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: Leading FOIA staff in the preparation of records and letters in 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. 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 Regional Offices and the Office of Congressional and Public Affairs regarding Agency FOIA policy in order to facilitate 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. 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. 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 (Supervisory Attorney-Adviser (FOIA)) position brings proven expertise advising on complex Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) or National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) matters, with a strong track record in electronically processing or supervising a high volume of FOIA or NLRA cases from initial processing to litigation if applicable. In addition, the Ideal Candidate demonstrates exceptional leadership in guiding a team and resolving personnel/human resources concerns. Excellent communication, interpersonal, research, writing, and analytical skills enabling effective collaboration with colleagues and senior management 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 Attorney-Adviser (Supervisory Attorney-Adviser (FOIA)) 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 preparing and reviewing FOIA or NLRA correspondence, legal memoranda, agency determinations, responses to appeals, and reports on case-handling data and performance metrics for FOIA matters or, alternatively, for unfair labor practice and representation cases under the NLRA; and Experience leading employees and providing expert, authoritative guidance on personnel, administrative, and technical matters, including coaching and delivering constructive feedback to ensure work standards are met, workplace concerns are resolved, and productivity and organizational effectiveness are optimized. 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.

Evaluations

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: Attention to Detail Decision Making Legal, Government, and Jurisprudence Oral Communication Organizational Awareness 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/13021333 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.

How to apply To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package, which includes: Resume; and Any other documents needed to verify your qualifications or eligibility (see the Required Documents section). Please follow the instructions listed below for submitting your complete application package. Application procedures are specific to this vacancy announcement. Please read all instructions before you begin. To begin the process, click the APPLY button at the right side of this screen to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the assessment questionnaire. Please ensure you click the SUBMIT APPLICATION button at the end of the process. If you have never applied through USAJOBS for a position with the Federal Civil Service, you will need to create a USAJOBS account. To change or update your application, simply reapply through USAJOBS, before the closing date. New or updated resumes are considered "incomplete" applications until the required virus scan is cleared. To check the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account, select Application Status and click on the more information link under the application status for this position.

Other information SUPPLEMENTARY VACANCIES Supplementary vacancies may be filled in addition to the number stated in this announcement. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY/REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION The National Labor Relations Board is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for appointment without regard to race; color; religion; sex; national origin; age; disability; genetic information; pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition. Applicants with disabilities who need reasonable accommodations for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the Agency's Selective Placement Coordinator by email here. NLRB offers a wide array of reasonable accommodations and programs for individuals with disabilities. (Note: for additional information for job seekers with disabilities, please click on the following website here.) PLACEMENT POLICY The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by Appointment or Reassignment. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position. TRIAL PERIOD As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: Your performance and conduct; and The needs and interests of the agency; and Whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and Whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. ALTERNATE APPLICANT INFORMATION Applicants may contact the Office of Human Resources. The National Labor Relations Board offers career opportunities that feature competitive starting salaries and the potential for performance-based increases, flexible hours, and the ability to achieve and maintain a balanced lifestyle. You will enjoy a range of comprehensive and competitive employment benefits that include Work/Life Balance Programs (Alternative Work Schedules, Employee Assistance Program, and the Childcare Subsidy Program), the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program, Flexible Spending Accounts, Life Insurance, Long-Term Care Insurance, Thrift Savings Plan, and the Transit Benefit Program.