Supervisory Attorney Adviser (Instructor)

This position is located in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC). The position supervises three Branch Chiefs who are responsible for the overall performance and the technical activities of legal training, and multiple Attorney-Adviser (Instructor) positions across four geographically dispersed Training Delivery Points (TDPs) as well as exported training.

Duties

This position is within the Legal Training Division (LGD), Office of Chief Counsel (OCC), under the Director's Office and located in Glynco, Georgia. The position is responsible for the quantity, quality, and content of work in legal training of federal law enforcement officers. Receives direct supervision from the Chief Counsel.

As a Supervisory Attorney Adviser (Instructor), GS-0905-15, your typical work assignments include:

• Developing and implementing procedures and internal controls and managing the assignment of work and personnel to ensure equitable utilization of resources and distribution of work.
• Assigning course development responsibilities, reviewing material prepared, monitoring classes presented, and critiquing performance.
• Ensuring adequacy of training and taking whatever steps are necessary to ensure that course material presented is accurate, timely, and designed to meet course objectives.
• Reviewing guides, audio-visual aids, and other instructional materials to ensure they meet the training needs of students.
• Supervising the design and development of law enforcement training programs
• Negotiating with specific agencies on course content and objectives, assessment and test validation, and supervision of students.
• Periodically evaluating the instructor by monitoring their classroom presentations.
• Researching, scrutinizing and resolving conflicts of complex and emerging legal precedent in a way that can be easily understood and applied by non-attorneys and other law enforcement officers.
• Conducting research on emerging legal issues, practices and techniques, and writing summaries based upon research for use in updating existing course material and student lesson plans.
• Conferring with DHS and FLETC representatives and others concerning the content and development of courses and when necessary, performs field visitation for the purpose of analyzing training needs and/or follow-up on the effect of the training programs.
• Briefing visitors from foreign countries, federal agencies, and state and local government organizations.
• Providing status and productivity updates to the Chief Counsel as requested.
• Approving leave requests and timely completes time and attendance reporting requirements and other administrative
  documentation as required.
• Planning, developing, organizing, scheduling, and coordinating training courses in the more difficult and complex areas of the program.
• At any time, may perform service as an instructor, as needed, in addition to the above responsibilities.

View common definitions of terms found in this announcement: Common Definitions.

Salary

• $143,736 - $186,854/year

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for Selective Service.
• You must successfully pass a background investigation to access, safeguard, and store classified national security information on a regular basis; must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance.
• Must possess and maintain a valid driver’s license to conduct official government business.
• You must be an active member in good standing of the bar of the highest court of a State, U.S. Commonwealth, U.S. territory, or the District of Columbia.
• You must be a graduate of a law school accredited by the American Bar Association.
• Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for DHS to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions.
• This is a non-bargaining unit position.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain FLETC Law Enforcement Instructor certification within 12 months of employment.
• This position is subject to Lautenberg Amendment. Persons convicted of misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence are prohibited from occupying this position.
• Position is Emergency Essential required to sustain operations under all conditions the event of a localized emergency situation and/or to ensure Continuity of Operations for Mission Essential Functions or Primary Mission Essential Functions.
• Overtime may be required.
• This position is eligible for situational-only telework based on agency policy.

Qualifications All qualifications, education and eligibility requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.

All applicants must be graduates of a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association.

Applicants must possess the first professional law degree (LL.B. or JD) or the second professional law degree (LL.M). Please provide a copy of your transcripts.

All applicants must also be an active bar member in good standing in every jurisdiction in which you are licensed of a state or territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and have a license to practice law.

In addition to the requirements listed above, to qualify at the GS-15, grade level you must possess specialized professional legal experience in excess of three years, one year of which must be equivalent to the GS-14 level or higher. Experience is demonstrated by substantial legal writing and communication skills; conducting original legal research and legal analysis; providing instruction in legal subjects at a college/university, police post or training academy for a period of at least one year; authoring and publishing articles on substantive legal matters; experience presenting substantive material at nationally recognized conferences; and demonstrated expertise in a significant field of law related to law enforcement.

Time-in-Grade: Current and former federal employees must have served 52 weeks at the GS-14 grade level in the federal service. The time-in-grade requirement must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

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.

Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

Physical Demands: The work is predominantly sedentary but does require some intermittent physical exertion.

