Supervisory Attorney-Adviser (Supervisory Attorney-Adviser (FOIA))

Summary

This position is located in the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Privacy Act (PA) Branch in Washington, DC. The FOIA and PA Branch handles all FOIA request processing and FOIA administrative appeals processing and recommendations for the General Counsel's Offices and Board-side offices in Headquarters and the Field (other than requests to the Office of the Inspector General).

Duties

As a Supervisory Attorney-Adviser (Supervisory Attorney-Adviser (FOIA)), GS-0905-15, your typical work assignments may include: Coordinating with other Federal agencies to respond to FOIA requests where records from other agencies have been located in the Agency's file systems or Agency records have been located in other agencies' file systems. Directing a team of FOIA staff in the preparation of letters to explain a response to a FOIA request and/or an appeal, including analysis related to procedural aspects of the FOIA, FOIA exemptions, the NLRA, and their application in a particular request. Assisting and interpreting the FOIA as it applies to the disclosure or withholding of NLRB records to advise the Branch staff and furnishes advice and interpretation to the Agency's offices including the Field and the Office of Congressional and Public Affairs regarding Agency FOIA policy in order to facilitate their responses to inquiries from Congress, the press, or the general public. Communicating with Regional offices and other Branches of the Agency to ensure that the FOIA Branch's responses to FOIA requests will not interfere with the operations of the Agency and the enforcement of the National Labor Relations Act. Performing other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

All qualifications and eligibility requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement. IDEAL CANDIDATE STATEMENT The Ideal Candidate for the Supervisory Attorney-Adviser (FOIA) position will have experience providing advice and assistance regarding complex Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) or National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) matters, expert knowledge either electronically processing or supervising the handling of NLRA cases or FOIA requests for records, experience completing case supervision and multiple tasks efficiently to achieve applicable metrics, and experience dealing with personnel and human resources concerns. Excellent communication, interpersonal skills to interact with colleagues and senior level management, and strong research, writing, and analytical skills are desired. BASIC REQUIREMENTS Education: Must have successfully completed a full course of study in a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) and have the first professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.). Law school transcripts must be submitted at the time of application. Bar Membership and Certification: Must currently be a member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory, or commonwealth of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Your active Bar license must reference Bar number and indicate the status of good standing. Agency Internal Self-Certification Forms are not acceptable for verification. In addition to the BASIC REQUIREMENTS, applicants must also meet the following: MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS Applicants must have one year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-14 grade level, which has provided them with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of a Supervisory General Attorney (Labor) (Officer-In-Charge) at the GS-15 grade level. Specialized experience includes: Experience providing authoritative and technical guidance regarding the application of regulations, case law, and procedures pertaining either to FOIA for the purpose of disclosing records, or to the NLRA for purposes of supervising the case handling of unfair labor practice and representation cases; and Experience writing and reviewing clear and concise agency determinations, appeals, correspondence, memoranda, and reports that are accurate, objective, and complete for the purpose of transmitting information concerning FOIA disclosures, legal matters, and/or performance metrics or the case handling of unfair labor practices and representation cases; and Experience leading a team or project or coordinating the work of others to provide advice, counsel, or instructions to assure efficient handling of FOIA or NLRA case matters, administrative and personnel matters. This experience must be fully supported and articulated in your resume to receive consideration. Please do not cut and paste the specialized experience from this announcement into your resume, as this will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position. (NOTE: All current or former Federal employees must provide a copy of their SF-50 "Notice of Personnel Action" that indicates proof of status. The SF-50 must include your position, title, series, grade, step, tenure (1 or 2), and type of service (Excepted). As a current or former Federal employee, you may determine your status by checking block 24 on your SF-50. The block must reflect "1" or "2". Also, block 34 must reflect a "2"). NOTE: 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.

Education

This position has a basic education requirement listed under the Qualifications section of this announcement. You must meet all qualification requirements. All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, see www.ed.gov. All education claimed by applicants will be verified by the appointing agency accordingly. Special Instructions for Foreign Education If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the 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 accredited U.S. education programs; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | U.S. Department of Education.

