Attorney Advisor - EXCEPTED SERVICE

You will serve as Deputy Chief Counsel at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, NY, providing expert legal advice on agency operations, policy, and regulatory matters. Support the Chief Counsel in coordinating legal services, consulting with stakeholders, and guiding policy development. Advise leadership, including the Superintendent, on legal issues affecting programs, initiatives, and agency activities.

Duties

The Attorney Advisor:

• Serves as an attorney and subject-matter expert in Federal employment law and labor relations, providing authoritative legal advice andrepresentation to agency leadership, management officials,  human capital professionals. The attorney independently handles complex, high-visibility matters involving Federal personnel law, labor-management relations, and equal employment opportunity, often with significant legal, financial, operational, and policy implications for the Agency and represents the Agency before administrative tribunals and external adjudicatory bodies and provides strategic guidance on workforce-related matters affecting Agency operations nationwide.
• Represents the USMMA on legal matters affecting the USMMA at inter and intra agency and departmental meetings, conferences and other events, coordinating legal support for the USMMA from other attorneys in the Office of the General Counsel.
• Advises the USMMA policy and program formation and implementation and providing legal advice and counsel incident to agency initiatives, issuances, directives, and correspondence and providing legal advice incident to inspections, investigations and related reports concerning the USMMA.
  Provides legal advice to the USMMA on legislative and regulatory proposals affecting USMMA programs and operations and providing written and oral counsel, opinions and decisions on legal aspects of DOT and USMMA activities.
• When requested by the Chief Counsel, participates in the formulation and advancement of USMMA legislative proposals.
• When requested by the Chief Counsel, drafts legislation, regulations, and policy statements; participates in the preparation and review of testimony before Congressional committees; and drafts responses to Congressional inquiries.

The ideal candidate is an experienced attorney with expertise in Federal employment law, labor relations, and administrative law. Demonstrates ability to provide strategic legal advice on complex, high-visibility matters affecting agency operations, policy, and workforce issues. Skilled in advising senior leadership, coordinating legal support, and representing agencies in administrative proceedings.

Strong analytical and decision-support abilities, with experience evaluating legal and regulatory risks and developing sound recommendations. Proficient in policy development, legislative and regulatory review, and drafting legal opinions and correspondence. Exercises sound judgment, strong communication skills, and the ability to work independently in support of mission-critical initiatives.

Salary

• $148,222 - $192,694/year

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S.Citizen and eligible for consideration.
• Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date.
• This is an Excepted Service position.
• Required documents must be submitted by the closing date.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: 

• SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered for Selective Service.
• TRIAL PERIOD: This is an Excepted Service position. This job will be filled by an alternative hiring process and is not in the competitive service. Applicants selected for an excepted service position may be subject to a two-year trial period.
• ETHICS/CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT: All employees are subject to the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch, set out in Title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations, section 2635, including restrictions on owning financial interests that may conflict with performance of their duties. Some employees, like those involved in contracting or regulating non-Federal entities, are subject to Executive Branch Financial Disclosure requirements set out in Title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations, section 263.
• PCS/RELOCATION/RECRUITMENT:  Permanent Change of Station (PCS), Relocation, and Recruitment Incentive authorization varies by position/selection and a service agreement may be required.

Qualifications

To qualify, your experience should include experience and education equal or equivalent to the following:

GRADE 14 - Applicant must: be a graduate of an accredited law school with a LL.B., J.D., or equivalent AND at least THREE (3) years professional legal work experience of a progressively responsible nature; AND be an active member in good standing of the bar in a state or territory of the United States or the District of Columbia or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas:

• Technical - Uses knowledge that is acquired through formal training or extensive on-the job experience to perform one's job: works with, understands, and evaluates technical information related to administrative and aviation law, and the provisions of the rules, regulations, acts and statutes under which the Department functions; advises others on technical issues.
• Communication - expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical sensitive controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.

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.

For additional information about applying to Federal positions, please click on the following link:  https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-policies/#url=e4

All applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Education MANDATORY EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS: In order to qualify for this position, candidates must have successfully completed a full course of study in a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) and have a professional law degree, and must currently be a member in good standing of the bar of a State or Territory of the United States or the District of Columbia. Other Information As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your 2-year trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Transportation and its Operating Administrations from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to the Department of Transportation by email at, FairChanceAct@dot.gov. To learn more, please visit our page at: The Fair Chance to Compete Act | US Department of Transportation This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if similar vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate. Required Documents

The following is a list of documents that are only required based on the type of position. Please review each of the following sections to determine which documents you need to provide with your application.

RESUME: In accordance with the OPM memorandum titled Merit Hiring Plan, dated May 29, 2025, resumes with a maximum of two (2) pages in length will be accepted as part of your application.  These should be legible and in a readable font size. A determination of your eligibility and/or qualifications will be based only on those two (2) pages. 

Your resume MUST contain specific information that can be used to make a qualification determination, including employment beginning and ending dates for each position, whether employment is Full-time or Part-time, or average number of hours worked per week,  and position titles.  If the position is/was in the Federal government, you will need to provide the position series and grade level.  The resume should show relevant experience and education, as well as support the required specialized experience.

For assistance with the resume builder, please visit:  https://help.usajobs.gov/

COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRE.

PROOF OF BAR MEMBERSHIP: Must currently be a member in good standing of the bar of a State or Territory of the United States or the District of Columbia.  

TRANSCRIPTS - Transcripts are REQUIRED as there is a stated education requirement for the series. The transcripts need not be official, but must show that you meet the stated education requirements, including specific major or class requirements. A listing of these accredited organizations can be found on the Department of Education's website - click here. 

WRITING SAMPLE: If selected for an interview, a writing sample may be requested.

VETERANS: Department of Transportation attorney positions are in the excepted service, not the competitive civil service. There is no formal rating system for applying veterans’ preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of Transportation considers veterans’ preference eligibility as a positive factor in the attorney hiring process. If you are eligible for veterans’ preference in hiring, you are encouraged to include that information in your application along with supporting documentation, e.g., SF15, DD214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, or other supporting documentation.

Failure to submit any of the required documents by the closing date of the vacancy will result in your removal from consideration for this position. Please review your application prior to final submission and ensure you have submitted all appropriate documents. Uploading documents to USAJobs does NOT ensure inclusion with your application to our system.  You must verify that the documents are in the system with your application prior to final submission.

How to Apply

You must submit a complete application package (including resume, vacancy questions and supporting documents) no later than 11:59 pm (EST) on the closing date of the announcement.

• To begin, click the "Apply Online" button on the job announcement posting.
• Follow the directions to register, submit all required documents and complete the assessment questionnaire.
• You may review your saved application(s) at https://help.usajobs.gov/

If you are having difficulty applying online, please contact the DOT Automated Staffing Office via email at Transjobs@dot.gov.