Duties

Summary

This position is located in the Office of the General Counsel (OGC) of the United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM) an independent Federal Agency of the U.S. Government. The attorney incumbent serves as an Assistant General Counsel in the Litigation Practice Group which handles the Employment Law, Labor Law, and Litigation practice within the OGC. The Agency is led by a Chief Executive Officer and a multi-member Board, which includes the Secretary of State.
Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

Duties include, but are not limited to:

PRACTICE OF LAW AT THE USAGM (IN GENERAL): The practice of law at USAGM is unique within the federal government. The USAGM is primarily a news organization, meaning that all USAGM OGC attorneys gain expertise in providing legal support to an international media organization, supporting journalists operating around the globe. In that regard, OGC deals with those matters that impact all media organizations, including intellectual property and licensing; transmission of our content via terrestrial antenna, satellite, internet, and social media; and press freedom and first amendment issues.
We are also a government agency and so, our practice also handles the multitude of legal issues that most government law offices encounter, including federal employment and labor law; federal contracting; appropriation and fiscal law; grant law; and FOIA and ethics.

DUTIES FOR THIS POSITION:
The Litigation and Employment/Labor Law Practice Group provides definitive legal advice on Employment and Labor Law matters impacting the agency, and serves as the Agency lead for all Agency litigation. The Group also advises on litigation risks associated with the many often complex actions the Agency undertakes in its unique role operating and overseeing a major global media organization. Duties include, but are not limited to:

• • Provide definitive legal counsel on all other litigation or litigation risk facing the agency.
  • Manage, defend, support and otherwise represent the Agency in cases before MSPB, EEOC, FLRA, and Federal Courts. Work with OGC leadership to help Agency Leadership think strategically about our practices and posture to improve litigation outcomes. Manage cases with minimal or no supervision.
  • Provide definitive legal counsel on all aspects of federal employment law
  • Provide definitive legal counsel on all aspects of federal labor law.
  • Serve as lead lawyer in cases in administrative and judicial hearings.
  • Apply a customer-service oriented approach to legal practice; think outside of the box on legal questions; and be willing to take on new tasks and responsibilities.

Travel Required

Not required

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
15

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• U.S. citizenship is required.
• Applicants MUST meet all qualification requirements by the cutoff date. Cutoff dates are every two weeks from the open date of this announcement until positions are filled and are listed in the Additional Information Section.
• Applicants must complete online questionnaire.
• If you are a male applicant, born after 12/31/59, you are required to register under the Military Selective Service Act. The Defense Authorization Act of 1986 requires that you be registered or you are not eligible for appointment in this agency.
• This is a critical sensitive position. If selected, this position requires the completion of the SF-86.
• Suitability Determination: If selected, you will be subject to a security investigation to establish your suitability for federal employment. The security investigation will include, among other aspects, a review of your credit and legal history.
• This position is not covered by a Union Agreement
• New appointees to the Excepted Service must serve a two-year trial period.
• The full performance grade level for this position is GS-15.
• If selected for this vacancy, you may be required to file the OGE Form 450 (Confidential Financial Disclosure Report).

Qualifications

To qualify for the GS-14, you should have three (3) or more years of post-J.D. legal experience, at least one (1) of which were specialized experience at, or equivalent to, the GS-13 grade level or higher.

To qualify for the GS-15, you should have four (4) or more years of post-J.D. legal experience, at least one (1) of which were specialized experience at, or equivalent to, the GS-14 grade level or higher.

Specialized experience means experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge and ability to successfully perform the duties of the position. Examples include experience demonstrating:

- Significant knowledge of federal employment Law, including federal employee relations (Title V) and EEO (Title VII).
- Significant knowledge of federal labor law and procedures.
- Ability to handle all aspects of representing an Agency in federal litigation (administrative and/or court proceedings), including experience serving as lead attorney (or equivalent) in administrative or judicial hearings.
- Significant experience with litigation, including handling witness preparation, depositions, and discovery; preparing affidavits; developing trial strategies; conducting direct and cross examination; and aspects of motion practice.
- Significant experience advising or representing the agency in collective bargaining and all matters related to federal labor relations.
- Proven ability to manage complex legal tasks, including litigation, independently or with minimal supervision.
- Ability to relate well to clients and work collaboratively in a fast paced legal environment.
- A customer-service oriented approach to legal practice.
- Ability to think outside of the box on legal questions. Ability and willingness to lead legal tasks and take on new tasks and responsibilities
- Experience with advising on FOIA matters, including those relating to litigation
- Experience with federal ethics law and regulations.

