A successful candidate in this position will support the Los Alamos Field Office (NA-LA), Counsel, representing the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) General Counsel (GC) in several substantive legal duties and responsibilities in support of the NA-LA/OGC.
Duties
As a Paralegal Specialist, you will: Perform legal analysis of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Privacy Act requests under the provisions of applicable statutes and determines if documents or segregable portions can be released. Serve as the liaison between the NA-LAFO and the Program Manager for the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program (EEOICP). Serve as the liaison between NA-LAFO and external auditing groups such as OIG/GAO or U.S. Department of Labor and Centers for Disease Control (CDC/NIOSH). Serve the Management Referral liaison and handles the management referral process for the Field office and LANL. Receives Office of Inspector General (OIG) requests for management to investigate or review anonymous hotline reports or actual written reports of potential waste fraud or abuse by laboratory, or subcontractor employees. Controversial issues are brought to the attention of management, makes referrals to management or LANL as appropriate, including consolidating and developing responses and closes out actions. Conduct research of relevant legislation, regulations, and precedents for the preparation of legal opinions on matters of interests to the agency. Provide support and contractor oversight of litigation. Support the OGC Ethics Official in the following areas: (a) providing appropriate DOE/NNSA ethics guidelines and federal regulations; (b) assisting with ethics questions; (c) assists with the OGC Ethics Official's review of Confidential Financial Disclosure Reports (OGE 450s); (d) helps prepare memoranda on post-employment restrictions; (4) assists with reviewing conflicts of interests; and (5) compiling ethics reports and enters information into computerized systems.
Salary
Qualifications
NQ-2: A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower NNSA Demonstration Project pay band or GS grade level in the Federal service, i.e., NQ-01 or GS-7. Specialized experience for this position is defined as experience performing paralegal or legal work which demonstrates a basic knowledge of legal research and ability to interpret legal decisions. Experience examining and processing a variety of legal documents. Experience conducting research, analysis and evaluation of data in response to complex or sensitive requests. Experience drafting briefs, pleadings, litigation recommendations, or other legal documents and correspondence. Experience searching and reviewing legal references, case files, and other sources for information and data required by attorneys or court personnel. NQ-3: A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower NNSA Demonstration Project pay band or GS grade level in the Federal service, i.e., NQ-02 or GS-12. Specialized experience for this position is defined as experience performing paralegal or legal work which demonstrates a more detailed knowledge of legal research, laws, precedent decisions, regulations, agency policies and practices, and judicial or administrative proceedings. Examples of qualifying specialized experience for this position may include, but is not limited to: Independently conducts detailed legal research, including laws, regulations, case law, directives and legislative history and drafting legal briefs. Analyzes complex legal problems and organizes facts independently to resolve problems or recommending an appropriate course of action to attorneys. Provide liaison support to legal counsel in carrying out their responsibilities. "Experience" refers to paid and unpaid experience. Examples of qualifying unpaid experience may include volunteer work done through National Service programs (such as Peace Corps and AmeriCorps); as well as work for other community-based philanthropic and social organizations. 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. CTAP/ICTAP candidates: To be considered "well qualified" you must meet all of the requirements as described in this section. If you are eligible for career transition assistance plans such as ICTAP or CTAP, you must meet the definition of "well qualified" which is defined as having a score of 85 or better. You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.
Education
NQ-2: GS-9: master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D., if related GS-11: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related GS-12 or above: There is no substitute for the education requirement, applicant must meet the specialized experience requirements. NQ-3: There is no substitute for the education requirement, applicant must meet the specialized experience requirements. Education must be obtained from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education Applicants who have completed part or all of their education outside of the U.S. must have their foreign education evaluated by an accredited organization to ensure that the foreign education is comparable to education received in accredited educational institutions in the U.S. A written evaluation of any foreign education must be provided with your application in response to this vacancy announcement or be received by the closing date of this announcement. Failure to provide this evaluation will result in you being found unqualified for the position. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education, see the Department of Education website, and for a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, visit The National Association of Credential Evaluation Services. 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.