How You Will Be Evaluated

Once the application process is complete, your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents) and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies: Decision Making Influencing/Negotiations Legal Advisor Oral Communication Planning and Evaluating Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. To preview the assessment questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12988487 Optional Four Essay Questions At the time of application, applicants will be provided with four short, free-response essay questions designed to ascertain their dedication to public service for the hiring manager and agency leadership (or designee) to review. Responses are not required and will not be scored. If applicants choose to provide a response to the essay questions, they will be required to certify that they are using their own words and did not use a consultant or AI (such as a large language model [LLM]). The responses to each question cannot exceed 200 words per question. In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. For evaluating the quality of applicants for referral to the selecting official, a four-phased process will be used. Phase 1: Applicants' resume and supporting documents will be reviewed by Human Resources (HR) to determine whether they meet the basic qualification requirements. Phase 2: Applicants who are minimally qualified may be advanced to a Structured Resume Review assessment conducted by a Subject Matter Expert (SME) panel. SMEs may review applicants' resumes to evaluate technical qualifications for this position based on the required specialized experience. Phase 3: Applicants who successfully pass the Structured Resume Review assessment may be advanced to a Structured Interview conducted by a Subject Matter Expert (SME) panel. SMEs may assess applicants' ability to demonstrate the required competencies for the position. Phase 4: A final score, which may combine the results from one or more assessments, may be used to identify the top-rated applicants. Applicants meeting the established cut-off score may be referred to the selecting official for consideration and may be required to participate in one or more additional interviews as part of the hiring process. THE RULE OF MANY The NLRB uses the Rule of Many which ranks job applicants numerically and allows for selection from a broader, top-ranked pool. Applications will be evaluated and rated using the Rule of Many procedures under 5 C.F.R. §332.402 based on a set number, score or percentage of highest ranked eligibles. Preference eligibles will receive 5 or 10 points added to their score based on the adjudicated preference. All eligibles at or above the pre-determined number, score or percentage, including any preference eligibles with a service-connected disability of 10 percent or more, at any score, will be referred to the selecting official for consideration. For this job opportunity announcement applicants will be referred to the selecting official using the Rule of Many under 5 C.F.R. §332.402 based on a predetermined score.

Required Documents

Please submit the supporting documents outlined below for your claimed eligibility status. RESUME In compliance with Executive Order 14170, Reforming the Federal Hiring Process and Restoring Merit to Government Service resumes must not be longer than two pages in length. The resume must address minimum qualifications and other requirements listed in the job announcement. If the two-page resume criteria and/or the resume formatting requirement is not met candidates will be rated as ineligible and will not be referred for hiring consideration. Resumes must include all of the following information outlined below: Contact Information: Name and how best to contact you, including email address and phone number. Relevant Work Experience Job Title and Employer (including series and grade for any Federal positions) Start and end dates with month/year (e.g., 05/2019 -08/2022 or present) The number of hours you worked per week Ensure work experience descriptions are aligned with the job announcement and address all required qualifications. Brief descriptions should demonstrate your ability to perform the tasks at the required level as stated in the job announcement. PROOF of BAR CERTIFICATION A copy of your Bar License that certifies you are an active member of the Bar in good standing of any state, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, or any Territorial Court under the U.S. Constitution. Your active Bar license must reference Bar number and indicate the status of good standing. An Agency's Internal or a Self-Certification Form is not acceptable for verification. TRANSCRIPT An unofficial copy of your transcripts is sufficient for this application package. The unofficial transcripts must be verifiable; contain the name of the institution, applicant's name, list of completed courses (with grades), semester hours, and GPA. If the position has a positive education requirement (i.e., LL. B. or J.D.), as indicated under the "Education" section, the unofficial transcripts must show type of degree and degree date received (conferred). If selected, an official copy of the transcripts is required and must be received before employment. (Current NLRB Attorneys may not be required to submit a copy of their transcripts. However, NLRB employees within 3 years from receiving their juris doctorate degree, must provide a transcript with their application package.) WRITING SAMPLE Applicants are required to submit a legal document of their choice (not edited by anyone other than the applicant and preferably no more than five pages). OTHER DOCUMENTS (IF applicable) (Click links information.) Cover Letter Applicants are requested to submit a Cover Letter, but it is not a required document. Most Recent Performance Appraisal (Current/Former Federal Employees) If performance appraisal is not dated within the last 18 months or if you are unable to provide a copy, an explanation of why must be provided. Please include a document in your application package explaining why the performance appraisal is not available. Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) (Current/Former Federal Employees) Most recent SF-50 showing current grade and tenure or an SF-50 showing highest (permanent) grade ever held, if different from your current grade. Performance Award, Reassignment, Name Change and Detail SF-50s will not be accepted as proof of grade and tenure. If you are applying for a higher grade, provide a SF-50(s) showing length of time in the current/highest grade (i.e., Promotions, With-in Grade Increase) to support meeting time-in-grade requirements. As an employee in the Excepted Service, determine your status by checking block 24 on your SF-50. The block must reflect "1" or "2". Also, block 34 must reflect "2". A copy of your SF-50 must be provided for verification. Individuals with Disabilities: Disability Letter Veterans: DD-214 (member copy-4) Disabled Veterans: DD-214, SF-15 and VA letter dated 1991 or later (indicating % disability) Certain Military Spouses: Copy of service member's PCS order authorizing the spouse to accompany the service member AND Proof of marriage to the service member; OR Proof the service member was released or discharged from active duty due to a service-connected disability AND documentation of the service member's 100% disability AND proof of marriage to the service member; OR Proof of the service member's death while on active duty AND proof of marriage to the service member. Family Member Preference (Derived Preference) Failure to submit any of the required documents by the closing date of the vacancy w...

