Job description
Duties
- You will serve as Assistant/Associate Counsel in the Office of Counsel, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNS).
- You will provide clients with a full range of legal services in practice areas assigned to the Department of the Navy (DON) Office of the General Counsel (OGC).
- You will provide clients with legal services related to and including civilian personnel law (CPL), labor law, acquisition law and fiscal law.
- You will provide clients with legal services related to and including environmental and occupational safety and health (OSH) law, ethics and standards of conduct, and associated litigation.
- You will be expected to practice primarily in acquisition and civilian personnel law, but will also provide legal services in other areas identified above.
- You will advise on contracts and other agreements covering a wide range of acquisition matters, representing the Navy in in bid protests and contract disputes and related issues to fiscal law.
- You will advise on adverse, performance, and other corrective personnel actions, application of personnel and anti-discrimination laws and represent the Navy in administrative forums such as Merit Systems Protection Board and EEO Commission.
- You will provide litigation support to the Department of Justice in representing the Department of the Navy in Federal Courts.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- This position is eligible for part time, substantial or ad-hoc telework at the discretion of management.
- This position is in the excepted service and does not confer competitive status.
- Per the preliminary nationwide injunction on E.O. 14043, COVID-19 vaccinations will not be implemented or enforced. For more information on vaccine status and workplace safety protocol requirements see Additional Information below.
- This position may require travel from normal duty station to CONUS and OCONUS and may include remote or isolated sites. You must be able to travel on military and commercial aircraft for extended periods of time.
- You will be required to obtain and maintain an interim and/or final Secret security clearance prior to entrance on duty. Failure to obtain and maintain the required level of clearance may result in the withdrawal of a job offer or removal.
- Per the preliminary nationwide injunction on E.O. 14043, COVID-19 vaccinations will not be implemented or enforced. For more information on vaccine status and workplace safety protocol requirements see Additional Information below.
- Must be a US Citizen.
- Must be determined suitable for federal employment.
- Must participate in the direct deposit pay program.
- New employees to the Department of the Navy will be required to successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit www.dhs.gov/E-Verify/.
- You will be required to complete ethics orientation within three months of appointment and submit a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, OGE-450, within 30 days of appointment.
- Relocation expenses (i.e. PCS) may be authorized (however, not guaranteed) in accordance with applicable travel regulations.
Qualifications
To be eligible for selection at the GS-11 level:
In order to qualify for this position, your resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience at the GS-09 (or equivalent) grade level or pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector, such as:
- Is a recent law school graduate and/or has less than one year of legal experience or be a recent law school graduate with superior law student work or activities as demonstrated by graduating in the top third of their law school class; or
- Work or achievement of significance on an official law review or journal, or a special high-level honor e.g., winning a moot court competition, or
- Membership on the law school's official moot court team, or
- Membership in the Order of the Coif.
In order to qualify for this position, your resume must demonstrate the following specialized experience at the GS-11 (or equivalent) grade level or pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector, such as:
- Having at least two years of relevant legal experience at the GS-11 (or equivalent) grade level or be a current GS-12 (or equivalent) attorney within the Federal government.
In order to qualify for this position, your resume must demonstrate the following specialized experience at the GS-12 (or equivalent) grade level or pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector, such as:
- Having at least two years of relevant legal experience at the GS-12 (or equivalent) grade level, or be a current GS-13 (or equivalent) attorney within the Federal government.
In order to qualify for this position, your resume must demonstrate the following specialized experience at the GS-13 (or equivalent) grade level or pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector, such as:
- Having at least three-and-one-half years of successful relevant professional legal experience at the GS-13 (or equivalent) grade level, or be a current GS-14 (or equivalent) attorney within the Federal government.
In order to qualify for this position, your resume must demonstrate the following specialized experience at the GS-14 (or equivalent) grade level or pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector, such as:
- Having at least five-and-one-half years of recent professional legal experience in one or more relevant practice areas at the GS-14 (or equivalent grade level, or be a current GS-15 (or equivalent) attorney within the Federal government.
Education
GS-11 and GS-12 positions only: may substitute the below education for experience: (Transcripts must be provided)
- A second professional law degree (LL.M.) that required at least one full academic year of graduate study may be substituted for one year of professional legal experience.
- Must have graduated from a law school that is accredited by the American Bar Association,
- Be an active member in good standing of the bar of the highest court of a State, U.S. Commonwealth, U.S. territory, or the District of Columbia, and
- Be admitted to practice before a state or federal court.
Additional information
A tentative offer of employment will be rescinded if the selectee fails to meet the pre-employment requirements, including failure to report to any of the scheduled appointments.
Federal annuitant information: The selection of an annuitant is subject to the Department of Defense and Department of the Navy policy on the employment of annuitants. Policy information may be found at: http://www.secnav.navy.mil/donhr/Documents/CivilianJobs/FedCivAnnuitants.pdf.
If the successful applicant is not currently a member of the Department of the Navy Office of the General Counsel, processing of the hiring action can only commence after submission of those items identified in the "Instructions for New OGC Attorneys" (see Careers section of www.ogc.navy.mil).
Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must specifically claim such eligibility in their cover letter, identify the basis for the claim, and include supporting documentation (e.g., the DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty or other supporting documentation) with their submission. Not all veterans are preference eligible. For a summary of time periods, campaigns, and conditions that entitle an applicant to preference eligibility, please visit https://www.fedshirevets.gov/index.aspx and https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/veterans/. There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference for attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of the Navy Office of the General Counsel considers veterans' preference eligibility a positive factor in the attorney hiring process. Applicants who
do not claim and do not provide adequate supporting documentation for veterans' preference will not receive the positive factor consideration.
The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy or 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.
Reasonable Accommodation Links: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/disability-employment/reasonable-a
ccommodations/ and https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/disability-employment/hiring/#url=Schedule-A-Hiring-Authority
Legal and Regulatory Guidance Links:
Financial suitability Link: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/fair-and-transparent/financial-suitability/
Social security number request Link: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/fair-and-transparent/soci
al-security-number/
Privacy Act Link: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/fair-and-transparent/privacy-act/
Signature and false statements Link: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/fair-and-transparent/signature-false-statements/
Selective Service Link: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/fair-and-transparent/selective-service/
New employee probationary period Link: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/fair-and-transparent/probationary-period/
If relocation expenses are a requirement, the applicant should state their requirement for this expense in the application package. Relocation expenses may be paid, but are not guaranteed.
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.
The successful candidate for the Assistant Counsel position will be expected to practice primarily in acquisition law, but will also provide some legal services in the other areas identified above.
In order to qualify for this position, your resume must provide sufficient experience and/or education, knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of the specific position for which you are being considered. Your resume is the key means we have for evaluating your skills, knowledge, and abilities as they relate to this position. Therefore, we encourage you to be clear and specific when describing your experience.
Applicants will be evaluated on: (1) the quality of their relevant legal experience; (2) the strength of their oral and written communications skills; (3) their research and analytical skills; (4) their ability to work both independently and as part of a team; and (5) their interpersonal skills, including their ability to establish effective attorney-client relationships. Applicants with a record of making significant contributions to the advancement of the DON OGC or equivalent Office of the General Counsel or Law Firm/Office beyond the day to day legal practice are desired.
If selected, you may be required to provide additional supporting documentation.
If after reviewing your resume and supporting documentation, a determination is made that you inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may be found ineligible/not qualified.
Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.
All qualification requirements must be met before being considered for any vacancies.
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.
A complete resume is required. Your resume must show relevant experience, job title, duties and accomplishments. Your resume must show complete information for each job entry to support minimum qualifications. The following information should be provided in your resume, but it is acceptable to provide elsewhere in your application package: employer's name, starting and end dates (Mo/Yr), hours per week, and pay plan, series and grade level (e.g. GS-0201-09) for relevant federal experience.TIP: A good way to ensure you include all essential information is to use the Resume Builder in USAJOBS to create your resume.
Are you claiming membership in any professional organizations, or possession of a license, certificate or credentials? Check the Conditions of Employment section above to see if any are required. If you claim membership, license, certification, or credentials, you must submit a copy of said document in your application package.
Are you using education as a substitute for some or all of the experience requirement? Is there a basic education requirement for this position? Check the Education section above to see what is allowed and what is required. Any claims you make in your resume or assessment questionnaire regarding education or degrees MUST be supported by submitting with your application official or unofficial transcripts or a list of courses, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned issued from your school. While unofficial transcripts are acceptable for initial application, an official transcript will ultimately be required if you are selected for the position. You may submit a copy your degree(s) if specific coursework does not have to be verified.
Are you a veteran claiming 5-point veterans' preference or claiming sole survivorship preference? You must submit a copy of your latest DD-214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (any copy that shows all dates of service, as well as character of service [Honorable, General, etc.] is acceptable) OR a VA letter that shows dates of service or service connected disability AND character of service. If you have more than one DD-214 for multiple periods of active duty service, submit a copy for each period of service. If you were issued a DD-215 to amend aforementioned information on the DD-214 you must submit that too. If you are not sure of your preference eligibility, visit the Department of Labor's website: Veterans' Preference Advisor
Please Note: There is no formal rating system for veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however the Department of the Navy Office of the General Counsel considers veterans' preference eligibility a positive factor for attorney hiring."
Are you a disabled veteran or claiming 10-point veterans' preference?
If you are eligible to claim 10 point veterans preference you must submit a DD-214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty as described above for 5-point preference.
You must also provide the applicable supporting documentation of your disability (e.g. disability letter from the VA) as described on Standard Form-15 (SF-15). http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf.
Are you an active duty service member? Active Duty Service Members are required to submit a statement of service printed on command letterhead and signed by the command. The statement of service must provide the branch of service, rate/rank, all dates of service, the expected date of discharge and anticipated character of service (Honorable, General, etc.).
Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office. Some supplemental documents contain personal information such as SSN and DOB and some documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you. You may sanitize these documents to remove said personal information before you submit your application. You must provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected.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.
