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This is a Defense Legal Services Agency (DLSA) position with duty in the Office of General Counsel, Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA). The General Counsel of the Department of Defense is dual hatted as the DLSA Director; DLSA provides a full range of legal advice and services to officials of the Defense Agencies and the DoD Field Activities.
Duties The Defense Commissary Agency is located on Fort Gregg-Adams, in the greater Richmond, VA area (RVA). Richmond is a popular travel destination with a reputation for good food as well as local vineyards, breweries and distilleries. Virginia, including the Fort Gregg-Adams and RVA areas, is rich in history and culture with easy access to myriad outdoor activities. Popular nearby destinations include Washington, D.C., Charlottesville and Williamsburg, VA, and Virginia Beach. It is also only a couple of hours away from the Blue Ridge Mountains and other popular east coast beaches as well as state and national parks and wildlife refuges.
The Office of General Counsel, DeCA, has a robust and varied legal practice in support of DeCA and its mission. Our attorneys provide legal advice, counsel and representation in substantive areas including federal labor and employment law, commercial law, fiscal law, procurement law, construction law, environmental law, government standards of conduct and ethics, administrative law, and issues arising under the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act. Our attorneys represent DeCA before various administrative bodies and provide litigation support to U.S. Attorney Offices for matters pending in Federal courts.
As an Assistant General Counsel for Commercial Law, the incumbent reports to the Deputy General Counsel for Commercial Law and assists in discharging the responsibility of DeCA OGC to provide legal advice, counsel and representation in all aspects of the commercial law portfolio, including but not limited to contracts, fiscal law, environmental law, government ethics and standards of conduct, construction law, international law, administrative and civil law, the Freedom of Information Act, the Privacy Act, business law, intellectual property and data rights, issues of statutory and regulatory interpretation and the drafting of proposed legislation.
The incumbent independently performs in-depth legal research and analysis, as well as writing briefs, legal memoranda, and other documents. The incumbent addresses difficult and novel legal and policy questions where frequently there is an absence of clearly applicable precedent. The incumbent represents the agency before third parties, including but not limited to the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals, and the Government Accountability Office, and is responsible for the investigation, preparation and presentation of the agency's positions and defenses before such tribunals. T
he incumbent addresses difficult and novel legal policy questions where frequently there is an absence of clearly applicable precedents. The incumbent provides support to the Department of Justice in matters litigated in Federal courts. The incumbent may perform the duties of the Deputy General Counsel for Commercial Law in his/her absence and other duties as assigned.
This position is in the Excepted Service
The Defense Commissary Agency is an Equal Employment Opportunity Agency.
Read the entire announcement before starting the application process.
- $130,084 - $169,108/year
- Be a U.S. citizen or national.
- Meet minimum age requirement. See Additional Information.
- Males born after 12-31-1959 must be registered with or exempt from Selective Service.
- May be subject to successful verification of identity and employment eligibility through E-Verify. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, at https://www.e-verify.gov/.
- May be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as required. New federal employees will be fingerprinted.
- Be able to obtain and maintain clearance eligibility based on the appropriate background investigation.
- May be subject to a probationary/trial period.
- Direct deposit of pay is required.
- Meet the physical requirements listed in the Qualifications section.
- A two year trial/probationary period may be required.
- The minimum qualification requirements must be met before applicants are eligible for further consideration.
- Applicant must have successfully completed a full course of study in a school of law and have the first professional law degree (LLB or JD) from that institution.
- Bar Membership: An applicant must currently be an active member of the bar of the highest court of a State, U.S. commonwealth, U.S. territory, or the District of Columbia.
- Applicant must have professional legal experience in excess of 3 years that is commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position.
- Basis for Rating: Applicants will be evaluated to determine if they meet the minimum qualification requirements and on the extent to which their application shows possession of the knowledge, skills and abilities associated with the position.
