Attorney-Advisor (General)

Summary

The Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Inspector General is currently looking for an Attorney-Advisor (General) in the Office of Counsel. Join our professional team of auditors and investigators who help support DOE's mission through performance and financial audits, inspections of management issues and administrative allegations, and investigations into alleged violations of law.

Duties

As an Attorney-Advisor (General), you will be responsible for a wide range of complex duties. Major duties include, but are not limited to, the following: Performs comprehensive legal research into statutes, court decisions, decisions of administrative tribunals, and other legal and regulatory instruments to provide OIG leadership and staff with supporting documentation, information, and precedents regarding alleged breaches of federal laws relating to DOE programs. Serves as the personnel legal specialist for the OIG, delivering comprehensive legal guidance to officials and safeguarding the organization's statutory obligations under federal employment laws and regulations. Continually demonstrates expertise in diverse areas such as administrative law, ethics law, information law, personnel law, whistleblower law, and procurement law. Provides complete oral and written legal opinions to the Inspector General, Deputy Inspector General, and other senior OIG officials on legal issues of significance that impact the OIG, including federal personnel statutes, regulations, and case law impacting employee relations. Represents the agency in administrative proceedings before the Merit Systems Protection Board and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, when authorized. Provides legal advice and litigation support to OIG officials and investigators; coordinates federal court matters with the DOE Office of General Counsel and the Department of Justice; and assists authorized government counsel in developing evidence, pleadings, legal theories, witnesses, and litigation strategy.

Qualifications

You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date (08/13/2026) of this announcement. Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. For current Federal employees, if hours worked per week are not included on your resume, you must submit a non-award SF-50 for each federal position listed as part of your application to be used to validate your work schedule and determine the amount of qualifying experience that you will be granted. An award SF-50 will not be acceptable documentation for which to consider your amount of qualifying experience. For all other applicants who are not current federal employees, your resume must state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience. Failure to adequately provide information needed to determine number of hours worked in each position may result in that time not being credited when evaluating qualifying experience. For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the full and/or part-time hours requirement as the service dates will be reflected To qualify for this position at the GS-15 grade level, you must possess all of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement. BASIC REQUIREMENTS: Must meet the minimum education requirements of successful completion of a full course of study in a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) with a professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.); AND Must be a current, active member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. -AND- EXPERIENCE: A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate: Four years of professional (attorney) legal experience and active membership in a state or District of Columbia bar and advanced educational attainments that clearly indicate the ability to independently perform complex legal work.; AND One additional year of professional (attorney) experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to next lower grade level (GS-14) in the Federal service. Specialized experience that meets the equivalency requirement is defined as experience providing legal advice and support on employment law matters in the federal government or private sector, which demonstrates ALL of the following: Ability to conduct and direct complex legal research, engage in sound legal analysis, and present the results in a clear, precise, and persuasive manner, both in writing and verbally. Ability to work collaboratively with legal and policy professionals and staff from other backgrounds to clarify agency policy objectives and program goals. Ability to assist the Department of Justice with employment law litigation in the Federal courts. Knowledge of the law, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and other applicable laws, rules and regulations impacting Federal employment. Ability to engage with senior level officials, whether within the Executive Branch, the Congress, or the private sector. In order to qualify, you must meet the eligibility and qualifications requirements as defined above by the closing date of the announcement. Volunteer Experience: "Experience" refers to paid and unpaid experience. Examples of qualifying unpaid experience may include: volunteer work done through National Service programs (such as Peace Corps and AmeriCorps); as well as work for other community-based philanthropic and social organizations. 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.

Education

This position has a Basic Requirement/Positive Education requirement. See the Qualifications section above for detailed requirement. You must submit a legible copy of transcripts from an accredited institution with your name, school name, credit hours, course level, major(s), grade-point average or class ranking, and date degree conferred. Transcripts do not need to be official, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work. 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. If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet qualification requirements, you must show that your education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: Department of Education. You must also provide proof of bar membership or your bar number. 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 You Will Be Evaluated