How to Apply
Applicants should submit a resume, a cover letter that addresses the evaluation criteria for this position and their interest in the position; two brief legal writing samples (no more than 20 pages each) that demonstrate analytical and/or advocacy abilities (excerpts of larger pieces may be submitted); the two most recent performance appraisals with rating official narrative, if available; and the names and phone numbers of at least three references who may be contacted. The application should indicate the lowest grade level that the applicant will consider. Attorneys who have graduated from law school less than 5 years prior to the announcement closing date must provide a copy of their law school transcripts, including class rank. Current federal employees must also provide a copy of their most recent SF-50 form. Please ensure to redact social security numbers from any submitted documents.
Application packages must be sent electronically to:
usn.ncr.comnavseasyscomdc.mbx.NAVSEA-OGC-Vacancies@us.navy.mil
With a copy to: Elizabeth.huot.civ@us.navy.mil
NOTE: The Subject line of the email should include Applicant's name and contain the Personnel Notice Number #236-22 If absolutely necessary, applications may be sent via FedEx or some similar means due to delays in regular U.S. mail delivery to:
NAVSEA 00L4
Attn: Ms. Effie Lewis-Robinson
Naval Sea Systems Command
1333 Isaac Hull Avenue SE Stop 1150
Washington Navy Yard, DC 20376-1150
This personnel notice will close on January 2, 2023 at 11:29:29 PM (EST), and complete applications must be received by the closing date and time to be considered.
Facsimile applications will not be considered.
All resumes/applications must be received no later than the close date of this flyer.
It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that all information in their resume and documents, are received, legible, and accurate. HR will not modify answers/documents submitted by an applicant.
Failure to submit a complete application package will result in an ineligible rating and loss of consideration.Agency contact information
Jeffrey Epstein
Phone
207-438-6842
Email
jeffrey.epstein@navy.mil
Address
PORTSMOUTH NAVAL SHIPYARD
HRO Building 44/1
Portsmouth, NH 03804-5000
USNext steps
Qualified applicants will be referred to the hiring manager. The selecting official may choose to conduct interviews.
Our evaluation will be based on the information you provide. You should expect that we will verify performance, suitability, and security information and take that information into account in making employment offers.
NOTE: Due to COVID19, if you have any questions or need assistance, please email the DON Employment Information Center at DONEIC@us.navy.milFair and Transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
- Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
- Reasonable accommodation policy
- Financial suitability
- Selective Service
- New employee probationary period
- Signature and false statements
- Privacy Act
- Social security number request
Required Documents
A complete resume is required. Your resume must show relevant experience, job title, duties and accomplishments. Your resume must show complete information for each job entry to support minimum qualifications. The following information should be provided in your resume, but it is acceptable to provide elsewhere in your application package: employer's name, starting and end dates (Mo/Yr), hours per week, and pay plan, series and grade level (e.g. GS-0201-09) for relevant federal experience.TIP: A good way to ensure you include all essential information is to use the Resume Builder in USAJOBS to create your resume.
Are you claiming membership in any professional organizations, or possession of a license, certificate or credentials? Check the Conditions of Employment section above to see if any are required. If you claim membership, license, certification, or credentials, you must submit a copy of said document in your application package.
Are you using education as a substitute for some or all of the experience requirement? Is there a basic education requirement for this position? Check the Education section above to see what is allowed and what is required. Any claims you make in your resume or assessment questionnaire regarding education or degrees MUST be supported by submitting with your application official or unofficial transcripts or a list of courses, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned issued from your school. While unofficial transcripts are acceptable for initial application, an official transcript will ultimately be required if you are selected for the position. You may submit a copy your degree(s) if specific coursework does not have to be verified.
Are you a veteran claiming 5-point veterans' preference or claiming sole survivorship preference? You must submit a copy of your latest DD-214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (any copy that shows all dates of service, as well as character of service [Honorable, General, etc.] is acceptable) OR a VA letter that shows dates of service or service connected disability AND character of service. If you have more than one DD-214 for multiple periods of active duty service, submit a copy for each period of service. If you were issued a DD-215 to amend aforementioned information on the DD-214 you must submit that too. If you are not sure of your preference eligibility, visit the Department of Labor's website: Veterans' Preference Advisor
Please Note: There is no formal rating system for veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however the Department of the Navy Office of the General Counsel considers veterans' preference eligibility a positive factor for attorney hiring."
Are you a disabled veteran or claiming 10-point veterans' preference?
If you are eligible to claim 10 point veterans preference you must submit a DD-214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty as described above for 5-point preference.
You must also provide the applicable supporting documentation of your disability (e.g. disability letter from the VA) as described on Standard Form-15 (SF-15). http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf.
Are you an active duty service member? Active Duty Service Members are required to submit a statement of service printed on command letterhead and signed by the command. The statement of service must provide the branch of service, rate/rank, all dates of service, the expected date of discharge and anticipated character of service (Honorable, General, etc.).
Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office. Some supplemental documents contain personal information such as SSN and DOB and some documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you. You may sanitize these documents to remove said personal information before you submit your application. You must provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected.
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.
This job is open to
-
The public
U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
Clarification from the agency
All U.S. Citizens
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