Attorney Adviser (Public Utilities)

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is ranked within the top 5 mid-size agencies through the Partnership for Public Service's Best Places to Work in the Federal Government Rankings! This Attorney Adviser position is located in the Office of Enforcement and Regulatory Accounting (OERA). For more information visit: OERA

Duties

As an Attorney Adviser (Public Utilities), some of your typical work assignments may include:

• Drafting orders, rulemakings and associated memoranda and advising the Commission on matters pertaining to enforcement and compliance.
• Preparing a finished product for submission to the Commission, in conjunction with staff members from other program offices as appropriate; and making oral presentations to the Commission or senior officials within the Commission.
• Establishing a good working relationship with representatives of electric utilities and natural gas and oil pipeline companies to obtain information. Participating as a staff representative at settlement or technical conferences or industry meetings to resolve complex issues.  
• Independently or in multi-disciplinary teams: evaluating facts, and analyzing legal pleadings or briefs, data or other relevant materials; marshaling evidence and arguments to support conclusions and recommendations
• Conferring with regulated company representatives on natural gas/oil and electric industry related issues. Explaining complex regulatory policies, Commission rules, regulations, precedents and practices for the purpose of resolving legal issues, discussing industry trends, exchanging information, and avoiding the need for formal hearings or to narrow the issues when hearings are necessary. 

Salary

• $169,279 - $197,200/year

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Possess a J.D. or LL.B. degree from an accredited college or university.
• Current, active bar membership required.
• A two-year trial period may be required.
• This is a bargaining unit position (AFGE Local 421).
• Generally, male applicants must be registered with the Selective Service.
• This position has an education requirement; you must submit transcripts.
• If hired, you may be required to divest certain energy-related securities.
• A background investigation is required.
• Maximum of 2 page resume.

You must meet all eligibility and qualification (experience and/or education) requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may 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 trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

You must meet the following basic requirements, by the closing date of this announcement: (1) hold a Juris Doctorate (J.D.) or Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from an accredited college or university and (2) be a current, active bar member in good standing.

In addition, to the minimum requirements above, you must meet the following qualifications for each grade level by the closing date of this announcement:

You must have one year of specialized experience at the GS-14 grade level. Specialized experience is defined as: applies relevant experience and professional knowledge to case assignments that contain difficult legal or factual questions; knowledge of relevant statutes, regulations and policies pertaining to the agency; independently manages caseload and completes activities within established schedules with limited supervision.

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 any volunteer experience.

Please do not cut and paste  the position description, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume, as this will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

Education This position has a basic education requirement listed under the “Qualifications” section of this announcement. Other Information Our employees ranked FERC as a top 5 mid-size agency in Effective Leadership according to the Partnership for Public Service's Best Places to Work in the Federal Government! In addition, FERC was also ranked #1 in Work-Life Balance and we are proud to offer telework and workplace flexibilities in accordance with agency policy. The duty location of this position is Washington, DC. Agency employees are eligible for telework and other workplace flexibilities. Telework days and waiting periods for eligibility are determined when an employee enters on duty. If selected for this position, you will be required to: Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) to determine your suitability for Federal employment. Have your Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of your choice. Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S. FERC also participates in the USCIS Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify). For more information about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit: http://www.uscis.gov/e-verify. Attend a mandatory ethics training. We are governed by the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) Standards of Conduct, the criminal conflict of interest statutes, and FERC's supplemental ethics regulation, which specifically prohibits FERC employees from holding certain energy-related securities. To comply with these regulations and statutes, divestiture of at least some energy securities is likely to be required after you begin employment. See 5 C.F.R. 2634-41; 18 U.S.C. 201-208; 5 C.F.R. 3401. If selected, you may also be required to file a financial disclosure statement within 30 days of appointment. Receive authorization from OPM on any job offer you receive, if you are or were (within the last 5 years) a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch. Required Documents

If you do not provide all required documents by the closing date of this vacancy announcement, you will not be considered for this position.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS FOR ALL CANDIDATES:

1. RESUME (maximum of 2 pages in length, if your resume is longer than 2 pages, only the first two pages will be reviewed): Your resume should describe your specialized experience and support your answers to the vacancy announcement questionnaire. You must ensure it contains the following information for each experience/position:
   • Position title
   • Name of employer
   • Beginning and ending dates of employment (Month/Day/Year format)
   • Hours worked per week
   • Detailed description of job duties, accomplishments, related skills, and responsibilities to include any supervisory/managerial responsibilities and number of staff supervised (if applicable)
   • Series and grade or equivalent (for federal positions)
   • List your education history, including the type of degree and your major of study
2. VACANCY QUESTIONNAIRE: You must submit and complete the online eligibility and vacancy questions.
3. TRANSCRIPTS: You are required to submit copies of your college and law school transcripts to verify your education. Unofficial copies are acceptable; however, if selected you will be required to provide official transcripts before your effective date.
4. PROOF OF BAR MEMBERSHIP: Documentation showing you are a current bar member in good standing.

OPTIONAL DOCUMENTS FOR CANDIDATES (You are strongly encouraged to submit these documents as a part of your initial application; however, if contacted for an interview, these documents may be required):

COVER LETTER: You may be required to submit a cover letter that showcases how your unique combination of skills and experience(s) meet the requirements of the position.

WRITING SAMPLE: You may be required to provide a writing sample that demonstrates your persuasive writing skills and that reflects your analytic skills.   

OPTIONAL DOCUMENTS TO SUPPORT PREFERENCE OR ELIGIBILITY CLAIMS: 

VETERANS’PREFERENCE (DD-214, VA Disability Letter, etc.): There is no formal rating system for applying veterans’ preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, FERC considers military service a positive factor when reviewing applications. If you are claiming veterans' preference, you are encouraged to submit a copy of your Certificate of Release or Discharge From Active Duty, DD-214 (Member 4 copy), or other official documentation from a branch of the Armed Forces or the Department of Veterans Affairs showing dates of service and type of discharge. Ten-point preference eligibles must also submit an “Application for 10-point Veteran Preference” (SF-15), along with official VA letter and the required documentation listed on the back of the SF-15 form. For more information about veterans' preference, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Veterans.

How to Apply

The FERC Careers site provides detailed instructions on how to apply to FERC vacancies.  For more information visit:  https://www.ferc.gov/about/careers/job-searchapply.

Here are a few additional tips: 

• When applying to a FERC vacancy announcement, please remember you must complete and submit your entire application (including your resume, vacancy questionnaire, and any applicable supporting documentation) no later than 11:59 pm Eastern Time (ET) on the vacancy closing date. Please note, it may take you longer to apply to some vacancy announcements than others. Starting your application late on the evening the vacancy closes is not recommended because you might not have enough time to ensure your application is successfully submitted and received.
• When the specialized experience statement in the vacancy announcement requires experience presenting information to a large audience, your resume should include speeches or presentations you've given.
• Make sure you verify that your resume clearly indicates possession of the competencies and specialized experience listed under the “Qualifications and Evaluations” and “How You Will Be Evaluated” sections of this announcement.
• Remember to submit all required and supporting documentation listed under the “Required Documents” section of this announcement.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
FERC provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you require a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please contact DisabilityManager@FERC.gov no later than 11:59 pm ET on the vacancy closing date.  The decision to grant a reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

For more information on telework, click the following link: USAJOBS Help Center | What is telework?

For more information on remote work, click the following link: USAJOBS Help Center | What is a remote job?

Benefits For more information regarding Federal benefits programs, visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/working-in-government/benefits