Attorney-Advisor (General)

Summary

OIG is organized into six operational units: the Immediate Office of the Inspector General, Office of the Counselor, Office of Audits and Evaluations, Office of Healthcare Inspections, Office of Investigations, and Office of Management and Administration. In addition to the Washington, DC, headquarters, OIG has offices located in more than 60 locations throughout the country.

Duties

The Attorney-Advisor (General), located in the Office of the Counselor to the Inspector General is fully accountable for ensuring a successful legal program that supports OIG audits, reviews, investigations, and inspections. In so doing, the incumbent engages in important legal policy making determinations that significantly affect OIG operations, consulting with the Office of General Counsel where necessary. As an Attorney-Advisor (General), you will: Provide expert legal advice and guidance consistent with applicable laws and regulations on issues relating to the review and coordination of OIG audits, reviews, investigations, inspections, and other initiatives designed to prevent or detect inefficiency, waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in VA programs and operations. Most specifically complex issues of criminal, civil, and administrative laws, practices and procedures, remedies, and enforcement mechanisms. Assist in the development, planning, administration, and reporting of a comprehensive oversight program covering misconduct or allegations of fraud, waste, or abuse received from a variety of sources such as VA senior officials, the OIG Hotline, Congress, and referrals from OIG program managers. Provide assistance to U.S. Attorneys and DOJ attorneys in the preparation and conduct of criminal and civil proceedings involving VA incumbents, incumbents of other Government agencies, and others when the interests of VA are involved.

Qualifications

You must meet the following requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Be a current member of a bar with a valid license to practice law in a state or territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Specialized experience: For the GS-15, you must have four or more years of post-J.D. legal experience, of which two years must be equivalent to the GS-14 grade level. Specialized experience for this position includes: Assisting with planning and executing investigative, analytical, and/or legal reviews resulting from federal criminal violations; OR Representing entities or federal agencies in criminal enforcement matters, criminal litigation, or proceedings related to the investigation and prosecution of criminal violations; OR Conducting legal reviews of federal criminal investigative matters and presenting the subject matter to various audiences; OR Providing legal advice and guidance on federal criminal law issues, investigative strategies, prosecutorial considerations, or evidentiary matters to organizational officials or other decision-makers.

Education

Must be a graduate of a law school accredited by the American Bar Association at the time of graduation (a copy of your transcript will be required if selected). A college or university degree generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools which meet these criteria, please refer to Department of Education Accreditation page. If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. Refer to the OPM instructions.

How You Will Be Evaluated

Your application includes your résumé, responses to the online questions, and required supporting documents. Please be sure that your résumé includes detailed information to support your qualifications for this position; failure to provide sufficient evidence in your résumé may result in a "not qualified" determination. In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. These assessment competencies include: Attention to Detail, Customer Service, Decision Making, Flexibility, Influencing/Negotiating, Integrity/Honesty, Interpersonal Skills, Learning, Reasoning, Self-Management, Stress Tolerance, and Teamwork. Rating: This announcement is issued under excepted service hiring authority for Attorney positions (5CFR 213.3102): all candidates who meet all the qualification and other eligibility requirements may be referred for consideration. Competitive examining rules providing for rating and ranking and veterans' preference do not apply. Referral: If you are among the top qualified candidates, your application may be referred to a selecting official for consideration. You may be required to participate in a selection interview and/or a writing assessment. Applicants who are selected for an interview may ask questions about the evaluation process at the time they are contacted for an interview.

Required Documents

A complete application includes 1. A résumé, 2. Vacancy question responses, and 3. Submission of any required documents. Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, you may not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible). All applicants are required to submit a résumé either by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one of their own choosing. (Cover letters are optional.)USA Jobs restricts resume uploads to a maximum of 2 pages. Resumes attached in other sections (such as "Documents" or "Other") will not be considered in the determination of specialized experience. To ensure readability, resumes must be formatted using an easy-to-read font (such as Lato, Calibri, or Arial) with a minimum font size of 10-points and margins no smaller than 0.5 inches. Failure to follow these formatting guidelines may result in disqualification from further consideration. To receive full credit for relevant experience, please list the month/date/year and number of hours worked for experience listed on your résumé. We suggest that you preview the online questions, as you may need to customize your résumé to ensure that it supports your responses to these questions. For resume writing guidance, please visit USAJOBS Help Center - How do I write a resume for a federal job? VETERANS' PREFERENCE DOCUMENTATION: If you are claiming veterans preference, please see applicant guide for required documentation. In order to be considered for veterans preference, you must submit all required documentation as outlined in the applicant guide. EDUCATION DOCUMENTATION: Submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent. An official transcript will be required if you are selected. A college or university degree generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools which meet these criteria, please refer to Department of Education Accreditation page. If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. Refer to the OPM instructions.

How to Apply

The following instructions outline our application process. You must complete this application process and submit any required documents by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. ET, Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, please contact us by noon ET on the announcement's closing date. The Bureau provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us if you require this for any part of the application and hiring process. Click the Apply Online button. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. 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 screen 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 2 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 later, you can re-use your unique 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. To verify the status of your application: -Log into your USAJOBS account (USAJOBS Login) -Under "application status," click "Track this application" and you will be taken to the agency website where you can check your application status. For more information regarding the job and applicant status, please refer to USAJOBS Help Center - How to see your application and job status For additional information on how to apply, please visit the Partnership for Public Service's Go Government website. To preview the online questionnaire:https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12994934

What to Expect Next

Once the online questionnaire is received, you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. We will review your résumé and transcript(s) (if appropriate) to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. We will evaluate each applicant who meets the basic qualifications on the information provided and may interview the best-qualified applicants. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct any required suitability and/or security background investigation. REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION REQUESTS: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a reasonable accommodation in your online application. Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a Reasonable Accommodation, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here.

Additional Information

- We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies. Applicants who apply for this position may be considered for other positions within the Office of Inspector General that require the same knowledge, skills, and abilities. - This is a non-bargaining unit position. - We offer opportunities for flexible work schedules. - Office assignment may be at one of the locations listed on the announcement subject to availability and OIG management discretion. Conditions of Employment (CONTINUED): - A two year trial period may be required. Continued employment is contingent upon supervisory certification that continued employment will benefit the Federal Service; the certification will occur no less than 30 days before the end of the probationary/trial period. - Within 30 days prior to the end of a probationary trial period, it must be certified by your first and second level supervisor that your continued employment would benefit the Federal service, or your appointment will be terminated. - Public Trust - Background Investigation will be required. -If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so. - Have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer. - Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S. - Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency. - Obtain and use a Government-issued purchase card for business-related travel. - File a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report within 30 days of appointment and annually from then on.

You must meet the following requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Be a current member of a bar with a valid license to practice law in a state or territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Specialized experience: For the GS-15, you must have four or more years of post-J.D. legal experience, of which two years must be equivalent to the GS-14 grade level. Specialized experience for this position includes: Assisting with planning and executing investigative, analytical, and/or legal reviews resulting from federal criminal violations; OR Representing entities or federal agencies in criminal enforcement matters, criminal litigation, or proceedings related to the investigation and prosecution of criminal violations; OR Conducting legal reviews of federal criminal investigative matters and presenting the subject matter to various audiences; OR Providing legal advice and guidance on federal criminal law issues, investigative strategies, prosecutorial considerations, or evidentiary matters to organizational officials or other decision-makers.