Supervisory Attorney Advisor

The Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals (OMHA) administers the third level of appeals nationwide for the Medicare program, ensuring that beneficiaries, providers, and suppliers have access to an independent forum and an opportunity for a hearing. OMHA's mission is to be a responsible forum for fair, credible and timely decision-making through an accomplished, innovative and resilient workforce. Each employee makes a difference by contributing to shaping American health care.

Duties

Please note: The selectee will continue to sit in their current office location

Incumbent serves as a Supervisory Attorney Advisor in the Appeals Policy Branch of OMHA's Appeals Policy and Operations Division (APOD), performing the following duties:

• Supports the Director of APOD with developing and executing national policies, procedures, guidelines, standards, and programs for the successful administration of the OMHA program.
• Serves as an Attorney Adjudicator on specific assigned matters and under the authority of Medicare regulations 42 C.F.R. parts 405, 422, 423, and 478.
• Responsible for day-to-day, first line supervision of APOD employees, including attorneys producing legal work product.
• Develops program resources and coordinates activities/tools to ensure due process to appellants and assist decision makers.
• Serves as expert counsel on critical, unusual or emerging Medicare and administrative process/appeal program legal issues.
• Develops and maintains a system for internal controls for OMHA activities, including evaluation of pertinent data to provide accurate and complete response to project status inquiries and monthly progress reports.

Salary

• $122,198 - $184,725/year

Conditions of Employment

1. Must maintain active bar membership in good standing and the eligibility to practice law in a State, territory, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, District of Columbia, or Federal Court throughout employment with the Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals.
2. Security and Background Requirements: If not previously completed, a background security investigation will be required for all appointees. Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet these requirements may be grounds for appropriate personnel action. In addition, if hired, a background security reinvestigation or supplemental investigation may be required at a later time. Applicants are also advised that all information concerning qualifications is subject to investigation. False representation may be grounds for non-consideration, non-selection and/or appropriate disciplinary action.
3. E-Verify: If you are selected for this position, the documentation that you present for purposes of completing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Form I-9 will be verified through the DHS "E-Verify" System. Federal law requires DHS to use the E-Verify System to verify employment eligibility of all new hires and as a condition of continued employment obligates the new hire to take affirmative steps to resolve any discrepancies identified by the system. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is an E-Verify participant.
4. Direct Deposit: All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choice.
5. All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.
6. Financial disclosure statement may be required: No
7. One-year supervisory probationary period may be required. Yes
8. Travel, transportation, and relocation expenses may be paid: No
9. Bargaining Unit Position: No
10. Drug Screening Required: No
11. Recruitment incentives may be authorized: No
12. Student loan repayment incentive may be authorized: No
13. Annual leave for non-federal service may be authorized: No
14. Two (2) year trial period may be required.
15. U.S. Citizenship Required: Yes
16. Males born after December 31, 1959 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service - http://www.sss.gov
17. This position is in the Excepted Service and will not be converted into a permanent position in the competitive service.

Qualifications Minimum Qualification Criteria for Attorneys:

EDUCATION: Successful completion of a full course of study in a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association through which you have attained the first professional law degree, i.e. LLB, or J.D.

BAR MEMBERSHIP: All attorney positions require current active bar membership. Admission to the bar of any State, territory, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, District of Columbia, or Federal Court is acceptable. Employees must maintain active bar membership while employed as an attorney with HHS/OMHA.

NOTE: You MUST provide proof that you are authorized to practice law. Failure to provide proof will result in an ineligible rating. Such proof can include:

• An active bar card that shows the current year or an expiration date outside of the closing date of the announcement. If the card only shows a previous year (example: 2020), you must submit additional documentation.
• A screen print from a bar website that reflects you are an active member of the bar. The screen print must make clear what month, date, and year the screen print was taken.
• A letter/certificate from the bar certifying that you are licensed and authorized to practice law. The letter must be dated within one year of the closing date of the announcement.

Grade Specific Qualifications:

GS-14: In addition to the minimum qualifications above for the GS-14 Supervisory Attorney Advisor position, candidates must have three (3) years of professional legal experience after admission to the bar commensurate with the duties of the position and at least one year of experience that is equivalent to the GS-13 grade level in the Federal service.

Documenting experience: In accordance with Office of Personnel Management policy, federal employees are assumed to have gained experience by performing duties and responsibilities appropriate for their official series and grade level as described in their position description. Experience that would not normally be part of the employee's position is creditable, however, when documented by satisfactory evidence, such as a signed memorandum from the employee's supervisor or an SF-50 or SF-52 documenting an official detail or other official assignment. The documentation must indicate whether the duties were performed full time or, if part time, the "percentage of times" the other duties were performed. It is expected that this documentation is included in the employee's official personnel record. In order to receive credit for experience in your resume that is not within the official series and grade level of your official position, you must provide a copy of the appropriate documentation of such experience as indicated above.

