Summary This position is located in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), United States Coast Guard (USCG), Inspections and Compliance Directorate (CG-5PC), Office of Investigations and Casualty Analysis (CG-INV), Suspension and Revocation Center of Expertise (S&R NCOE) located in Martinsburg, West Virginia. Responsibilities You will serve as a Trial Attorney (Admiralty), GS-0905-14 and be responsible for providing assistance and advice to the Office of Investigations and Casualty Analysis (CG-INV), CG-LMI, Sector Commanders, and Investigative Officers (IOs) on issues involving Suspension & Revocation (S&R) of merchant mariner credentials, data systems, and policies. Being a Coast Guard civilian makes you a valuable member of the Coast Guard team. Typical work assignments include: Prepare for, and represents, the Coast Guard at Suspension and Revocation (S&R) hearings before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). Provide programmatic expertise through advice and counsel to Sector Commanders and IOs involving complex and challenging legal matters. Review unresolved legal issues, synthesize and simplify complicated facts to present findings effectively and cogently to all examining parties. Participate in teams to assist with S&R hearing preparation and Coast Guard representation at administrative hearings. Provide in-depth analysis and articulate the Coast Guard legal position on complex issues and questions of law. Requirements Conditions of Employment All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement. Key Requirements: Must be a U.S. Citizen or National. Must be registered or exempt from the Selective Service. See www.sss.gov A one-year probationary period may be required. Suitable for Federal employment determined by background investigation. This is not a Bargaining Unit position. All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit. This position requires occasional travel away from normal duty station. You must be able to travel on military and commercial aircraft for extended periods of time. Qualifications This position has a positive Education Requirement in addition to at least one year of Specialized Experience in order to be found minimally qualified. Transcripts must be submitted with your application package. You MUST meet the following requirements: Requirements: Education: You must possess a professional law degree (LL.B. or JD) from an accredited ABA institution. AND You must be an active member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia. (Note: proof of bar membership will be required at the time of application submission.) AND Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-13 grade level or pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector. Specialized experience must demonstrate the following: 1) Litigate a wide array of complex cases in nature including but not limited to: highly scientific, expert witnesses, medical testimonies, fatalities, and property damage; 2) Draft comprehensive and succinct pleadings, motions, interrogatories, rulings, decision and interpret laws/precedents for difficult and novel issues; 3) Conduct legal research, investigation and negotiation, and provide legal advice, opinions, recommendations and legal memoranda in conjunction with cases pending an administrative hearings, trials, and/or appellate courts; and 4) Coordinate with internal and external stakeholder on legal matters. NOTE: All experience statements (i.e., duties, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire) copied from this announcement and pasted into your resume will not be considered as a demonstration of your qualifications for this position. National Service Experience (i.e., volunteer experience): 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. 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. Education This position has a positive education requirement. Education on your resume must report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. See Required Documents section for detail. Transcripts--If this position requires specific educational course work to qualify, or you are qualifying based in whole or part on education, you are required to provide all unofficial transcripts (undergraduate, graduate, etc.) by the closing date of this announcement or you will be disqualified from further consideration. You must submit evidence that any education completed in a foreign institution is equivalent to U.S. education standards with your resume. You may submit an unofficial copy of the transcript at the initial phase of the application process. If course content cannot be easily identified from the title of the course as listed on your transcript, you must submit an official course description from the college/university that reflects the content at the time the course was taken. Please ensure that all documentation is legible. FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet Federal qualification requirements if you can show that your foreign education is comparable to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence with your application. See Recognition of Foreign Qualifications click here Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered. Additional Information E-Verify DHS uses E-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities. Fair Chance Act The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Homeland Security and its Components 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 Caroline.Adams@uscg.mil. Suitability Statement If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for 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. Shared Certificates Statement Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for DHS to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions. Special Employment Consideration 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. More than 1 selection may be made from this announcement if additional identical vacancies in the same title, series, grade, and unit occur within 45 days from the date the certificate was issued. If you need a reasonable accommodation for the application and hiring process, please contact 1(888)992-7387. Decisions on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. Visit Reasonable Accommodation
