Duties

Summary

JOB DESCRIPTION: Attorneys provide legal advice and representation to ensure that NGA accomplishes its mission in compliance with applicable laws. They ascertain facts, analyze issues, apply legal authorities, render opinions, and advocate Agency positions. Attorneys work cooperatively with others within the office, the Agency, the Intelligence Community, the DoD, and the U.S. Government. Attorneys perform legal r

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), Office of General Counsel (OGC) seeks a highly qualified attorney with experience in at least one of the following: Federal government facilities and installations, counterintelligence, insider threat programs, personnel security, or physical security. Attorneys provide timely, accurate, and practical legal advice and representation to ensure NGA accomplishes its mission in compliance with applicable laws. At NGA, our attorneys conduct research, render legal opinions, conduct litigation, and advocate Agency positions. Attorneys work cooperatively with others within the office, the Agency, the Intelligence Community, the Department of Defense, and the U.S. Government. Attorneys perform legal research and writing, counsel clients, and represent the Agency before legal fora. The selected individual will engage with agency leadership and interagency partners on matters of law and policy to include facilities and installations, counterintelligence, insider threat, personnel security, and physical security. To be successful in the position, an applicant must possess a superior service-oriented attitude towards clients, with a proactive perspective toward the practice of law, possess the highest standards of professionalism and integrity, and thrive in a collegial work environment where everyone's views are respected and valued. EDUCATION REQUIREMENT: Juris Doctorate degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association. Must be a member in good standing of a bar of a U.S. state or territory, the District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. RECRUITMENT INCENTIVE: The selected candidates may be offered a recruitment incentive as part of the offer of employment, based on budget availability. To receive the incentive, the selected candidate must sign a service agreement for up to 2 years depending on the approved amount of the incentive. If the employee leaves before the end of the service agreement, the employee may be required to repay a pro rata share amount of the incentive to the government. OTHER REQUIREMENTS: Occasional CONUS and OCONUS Travel may be required. Position will require working standard hours. Ad hoc or Routine Telework permitted with Supervisor approval. Per DoD 1400.25, Vol. 2005, Encl. 2, Para. 14, applicants must be current NGA employees who are also members of the Defense Legal Services Agency. NOTICE OF VETERANS' PREFERENCE: There is no formal rating system for applying veteran's preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of Defense considers veterans' preference eligibility a positive factor for attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (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).

Travel Required

25% or less - Travel Required 25% or Less

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
PB4

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• US Citizenship is required.
• Designated or Random Drug Testing required.
• Security Investigation

SPECIAL INFO:
As a condition of employment at NGA, persons being considered for employment must meet NGA fitness for employment standards.

- U.S. Citizenship Required
- Security Clearance (Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information)
- Polygraph Test Required
- Position Subject to Drug Testing
- Two Year Probationary Period
- Direct Deposit Required

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
You must be able to obtain and retain a Top Secret security clearance with access to Sensitive Compartmented Information. In addition, you are subject to a Counterintelligence Polygraph examination in order to maintain access to Top Secret information. All employees are subject to a periodic examination on a random basis in order to determine continued eligibility. Refusal to take the examination may result in denial of access to Top Secret information, SAP, and/or unescorted access to SCIFs.

Employees with SCI access and who are under NGA cognizance are required to submit a Security Financial Disclosure Report, SF-714, on an annual basis in order to determine continued eligibility. Failure to comply may negatively impact continued access to Top Secret information, Information Systems, SAP, and/or unescorted access to SCIFs.

NGA utilizes all processes and procedures of the Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System (DCIPS). Non-executive NGA employees are assigned to five distinct pay bands based on the type and scope of work performed. The employee's base salary is established within their assigned pay band based on their unique qualifications. A performance pay process is conducted each year to determine a potential base pay salary increase and/or bonus. An employee's annual performance evaluation is a key factor in the performance pay process. Employees on term or temporary appointments are not eligible to apply for internal assignment opportunity notices.

