Duties

Summary

About the Position: The US Army Corps of Engineers is an equal opportunity employer. The Corps is firmly committed to recruiting, retaining and developing a diverse and inclusive workforce where all employees are valued for their talents as members of the team.
Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

• Serves as team leader for all USACE attorneys supporting PARC and DPARC-E offices to ensure delivery of accurate and consistent legal and policy advice to these offices.
• Furnishes guidance pertaining to advertised and negotiated contracts, both fixed price and cost reimbursement. This includes all types of contracts including construction, supply experts and consultants, and personal and non-personal services.
• Advises USACE and field offices concerning special policy issues relating to contracting for architect-engineer services. Provides legal advice on Government Accountability Office (GAO) and agency bid protests and mistakes in bid.
• Provides legal advice on GAO and agency bid protests and mistakes in bid.
• Evaluates new legislation, court decisions, executive orders and opinions of the Comptroller General to determine the effect on Corps of Engineers construction programs, policies, procedures, regulations and methods of operations.
• Furnishes guidance pertaining to advertised and negotiated contracts, both fixed price and cost reimbursement.
• Ensures construction and architect-engineer parts of the Federal Acquisition Regulation and the Department of Defense FAR Supplement are consistent with the intent of the law and are administratively sound, efficient and economical in operation.
• Serves as Senior Counsel for Procurement Policy.
• Serves as legal advisor to the Director and key personnel of the Directorates of Military Programs and Civil Works and the Principal Assistants Responsible for Contracting.

Travel Required

Occasional travel - Business travel may be up to 15% of the time.

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
None

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance. Position is designated non-critical sensitive as defined in DoD 5200.2-R.
• This position requires you to submit a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE450) upon entry, and annually thereafter.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: US Citizens

The minimum qualification requirements must be met before applicants are eligible for further consideration:

Bar membership: Applicant must currently be a member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Experience: For GS-15 or equivalent - Applicant must have three or more years of professional legal experience, acquired after being admitted to the bar, commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position. Graduation from an ABA-Accredited Law School in the top 25% of the class or an advanced law degree such as an LLM may substitute for one year of the required professional legal experience.

NOTE: ALSO ALL APPLICANTS MUST ADDRESS THE FOLLOWING KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES, IN NARRATIVE FORM:

1. Specialized experience and knowledge, preferably related to USACE's Military, Civil Works, and Support for Others programs, regarding federal laws, regulations, policies and procedures related to providing legal advice and legal reviews on construction, architect-engineering, and facilities services contracts in both formation and contract administration (including knowledge of and experience in interpreting the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), Department of Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS), Army Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (AFARS), and the USACE Acquisition Instruction (UAI).

2. Knowledge, skills and ability to expertly handle legal issues related to government procurement and contract disputes including a) oversight and quality assurance of procurement documents and strategies, b) mentoring, training, and motivating colleagues, and developing and c) utilizing innovative approaches in solving problems and overcoming legal impediments.

3. Knowledge, skills and ability to function effectively as a senior counselor and advisor to senior management officials and project delivery teams within the Corps of Engineers and to work with other Army, DOD, and federal governmental entities, as well as state and local entities, and to effectively resolve conflicts and solve problems in a fast-paced environment touching highly diverse and complex missions.

4. Knowledge and experience regarding federal bid protest and contract disputes litigation.

5. Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing.

TIME IN GRADE REQUIREMENTS: If currently employed as an attorney by the Federal Government you must have completed 1 year at the next lower level within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement, or previously served at the same or higher grade as the position being filled.

Education

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show 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/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

Additional information

• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
• You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship.
• Two year trial/probationary period may be required.
• Direct Deposit of Pay is required.
• This position requires you to submit a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE450) upon entry, and annually thereafter.
• Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees.
• If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet.
• This is a Career Program (CP) 56 - Legal position.
• Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
• Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement.
• Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). If you are a Federal employee in the competitive service and your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority for this position. To receive selection priority, you must: (1) meet ICTAP eligibility criteria (2) be rated well-qualified for the position and; (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your ICTAP eligibility. To be considered well-qualified and receive selection priority applicants must satisfy all qualification requirements for the position and receive a score of 90 or above. Additional information about the program is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website .
• When you perform a Civilian Permanent Change of Station (PCS) with the government, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) considers the majority of your entitlements to be taxable. Visit https://www.dfas.mil/civilianemployees/civrelo/Civilian-Moving-Expenses-Tax-Deduction/ for more information.
• If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application .
• Permanent Change of Station (PCS) allowances may be authorized, subject to the provisions of the Joint Travel Regulations and an agency determination that a PCS move is in the Government Interest.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

Once the announcement has closed, a review of your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. If you are minimally qualified, your résumé and supporting documentation will be compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine your level of experience. If, after reviewing your résumé 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 when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

You should list any relevant performance appraisals and incentive awards in your resume as that information may be taken into consideration during the selection process. If selected, you may be required to provide supporting documentation.

Basis for Rating: Qualified candidates will be assigned to one of three quality categories: Best Qualified, Highly Qualified and Qualified. Veteran preference eligibles are listed ahead of non-preference eligibles within each quality category.

• Best Qualified. Candidates in this category possess exceptional skills and experience to exceed well above the minimum requirements for the announced position.
• Highly Qualified. Candidates in this category possess good skills and experience above the minimum requirements for the announced position.
• Qualified. Candidates in this category meet the minimum experience requirements for the announced position.

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Secret

Drug test required
No

Position sensitivity and risk
Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk

Trust determination process
Suitability/Fitness , National security

Required Documents

The documents you are required to submit vary based on whether or not you are eligible for preference in federal employment. A complete description of preference categories and the associated required documents is in the Applicant Checklist (External) .

As described above, your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.

***ALL APPLICANTS MUST SUBMIT THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTS BY CLOSING DATE12/18/2020****

1) A resume with vacancy announcement number annotated.
2) Official law school transcripts and an official statement of relative class standing. Photo copies are acceptable when applying.
3) Copy of official certificate showing that the applicant is a member in good standing of the bar and a sworn and notarized statement by the candidate that his or her fitness to practice law or conduct as an attorney has never been challenged in any jurisdiction or; if either has been challenged, a sworn and notarized statement giving the facts and circumstances, and any other explanation that the applicant considers appropriate. As an alternative to a sworn and notarized statement, a declaration under penalty of perjury may be submitted in the following format: I declare (or certify, verify, or state) under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States of America that the foregoing is true and correct ... executed on (date)(signature of applicant)." (28 U.S.C.1746). The official certificate and statement of fitness must be dated within three months of the date the application is submitted. The certificate and statement are required to be submitted by all applicants including attorneys currently appointed to positions under the qualifying authority of the Judge Advocate General of the Army.
4) List of three professional references. References from current and former supervisors are preferred. Please provide name, title, mailing address, telephone number, and relationship for each reference. We may contact references as part of the interview process.
5) A writing sample, which shall not exceed 10 pages including cover sheets, tables of content, etc. Any pages after page 10 will be discarded and not considered.
6) Current federal employees or reinstatement eligible applicants must submit a copy of their latest SF 50 and most recent performance evaluation. Applicants currently serving in the military must also submit a copy of their most recent OER and/or DD 214. (Items 2, 3, and 4 above do not apply to Current Corps of Engineers Attorneys).

7) Other supporting documents:

• Cover Letter
• Two most recent Performance Appraisals, if applicable

NOTE: Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office. Some supplemental documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you. You may sanitize these documents to remove another person's personal information before you submit your application. You may be asked to provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected to confirm your eligibility.

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.