Personnel Appeals Board Member

We are looking for an experienced attorney to serve as a Board Member of the U.S. Government Accountability Office's (GAO), Personnel Appeals Board (PAB). In this position you will serve as an administrative judge for employment and labor law matters that involve GAO employees.

Duties

As a Board Member you will:

• Serve as one of the five Personnel Appeals Board members appointed by the Comptroller General.
• Serve as an administrative judge to hear and make final decisions on complaints filed by GAO employees or applicants for employment with GAO and actions brought by GAO's employee union, including on the following matters:
  • appeals of removal/termination from employment;
  • suspensions of more than 14 days;
  • reductions in grade or pay;
  • furloughs of not more than 30 days;
  • alleged prohibited personnel practices;
  • alleged prohibited political activity;
  • the appropriateness of a unit of employees for collective bargaining;
  • an election or certification of a collective bargaining representative;
  • certain labor-management relations issues;
  • actions alleging discrimination, harassment, and/or retaliation; and
  • personnel-related issues that the Comptroller General by regulation decides are for PAB resolution.
• Conduct oversight of GAO's regulations, procedures and practices as they relate to EEO laws.
• Oversee updates to PAB-related regulations.

Salary

• $100.43/hour

Conditions of Employment

• You must be registered with the Selective Service if applicable.
• You must be an active member in good standing of the bar in any United States jurisdiction. You must maintain this licensure while in this position.
• You must undergo and complete a favorable background investigation.
• You will be required to submit a financial disclosure report. If you work more than 60 days a year, your financial disclosure report is subject to public inspection.
• You will be required to provide an official law school transcript.
• You will be required to provide proof of Bar membership.
• If selected and you occupy a civilian office or position (including a temporary, part-time, flex-time, or intermittent position), appointive or elective, in the legislative, executive, or judicial branch of the government of the United States (including a Government corporation and a nonappropriated fund instrumentality under the jurisdiction of the armed forces) or in the government of the District of Columbia, you will be subject to the provisions of the Dual Compensation Act which prohibits an individual from receiving pay from more than one position for more than an aggregate of forty (40) hours of work in one calendar week.
• If you are a Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) or Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS) annuitant, you may be eligible for a salary offset waiver.

Qualifications

You must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

Required:
You must have at least 7 years of experience as a licensed attorney doing one of the following:

• Adjudicating and/or arbitrating employment and/or labor law matters at the federal, state, or local level.
• Independently handling litigation, including preparing for, participating in (as lead counsel), and/or conducting formal hearings or trials on employment and/or labor law matters at the federal, state, or local level.
• Adjudicating and/or arbitrating matters at the federal, state, or local level, but the matters did not involve employment or labor law issues.
• Independently handling litigation, including preparing for, participating in (as lead counsel), and/or conducting formal hearings or trials at the federal, state, or local level, but the matters did not involve employment or labor law.

You must demonstrate a capacity and willingness to devote sufficient time to timely dispose of cases.

Desired:
Our ideal candidate will have experience with federal employment law bodies like the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB); the Office of Special Counsel (OSC); the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC); or the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA).

Non-qualifying Experience:
Experience handling non-adversarial legal matters as an attorney is not qualifying. Examples include corporate law, trust and estate matters, and tax law.

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.

Education You must have a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA). You must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement. Other Information Option for additional selections: We may fill more than one position from this announcement. When you can expect to start: Selections made from this announcement will fill Board Member positions as their current terms expire. If you are selected, you will begin your term either March 2027 or July 2027. Equal employment opportunity: The U.S. Government Accountability Office's policy is to provide equal employment opportunity for all regardless of race, religion, color, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity), national origin, age, disability, or genetic information. Reasonable accommodation: GAO provides reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. To request an accommodation, please email ReasonableAccommodations@gao.gov. Required Documents

All applicants must submit:

• Cover letter
  • Highlight your qualifications and explain why you are interested in this position.
  • Upload under "Cover Letter" document type.
• Resume
  • Emphasize your years and level of experience and responsibility for researching, analyzing, and/or resolving complex legal issues; your experience preparing briefs or formal written decisions or opinions; and your ability to demonstrate appropriate judicial temperament.
  • Include start and end dates for each position (e.g., month and year; month, day, and year).

Starting on September 27, 2025, federal agencies will only accept resumes up to two pages in length to comply with the Merit Hiring Plan. USAJOBS will not allow you to upload or build resumes longer than two pages, and you will need to update the resumes in your profile before applying to a job.

• What is required in the resume?
  Resumes submitted for federal jobs are required to have:
• Contact Information-your name and the best way to contact you.
• Relevant work experience-Job experience should include employer name, job title, start and end dates (month/year), the number of hours worked per week and descriptions that explain how your previous work experience relates to and helps you meet the required qualifications in the GAO job announcement to which you are applying.
• Education, certifications or licensures-If the job announcement requires any education, certifications or licensures, make sure you include the required information on the resume.
• For more information on the how to check the resume for the new 2-page requirement, please go to the Help Center or click the link: USAJOBS Help Center - Update your resume now so it meets new resume requirements
• Online questionnaire
  • You will complete this by following the directions in the How to Apply section.
  • Click this link to preview the online questionnaire: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13072578
• Proof of Bar membership
  • Upload under "Proof of Licensure" document type.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration.

• To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
• Follow the prompts to select your résumé and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
• After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
• You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
• To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your 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 are unable to apply online, you must request an alternative application which is available from the Human Resources Office. Please contact Ebonye Watson at watsone@gao.gov to obtain an alternative application.

Benefits You will be ineligible for benefits.