USAJOBS - Job Announcement

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The USTP is a litigating component of the Department of Justice with responsibility for overseeing nearly all bankruptcy cases filed in the United States - from chapter 7, 12, and 13 cases to major chapter 11 business reorganizations. The Program's mission is to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for the benefit of all stakeholders - debtors, creditors, and the public. USTP employees headquartered in Washington, DC, and in 93 field office locations across the country handle a wide range of administrative, regulatory, and enforcement matters. Of particular importance are the Program's efforts to address fraud and abuse by debtors, creditors, and others in the bankruptcy system by taking both formal and informal civil enforcement actions and making criminal referrals to U.S. Attorneys as appropriate.

The President has ordered a government-wide hiring freeze subject to certain limited exceptions. This position is subject to the hiring freeze. Although we are moving forward with the consideration of candidates, we will not make a selection for this vacancy announcement unless and until the position is no longer subject to the hiring freeze.

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Reviewing applications

Open & closing dates

03/24/2017 to 04/06/2017
Salary

$112,021 - $161,900 per year
Pay scale & grade

GS 14 - 15
Location

1 vacancy in the following location:
- Washington DC, DC 3 vacancies
Travel Required

Occasional travel - Business travel may be required up to 15%
Relocation expenses reimbursed

No
Appointment type

Permanent - Excepted Service Permanent
Work schedule

Full-time - Full Time
Service
Promotion potential

15
Job family (Series)

0905 Attorney
Supervisory status

No
Announcement number

UT-17-1931629-TA
Control number

466309200

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This position is located in the Consumer Practice group of the Executive Office for the United States Trustees (EOUST), Office of the General Counsel (OGC). OGC is responsible for coordinating, directing, and developing legal policies, procedures, and positions for the USTP in enforcing the Bankruptcy Code, and seeing that institutional interest of the Program are properly asserted and defended through litigation.

If selected for this position, you will be responsible for providing legal advice and guidance on bankruptcy and civil litigation issues, including developing and implementing strategies to ensure effective advocacy of Program goals and policies at the trial court and appellate levels, and ensuring compliance with Department policies and procedures.

Typical work assignments include:

Provide advice and counsel on a broad range of legal and policy issues.
Develop and implement Program legal initiatives and develop systems which maximize the efficiency of legal operations Program-wide.
Assist with litigation and trial of cases in bankruptcy courts concerning unique and unusual questions of bankruptcy law.
Research, develop, and coordinate Program policy and legal strategy to assist the U. S. Trustees in enforcing the Bankruptcy Code.
Provide advice and counsel, and assist OGC's appellate group with, litigation of cases on appeal presenting significant issues impacting the Program's civil enforcement and consumer bankruptcy practice.
Assist with development and delivery of training programs and materials to Program staff.

Who May Apply

This job is open to…

United States Citizens

Questions? This job is open to 0 group.

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Conditions of Employment

You must be a U.S. Citizen.
Selectee must be determined suitable for federal employment.
Selectee must complete a 2-year trial period (1-year for Veterans).
Selectee may be required to submit to a drug test.
This position may require completion of a financial disclosure statement.
See "Other Information" section for additional requirements.

Your resume must have complete information. Please ensure your resume accurately reflects the duties and responsibilities for each position held. In describing your experience, please be clear and specific. For each position, beginning and ending dates of employment stated as MM/DD/YY to MM/DD/YY and total hours worked per week must be indicated. If your resume does not provide sufficient information regarding your work history to make a creditable qualification determination, your application package may be rendered disqualified and you will no longer be considered for this position.

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.

Qualifications

To qualify at the GS-14, you must have at least four (4) years post Juris Doctorate (J.D.) professional legal experience in interpreting, applying, and advocating under the United States Bankruptcy Code, the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure, and related laws, rules, and regulations that arise in bankruptcy cases. At least two years of the required professional legal experience must be at or equivalent to the GS-13 grade level or pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector.

To qualify at the GS-15, you must have at least five (5) years post Juris Doctorate (J.D.) professional legal experience in interpreting, applying, and advocating under the United States Bankruptcy Code, the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure, and related laws, rules, and regulations that arise in bankruptcy cases. At least two years of the required professional legal experience must be at or equivalent to the GS-14 grade level or pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector.

Preferred Qualifications:

In addition to the required qualifications listed above, the ideal candidate will have:

- At least two years of experience in at least two of the following areas: bankruptcy, litigation, financial services, business, and/or appellate.
- Demonstrated analytical, legal research, and oral and written advocacy skills.
- Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work in a professional manner with superiors, other attorneys, auditors/analysts, paralegals, and support staff.

Education

Education: Candidates must have a Juris Doctorate Degree.

Bar Membership: Candidates must be an active member in good standing of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction).

Additional information

A tentative offer of employment will be rescinded if the selectee fails to meet pre-employment requirements. This includes failure to report to any scheduled appointments, failure to pass a drug test, failure to produce required certifications, or if a background investigation cannot be favorably adjudicated.
This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.
If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See http://www.sss.gov/.
This announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies within 90 days of the closing date.
All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.

