Supervisory Attorney-Adviser

This position is in Region 5,Office of Regional Counsel, Multi-Media Branch 1. About Region 5: Region 5 Website This is an office-centered position*--you must physically report to the duty station stated in this announcement on a regular basis. *EPA offers work-from-home and work schedule flexibilities as described in the Benefits section.

Duties

You will:

• Serve as a supervisory attorney and provide administrative and substantive oversight to attorneys and other staff within the assigned section. Direct, coordinate, and oversee work through subordinates. Advise staff on policies, procedures, and directives of higher-level management.
• Resolve highly legal complex questions which arise under laws, regulations, lawsuits, enforcement actions, executive orders and other administrative actions involving major Federal statues affecting the Agency’s programs.
• Draft or assist in the preparation of major legal correspondence, briefing packages, notices (including notices of violation), information requests, subpoenas, administrative orders, litigation referrals, and other counseling or enforcement documents and review those documents for legal sufficiency and consistency with Agency positions, policy, and guidance.
• Represent the Region in its dealings with outside parties, including negotiation or dispute resolution of agreements, consent orders, consent decrees, memoranda of understanding or other matters in order to avoid protracted and expensive litigation and facilitate the expeditious administration of Agency programs.

One or more positions may be filled (in the organization advertised and/or in other organizations), if appropriate to the position.

Salary

• $160,458 - $191,900/year

Conditions of Employment

• You must submit a resume and required documents--see How to Apply section.

You must self-certify annually and in writing that you hold an active bar membership.

This position is designated as High Risk and requires a background investigation. Unless an appropriate background investigation is already on record with the Office of Personnel Management, you must undergo a background investigation. All conditions of the pre-employment security process must be met before an official letter of employment can be issued with a report for duty date.

If you are selected, you may be required to complete a one-year trial period.

If you are selected, you will be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure form within 30 days of your first day of employment and annually thereafter.

#LI-DNI

Qualifications

NOTE:  You must meet qualification requirements, including any requirements described in the Education section, by the closing date of this announcement.

In addition to the educational requirements, you must meet the minimum grade-specific qualifications as described below:

To qualify for the GS-15 level, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-14 level defined as experience working on highly complex environmental law cases, including settlement negotiations, litigation, and policy decisions; reviewing and editing position papers, settlement documents, pleadings, briefs, and other decisional documents related to environmental law; providing legal advice to agency managers; and supervising and providing legal advice and guidance about environmental issues to other attorneys.

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, 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.

*If you have part-time work experience, read this: EPA Announcement Policies and Procedures.

Education You must (1) possess a J.D. or LL.M. degree from an accredited or pre-accredited college or university or equivalent apprentice experience as allowed per state law, (2) be duly licensed and authorized to practice as an attorney under the laws of any state, territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia, and (3) be an active member of the bar of any U.S. jurisdiction in good standing. For information about accreditation requirements, visit EPA Announcement Policies and Procedures. Other Information

This position is excluded from provisions of the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP).

Selection under this appointment authority does not confer civil service competitive status.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are core values at EPA. Our excellence can only be fully realized by staff who share our commitment to these values. Successful candidates are committed to advancing equity and inclusion in the Agency’s workplace and mission. We encourage applications from candidates with a variety of personal experiences, values, and worldviews that arise from differences of culture and circumstance. At EPA, diversity is a vital element in bringing a balance of perspectives to bear on every challenge we face. We are committed to creating a diverse workforce because we know that the individual strengths and abilities of our employees make us a stronger organization. The more inclusive our employee base is, the greater the variety of ideas that are generated, and the more representative we are of the nation we serve. To learn more about how EPA values and supports our diverse workforce, visit Equal Opportunity Employment at EPA. You can also hear a diverse group of attorneys talk about their careers at EPA on the Legal Careers at EPA Webinar.

If you are selected, travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will not be paid by EPA. Any travel, transportation, and relocation expenses associated with reporting to work in this position will be your responsibility.

This position is not in the bargaining unit.

