ATTORNEY ADVISOR (CONTRACT)

Provide professional legal expertise on issues arising in the fields of contracting, acquisition, and procurement, contract formation and administration, fiscal law, technical data, ethics, FOIA, claims, disputes, litigation, security and classified information, facilities, taxation, protection of governmental rights and property, foreign military sales, environmental issues and other related areas in connection with the mission of Space & Missile Systems Center and the Air Force.

Duties

Advise and provide legal guidance to the Space and Missile Systems Center Commander, Deputies, Contracting Officers, Program Directors, Project Officers, Finance Officers, staff and other personnel concerning legal and related business matters during the various stages of acquisition and procurement management.

Advise Contracting Officers and Project Officers on matters relating to patent rights, data problems, automatic data processing equipment, intellectual property, trade secrets, copyright, proprietary data, Freedom of Information Act Requests, ethics, conflicts of interest, property, and related questions arising under contracts, proposals and prospective projects.

Render and Generate Authoritative Written And Oral Legal Opinions. Such opinions require specialized knowledge, a high order of original and creative effort, and involve resolution of such matters as contract law, patent, copyright and intellectual property law, ethics law, contract FOIA Jaw, environmental law, facilities and bailments, imposition and exemption from taxes, disputes between contractors and the government, acquisition and leasing of property, improvements to property, and legal relationship on common problems with, e.g., DCMA, DCAA, GSA, DOC, DOJ, NASA, the Army and the Navy and other Air Force and governmental activities.

Review for legal sufficiency, highly complex, long term, contractual instruments, solicitations and documents, e.g., contracts for various space and satellite systems, launch and orbital support services, architect and engineering services contracts, training for military and civilian employees on operational phases of space and satellite systems, study and research contracts with educational institutions and Systems Engineering/Technical Direction, and integration contracts with the Aerospace Corporation and other contractors.

Devise new and innovative contractual concepts to solve problems legally without prior precedent.

Draft specific contractual provisions and special contract requirements to protect the interests of the Government.

Review And Assist In Preparation Of Disputes Cases.

Interview witnesses, drafts legal memoranda, affidavits, and other legal documents for the Government and assists the Air Force Trial Attorney, Department of Justice Attorney or U.S. Attorney in preparing and presenting the case for hearing before the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, and U.S. District Courts.

Provide Advice and Guidance on Intellectual Property Issues.

Serve as a Federal government legal representative on panels, boards, committees, reviews, etc.

Salary

• $146,632 - $197,200/year

Conditions of Employment

• U.S. Citizenship is required
• If authorized, PCS will be paid IAW JTR and AF Regulations. If receiving an authorized PCS, you may be subject to completing/signing a CONUS agreement. More information on PCS requirements, may be found at: https://afciviliancareers.com/regulatory/
• Males must be registered for Selective Service, see www.sss.gov.
• Employee must be able to acquire and retain a Top Secret (TS) clearance with potential Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) access in order to fully perform the duties and responsibilities of this position.
• This is a Drug Testing Designated Position. Employee must pass initial and continued periodic short notice drug testing.
• Employee may be required to work other than normal duty hours, to include evenings, weekends and/or holidays
• Employee must within 30-days of assuming this position and by 31 October annually thereafter, file an OGE-450, “Confidential Financial Disclosure Report.” Employee is required to attend annual ethics and procurement integrity training.
• Employee must maintain current certifications
• Attorney appointments are subject to serve a one-year probationary period.
• Candidates are not required to have active duty service or veterans’ preference to be referred and considered. All qualified candidates who meet the recruitment assessment criteria will be referred to the selecting official.
• Work may occasionally require travel away from the normal duty station on military or commercial aircraft.

Qualifications

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS:

• You 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 (LLB or JD).
• In addition, at the time of application, you must provide proof, dated within four months of application, of "active" status with a bar of the highest court of a State, U.S. commonwealth, U.S. territory, or the District of Columbia. On-line information is allowed as long as it shows that you are in "active" status.
• You must also provide transcripts for your law degree.

Qualifications Required at GS-14 or GS-15 Level.
The attorney shall have professional legal experience in excess of three years that is commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position.

Level of Supervision. Attorneys performing duties in GS-15 positions are expected to perform with substantial independence, even when working on the most complex or difficult matters.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas:
1. Ability to provide authoritative legal advice concerning the various stages of contracting, acquisition, and procurement.
2. Ability to render authoritative written and oral legal opinions involving extremely complex and difficult legal problems resulting from the formation and management of contracts.
3 Ability to communicate orally and in writing.
4. Skill in reviewing highly complex, long term, contractual instruments, solicitation documents, etc., for legal sufficiency and protection of the government's interests.
5. Ability to serve as a Federal government legal representative on panels, boards, committees, reviews and to support preparation and presentation of disputes cases for hearing before such arbiters as the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals, the U. S. Court of Federal Claims, or U. S. District Court, etc.
6. Knowledge of Federal fiscal laws, rules, and regulations.

At the time of application, you must provide proof, dated within four months of application, of "active" status and in good standing with a bar of the highest court of a State, US commonwealth, US territory, or the District of Columbia. On-line information is allowed as long as it shows that you are in "active" status and dated within four months of application.

PART-TIME OR UNPAID EXPERIENCE: Credit will be given for appropriate unpaid and or part-time work. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week.