Department of Justice Policies

Suitability and Citizenship: It is the policy of the Department to achieve a drug-free workplace and persons selected for employment will be required to pass a drug test which screens for illegal drug use prior to final appointment. Employment is also contingent upon the completion and satisfactory adjudication of a background investigation. Only U.S. citizens are eligible for employment with the Executive Office for Immigration Review and the United States Attorneys' Offices. Unless otherwise indicated in a particular job advertisement, non-U.S. Citizens may apply for employment with other organizations, but should be advised that appointments of non-U.S. Citizens are extremely rare; such appointments would be possible only if necessary to accomplish the Department's mission and would be subject to strict security requirements. Applicants who hold dual citizenship in the U.S. and another country will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Please review the information listed in the vacancy announcement at https://justice.gov/legal-careers/job/trial-attorney-consumer for additional Department of Justice Policies relating to Equal Employment Opportunity, Reasonable Accommodations, and Outreach and Recruitment for Qualified Applicants with Disabilities:.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

The Department of Justice offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes paid vacation, sick leave, holidays, telework, life insurance, health benefits, and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System. These links provide an overview of the benefits currently offered to Federal employees: https://www.opm.gov/healthcare-insurance/Guide-Me/New-Prospective-Employees/ and https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/pay_and_benefits.

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

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

Your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed on this announcement. If you are found to be qualified for this position, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.

Veterans: There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of Justice considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., the DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty and other supporting documentation) to their submissions. Although the "point" system is not used, per se, applicants eligible to claim 10-point preference must submit Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, and submit the supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed (visit the OPM website, www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf for a copy of SF 15, which lists the types of 10-point preferences and the required supporting document(s). Applicants should note that SF 15 requires supporting documentation associated with service- connected disabilities or receipt of nonservice-connected disability pensions to be dated 1991 or later except in the case of service members submitting official statements or retirement orders from a branch of the Armed Forces showing that his or her retirement was due to a permanent service-connected disability or that he/she was transferred to the permanent disability retired list (the statement or retirement orders must indicate that the disability is 10% or more).

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

The Department of Justice offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes paid vacation, sick leave, holidays, telework, life insurance, health benefits, and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System. These links provide an overview of the benefits currently offered to Federal employees: https://www.opm.gov/healthcare-insurance/Guide-Me/New-Prospective-Employees/ and https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/pay_and_benefits.

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.

To apply for this position, you must submit:

1. Resume showing relevant work experience. Be certain to identify beginning and ending dates of employment stated as MM/DD/YY to MM/DD/YY and the total hours worked per week.
2. Writing sample of no more than 15 pages (a brief or comparable legal document that is your work product).
3. If you are a current or former Federal employee, most recent (non-award) SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action. (NOTE: If you are a current employee of the U.S. Trustee Program, this requirement is not mandatory but is helpful.)
4. Veterans preference documentation, if applicable (DD214, Member 4 Copy or Certification of Service; document must reflect dates and character of service).

If selected for this position, you will be required to provide proof of Juris Doctorate degree and bar membership (including certification of good standing) before a firm job offer is extended.

Failure to provide all required documentation will deem your application incomplete and you will not be considered further.

The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on Thursday, April 06, 2017 in order to receive consideration.

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.

To apply for this position, you must submit a resume, complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below

SUBMITTING DOCUMENTS:

Online:
You are encouraged to apply online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application.

To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire. Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package. It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation are submitted prior to the closing date.

To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.

To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete. It is your responsibility to verify that information entered, uploaded, or faxed is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date.

By Facsimile:
If you applied online and your application is complete, DO NOT fax the paper application (1203FX) as this will overwrite your prior online responses and may result in you being found ineligible.
If you cannot complete the application package online, you may fax all of your materials. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (Eastern) on the closing date on the closing date of the announcement to be considered. Keep a copy of your fax confirmation in the the event verification is needed.

1. Click the following link to view and print the occupational questionnaire: View Occupational Questionnaire

2. Print the 1203FX form, follow the instructions and provide your responses to the occupational questionnaire items https://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/OPM1203FX.pdf.

3. To fax your completed occupational questionnaire and other required documents, you must use the cover page available for printing at the following link http://staffing.opm.gov/pdf/usascover.pdf and provide the required information. The Vacancy ID is 1931629.
4. Fax your documents to 1-478-757-3144.
It is your responsibility to verify that information faxed is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Faxed documents will take 2-3 business days to process. Faxed documents must be completely transmitted by 11:59 PM (Eastern) on the closing date. Documents submitted with missing information will not be processed. The following will prevent your documents from being processed:
- Not using the special cover page mentioned above.
- Missing, incomplete, or invalid Vacancy Identification Number.
- Missing or incomplete Social Security number or name.

Agency contact information

USTP Applicant Inquiry

Phone: (202)616-1000
Email: USTP.APPLICATIONS@USDOJ.GOV
Address: USTP Executive Office
Office of Admin/Human Resources
441 G Street NW
Suite 6150
Washington, DC 20530

Learn more about this agency

Next steps

Once you have successfully submitted your application materials, you can expect to receive the following email notifications concerning your application status: (1) receipt of application; (2) result of qualifications review; (3) referred/not referred to the selecting official; and (4) selected/not selected for the position.

The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.