Chief, Alternative Dispute Resolution Unit

We are seeking an experienced Attorney-Mediator to lead OSC's Alternative Dispute (ADR) Unit, overseeing the mediation of complaints and serving as the agency's expert in negotiation and dispute resolution. You will provide legal advice on matters under the Administrative Dispute Resolution Act of 1996 and related statutes. This is a challenging and rewarding role, offering a key opportunity to manage and develop OSC's ADR program while providing leadership and expertise.

Duties

Why Join OSC? OSC consistently ranks highly in the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) for workplace satisfaction!

Division Overview:
The Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Unit is responsible for providing alternative dispute resolution services for selected complaints filed with OSC, which includes coordinating OSC's ADR program with the Agency's responsibilities under the Administrative Dispute Resolution Acts of 1990 and 1996, and the interaction with these obligations with the Privacy Act, FOIA, and other relevant statutes. The ADR Unit also provides agency-wide expertise and training on negotiation and mediation law, practice and theory.

ADR Unit Chief
This position serves as the Chief of the ADR Unit, a key program at OSC that offers mediation for complaints filed with OSC. You will directly oversee management, continual development and integration of ADR services within OSC's overall agency operations. You will serve as the agency's negotiation and dispute resolution expert and be responsible for providing educational, administrative, and specialized ADR expertise to the agency. You will provide legal advice on matters under the Administrative Dispute Resolution Act of 1996 and related statutes, regulations and ethical guidelines.

Duties:

• Maintain case management and data tracking procedures to quantify and monitor ADR at OSC for internal and public-facing reports. Conduct post-mediation evaluations and data analysis to provide useful comparisons over time, generate lessons learned, and assess the value of ADR to those who use it. Manage ADR program system of records and ensure compliance with the ADR Act of 1996, the Privacy Act, FOIA and other relevant Federal law.
• Serve as the OSC subject matter expert and educator within the area of ADR including dispute resolution and negotiation skills and techniques. Provide expert guidance to OSC attorneys on negotiation and other collaborative processes to help resolve highly complex legal issues. Ensure that OSC staff receive appropriate training in ADR and negotiation skills, as resources permit.
• Maintain current knowledge on ADR related academic research, best practices and the resolution of employment law disputes, and the interpretation and application of the Administrative Dispute Resolution Act of 1996.
• Conduct outreach and coordinate with significant stakeholders, including officials of Federal agencies and public interest groups, to obtain information to create increasingly effective ADR processes, practices and policies, and to encourage participation in OSC's ADR program.

Ideal Candidate:

• Demonstrated expertise in mediating complex and sensitive cases.
• Experience managing ADR programs and processes.
• Strong knowledge of ADR research and active involvement in ADR organizations.
• Excellent legal research, writing, and communication skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively with diverse individuals.
• Ability to manage a high volume of cases effectively.
• Passion for public service and dedication to federal workforce integrity.

This position may require occasional travel for mediations and other matters. It is based in Washington, D.C., to facilitate interaction with staff and stakeholders.

Salary

• $163,964 - $191,900/year

Conditions of Employment

• U.S. Citizenship or National authorized to work in the U.S.
• Individuals born after 12-31-1959 and required to register for Selective Service under the Military Selective Service Act of 50 USC App. 453, must be registered or otherwise exempt from Selective Service. See "Additional Information" section below.
• May be required to successfully complete a trial period.
• May be eligible for incentive pay.
• May be eligible for superior qualifications/special needs pay setting.
• Direct Deposit of pay is required.
• E-Verify will be used to confirm employment eligibility on new employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit e-verify.gov
• Suitable for Federal employment as determined by appropriate background investigation.
• May be required to successfully complete a supervisory/managerial probationary period.

Qualifications Minimum Qualifications
Applicants must meet the basic education and bar membership requirements:

• A professional law degree (L.L.B., J.D., L.L.M.) from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association; and
• An active membership in good standing in a bar of a state, U.S. Territory, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth or Puerto Rico.

