Duties

1 - Assistant Legal Adviser for Afghanistan, Pakistan and South Central Asian Affairs (L/ASCA)

2 - Assistant Legal Adviser for Public Diplomacy (L/PD)

The Assistant Legal Advisers (ALA) are primarily responsible for directing the work of other attorneys and support staff and ensuring that sound, timely, and relevant legal advice, reflecting the exercise of sound professional judgment is rendered with respect to matters within his/her areas of responsibility.

The ALAs oversee all legal aspects, including matters of international law, foreign law, and domestic law, as well as the evolution of law in unprecedented situations in the conduct of U.S. foreign relations and relations with international organizations and operations of those organizations.

The ALAs participate with the Legal Adviser, Deputy Legal Advisers, and other ranking policy officers of the U.S. Government in overall policy formulation and program planning and in the consideration, development, and implementation of basic policies and programs related to respective areas of responsibility. The incumbents also oversee the legal representation of the Department in litigation before federal courts and administrative tribunals, as needed.

With respect to matters within the functional responsibilities of his/her office, the ALAs provide legal advice and services to principal officers and client bureaus throughout the Department on a wide range of issues of particular importance to United States foreign policy interests; represent the Office of the Legal Adviser and the Department at intradepartmental, interagency and international meetings and conferences; advance and protect Department interests in management and administrative matters; and answer inquiries from Congress and the press.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• U.S. Citizenship is required.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance.
• Incumbent will be subject to random drug testing.
• Requires a financial disclosure statement, OGE-278.
• One year probationary period, unless excepted by regulation.
• Verification of employment eligibility in the United States is required.

This position is a drug-testing designated position subject to random testing for illegal drug use. Appointment will be subject to the applicant's completion and favorable adjudication of a background security investigation. The Ethics in Government Act, PL 95-521 requires the applicant selected for this position submit a financial disclosure statement, OGE-278, prior to assuming the SES position, annually, and upon termination of employment.

Qualifications

Unless you are currently serving under a career Senior Executive Service (SES) appointment, are eligible for reinstatement into the SES, or have successfully completed a SES Candidate Development Program approved by OPM, you must submit a narrative statement covering each of the Executive Core Qualifications (last five questions). All applicants must submit a narrative statement covering each of the Mandatory Technical Qualification questions in order to receive consideration for the position. To view additional information on the proper preparation of Executive Core Qualification statements available on the Office of Personnel Management's website please click here . When responding to the Mandatory Technical Qualifications and Executive Core Qualifications, you must clearly show that you possess the experience, knowledge, skills and ability to perform the duties of this position by submitting narrative responses in which you detail your experience in each of the Technical Qualifications and the Executive Core Qualifications. Your examples should be clear and emphasize your level of responsibilities, scope and complexity of programs managed, program accomplishments with results of your actions, policy initiatives and level of contacts. You should limit your narrative to two pages per Mandatory Technical Qualification and Executive Core Qualification. Applicants who use "see resume" as a response will not receive consideration for the position.

For both positions applicants must address the following Mandatory Technical Qualifications:

Your experience and resume should explicitly demonstrate the following:

• MTQ1: Demonstrated experience providing sound legal advice and representation involving the application of international, foreign, and domestic law to legal and policy issues involving multiple stakeholders and the activities of large public or private organizations.
  
  
• MTQ2: Demonstrated experience providing sound legal advice and representation through effective written and oral counsel and advocacy on legal and policy issues relating to U.S. foreign relations, including with respect to international organizations and the conduct of U.S. diplomacy.

If you do not possess the mandatory technical qualifications described above, you may be considered ineligible for these positions.

Additional information

SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER - Your Social Security Number is requested under the authority of Executive Order 9397 to uniquely identify your records from those other applicants who may have the same name. As allowed by law or Presidential directive, your Social Security Number is used to seek information about you from employers, schools, banks, and others who may know you. Failure to provide your Social Security Number on your application materials will result in your application no being processed.

SELECTIVE SERVICE - If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify at the time of appointment that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under Selective Service law.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION - This agency provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the Office of Employee Relations, Disability/Reasonable Accommodations Division, at (202) 261-8180. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-case basis.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY - The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor.

EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATION PROGRAM (E-Verify) - U.S. law requires organizations to employ only individuals who may legally work in the United States - either U.S. citizens, or foreign citizens who have the necessary authorization. This agency utilizes E-Verify to compare information from the Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to data from U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Social Security Administration (SSA) records to confirm employment eligibility. If the employee's information does not match DHS and/or SSA records, the employee is given an opportunity to resolve the problem. If eligibility cannot be verified, employment will be terminated.

MANDATORY COVID-19 VACCINATION FOR FEDERAL EMPLOYEES - As required by Executive Order 14043 , Federal employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 regardless of the employee's duty location or work arrangement (e.g., telework, remote work, etc.), subject to such exceptions as required by law. If selected, you will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination by November 22, 2021, or before appointment or onboarding with the Department of State, if after November 22. The Department of State will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request of the agency a legally required exception from this requirement.