Work Environment: The work involves risks or discomforts that require normal safety precautions typical of offices, meeting and training rooms.

Additional selections may be made from this announcement within the same geographical area.

Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for DHS to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions.

Education Applicants must be a graduate of a law school accredited by the American Bar Association. You must submit a copy of both your law school and college transcript with your application. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted. Official transcripts will be required if you are selected for the position. 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; applicant's resumes and supporting documentation should only reflect education received from schools accredited by such institutions. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following Website: https://ope.ed.gov/dapip/#/home. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency (a U.S. private organization's interpretation that such education has been deemed at least equivalent to conventional U.S. education programs) with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For more information regarding evaluation of foreign education for federal employment, please visit the U.S. Department of Education webpage on the Recognition of Foreign Qualifications. Other Information

The Department of Homeland Security encourages persons with disabilities to apply, to include persons with intellectual, severe physical or psychiatric disabilities, as defined by 5 CFR 213.3102(u), and or Disabled Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more as defined by 5 CFR 315.707. Veterans, Peace Corps, VISTA volunteers, and persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs. To determine your eligibility for non-competitive appointment and to understand the required documentation, click on the links above or contact the servicing Human Resources Office listed at the bottom of this announcement.

If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration of Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment.

Background Investigation: To ensure the accomplishment of our mission, DHS requires every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet those standards, all selected applicants must undergo and successfully pass a background investigation for Secret clearance as a condition of placement in this position. This review may include financial issues such as delinquency in the payment of debts, child support and/or tax obligations, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs.

This is a permanent appointment in the excepted service and will be filled on a full-time permanent basis. Employees hired under an Excepted Service appointment are required to serve a two (2) year trial period, unless already completed. Upon successful completion of the required trial period, this position will be permanent. This position does not confer non-competitive conversion to the competitive service. Acceptance of an excepted service appointment from applicants in the competitive service will require a written statement of understanding when voluntarily leaving the competitive service.

You may be required to serve a one-year supervisory probationary period.

Required Documents

1. Your resume (click the link for information on what to include). If you are a current or former Federal employee, your resume must indicate the GS or pay band level for each position held.
2. Your responses to the job questionnaire. https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12606394
3. A copy of your law school transcript (unofficial is acceptable) from an institution accredited by the American Bar Association. In addition, a copy of your college transcript (unofficial is acceptable). Once selected and prior to appointment, applicants must provide an official transcript for both college and law school.
4. A recent (within last 2 years) legal writing sample, such as a legal brief, a legal memorandum, a legal article of law journal quality, or a legal training course curriculum development document/presentation.
5. Proof that you are an active member in good standing in every jurisdiction in which you are licensed of a state or territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and have a license to practice law.
6. Are you a current or former Federal employee? Submit your most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, which shows competitive or excepted service appointment, tenure group, and salary. If you are applying for a higher grade, please submit the SF-50 showing the highest (permanent) grade ever held, if different from your current grade. Please note: Performance award, Details, and Realignments are not acceptable SF-50s.
7. Are you a current or former political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee? Submit a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information regarding your most recent political appointment:
   • Position title,
   • Type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee),
   • Agency
   • Beginning and ending dates of appointment.

How to Apply

To begin your online application, click "Apply Online" to create a USAJOBS account and follow the prompts or log in to your existing account. Your application packet must include a completed assessment questionnaire, a resume, and any applicable and or required supporting documentation. Please see the "Required Documents" section for additional information. All application materials, including transcripts, must be in English. If you are unable to apply online or need to submit a document you do not have in electronic form, visit this link for more information regarding an alternate application process.

Applications and supporting documentation will not be accepted by mail or email. The address below is for inquiries only. You may apply more than once, but the most recent application is the only one that will be used. You must submit your resume, your online questionnaire, and any supporting documents by 11:59 PM eastern standard time on the day the announcement closes.

It is your responsibility to verify that any information entered or uploaded is received and is accurate. Human Resources will not modify or change any part of your application. Determining your eligibility and qualifications is dependent on the supporting documentation and information provided, which may impact your referral for further consideration. If a document is not legible, you will not be able to view it in your application.

To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.

To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.

Applicants must submit all required documentation to properly qualify for this position.

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.

Review our benefits