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The position is an Attorney-Adviser in the Program Legal Services Branch, General Law Division, Office of Chief Counsel. The Program Legal Services Branch handles matters relating to FRA’s intercity passenger rail programs and Amtrak, FRA’s financial assistance programs; relevant environmental laws; and general (non-safety) issues.
Learn more about this agency03/29/2022 to 03/28/2023
$66,214 - $176,300 per year
GS 11 - 15
MANY vacancies in the following location:
No
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Occasional travel - Some travel is required.
No
Permanent
Full-time - Full Time
Excepted
15
No
No
FRA.CC-2022-0003
645590600
Applications will be accepted from any U.S. Citizen. This position is in the Excepted Service. For information on the Excepted Service, please visit: Excepted Service Appointing Authorities@ https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/excepted-service/
As an Attorney-Adviser, you will:
The ideal candidate for this position is ready for an exciting opportunity to join FRA as the agency implements a new surface transportation reauthorization and prepares to administer significant and transformative Federal funding for passenger and freight rail projects.
Applicants must have strong written and oral communication skills; the ability to analyze complex issues; skill and experience working collaboratively and productively with individuals with diverse background and experience; organizational skills; professional judgment; initiative; the ability to handle multiple projects, activities, and issues simultaneously; and the ability to excel in a fast-paced, demanding environment.
PLEASE NOTE: This announcement establishes an open continuous (1-year) vacancy announcement. The first referral of eligible applicants will be 3 weeks from the opening date. Note that there is no guarantee that your application will be reviewed under this vacancy, it depends on when and how often the selecting official(s) request to use this public notice.
Also, duty locations will vary. The difference in salary is determined by the locality pay in each location. Salaries for all areas are available on the OPM website at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/2022/general-schedule/
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:
To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must (1) meet the Education Requirement for the series, (2) provide a copy of transcripts for verification, AND (3) meet either the education or experience qualifications for the grade at which you are requesting consideration.
GRADE 11 - Possess a professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.), and be in good standing of a bar. No professional legal experience necessary.
GRADE 12 - A law degree, bar membership in good standing and one year of professional attorney experience.
GRADE 13 - A law degree, bar membership in good standing and two years of professional attorney experience.
GRADE 14 - A law degree, bar membership in good standing and at least three years of professional attorney experience.
GRADE 15 - A law degree, bar membership in good standing and at least four years of professional attorney experience.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas:
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). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
For additional information about applying to Federal positions, please click on the following link: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-policies/#url=e4
All applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
MANDATORY EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS:
In order to qualify for this position, candidates must have successfully completed a full course of study in a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) and have a professional law degree, and must currently be a member in good standing of the bar of a State or Territory of the United States or the District of Columbia.
PLEASE NOTE: This is a Bargaining unit position represented by American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), Local 2814.
TELEWORK: Position is telework eligible, consistent with agency policy.
COVID VACCINATION: If selected, you will be required to provide information regarding your COVID-19 vaccination status for the purposes of implementing workplace safety protocols, such as protocols related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.
This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if similar vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE: PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume/ application does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s). Your resume must contain sufficiently detailed information upon which to make a qualification determination. Please ensure that your resume contains specific information such as position titles, beginning and ending dates of employment for each position, average number of hours worked per week, and if the position is/was in the Federal government, you should provide the position series and grade level
For this announcement, all applicants will be reviewed to determine if they meet the basic qualifications for this position, specifically the educational and specialized experience requirements.
Applicants will not be rated or ranked.
All applications that are verified to meet the basic qualifications will be referred to the selecting official.
The answers you select in the on-line process must be substantiated in your application package. If upon review, it is determined that your described work history, competencies, and/or supporting documents do not support your answer choices, you may not be referred to the selecting official. Please ensure that your work history provides enough details to support your answers.
ALL Applicants must provide a resume that fully supports the required specialized experience and respond to the vacancy questions by the closing date of the vacancy. Formatted resumes can be uploaded when you arrive at the DOT application system. For assistance with the resume builder, please visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/account/documents/resume/build/
The following is a list of documents that are only required based on the type of position. Please review each of the following sections to determine which documents you need to provide with your application.
COVER LETTER: (maximum 2 pages) The cover letter should specifically address your interest in the position and why you believe your experience, skills, and interest in the position qualify you for the position in light of the duties and qualifications described in this job announcement.
RESUME - Needs to be created within USA Jobs Resume Builder. It must show relevant experience, education and fully support the required specialized experience.
COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRE.
PROOF OF ACTIVE BAR MEMBERSHIP IN GOOD STANDING.
TRANSCRIPTS - Verifying that you meet the stated education requirements for the series. The transcripts need not be official.
WRITING SAMPLE: If selected for an interview, candidates may be asked to provide a writing sample. Please ensure that any confidential or privileged information is redacted or removed.
VETERANS: Your last DD214 (member 4 copy), Certificate of Release or Discharge From Active Duty, that shows the type of discharge and all dates of active duty is required to verify your eligibility. It need not be official.
Failure to submit any of the required documents by the closing date of the vacancy will result in your removal from consideration for this position. Please review your application prior to final submission and ensure you have submitted all appropriate documents. Uploading documents to USAJobs does NOT ensure inclusion with your application to our system. You must verify that the documents are in the system with your application prior to final submission.
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.
You must submit a complete application package (including resume, vacancy questions and supporting documents) no later than 11:59 pm (EST) on the closing date of the announcement.
In addition to submitting an application through usajobs.gov, applicants must submit a traditionally formatted resume and cover letter to FRAprogramlegalservicesjob@dot.gov.
If you are having difficulty applying online, please contact the DOT Automated Staffing Office via email at Transjobs@dot.gov.
You may check your application status by logging into USAJobs.com (Select "My USAJobs" and click "Applications". Within two weeks of the closing date, a Human Resources Specialist will evaluate your application. Qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager. Appropriate veteran's preference will be applied. If you are selected for an interview, the hiring agency will contact you directly. Once the position is filled, we will notify all applicants of their final status.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/645590600. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
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