Required Documents

Required documents to be submitted online:

ALL APPLICANTS

• Cover letter expressing your interest in the position and explaining how your qualifications meet the requirements of the position.
• Resume clearly stating your experience related to this position as described in the Duties section and Qualifications and Education sections--include specific dates (MM/DD/YY - MM/DD/YY) so we can determine that you have the required amount of experience (if applicable). In describing your experience, you need to be clear and specific (we may not make assumptions regarding your experience). PLEASE LIMIT YOUR RESUME TO A MAXIMUM OF 7 PAGES.
• Copy of active bar membership/license.
• Proof of education (see requirements in the Education section):
  -        Law school transcripts - unofficial or official transcripts or a list of courses that includes school(s) attended, school address, course title, grades earned, completion dates, department, and quarter or semester hours earned.
  NOTE: Official educational transcripts are not required at the time of application; however, if you are selected, you must provide official transcripts before you start work with EPA.
  IF EDUCATION WAS COMPLETED AT A FOREIGN INSTITUTION: You must submit an equivalency evaluation with your application as described here: EPA Announcement Policies and Procedures
  OR
  -        Documentation of apprentice experience equivalent to possession of a J.D. or LL.M. degree.

APPLICANTS CLAIMING VETERANS’ PREFERENCE

Separated veterans claiming 5-point preference:

• DD-214 Member 4 copy (or other copy indicating character of service) or other official document/statement from the Armed Forces showing separation, discharge, or release from active duty; document must show separation is under honorable conditions (Honorable or General Discharge)

Separated veterans claiming 10-point preference based on compensable service-connected disability of 10% or more:

• DD-214 Member 4 copy (or other copy indicating character of service); document must show separation is under honorable conditions (Honorable or General Discharge); and
• VA letter stating overall/combined disability rating (percentage); and
• SF-15 (use current version: SF-15 Form)--see page 2 for documents that can be submitted in lieu of the DD-214 and VA letter

Other separated veterans claiming 10-point preference OR spouses, widows/widowers, or mothers claiming 10-point derived preference:

• SF-15 (use current version: SF-15 Form); and
• Other required documentation indicated on the SF-15

Active duty service members:

• Certification from the Armed Forces documenting active duty dates, expected discharge/release date, campaign medals/badges, and character of service (a certification is any written document from the Armed Forces that certifies you are expected to be discharged/released from active duty service in the Armed Forces under honorable conditions (Honorable or General Discharge) within 120 days after you submit the certification)

How to Apply

You are strongly encouraged to read the entire announcement before you submit your application for this position.

To begin the application process, click the Apply button to the top right on this screen, follow the prompts to log-in/register, submit all required documents, and complete the assessment questionnaire. To be considered, you must submit a complete application package by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the day the announcement closes.

All required supporting documents will be collected electronically via the USAJOBS document portfolio feature (see How to Upload Documents).

If you cannot apply online, you must contact the Human Resources Office listed below for assistance no later than two business days prior to the closing date of this announcement. You must provide complete application materials by the day the announcement closes.

For detailed instructions to assist you in ensuring your application package is received, go to EPA Announcement Policies and Procedures.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION

EPA welcomes applications from persons with disabilities. Through the reasonable accommodation process, we provide persons with disabilities an equal opportunity to enjoy the benefits and privileges of employment that persons without disabilities enjoy. A reasonable accommodation is any change in the work environment or in the way things are customarily done. An accommodation removes workplace barriers and enables an applicant with a disability to have an equal opportunity to participate in the application process, be considered for a position, and, if hired, perform the essential functions of their job.

The EPA National Reasonable Accommodation Coordinators will provide assistance to you, the Human Resources Office, and/or the hiring official as needed. For more information, refer to EPA’s Reasonable Accommodation website. Below is more detailed information about how to request a reasonable accommodation during the application, selection, and hiring process:

• If you require reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process (submitting the application or completing the application process), contact the Human Resources Office listed below no later than two business days prior to the closing date of this announcement, and the Human Resources Office will work directly with you.

• If you are referred to the hiring official for consideration and need an accommodation during the selection process, including the interview, notify the person who contacted you from the hiring official’s office. If you do not hear back within three days about your reasonable accommodation request for the selection process, please notify EPA’s National Reasonable Accommodation Coordinators via email at disabilityaccommodations@epa.gov.

• If you are selected and need an accommodation during the hiring process up to orientation, notify the HR Specialist who made the job offer to you.

Please note: Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

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.

Benefits will not change for current permanent EPA employees.

EPA offers workplace flexibilities as described on the EPA Benefits page. These flexibilities are not guaranteed, and eligibility will be determined in accordance with position requirements, policy, and/or applicable Collective Bargaining Agreement after you are hired.

This position has portable work. If selected for this position, you may be eligible for partial work-from-home flexibilities after meeting eligibility requirements, as allowable by agency policy and/or applicable collective bargaining agreement.

Review our benefits