Attorney-Adviser

NASA•District of Columbia, DC, US• Full Time

Posted 6 hours ago• Legal & Compliance• Mechanical

Compensation

$143,913–$197,200/year

Job Description

Summary

You will serve as an Attorney-Adviser in the Office of General Counsel (OGC), reporting to the Associate General Counsel, General Law Practice Group. You will perform legal counsel functions across all offices of OGC and NASA, advising senior management on complex and difficult legal and policy issues confronting the agency in the areas of fiscal and appropriations law.

Open & closing dates

03/27/2026 to 04/09/2026

Salary $143,913 to - $197,200 per year Pay scale & grade GS 14 - 15

Location

Duties

Duties described below are at the highest grade advertised. Duties assigned at lower grade levels will be of more limited scope, performed with less independence and limited complexity; duties will be commensurate with the grade of selected employee.
Serves as an expert in fiscal and appropriations law, providing advice on budget development and execution, financial policy, and the drafting and interpretation of appropriations laws and regulations.
Provides legal advice on the proper use and expenditure of funds, inter-agency agreements, federal travel, debt collection, grants and financial assistance, and partnerships with non-federal agencies and organizations.
Provides expert consultative services to attorneys across the Agency, trains and mentors fiscal attorneys as well as a variety of client groups across the Agency. Manages and coordinates the fiscal and appropriations law community of practice.
Provides personal expertise on solving problems, mitigating risks, and allocating resources with regard to fiscal and appropriations law.
Represents NASA to U.S. Government entities and other organizations on fiscal and appropriations law matters, including the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), congressional staff, and the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO).
Incorporates expert knowledge of fiscal law, NASA’s organic legal authorities, and transferable best practices from other organizations and industries to provide advice supporting NASA’s enterprise risk management.
Occasionally provides support in other areas of law which may include government ethics, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), employment law, or other areas within the General Law Practice Group.

Requirements

This position is open to U.S. citizens, nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
Position subject to pre-employment background investigation.
You must meet qualifications requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
If selected, you will be required to complete a financial disclosure statement.

Basic Requirements for all grade levels:
You must possess a Juris Doctor (J.D.) or Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degree from a full course of study at a law school accredited by the American Bar Association; be an active member in good standing of the bar of any state or territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; and have been admitted to practice law before a state or federal court.

To qualify for the GS-14: you must meet the basic requirement for all grade levels (as outlined above).
In addition, one of the following requirements must be satisfied:

One year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 level:

Providing authoritative legal counsel on fiscal law and appropriation matters to clients at all levels, such as budget execution, appropriations, continuing resolutions, authorization legislation, or Anti-Deficiency Act questions and investigations;
Analyzing legal authority for funding programs based on legislative language, conference committee reports or executive branch policy directives;
Developing legal interpretations and written opinions on statutes, federal regulations, or directives to support organizational priorities and decision making;
Applying legal knowledge in related general law areas, including government ethics, FOIA, or employment law, and contributes to the field through high quality work and mentorship in fiscal law.

OR

A graduate law degree (e.g., Master of Laws/LL.M.) and 1 year of professional legal experience equivalent to the experience described above.

To qualify for the GS-15: you must meet the basic requirement for all grade levels (as outlined above).
In addition, one of the following requirements must be satisfied:

One year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-14 level:

Providing authoritative, independent legal advice and application of fiscal and appropriations law;
Delivering legal analysis and written opinions, identifying complex issues and offering preventative legal guidance to support organizational objectives;
Serve as an expert on fiscal and appropriations law to senior organizational leadership on budget and resource matters, informing organizational priorities and decision making;
Applying expert knowledge in related general law areas, including government ethics, FOIA, or employment law, and contributes to the field through high quality work and mentorship in fiscal law.

OR

A graduate law degree (e.g., Master of Laws/LL.M.) and 1 year of professional legal experience equivalent to the experience described above.

Your resume must include a clear and detailed narrative description, in your own words, of how you meet the required specialized experience. Experience statements copied from a position description, vacancy announcement or other reference material constitutes plagiarism and may result in disqualification and losing consideration for the job.

NASA prohibits the use of artificial intelligence (AI) or AI-assisted tool in drafting application and assessment responses. Please visit https://www.nasa.gov/careers/how-to-apply/#Artificial-Intelligence to review NASA's guidance on the use of AI tools during the application process.

Basic Requirements:

U.S. degrees must have been awarded from colleges or universities that are accredited by recognized accrediting organizations. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, go to http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/.

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. These education credentials must be 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

All degrees must have been received in the year of, or any year subsequent to the original date of accreditation.

Evaluation

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

You will be evaluated for this position based on how well you meet the qualifications and eligibility requirements listed in this vacancy announcement. To determine your qualifications and referral status, we may review your resume and supporting documentation and compare it against your responses to the assessment questionnaire. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or assessment questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration.

These competencies will be assessed using technical assessments. They may also be evaluated during a structured interview:

General Law
Legal Application Practice
Legal, Government, and Jurisprudence
Written Communication

NASA considers 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.

NASA will not ask you to disclose criminal history record information during the application process or before we make a conditional/tentative offer of employment. If you apply for this position and are selected, NASA will conduct a suitability/security background investigation after you accept a tentative job offer. If you feel you are asked to disclose your criminal history before you accept a tentative offer and wish to file a complaint within 30 days, please contact: [email protected].

Required Documents

All submitted resumes must not exceed two (2) pages in length. Resumes longer than two pages will be rejected by USAJOBS. Applicants are strongly encouraged to prioritize including experience and relevant qualifications that directly align with the position advertised. All work experience and accomplishments must be associated with dates (month/year) to allow for accurate qualification assessment.

A complete application package includes a resume, required documents and completion of the vacancy announcement questionnaire. Please see this guidance: What to include in your resume. If you are using a Curriculum Vitae (CV) as a resume, it must meet all requirements listed above for a complete resume package. Your resume should describe your specialized experience and support your answers to the vacancy announcement questionnaire.

Please note: if any of the following types of information are included on your resume, your application package will be disqualified:

Classified or government sensitive information.
Personal information, such as age, gender, religious affiliation, etc.
Encrypted and digitally signed documents.
Social Security Number (SSN)
Photos of yourself

If your resume contains any of the above information, you must redact that information prior to the submission of your application.

The following documents are required:

Resume
Transcript

As listed in the Education section above, this position has a basic education requirement.

To be found qualified, you must provide a copy of your college transcript that fully demonstrates you meet the requirements listed in the Education section. You may provide either an unofficial transcript or a copy of an official transcript. Failure to provide a complete copy of your college transcript that shows you have completed a required degree program or coursework may result in you being found not qualified.

There may be other supporting documents (licenses, certification, veterans preference, etc.), depending on your answers to the questionnaire and job announcement description, that you may have to submit, please verify your application. Do not submit an OF-306 with your application.

Official documents are required at the time of appointment for verification of eligibility and qualifications.

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.

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.