Supervisory Attorney-Adviser (General)

Summary
About the Position: As the Army's primary integrator of C5ISR technologies and systems, the U.S. Army Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Center conducts Research and Development, or R&D, across a wide variety of capability areas. This position reports to the Director and is located in the US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command C5ISR Center and may be filled at either Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD or Fort Belvoir, VA.
This job is open to

• The public
  U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Duties

• Supervises a staff of subordinate attorneys across legal disciplines that include, but may not limited to: procurement and contract law, labor and employment law, fiscal law, patent and intellectual property law, and general administrative law.
• Performs research and prepares legal opinions that address pertinent legal and policy authorities and advise upon a recommended course of action to resolve such issues.
• Provides expert advice on legal aspects of complex, multi-million-dollar contracts and agreements, to include acquisition planning, pre-award review, contract administration, and disputes.

Requirements
Conditions of Employment

• Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
• A three-year trial/probationary period may be required.
• This position may require the incumbent to submit a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450) upon entry, and annually thereafter in accordance with DoD Directive 5500-7-R.
• This position requires the incumbent to maintain active bar membership, in good standing (as defined by the pertinent bar) of the bar of the highest court of a State, U.S. territory, the District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
• This position requires the incumbent be able to obtain and maintain a determination of eligibility for a Top-Secret (TS) security clearance with access to Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) for the duration of employment.
• NOTE: the TS/SCI is not required at the time of appointment.
• This position has a Temporary Duty (TDY) or business travel requirement of up to 20% of the time.
• The duties of this position meet the criteria for compliance with Federal and Department of the Army Drug Free Workplace Programs. This position is subject to a pre-employment screening, and random testing.

Qualifications
This position is covered under an alternative personnel system known as the DoD Science & Technology Demonstration Project. The Demonstration replaces GS grade levels with occupational families and pay bands. This position incorporates former GS grades 14 step 1 to 15 step 10 and may be filled at any of those equivalent grades within the pay band.
Who May Apply: US Citizens
Applicants will be evaluated to determine if they meet the minimum qualification requirements and on the extent to which their application shows possession of the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) associated with the position. KSA's:

• Ability to provide technical supervision, plan work requirements, and lead other personnel.
• Skill in planning, organizing, setting priorities, and completing multiple tasks of varying complexity.
• Knowledge, ability and skill in providing legal and business advice to contracting professionals and requiring activities on the award and administration of public (FAR-based) contracts.
• Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing to a wide variety of personnel to include contracting officers, scientists, engineers, patent examiners, other Government personnel and Government contractors.
• Ability to recognize and analyze problems, conduct research, summarize results, and make appropriate recommendations.

Qualification Requirements: The following minimum qualification requirements must be met before applicants are eligible for further consideration:
Education Requirements: Position requires the possession of the first professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.) AND member in good standing with the highest court of a State, U.S. commonwealth, U.S. territory, or the District of Columbia. Applicants for initial appointment into attorney positions within the Department of Army must be graduates of law schools accredited by the American Bar Association at the time of the applicant's graduation. As indicated below, a law school transcript must be submitted with your application materials.
Bar Membership: Applicants must currently be a member in good standing (as defined by the pertinent bar) of the bar of the highest court of a State, U.S. territory, the District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. As noted below, proof of such membership and good standing must be submitted with your application materials.
Experience: In addition to the requirements above, applicants for the DE-04 or equivalent Attorney positions must also possess 3 years of professional legal experience, acquired after being admitted to the bar, commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position. Graduation from an ABA-Accredited Law School in the top 25% of the class or an advanced law degree such as an LLM may substitute for one year of the required professional legal experience.
Time in Grade: The Qualifying Authorities (QA's) will make a determination as to the applicability of time in grade based on the requirements of the position. If you are currently employed as an attorney by the Federal government you must have completed one year at the next lower grade level within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement, or previously served at the same or higher grade level as the position being filled.
NOTICE OF VETERAN'S PREFERENCE: There is no formal rating system for applying veteran's preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of the 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. The SF 15 will identify the supporting documentation required along with the list of the types of 10-point preference. The SF 15 is available from the OPM at https://www.gsa.gov/portal/forms/type/sf/.
Education
Only degrees from an accredited college or university recognized by the Department of Education are acceptable to meet positive education requirements or to substitute education for experience. For additional information, please go to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and U.S. Department of Education websites at http://www.opm.gov/qualifications and http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html.
Additional information