SELECTIVE FACTORS: Selection will be based on the judgment of the selecting official as to which applicant is best qualified to perform the duties of the position. The breadth and depth of relevant experience and knowledge and the quality of past performance will be the primary considerations used for selection. Attorneys performing duties at the GS-14, or equivalent-level, are expected to perform with substantial independence even when working on the most complex or difficult matters. Important selection factors are demonstrated substantial experience in the following: legal analytical ability and sound professional judgment; excellence in oral and written communication skills across audiences; strong client and colleague relations and interpersonal skills; ability to interpret law and provide authoritative legal advice; recognized ability as an advocate, including the ability to balance competing interests and provide alternative courses of action to advance agency interests; skill in resolving extremely complex and difficult legal questions which will be precedent-setting in nature and demonstrated advisory and conflict-resolution skills. Highly desirable selection factors are: substantial knowledge and experience pertaining to government contracting and fiscal law, environmental law, construction law, intellectual property and data rights, administrative and civil law, government ethics, drafting and reviewing legislation, and statutory interpretation; litigation experience particularly before the Government Accountability Office, the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals, and Federal courts; dispute resolution; and experience regarding the Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy Act.
A selection panel may be used and oral interviews may be conducted with all, with some, or with none of the applicants, solely at the option of the selecting official.
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 documents (e.g., DD Form 214, "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty") to their submissions. Although the point-preference system is not used, applicants eligible to claim a 10-point preference must submit an SF 15, "Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference," and supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed. (SF15, 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.) If two of more applicants for an attorney position are determined to be equally "best qualified" for the position, but one of the applicants is a preference eligible veteran, the preference eligible veteran has preference over the non-preference eligible applicant.
- Time after competitive appointment: Candidates applying under merit promotion must have completed three months of civilian service after a competitive appointment by the closing date of the announcement. (5 CFR 330.501)
- All current DeCA employees regardless of your location or human resources service provider must submit a copy of a recent SF50 showing your current position title, pay plan-series-grade, tenure and position occupied.
- All current Department of Defense (DoD) employees can access MyBiz and/or eOPF to obtain copies of their SF 50s.
- Overseas Employees: DeCA employees working overseas MUST submit copies of your current SF-50, showing your current tenure, grade and salary.
Additional Requirements that must be met by the closing date:
- Time-in-grade applies to the promotion of current and former federal employees who hold or have held a permanent GS position in either the competitive or excepted service in the previous 52 weeks, including current employees applying under VEOA. Your application package must contain proof you meet this requirement. See Required Documents for more information.
- For GS-14: You must have 52 weeks of Federal service at or equivalent to GS-13.
- Time after competitive appointment. Current federal civilian employees must have completed at least 90 days of federal civilian service since being selected for a non temporary appointment from a competitive examination register of eligibles (an announcement opened to the public) or under a direct hire authority.
As part of the online application process, you will respond to a series of questions designed to evaluate your level of experience in these competencies:
- Minimum Qualifications
Overtime: Occasional
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): Exempt
Bargaining Unit Status: Not Covered
Those retired under CSRS or FERS considered: No. DoD criteria not met.
Telework eligible: Yes - as determined by the agency policy
Remote work eligible: No Education ARE YOU USING YOUR EDUCATION TO QUALIFY? You MUST provide transcripts and/or other documentation to support your educational claims. Transcripts. REQUIRED when using education to meet qualifications or when education is required. Foreign education may be qualifying if a private organization specializing in interpreting foreign education programs has deemed the foreign education equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program or a U.S. accredited college or university has given full credit for the foreign courses. Unofficial transcripts from U.S. Department of Education accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions listing your name, the name of the school, the date and degree awarded, and the list of classes and credits earned are acceptable for the application process. If selected, official transcripts are required before a firm job offer is made. A photocopy of your degree/diploma is not acceptable. When relying on foreign education, submit transcripts and a copy of the equivalency evaluation results letter with a course-by-course listing. Documents must be in English or include an English translation. The hiring employer for this position does not evaluate degrees from foreign colleges or universities. Other Information
Executive Order 12564 requires a federal workplace to be free of illegal drugs and prohibits the use of illegal drugs both on and off duty by federal employees. As a reminder, marijuana is still classified as an illegal drug by the Federal government and is prohibited for use by Federal employees even if such use is legal in the state where the Federal employee resides and/or works. The Defense Commissary Agency is a Drug-Free Federal Workplace where the use of illegal drugs will not be tolerated and may result in penalties up to and including removal from Federal service.