And

Specialized Experience

For the GS-15 Grade Level:
Possess four (4) years of post J.D. legal experience, and have at least four (4) years of specialized experience, with at least one (1) of these years equivalent to the GS-14 grade level in the Federal service, in:

• leading or supervising a team;
• meditating complex legal disputes;
• communicating complex information orally and in writing;
• analyzing, investigating and litigating complex cases; and
• designing and enhancing conflict and dispute resolution systems and strategies.

Your resume must explicitly outline your qualifications. We will not make assumptions on your experience.

NOTE: To be considered for this position, you must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements for the GS-0905 series set forth in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards by the closing date of the announcement. A copy is available at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards

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 and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including time-in-grade restrictions, specialized experience and/or education, as defined above.

Applicants qualifying through education, but who have not yet graduated or received final grades, may apply using their current grades at time of application. If selected, you will be required to verify final grades and/or provide additional documentation.

Annual Leave Accrual Credit
Selectees for their first Federal position may be eligible to earn a higher annual leave accrual rate based on prior non-Federal or uniformed service work experience. The amount of service credited will be based on specialized experience or qualifying experience that is provided on the applicant resume and documentation submitted. Other Information

ACTIVE-DUTY SERVICE MEMBERS: In accordance with VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011 (Public Law 112-56),Current military members may apply by submitting a "certification" of active service in lieu of a DD-214. A "certification" letter should be on letterhead of the appropriate military branch of the service and contain: (1) your rank; (2) dates of active duty service; (3) type of discharge and projected character of service (i.e. honorable); (4) projected Veteran's preference, if applicable; (5) date terminal leave begins, if applicable; (6) date of expected discharge or release that is within 120 days of your employment application submission; and (7) signed by, or by direction of, the adjutant, personnel officer, or commander of your unit or higher headquarters. If selected, your qualifying separation, veteran's preference, and/or appointment eligibility will be verified prior to appointment. Active-duty members that fail to provide a valid "certification" of service with their initial application will be found to have an incomplete application. Military members may be appointed before the effective date of their military retirement/separation if on terminal leave.

SELECTIVE SERVICE: Individuals born after December 31, 1959 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service. You can find more information on Who Must Register and Exemptions here. In addition, you can find more information on what to do if you failed to register here.

These are not Bargaining Unit positions.

Required Documents

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

1. Resume, including a) personal information such as name, address, contact information; b) education; c) detailed work experience related to this position including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment (month/year), title and Grade level for any Federal service, i.e. GS-9); d) scope and complexity of the functions, activities and services you managed and your level of contacts; and any other qualifications. We recommend that your resume not exceed five (5) pages as only the first five (5) pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications;
2. Cover Letter, required;
3. Writing Sample, dated within the last five (5) years;
4. Other required supporting documents:

• Law school transcript(s) to confirm your education;
• Verification an active membership in good standing in a bar of a state, U.S. Territory, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth or Puerto Rico;
• Current or Previous Federal (whether Excepted or Competitive Service) employees:
  • Most recent non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) with highest grade held (or promotion potential) on a permanent basis, position title, series and grade; AND
  • Most recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable. A performance plan, without a rating, is not an acceptable substitute.
• DD-214, SF-15 Form and VA letter, or certification of expected discharge or release from active duty for consideration of Veteran status.

If you submit multiple copies of the same document, only your most recent uploaded document (by date & time stamp) will be considered. If your resume or supporting documents are illegible or unreadable, or if you fail to include any of the above-mentioned required documents, you may lose consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted.
Applicants who disqualify themselves will not be considered further. If your application materials contain sensitive or inappropriate information, including but not limited to: photographs; classified or government sensitive information; copied and pasted portions of this job announcement; obscene information, etc., you may not be considered.

Falsifying your background, education, and/or experience is cause for non-selection, disqualification from further consideration or withdrawal of tentative or final job offers.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above.
Your application and supporting documents must be submitted and received through the online application process by 11:59 pm EST on the closing date of this announcement.

• To begin, click Apply Online to access an online application. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account or you may need to create a new account if you do not have one.
• You will be taken to an online application. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the application.
• To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Application Status page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and your responses submitted to the online application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.

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.