Attorney-Adviser

The Office of Counsel within the NASA Office of Inspector General (OIG) provides legal advice to OIG senior management, support for auditors, investigations, and operations.

Major 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.

Advising on applicable federal criminal law and procedures and the Inspector General Act and assisting the Department of Justice in federal court actions.

Reviewing and drafting policies and regulations for consistency with law and making recommendations on discretionary matters to management.

Written and oral advocacy in conducting administrative litigation before the Merit Systems Protection Board, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and other bodies.

Analyzing and applying the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act in the review and release of records to the public.

Researching, drafting, and advising on a broad spectrum of general federal law topics, to include ethics, contracts, appropriations and audits.

Diplomacy in communications as Office of Inspector General legal representative at Field Center.

Overseeing legal administrative systems, tracking, and reporting actions to Office of Inspector General legal management at Headquarters.

Researches legal issues, evaluates law and facts to develop potential litigative strategies, prepares pleadings, motions, interrogatories, fact finding, and other related documents.

Qualifications

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-13: 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-12 level: Applicants must possess at least 3 years of professional legal experience after admission to the bar, including at least ONE YEAR of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level in the Federal service or non-Federal service in the Freedom of Information Act/Privacy Act; ethics, personnel law, torts, appropriations, or whistleblower matters and experience in ONE of the following legal areas: criminal, civil, or administrative investigations, litigation, inspector general matters, federal grants, acquisitions, or audits. 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-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: Applicants must possess at least 4 years of professional legal experience after admission to the bar, including at least ONE YEAR of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 level in the Federal or non-Federal service in the Freedom of Information Act/Privacy Act; ethics, ethics, personnel law, torts, appropriations, or whistleblower matters and experience in TWO of the following legal areas: criminal, civil, or administrative investigations, litigation, inspector general matters, federal grants, acquisitions, or audits. 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. Please visit https://www.nasa.gov/careers/how-to-apply/#Artificial-Intelligence to review NASA's guidance on the use of artificial intelligent (AI) or AI-assisted tools during the application process.

Education

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.

Promotion Potential

GS-15

How You Will Be Evaluated

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 Oral Communication Legal Application Practice Personnel/EEO Law Written Communication Legal, Government, and Jurisprudence To preview the application questionnaire, click on the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13043811 NASA OIG 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 OIG 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].

Benefits

View benefits details ↗

Who Can Apply

• Current federal employees — excepted service
• Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)
• Individuals with disabilities
• Military spouses
• Peace Corps & AmeriCorps VISTA
• Veterans

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 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.

How to Apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application and have all required information available. We encourage you to provide a complete description of your educational achievements and include both paid and non-paid work in the experience portion of your resume. If you submit a resume that does not contain the required information, you may lose consideration. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include the initial online assessment and submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: To begin the application process, you will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application process. Once logged in to your account, click on the "Apply" link. Follow the prompts to select your resume (2 pages or fewer) and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. Resumes longer than 2 pages will be rejected by the system. Resumes submitted via other document types will not be forwarded to the hiring manager, nor will they be used in the review of your qualifications. We strongly encourage you to utilize the USAJOBS resume builder when creating your resume. Using the resume builder will help you ensure your resume includes important information related to your qualifications and eligibility for this position. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. 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. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the 'Include Personal Information' section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process. You will be taken to the vacancy questionnaire which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify all required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59PM (ET) on the announcement closing date. NASA's online application process provides step by step guidance to ensure you provide all needed information. If you are unable to apply online, please contact [email protected] for assistance. Be advised - application materials faxed, emailed, and/or mailed to NASA Office of Inspector General will not be accepted for this announcement. NASA OIG provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you are an applicant with a disability and need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency contact center listed on the job vacancy announcement. The decision on granting reasonable accommodations will be on a case-by-case basis.

What to Expect Next

Once you submit your application package, you will receive an acknowledgement email. Throughout the process you will receive regular status updates through USAJOBS. To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (Account Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: Application Status. Whether or not you are contacted for an interview depends upon the location of the position and the judgment of the hiring manager. If you are selected, you will be notified by phone or email with a tentative job offer. If you fail to meet the conditions of employment or any other pre-employment requirements, such as missing a scheduled appointment, we may rescind a tentative job offer. An official, written job offer will be issued once all requirements have been verified.

Other Information

Additional selections may be made for similar positions across. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with interested selecting official(s) within NASA. Any applicant that received a Voluntary Separation Incentive Payment (VSIP) from the federal government within the last five years based of the closing date of this announcement, if selected, may be required to repay the full amount prior to establishing a start date. For additional information on the VSIP repayment requirement, click here - https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/voluntary-separation-incentive-payments/. Trial Period 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. If selected, the requirement to serve such period will be determined by Title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 11. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; 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 probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

About the Agency

Explore the Extraordinary Calling all the innovators, pioneers, visionaries, and adventurers! We are diverse group of professionals united by a common purpose: to discover and expand knowledge for the benefit of humanity. We're building on our rich legacy by embarking on new and exciting missions, both on Earth and beyond and we're looking for fresh ideas to help us get there. Do you have a passion for exploration? Do you want your work to leave an enduring impact? Join us in a career that can take you farther than you can imagine. At NASA, our work is more than just a profession-it's a lifelong pursuit, a passion, and a chance to change the world. NASA is more than astronauts. We are scientists, engineers, IT specialists, human resources specialists, accountants, writers, technicians and many other kinds of people working together to break barriers to achieve the seemingly impossible. Explore the extraordinary, every day; explore a career at NASA!