• PLEASE NOTE THAT REQUIREMENTS FOR EDUCATION, TIME IN GRADE, AND EXPERIENCE MAY BE WAIVED BY THE APPLICABLE AUTHORITY AND THE REQUIREMENTS SHOULD NOT DETER ANY INDIVIDUAL FROM APPLYING FOR THE POSITION.
• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
• You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship.
• Direct Deposit of Pay is required.
• If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet.
• This is a Professional Services Career Field position.
• Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
• Permanent Change of Station (PCS) allowances may be authorized, subject to the provisions of the Joint Travel Regulations and an agency determination that a PCS move is in the Government Interest.
• When you perform a Civilian Permanent Change of Station (PCS) with the government, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) considers the majority of your entitlements to be taxable. Visit https://www.dfas.mil/civilianemployees/civrelo/Civilian-Moving-Expenses-Tax-Deduction/ for more information.
• This position is supervisory as defined by the OPM General Schedule Supervisory Guide (GSSG). A one year probation to assess your ability to perform supervisory duties is required unless previously completed.

• 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.
  Review our 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.

How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Your application package (resume and supporting documents) will be evaluated for basic qualification requirements and for the skills needed to perform the duties of the position, as described in this vacancy announcement and identified by the Selecting Official.
Veteran's preference requirements do not apply to attorney positions in the excepted service, however the principles of veteran's preference will be followed to the extent which is administratively feasible.

• 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.
  Review our 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.
• Required Documents
  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.
  The following documents are required:
  Your resume:
  
  • Your resume may be submitted in any format and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement.
  • If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations and you may not be considered for this vacancy.
  • For qualifications determinations your resume must contain hours worked per week and the dates of employment (i.e., HRS per week and month/year to month/year or month/year to present). If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as incomplete and you may not receive consideration for this position.
  • For additional information see: What to include in your resume.
  
  The following documents are preferred at the time of application, but not required:
  PLEASE NOTE: If you do not have your law school transcripts, certificate of good standing, or fitness to practice statement, you should not be deterred from applying for this position. While not required at the time of application, these documents will be required for the attorney to enter on duty.
  Official Law School Transcripts:
  
  • Official law school transcript and an official statement of relative standing in class. Photo static copies of documents are acceptable when applying but certified documents must be furnished before entering duty.
  
  Good Standing Certificate:
  
  • Official certificate showing that you are a member in good standing of the bar dated at any time. However, in the event the candidate is selected for an interview and/or during the hiring process, the candidate must provide an official certificate dated within three months. The certificate is required to be submitted by all applicants to include attorneys currently appointed to positions under the qualifying authority of The Judge Advocate General (including active-duty Army Judge Advocates).
  
  Fitness to Practice Statement:
  
  • A sworn (notarized) statement from you that your fitness to practice law or conduct as an attorney has never been challenged in any jurisdiction to the best of your knowledge, or if either has been challenged, a sworn (notarized) statement concerning the facts and circumstances, together with any explanation that you deem appropriate may be submitted.
  • As an alternative to a sworn (notarized) statement, a statement which includes a declaration under penalty of perjury may be submitted in the following format: "I declare (or certify, verify, or state) under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States of America that the foregoing is true and correct...executed on (date)...(your signature)." (28 U.S.C. 1746)."
  • The statement must be dated within three months of the date that the application package is submitted. The statement is required to be submitted by all applicants to include attorneys currently appointed to positions under the qualifying authority of The Judge Advocate General (including active-duty Army Judge Advocates).
  
  Writing Sample:
  
  • Examples of writing skills as demonstrated by legal briefs, memorandum, and/or letters. Regardless of the number of writing samples submitted, the page count of all writing samples combined cannot exceed 10 pages in length. Extracts of selected sectio...