Desirable Experience: These are examples of the types of experience or expertise that may indicate the requisite knowledge and ability for the position. These include:
- Experience practicing before the MSPB
- Experience practicing before the EEOC
- Experience practicing within the Federal Government (or in cases where the Federal Government was a party) and providing advice on Employment Law, including federal employee relations (Title V) and EEO (Title VII).
- Experience practicing before the FLRA and federal labor arbitrators.
- Experience providing advice on complex legal problems related to the interpretation of labor agreements; handling arbitration and the resolution of labor grievances (e.g., arising from Unfair Labor Practice charges).
- Experience actively participating in processing, negotiating, and otherwise resolving discrimination complaints.
- Experience providing legal sufficiency review for disciplinary actions and adverse actions; advice on performance and time and attendance issues.
- Comprehensive operational knowledge of settlement agreements. Experience providing clear legal advice to executives or senior officials.
- Experience in drafting or revising organizational policies, based upon continuing review of case law, appropriate legislation, and regulatory implementation, to minimize organizational legal risk.
- Experience demonstrating an ability to provide support to litigation relating to federal contracting, including bid protest.

(Note: The list is instructive; it is not exhaustive, and the successful candidate need not necessarily have all of these experiences).

Education

Applicant cannot substitute education for experience, although educational achievement may be considered rating applicants, as with any attorney position.

Additional information

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis with Cutoff dates of every two weeks until position(s) are filled.

Qualifying applications submitted for this position or other identical current or future open position in the Agency OGC may also be considered for this position;

Qualifying application submitted for this position or other identical positions may be considered for currently open or future positions in OGC.

If you are an eligible Inter agency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) applicant, you may apply for special selection over other candidates for this position. To be well-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, displaced Federal employees must be rated at 80 or above on the rating criteria for this position. ICTAP eligibles must submit one of the following as proof of eligibility for the special selection priority: 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 or National Guard Bureau notification that you are retired under 5 U.S.C. 8337(h) or 8456.

Applicants claiming veteran's preference must submit a DD-214 (copy # 2 or 4 - member copy); veterans who are claiming disabled veteran preference must also submit a VA disability letter and a SF-15; AND, applicants seeking widow or other special veterans preference must submit a SF-15 and all documents indicated for their specific form of preference.

If you are still on active duty, you may submit a statement of service from your Personnel Command which states the date you entered active duty, the date you are separating, and the campaign medals you have received.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

Once your resume or application is submitted, a review of your qualifications will be made to ensure you meet the job requirements and competencies required for this position.

Competencies:

• Legal, Government and Jurisprudence

Possession of competencies may be addressed in a cover letter and/or resume. To determine if you are qualified for this job, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the occupational questionnaire. The numeric rating you receive is based on your responses to the questionnaire. If, after reviewing your resume and or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your score can and will be adjusted to more accurately reflect your qualifications. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. You will then be placed in one of three rating categories:

• Qualified Category
• Well Qualified Category
• Best Qualified Category

Application of Veterans' Preference: Category Rating 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 with a compensable service-connected disability of 10 percent or more will be placed at the top of the highest quality category (except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-09 level or higher). Preference eligibles who do not have a service-connected disability of 10 percent or more will be assigned to the appropriate quality category based upon the job-related assessment and will be listed ahead of nonpreference eligibles within the appropriate quality category.

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Top Secret

Drug test required
No

Position sensitivity and risk
Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk

Trust determination process
Suitability/Fitness

Required Documents

All applicants are required to submit the following supporting document type(s):

• Professional Certification
• Resume

At a later date, applicants may also be required to submit:

• • Proof of Bar Certification (Copy is acceptable)
  • Writing Sample
  • Transcript

Applicants may also submit the following supporting document type(s), which may not be required for all applicants:

• Professional Certification
• Reasonable Accommodation Documentation
• Resume
• Transcript

Although the required documents listed in this announcement only indicates that a resume is required, other documents may be required in specific circumstances, as indicated in application requirements in Other Information above.

If you are a veteran with preference eligibility and you are claiming 5-point veterans' preference, you must attach the member copy of your DD-214 or other proof of eligibility. If you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference, you must also attach an Application of 10-Point Veterans' Preference (SF-15) plus the proof required by that form
If you are still on active duty, you may submit a statement of service from your Personnel Command which states the date you entered active duty, the date you are separating, and the campaign medals you have received.

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.