This position is a DCIPS position in the Excepted Service under 10 U.S.C. 1601. DoD Components with DCIPS positions apply Veterans' Preference to preference eligible candidates as defined by Section 2108 of Title 5 USC, in accordance with the procedures provided in DoD Instruction 1400.25, Volume 2005, DCIPS Employment and Placement. If you are an external applicant claiming veterans' preference, as defined by Section 2108 of Title 5 U.S.C., you must self-identify your eligibility in our ERecruit application.

Qualifications

MANDATORY QUALIFICATION CRITERIA: For this particular job, applicants must meet all competencies reflected under the Mandatory Qualification Criteria to include education (if required). Online resumes must demonstrate qualification by providing specific examples and associated results, in response to the announcement's mandatory criteria specified in this vacancy announcement:

1. Experience practicing law, post licensure, for at least three (3) years; 2. Demonstrated ability to provide timely, accurate, and practical legal advice to enable an organizational mission consistent with applicable laws; 3. Experience providing legal advice and counsel on at least one of the following: Federal government facilities and installations, counterintelligence, insider threat programs, personnel security, or physical security; EDUCATION REQUIREMENT: A. Education: Juris Doctorate degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association. -AND- LICENSES/CERTIFICATIONS: Must be a member in good standing of a bar of a U.S. state or territory, the District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATION CRITERIA: In addition to the mandatory qualifications, experience in the following is desired:

1. Experience applying critical thinking to complex problem identification, analysis and resolution to provide superior legal research and legal writing; 2. Experience providing legal advice and counsel in support of the U.S. Military, Intelligence Community, Department of Defense, or other U.S. Government agencies, and work on TS/SCI level assignments; 3. Possess a drive for results - continuously look for ways to improve results, show resourcefulness, and push for excellence to demonstrate the ability to be a leader in the law; 4. Outstanding communication skills, orally and in writing.

Education

Additional information

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

Applicants are not required to submit a cover letter. The entire cover letter cannot exceed the specified limits provided in the Cover Letter field (3,000 characters). Pages exceeding this limit will not be considered. THE COVER LETTER IS RECOMMENDED BUT IS NOT REQUIRED FOR EMPLOYMENT CONSIDERATION WITH THE NATIONAL GEOSPATIAL-INTELLIGENCE AGENCY.

APPLICANT EVALUATION PROCESS: Applicants will be evaluated for this job opportunity in three stages: 1) All applicants will be evaluated using the Mandatory Qualification Criteria, 2) Qualified applicants will then be evaluated by an expert or panel of experts using a combination of qualification criteria to determine the best-qualified candidates, 3) Best-qualified applicants may then be further evaluated through an interview process. Military retiree applicants, if selected, may be impacted by the 180-day appointment restrictions of DODI 1402.01. HD personnel will provide additional information if applicable. Applicants are encouraged to carefully review the Assignment Description, Additional Information Provided By the Selecting Official, and the Qualification Requirements; and then construct their resumes to highlight their most relevant and significant experience and education for this job opportunity. This description should include examples that detail the level and complexity of the performed work. Applicants are encouraged to provide any education information referenced in the announcement. If education is listed as a mandatory requirement, only degrees obtained from an institution accredited by an accrediting organization recognized by the Secretary, US Department of Education will be accepted. As a condition of employment at NGA, persons being considered for employment must meet NGA fitness for employment standards. In accordance with section 9902(h) of title 5, United States Code, annuitants reemployed in the Department of Defense shall receive full annuity and salary upon appointment. They shall not be eligible for retirement contributions, participation in the Thrift Savings Plan, or a supplemental or redetermined annuity for the reemployment period. Discontinued service retirement annuitants (i.e., retired under section 8336(d)(1) or 8414(b)(1)(A) of title 5, United States Code) appointed to the Department of Defense may elect to be subject to retirement provisions of the new appointment as appropriate. (See DoD Instruction 1400.25, Volume 300, at http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives.) All candidates will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, disability, or sexual orientation. NGA provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. Applications will only be accepted online. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify us at recruitment@nga.mil. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-case basis.

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Sensitive Compartmented Information

Drug test required
Yes

Required Documents

None

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.