VOLUNTEER WORK EXPERIENCE: Refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service Programs (i.e., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student and social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge and skills that can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Education Must be a graduate of a law school accredited by the American Bar Association, and be currently licensed as an attorney, in active (or equivalent) status and in good standing, with the bar of a U.S. state, territory, or commonwealth. The attorney must maintain such bar membership in at least one jurisdiction during the entire course of employment with the Air Force. Other Information Current Federal Civilian employees may apply for temporary and term positions and if selected, a break in service may be required prior to appointment to the position. Writing Example: Prior to receiving an offer, you will be asked to provide a writing sample demonstrating your legal analytical skills. 120-Day Register: This announcement may result in a 120-day register that may be used to fill like vacancies for 120 days after the closing date. Applicants may be referred for consideration as vacancies occur. Direct Deposit: All federal employees are required to have direct deposit. Incentives: Recruitment and/or retention incentives may or may not be used. Disabled veteran leave is available to a Federal employee hired on/after 5 Nov 2016, who is a veteran with a service-connected disability rating of 30% or more. For more information, click here. If you have questions regarding this announcement and have hearing or speech difficulties click here. Tax Law Impact for PCS: On 22-Dec-2017, Public Law 115-97 - the "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017" suspended qualified moving expense deductions along with the exclusion for employer reimbursements and payments of moving expenses effective 01-Jan-2018 for tax years 2018 through 2025. When you perform a Civilian Permanent Change of Station (PCS) with the government, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) considers the majority of your entitlements to be taxable. Visit GSA Bulletin FTR 20-04 here for additional information. Required Documents

The following documents are required and must be provided with your application. Applicants who do not submit required documentation to determine eligibility and qualifications will be eliminated from consideration. Other documents may be required based on the eligibility/eligibilities you are claiming. Click here to view the AF Civilian Employment Eligibility Guide and the required documents you must submit to substantiate the eligibilities you are claiming.

1. Online Application: Questionnaire
2. Resume: Your resume may NOT exceed two pages, and the font size should not be smaller than 10 pts. You will not be considered for this vacancy if your resume is illegible/unreadable. Additional information on resume requirements can be located under "How To Apply".
3. License: At the time of application, you must provide proof, dated within four months of application, of "active" status with a bar of the highest court of a State, U.S. commonwealth, U.S. territory, or the District of Columbia. On-line information is allowed as long as it shows that you are in "active" status.
4. Law Degree Transcripts

ACTIVE DUTY SERVICE MEMBERS: The VOW Act requires federal agencies to treat an eligible active duty service member as a veteran, disabled veteran, and preference eligible (as applicable) when applying for civil service positions before the effective release or discharge date. Appointment of military members before the release or discharge date is permissible if the member is on terminal leave. At the time the active duty member applies for a civil position, he or she must submit a "certification" memo in lieu of a DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty. The certification memo must originate from the member's military service branch on official letterhead and contain the following:

• Name/Rank/Grade of Service Member
• Branch of Armed Forces
• Dates of Active Service (Start and End Date(s)
• Expected Date of Discharge/Release from Active Duty
• Terminal leave start date (if applicable)
• Expected character of service/discharge (honorable/general) and type of separation (i.e. separation or retirement)
• Must be certified within 120 days of anticipated discharge
• Signature by, or by direction of the adjutant, personnel office, unit commander, or higher headquarters commander

NOTE: The VOW Act provides tentative preference. If appointed, a DD Form 214 must be submitted upon receipt.

NOTICE OF VETERANS' PREFERENCE:
There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of Defense considers veterans' preference eligibility a positive factor for attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation to their submissions.

Although the point-preference system is not used, applicants eligible to claim Veterans Preference must submit VOW certification memo or copy of the official DD Form 214, which must include the character of service, and a Standard Form (SF) 15, "Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference," and supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed. (SF 15, which lists the types of 10-point preference and the required supporting documents, is available from the Office of Personnel Management Website at www.opm.gov.)

NOTE: Applicants for attorney appointments do not require veterans' preference in order to be eligible for consideration.

How to Apply

The complete Application Package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 01/19/2026

To preview the Application Questionnaire, please click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12860509

To begin the process, click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the application questionnaire. Please ensure you click the Submit My Application button at the end of the process.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

1. Your Resume. If you submit more than one resume, only the most recent will be reviewed. The "most recent" is considered the resume with the latest timestamp.

• Resumes may not exceed two pages. The two-page resume ensures the most relevant experience is reviewed and considered, which is a common practice in both the public and private sectors. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. Additional information on how to complete or update your resume may be located here.
• For qualification determination your resume must contain hours worked per week and dates of employment (i.e., month/year to month/year or month/year to present). If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as insufficient, and you will not receive consideration for this position. If you are a current Federal employee or previous Federal employee, provide your pay plan, series and grade, i.e. GS-0301-09. Current Federal Civilian Employees may list any relevant performance related rating (given within the last three years) and/or incentive awards in your resume.
• Do NOT include photographs, inappropriate material, inappropriate content, nor personal information such as age, gender, religion, social security number, etc., on your resume. If the resume you submit contains such information you will not be considered for this vacancy.
• Your name, first and last, MUST be included on your resume.

2. A complete Application Questionnaire
3. Additional Required Documents (see Required Documents section). Ensure all submitted documents contain your full name.
4. Help recruiters find you. Make your resume and profile searchable, which means recruiters may contact you about possible jobs. Additional information may be located here.
5. Optional Documents: Performance Appraisals for Current Federal Civilian Employees - Most recent performance appraisals (dated within last 3 years) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable.

PLEASE NOTE: It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that information entered and/or uploaded, (i.e., resume) is received, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. You may verify your documents have been processed with your application package successfully. You can access your USAJOBS account to do so by clicking here. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan.

Human Resources WILL NOT modify or change any answers submitted by an applicant.