All qualifications and eligibility requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement. IDEAL CANDIDATE STATEMENT The Ideal Candidate for the Supervisory Attorney-Adviser (FOIA) position will have experience providing advice and assistance regarding complex Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) or National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) matters, expert knowledge either electronically processing or supervising the handling of NLRA cases or FOIA requests for records, experience completing case supervision and multiple tasks efficiently to achieve applicable metrics, and experience dealing with personnel and human resources concerns. Excellent communication, interpersonal skills to interact with colleagues and senior level management, and strong research, writing, and analytical skills are desired. BASIC REQUIREMENTS Education: Must have successfully completed a full course of study in a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) and have the first professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.). Law school transcripts must be submitted at the time of application. Bar Membership and Certification: Must currently be a member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory, or commonwealth of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Your active Bar license must reference Bar number and indicate the status of good standing. Agency Internal Self-Certification Forms are not acceptable for verification. In addition to the BASIC REQUIREMENTS, applicants must also meet the following: MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS Applicants must have one year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-14 grade level, which has provided them with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of a Supervisory General Attorney (Labor) (Officer-In-Charge) at the GS-15 grade level. Specialized experience includes: Experience providing authoritative and technical guidance regarding the application of regulations, case law, and procedures pertaining either to FOIA for the purpose of disclosing records, or to the NLRA for purposes of supervising the case handling of unfair labor practice and representation cases; and Experience writing and reviewing clear and concise agency determinations, appeals, correspondence, memoranda, and reports that are accurate, objective, and complete for the purpose of transmitting information concerning FOIA disclosures, legal matters, and/or performance metrics or the case handling of unfair labor practices and representation cases; and Experience leading a team or project or coordinating the work of others to provide advice, counsel, or instructions to assure efficient handling of FOIA or NLRA case matters, administrative and personnel matters. This experience must be fully supported and articulated in your resume to receive consideration. Please do not cut and paste the specialized experience from this announcement into your resume, as this will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position. (NOTE: All current or former Federal employees must provide a copy of their SF-50 "Notice of Personnel Action" that indicates proof of status. The SF-50 must include your position, title, series, grade, step, tenure (1 or 2), and type of service (Excepted). As a current or former Federal employee, you may determine your status by checking block 24 on your SF-50. The block must reflect "1" or "2". Also, block 34 must reflect a "2"). NOTE: 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.