Education

There is no substitution of education for specialized experience at this grade level.

Additional information

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): ICTAP provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. The Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) provides eligible surplus and displaced competitive service employees in DOJ with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies.

If you have received written notification of your eligibility for consideration under CTAP/ICTAP, you may receive special priority consideration for this position, if this vacancy is within your CTAP/ICTAP eligibility and you are well-qualified for the position. To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements and score 85 or better on established ranking criteria (for scored examining) OR rate equivalent to the Highly Qualified or better category using established category rating criteria.

Veterans Preference: If you are entitled to or claim veteran preference (VP), you should indicate the type of veteran preference (5 or 10 points) you are claiming on your resume. In order to determine your eligibility, you can find additional information at: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/veterans-services/vet-guide/

To verify your veteran preference entitlement, submit a copy of the Member Copy 4 of your DD-214; official statement of service from your command if you are currently on active duty; or other official documentation (e.g., documentation of receipt of a campaign badge or expeditionary medal) that shows your military service was performed under honorable conditions. If you are claiming 10-point preference, you must submit Member Copy 4 of your DD-214 in addition to the supporting documentation required and identified on the reserve side of the SF-15, Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference . If you are claiming 10-point DERIVED PREFERENCE as a relative you must submit Member Copy 4 of the veteran's DD-214 and an SF-15 in addition to the supporting documentation required and identified on the reverse side of the SF-15. If you fail to do so, you will receive consideration as a non-veteran.

Schedule A: DOJ welcomes and encourages applications from persons with disabilities and is firmly committed to satisfying its affirmative obligations under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to ensure that persons with disabilities have every opportunity to be hired and advanced on the basis of merit within the Department. DOJ also encourages eligible Schedule A applicants to submit their resumes to resume@benderconsult.com, and reference "Federal Career Opportunities" in the subject line. Additional information is found at: www.benderconsult.com

Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. Additional information is found at: www.sss.gov

Benefits: DOJ offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation; sick leave; holidays; telework; life insurance; health benefits; and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System. Please review the link below for an overview of the benefits currently offered to Federal employees.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

Your application will be evaluated and rated under DOJ's Category Rating and Selection Procedures. Your résumé and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed on this announcement. If you are basically qualified for this job, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses on the Occupational Questionnaire.

Note - If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job. If it is determined you meet minimum qualifications requirements, your application will then be placed in one of three categories: Best Qualified, Highly Qualified, or Qualified. Within these categories, applicants eligible for Veterans' Preference will receive selection priority over non-veteran preference eligibles.

Your application must demonstrate your ability to perform the following competencies (knowledge, skills, and other characteristics):

• Oral Communication
• Planning and Evaluating
• Real Estate Appraisal Standards & Techniques
• Writing

Please Note: Additional candidates may be selected if more positions become available in the Division within 90 days after the HR office issues the selection certificate.

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Other

Drug test required
Yes

Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)

Trust determination process

Required Documents

• Resumé demonstrating relevant experience and dates the experience was obtained (cover letter optional)
• Copy of General Appraisal Certification
• Veterans preference documentation, if applicable (DD-214 Member Copy 4; VA Letter)
• ICTAP/CTAP documentation, if applicable
• Your online responses to the Occupational Questionnaire

Do not include the following types of information in your profile or resume:

• Classified or government sensitive information
• Social Security Number (SSN)
• Photos of yourself
• Personal information, such as age, gender, religious affiliation, etc.
• Encrypted and digitally signed documents

Your resumé MUST include full employment information such as periods of employment with day/month/year started and ended, title of position(s), FT or PT hours worked, and description of duties. If you have Federal employment, you must include the grade of the position(s) . If application has missing or incomplete information, you may be rated INELIGIBLE.

To prove eligibility for the special CTAP/ICTAP selection priority, you must submit a copy of your latest performance appraisal showing a rating of at least fully successful AND one of the following:

• A separation notice;
• A "Notice of Personnel Action" (SF-50) documenting separation;
• An agency certification that you cannot be placed after injury compensation has been terminated;
• An OPM notification that your disability annuity has been terminated; or
• A Military Department of National Guard Bureau notification that you retired under 5 U.S.C. 8337(h) or 8456.

Additional information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibility can be found at http://www.opm.gov/ctap/index.asp