Required Documents
To apply for this position, you MUST provide a complete application package which includes: ALL APPLICANTS: You must submit a resume supporting your specialized experience and responses to the online questionnaire. Your resume shall list all work experience (paid and unpaid); you must list the full name and address of the each employer. For all types of work experience, you shall indicate the start and end dates (include month, day, and year); you must also list the average number of hours per week that you worked. For paid work experience, you shall indicate your starting salary for each position and the highest salary you earned (if different). Your resume should also include any education and training you have completed (list the program title, subject area, number of hours completed, and completion date). You may list all incentive awards on your resume. For more information about what to include in your resume, please view this USAJOBS Resume Tutorial video on YouTube. Most DOE offices will allow you to submit a resume in the format of your choice (as an attached document or as a USAJOBS Resume Builder format). However, some offices may require one specific format. You will be notified at the time you click 'Apply Online' which type of resume is acceptable. It is important that you are complete and thorough in your resume. If any of the above information is not included in your resume, we may not be able to fully credit you for your experience. Cover Letter, optional, expressing additional information not covered in your resume. Transcripts, if specific educational requirements are indicated in this job announcement. Unofficial transcripts or any report listing institution, course title, credits earned (semester or quarter hour) and final grade is acceptable. It is your responsibility to provide adequate proof that you meet the educational requirements. Submit one or more of the following to support your eligibility(s) to apply to this job announcement: SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action" (current/former federal employees): To properly verify status eligibility, your SF-50 must show the following. If you do not submit an appropriate SF-50, we cannot verify your status eligibility! Full position title; appointment type; occupational series; pay plan, grade, and step; tenure code; and service computation date (SCD).If your current position SF50 does not indicate you have competitive service status or does not reflect the pay plan and grade of the highest position you have held in the competitive service, in addition to your current SF50, you must provide your previous SF-50s that provide the proof of competitive status and highest grade held on a permanent basis. Veterans: DD-214 Member Copy 4 showing type of discharge/character of service; current active duty members- certification of expected discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions dated within 120 days; SF-15 Form and related documentation; VA letter. For more information visit the USAJOBS Help Center & OPM CHCOC website for VOW information. Individuals with Disabilities: Schedule A letter from a physician, local, state or federal rehabilitation office citing your eligibility under 5 CFR 213.3102 (u). For more information visit the USAJOBS Help Center. Certain Military Spouses: Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders authorizing you to accompany the Military member to the new duty permanent station; OR verification of the member's 100% disability (VA Letter); and/or verification of the member's death while on active duty (DD-1300 and Death Certificate) AND verification of the marriage to the service member (i.e., a marriage license or other legal documentation verifying marriage). For more information visit the USAJOBS Help Center. Other non-competitive or special appointing authorities: provide documentation which supports your eligibility. Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program documentation, if applicable (e.g., Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; SF-50 that documents the RIF separation action; and most recent performance appraisal.) For more information see the OPM Guide to Career Transition. Performance Appraisals: Submit your two (2) most recent performance appraisals. Your performance appraisals and incentive awards will be given due consideration in the selection process based on their relation to the duties of the position and the consistency with which they may be considered in evaluating you against other applicants. If the performance appraisals are not available, please provide a written statement of explanation and upload as a separate document. Failure to submit any of the above mentioned required documents may result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted.
How to Apply
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section. A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the announcement closing date to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: You must have a login.gov account to sign into USAJOBS: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/account/. To begin the application process in USAJOBS, click the Apply Online button. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all required and supporting documentation. You must click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 pm (ET) on the announcement closing date. You may update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period by returning to your USAJOBS account, select Update Application: https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To verify the status of your application, during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account; applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each application status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/. If you need help with login.gov or USAJOBS (e.g., account access, Resume Builder) visit the USAJOBS Help Center: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/ If you experience difficulty applying on USAJOBS, after clicking the Apply Online button, or you are experiencing a significant hardship hindering your ability to apply online, the Agency Contact listed in the announcement can assist you during normal business hours. If you receive any system error messages, take screenshots if possible, to aid technical support.