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; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to gain employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. If such experience is on a part-time basis, you must provide the average number of hours worked per week as well as the beginning and ending dates of the experience so it can be fully credited. Education EDUCATION: Successful completion of a full course of study in a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association through which you have attained the first professional law degree, i.e. LLB, or J.D. Other Information

Reasonable Accommodation: This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please see Agency Contact Information for whom to contact for more info. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. You must email the agency contact on the vacancy announcement at least three business days before the closing date of this announcement to receive assistance.
For more information on disability employment, please visit https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/disability-employment/

Career Transition Program: This program applies to Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed, or employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet eligibility criteria for CTAP or ICTAP; 2) be rated well-qualified for the position; and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. Well-Qualified includes those applicants whose knowledge, skills, and abilities clearly exceed the minimum qualification requirements for the position. For information on eligibility criteria and required documentation, go to: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp

Beginning January 1, 2010, agencies must seek prior approval from OPM before they can appoint a current or recent political appointee to a competitive or non-political excepted service position at any level under the provisions of title 5, United States Code. If you are currently or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employee in the executive branch, you MUST disclose that to the Human Resources Office.

In accordance with Executive Order 12564 of September 15, 1986, The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is A Drug-Free Federal Workplace. The Federal government, as the largest employer in the Nation, can and should show the way towards achieving drug-free workplaces through programs designed to offer drug users a helping hand, and at the same time demonstrating to drug users and potential drug users that drugs will not be tolerated in the Federal workplace. The use of illegal drugs, on or off duty, by Federal employees is inconsistent not only with the law-abiding behavior expected of all citizens, but also with the special trust placed in such employees as servants of the public. Applicants selected for this position will be subject to reasonable suspicion and post-accident drug testing upon hiring. To demonstrate commitment to the HHS goal of a drug-free workplace and to set an example for other Federal employees, employees not in a testing designated position may volunteer for unannounced random testing by notifying their Drug-free Federal Workplace Program Point of Contact upon hiring.

Required Documents

Submission of a resume alone IS NOT a complete application. You must provide a complete online Application Package which includes:

• Resume - must clearly articulate how your skills and experiences align to the criteria defined in the qualifications section of this announcement and it must support your responses to the announcement questionnaire. For each position you must describe your duties, accomplishments, related skills, and responsibilities. Your resume must also include the month, and year that you began and ended for each position held. Full-time employment will be assumed unless otherwise stated on your resume. Part-time employment will be prorated in crediting experience. Not providing this information may result in the lowering of your score or an ineligible rating. For resume writing guidance, please visit the USAJobs Resource Center.
• Proof that you are authorized to practice law. Such proof can include an active bar card that shows the current year or an expiration date outside of the closing date of the announcement. If the card only shows a previous year (example: 2020), you must submit additional documentation; a screen print from a bar website that reflects you are an active member of the bar. The screen print must make clear what month, date, and year the screen print was taken; a letter/certificate from the bar certifying that you are licensed and authorized to practice law. The letter must be dated within one year of the closing date of the announcement.
• A one-page Statement of Interest explaining why you are interested in the position and summarizing your skills and experience in health and/or administrative law and policy.
• 2023 signed PMAP

Applicants must also submit the following supporting document type(s) if applicable to them.

• Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) - if you are a current or former federal employee, please submit a copy of your most recent SF-50 to support your eligibility claim. SF-50 must show Grade, Step, Salary, Tenure and Position Occupied.
• ICTAP/CTAP Documentation
  • To verify your eligibility, you must submit the following documents at the time of application: (1) Proof of Eligibility (Reduction-in-Force separation notice, Notice of proposed removal for failure to relocate, notice of injury compensation termination, OR notice of disability annuity termination); (2) Your latest performance rating showing a rating of at least "fully successful" (level 3); AND (3) Your most recent Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50), or equivalent personnel action, showing your tenure, position occupied, and duty station. NOTE: Your proof of eligibility must be dated within a year of the date of your application in order to meet ICTAP eligibility.

You are not required to submit official documents at this time; copies are sufficient.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the announcement questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above.

*To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the announcement questionnaire.
*Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package.
*It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.

To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account at https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link, and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.

To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account at https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.

If you are unable to apply online, please go to https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Alternate_Application_Information for more information on our alternate application method.

The complete Application Package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 12/10/2024.

Additional selections may be made for similar positions across the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) within the local commuting area(s) of the location identified in this announcement. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with interested selecting official(s) at HHS. Clearance of CTAP/ICTAP will be applied for similar positions across HHS.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Learn more about federal benefits.

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