- The minimum age requirement is generally 18 years. Employing those under 18 may be possible under certain circumstances. If under 18 years of age, ensure you provide documentation showing how you are eligible.
- Applicants with financial difficulty are not automatically removed from consideration.
- Selectees are required to complete an online onboarding process.
- Retired military service members cannot be appointed to a Department of Defense (DoD) civilian position within 180 days of their retirement date. 5 United States Code 3326.
- PCS costs are authorized, budget permitting. Most civilian PCS entitlements are now taxable. The Relocation Income Tax Allowance (RITA) reimburses eligible employees for additional Federal, State, and local income taxes incurred as a result of receiving taxable travel income. More information is available at Civilian Relocation/PCS Tax Changes.
- Financial Statement Required. Employment and Financial Interest
- License/Certification: Bar Certificate of Good Standing reflecting Active Status
The following may result in a rating of ineligible. Ineligible applicants receive no consideration.
- Not selecting an eligibility.
- Submitting an incomplete application package may result in your not being considered for this position. Your resume must reflect that you are either Part-Time with the number of hours listed, Full Time, or 40 hours per week as your work schedule. If you fail to provide this information in your resume, your resume will be considered as incomplete.
- Submitting encrypted documents or uploading Adobe portfolio documents.
- Submitting any document that contains a photo or image of you.
- Including social media links, inappropriate material or content, classified or government sensitive information, or personal information such as age, gender, race, religion, or social security number on your resume.
- Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials.
- Deliberately attempting to falsify your application information, such as copying portions of this announcement into your resume.
Resume. Learn more about creating a suitable resume by watching this video or reading What to include. Using the USAJOBS Resume Builder will help you submit a complete resume. Applying for a Federal job requires more information than applying for a job in the private sector. Therefore, a resume is typically longer than two (2) pages and usually does not need to be more than five (5) pages. Current or former federal civilian employees are encouraged to list work-related awards received within the last three years in their resume. Hiring Managers use objective methods and may consider previous awards in the selection process.
An example of legal writing and advocacy skills demonstrated by a relevant legal brief, memorandum, letter, etc. (10 pages or less).
Questionnaire. Preview at https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12658592.
PLEASE REVIEW THE BELOW LINK FOR OTHER SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS needed for proof of eligibility:
https://www.dla.mil/Portals/104/Documents/Careers/downloads/DODCustomersRequiredSupportingDocumentation.pdf
SF 50 Notification of Personnel Action. All current and former federal civilian employees submit
- A copy of your most recent SF 50 showing your current position title, pay plan-series-grade, tenure and position occupied and
- When applying for a promotion (higher grade than you currently hold), you must also submit an SF 50 which clearly demonstrates you meet the time-in-grade requirements. Examples of appropriate SF50s include Promotions, Within-grade Grade/Range Increases, and SF-50s with an effective date more than one year old. You may need to submit more than one SF 50 to show you meet this requirement.
Performance Appraisal (Optional). Current and former federal civilian employees, including those of the employing agency, are encouraged to include a copy of their most recent rating of record. Hiring managers may consider performance appraisals in the selection process.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
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.
Your complete application package must be received by 11:59 PM ET on 02/10/2025.
You are responsible for verifying your application package is complete, accurate, and submitted timely. As uploaded documents may take one or more hours to clear the virus scan, plan accordingly to ensure your application process is complete and your application package is submitted by the specified closing date and time.
To begin, click Apply to access an online application. Follow the prompts to select your resume, required documents, and/or other supporting documents. You need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply or create an account before applying. You will be taken to an online application. Follow all prompts and complete the online application, verify you've included all required and supporting documentation, and submit your application. Additional information on how to complete the online application process and submit your online application is found at the USA Staffing Applicant Resource Center. To receive consideration, you must complete all steps of the application process.
You can verify your application status by logging into your USAJOBS account, selecting the Application Status link, and then selecting the More Information link for this position. The Application Status page displays your application status, the documents received and processed, and your questionnaire responses.
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.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
