Attorney Adviser General

Summary

This position is located in the Bureau of Human Resources, Grievance Staff (HR/G). The mission of HR/G is to investigate grievances and prepare recommendations; oversee implementation of remedial actions; and represent the Department in cases appealed to the Foreign Service Grievance Board. This position is in the Excepted Service and appointments are made without regard to the requirements of the Competitive Service by laws, Executive order, or OPM regulations.

Duties

Identifies legal issues, reviews pertinent Department regulations and policies, laws, Executive Orders, and guidelines for legal implications in relation to the grievance.

Reviews grievance cases and directs or conducts the investigation surrounding the circumstances of alleged denial of an employee's rights or benefits.

Reviews grievance cases and directs the investigation surrounding the circumstances of alleged denial of an employee's rights or benefits.

Represents the Department in cases that have been appealed to the Foreign Service Grievance Board.

Performs legal services for the Bureau of Global Talent Management on behalf of the Department related to human resources issues.

Qualifications

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. If you are qualifying based on education OR if there are mandatory education requirements listed below, you MUST submit a copy of your college transcript with your application. Applicants apply for this position must meet the following requirements to be eligible for further consideration: Law Degree: Applicants must be a graduate of an accredited law school with a J.D. or LL.M. Bar Membership: Applicants must be a current member of a bar in good standing in any state, territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Experience: Applicants must have at least four years of specialized experience with at least one year equivalent to the GS-14 level in the Federal Service, which provided you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of this position. The specialized experience must have been gained after admission to the bar. Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following: Experience practicing and providing legal advice regarding employment law, including federal statutes, administrative regulations, and case law governing employer/employee relationships. Experience conducting all phases of litigation, including discovery, depositions, motion practice, witness preparation and questioning, and courtroom, administrative hearing, or arbitration representation. Experience conducting factual investigations to verify background, events, and individuals associated with employee relations matters/employment disputes. Experience presenting legal analysis and persuasive legal arguments both orally and in writing, including in the form of legal briefs, motions, and/or memoranda. There is no substitute of education for specialized experience for the GS-15 position.

Evaluations

There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of State considers veterans' preference eligibility a positive factor in the hiring process. For this announcement, all applicants will be reviewed to determine if they meet the qualifications for this position, specifically, the education and specialized experience requirements. Applicants will not be rated or ranked. All applicants that are verified to meet the required qualifications will be referred to the selecting official. Your resume will be evaluated to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications required; and on the extent to which your application shows that you possess the knowledge, skills, abilities (KSAs), and other characteristics that are relevant to the duties of this position as defined below: Knowledge of employment law including Federal statutes, administrative regulations, and judicial decisions related to employer/employee relationships. Ability to draft decision papers dealing with legal issues related to a grievance case. Skill in conducting fact finding investigations to verify the background, events, and individuals associated with individual grievances. Ability to draft legal briefs, formulate legal arguments, perform legal research, and conduct administrative litigation in defense of the Department's position. Ability to present factual and legal arguments in formal hearings before administrative authorities. Ability to negotiate settlement agreements with parties holding widely divergent objectives and points of view. Your resume limited to two pages serves as the basis for qualification determinations and must highlight your most relevant and significant work experience and education (if applicable) as it relates to this job opportunity. 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). Your resume should include the dates of all qualifying experience (from month/year to month/year) and the number of hours worked/volunteered per week. For assistance with creating a resume, please click here. Resumes longer than two pages will be deemed ineligible and will not be considered further. Applicants must meet all the qualification requirements and submit any supporting documentation by the closing date of this announcement. Your application package must contain sufficient information to make a valid determination that you fully meet the basic/specialized experience requirements as stated in this job opportunity announcement for each grade level(s) for which you are applying. You may preview questions for this vacancy.

How to apply Prepare your application in USAJOBS To start your application, click Apply and we'll walk you through the process where you'll attach a resume and any required documents. During the application process you can review, edit, delete, and update your information. We'll automatically save your progress as you go, so you won't lose any changes. Please carefully read all the instructions before you apply. You have until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement to complete the application process. STEP 1: Select the "Apply On-line" button and follow the instructions to register or sign into USAJOBS. STEP 2: Submit a detailed resume or any other written format you choose documenting your job-related qualifications, experience, and education (if applicable). Cover letter is optional. If you submit a cover letter, you must also submit a resume. Please see the How You Will Be Evaluated section for specific information that should be outlined in your resume. STEP 3: Answer the job-specific self-assessment questions on-line through the U.S. Department of State's Gateway to State automated application system. The questions will be used to evaluate your qualifications and experience for this position. STEP 4: Submit all required documentation applicable to you, as listed in the Required Documents section of this announcement, to the Department's Gateway to State automated application system prior to the closing date of this announcement. For instructions on how to view the status of your supporting documentation, please click here. Technical assistance with your on-line application is available through the Help Desk at fedhirehelp@applygovernment.com or by calling (866) 656-6830 between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. ET ALTERNATE APPLICATION PROCEDURES NOTE: If applying online poses an extreme hardship, you may request alternate application procedures to submit your application package by fax. Contact the Human Resources office listed on the announcement between the business hours of 8:15 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. ET at least 2 working days prior to the closing date of this announcement. The application package for alternate application procedures must be submitted and received in the Human Resources office no later than 11:59 p.m. ET on the closing date of this announcement. Paper applications and information sent by mail WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

Other information For reasonable accommodation at the U.S. Department of State, please contact the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations at OAA@state.gov. If eligible, situational telework agreements may be permitted with supervisory approval. Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement. If eligible, applicants to this announcement may be referred to other similar positions in other Bureaus/Offices in the Department for up to 240 days. Telework eligibility and security clearance requirements may vary for such similar positions.