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all required assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Attention to Detail Customer Service Flexibility Influencing/Negotiating Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork Decision Making Reasoning Since this is an Excepted Service position, a non-rated method of evaluation will be used. We will evaluate your application by comparing your description of your work experience, level of responsibility, and accomplishments with the requirements of the position to determine whether you meet all the qualification requirements. When describing your experience, please give examples that demonstrate the complexity of the knowledge you possess, the level of the people with whom you interacted, and the sensitivity of the issues you handled. Although competitive examining rules for rating and ranking and veterans' preference do not apply, veteran's preference will be considered as a positive factor. Candidates who meet all the qualification and other eligibility requirements will be referred to the selecting official for consideration and possible interview. To preview the Application Questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13029505 Your successful completion of a USA Hire Assessment may be required. See the How To Apply section below for additional information. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you MUST provide a complete application package which includes: Your two (2) page RESUME showing all relevant work experience (paid and unpaid) including: duties performed; full name and address of the each employer; start and end dates (month/day/year); work schedule (part-time, full-time, number of hours if intermittent); salary; and any completed education and training (program title, subject area, number of hours completed, and completion date). Cover Letter, optional, expressing additional information not covered in your resume. Transcripts, if specific educational requirements are indicated in this job announcement. Unofficial transcripts or any report listing institution, course title, credits earned (semester or quarter hour) and final grade is acceptable. It is your responsibility to provide adequate proof that you meet the educational requirements. Active Bar Membership: You must submit evidence of an Active Bar Membership as described in the Qualifications Section of this announcement. Veterans' Preference documentation, if applicable, DD-214 Member Copy 4 showing type of discharge/character of service; current active duty members- certification of expected discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions dated within 120 days; SF-15 Form and related documentation; VA letter. For more information visit the USAJOBS Help Center & OPM CHCOC website for VOW information. Failure to submit any of the above mentioned required documents may result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted.

How to Apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section. A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the announcement closing date to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: You must have a login.gov account to sign into USAJOBS: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/account/. To begin the application process in USAJOBS, click the Apply Online button. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all required and supporting documentation. You must click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 pm (ET) on the announcement closing date. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue at a later time, you can re-use your assessment link. Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused. For more general information, system requirements, reasonable accommodation information, and to request assistance regarding the USA Hire Assessments, review the following resources: USA Hire Assessments You may update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period by returning to your USAJOBS account, select Update Application: https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To verify the status of your application, during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account; applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each application status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/. If you need help with login.gov or USAJOBS (e.g., account access, Resume Builder) visit the USAJOBS Help Center: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/ If you experience difficulty applying on USAJOBS, after clicking the Apply Online button, or you are experiencing a significant hardship hindering your ability to apply online, the Agency Contact listed in the announcement can assist you during normal business hours. If you receive any system error messages, take screenshots if possible, to aid technical support. Do not submit photographs with your application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials - you must remove your image from any badges, licenses, etc. Do ...

You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date (08/13/2026) of this announcement. Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. For current Federal employees, if hours worked per week are not included on your resume, you must submit a non-award SF-50 for each federal position listed as part of your application to be used to validate your work schedule and determine the amount of qualifying experience that you will be granted. An award SF-50 will not be acceptable documentation for which to consider your amount of qualifying experience. For all other applicants who are not current federal employees, your resume must state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience. Failure to adequately provide information needed to determine number of hours worked in each position may result in that time not being credited when evaluating qualifying experience. For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the full and/or part-time hours requirement as the service dates will be reflected To qualify for this position at the GS-15 grade level, you must possess all of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement. BASIC REQUIREMENTS: Must meet the minimum education requirements of successful completion of a full course of study in a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) with a professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.); AND Must be a current, active member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. -AND- EXPERIENCE: A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate: Four years of professional (attorney) legal experience and active membership in a state or District of Columbia bar and advanced educational attainments that clearly indicate the ability to independently perform complex legal work.; AND One additional year of professional (attorney) experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to next lower grade level (GS-14) in the Federal service. Specialized experience that meets the equivalency requirement is defined as experience providing legal advice and support on employment law matters in the federal government or private sector, which demonstrates ALL of the following: Ability to conduct and direct complex legal research, engage in sound legal analysis, and present the results in a clear, precise, and persuasive manner, both in writing and verbally. Ability to work collaboratively with legal and policy professionals and staff from other backgrounds to clarify agency policy objectives and program goals. Ability to assist the Department of Justice with employment law litigation in the Federal courts. Knowledge of the law, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and other applicable laws, rules and regulations impacting Federal employment. Ability to engage with senior level officials, whether within the Executive Branch, the Congress, or the private sector. In order to qualify, you must meet the eligibility and qualifications requirements as defined above by the closing date of the announcement. Volunteer Experience: "Experience" refers to paid and unpaid experience. Examples of qualifying unpaid experience may include: volunteer work done through National Service programs (such as Peace Corps and AmeriCorps); as well as work for other community-based philanthropic and social organizations. 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.