Duties

Summary

About the Position: This position is located at the Baltimore District, Corps of Engineers, located in 2 Hopkins Plaza in downtown Baltimore, Maryland. The 2 Hopkins Plaza building is within walking distance of the historic Lexington Market and Baltimore's Inner Harbor. Parking can be found in nearby garages and Mass Transit in the form of the Light Rail and MTA buses is available.
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Responsibilities

• Serve as a managing attorney and work under the general supervision of the District Counsel, performing supervisory and law office management functions in the Office of Counsel consisting of approximately twenty attorneys and six paraprofessionals.
• The incumbent will participate in planning and implementing policy and programs for the office and the Baltimore District legal program.
• The incumbent will work collaboratively with the District Counsel on major issues but will make most daily technical decisions independently
• The incumbent will assist in the oversight and delivery of the legal services program in all areas of the law and USACE missions,
• Areas of law , real estate, environmental, fiscal, labor and employment, administrative, ethics, Federal Tort Claims, Freedom of Information and litigation stemming from all practice areas
• Additionally, the incumbent will provide management of the office to include the budget, personnel actions, training, safety, emergency management, knowledge management and other operational matters
• As the Deputy District Counsel, the incumbent will also serve on project development teams and participate in District level initiatives to assist in the overall administration of the District.

Travel Required

Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.

Supervisory status
Yes

Promotion Potential
None

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
• Incumbent required to travel 20%.
• Incumbent must possess and maintain a valid stateside driver's license.
• Incumbent is required to submit a Financial Disclosure Statement, OGE-450, (5CFR Part 2634, Subpart I USOGE, 6/08).
• Executive Branch Personnel Confidential Financial Disclosure Report upon entering the position and annually, in accordance with DoD Directive 5500-7-R, Joint Ethics Regulation, dated 17-Nov-2011.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: US Citizens

In order to qualify, you must meet the education and experience requirements described below. 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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document .

The following Minimum Qualification Requirements must be met before applicants are eligible for further consideration: Applicants will be evaluated to determine if they meet the minimum qualification requirements and on the extent to which their application shows possession of the following requirements. A. Education : Successful completion of a full course of study in school of law accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) and have a professional law degree (LLB or JD).ANDB. Bar Membership : Currently a member in good standing (as defined by the pertinent bar) of the bar or a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. AND C. Experience: Two or more years of professional legal experience, acquired after being admitted to the bar and which commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of this position, OR graduated at the top 25 percent of my class or obtained an advanced law degree (Master of Laws (LL.M), and have one year of professional legal experience which commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of this position and this experience was acquired after being admitted to the bar. NOTE : Must provide copy of bar membership ; provide transcripts to show degree. Failure to provide this will result in an ineligible rating. Notice of Veterans Preference Information: There is no formal rating system for applying veteran's preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of the Army considers veteran's preference eligibility a positive factor for attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veteran's preference must include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documents (e.g., DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active duty) to their submissions. Although the point-preference system is not used, applicants eligible to claim a 10-point preference must submit a Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, and supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed. (SF 15, which lists the types of 10-point preference and the required supporting documents, is available from the Office of Personnel Management Website at www.opm.gov.

You will be evaluated on the basis of your level of competency in the following areas:

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 Public Financial Disclosure Report (OGE 278) or 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.
• You may claim military spouse preference (MSP).
• If a MSP applicant is determined best qualified and selected, placement must be at the full performance level for priority consideration.
• 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
Not Required

Drug test required
No

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

Trust determination process
Suitability/Fitness

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.

1. Your resume:

• Your resume may be submitted in any format and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement.
• If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations and you may not be considered for this vacancy.
• For qualifications determinations your resume must contain hours worked per week and the dates of employment (i.e., HRS per week and month/year to month/year or month/year to present). If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as incomplete and you may not receive consideration for this position.
• For additional information see: What to include in your resume .

• 2. Other supporting documents:
• Cover Letter, optional
• Three most recent Performance Appraisal, if applicable
• This position has an individual occupational requirement and/or allows for substitution of education for experience. If you meet this requirement based on education you MUST submit a copy of your transcript with your application package or you will be rated ineligible. See: Transcripts and Licenses
• This position requires a job-related license or certification. You MUST submit a copy of your license or certification with your application package or you will be rated ineligible. See: Transcripts and Licenses
• SWORN STATEMENT: Submit a sworn [notarized] statement from you that your fitness to practice law or conduct as an attorney has never been challenged in any jurisdiction to the best of your knowledge, or if either has been challenged, a sworn [notarized] statement concerning the facts and circumstances and any other explanation that you consider appropriate may be submitted. As an alternative to a sworn [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) ... (your signature)." (28 U.S.C. 1746). The statement and certificate must be dated within three months of the date the application is submitted. The statement and certificate are required to be submitted by all applicants to include attorneys currently appointed to positions under the qualifying authority of The Judge Advocate General, Army (including active duty Army Judge Advocates). (Current Corps of Engineers Attorneys need not submit);
• CERTIFICATE: Submit an official certificate showing you are in good standing with the Bar. Current U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Attorneys need not submit this certificate. Official certificate showing that you are a member in good standing of the bar. A copy of the certificate may be provided with the application. The official certificate must be provided prior to an interview being held.
• LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION: Submit three (3) letters of recommendation from members of the Bar. Current U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Attorneys need not submit.
• TRANSCRIPTS: Submit official college and official law school transcripts. A copy of the transcript may be provided with the application. The official transcript must be provided prior to an interview being held. Current U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Attorneys need not submit.
• PERFORMANCE APPRAISALS: Submit Copies of your last three (3) performance appraisals. All Federal employees MUST submit;
• SF-50: Submit your most recent SF-50. All Federal employees MUST submit.;
• WRITING SAMPLE: Submit one example of writing skills as demonstrated by legal briefs, memoranda, or letters. These examples should total no more than ten pages in length. Extracts of selected sections of larger documents are acceptable.

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.