Summary Securing Travel, Protecting People - At the Transportation Security Administration, you will serve in a high-stakes environment to safeguard the American way of life. In cities across the country, you would secure airports, seaports, railroads, highways, and/or public transit systems, thus protecting America's transportation infrastructure and ensuring freedom of movement for people and commerce. Responsibilities This Attorney Advisor position is located within the Office of the Chief Counsel, Transportation Security Administration (TSA), a component of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. TSA is currently seeking to hire multiple entry-level and experienced attorneys at a number of offices nationwide. TSA attorneys perform work vital to protect our nation's transportation systems and support the overall DHS mission of securing the homeland. Depending on experience level, selectees will be hired starting at the SV G Band, equivalent to GS-11, up through the K Band, equivalent to the GS-15 equivalent level. The position has promotion potential to the GS-15 level. DHS offers generous employment benefits. Descriptions for the position opening in TSA's Regulations and Security Standards (RSS) division, are detailed below: Regulations and Security Standards division in Springfield, VA : As an attorney within Regulations and Security Standards, individuals will provide legal advice and support to TSA in carrying out security responsibilities over all modes of transportation, including assessing threats to transportation; developing policies, strategies, plans, and technological capabilities for dealing with historic and emerging threats to transportation security; coordinating countermeasures with appropriate departments, agencies, and instrumentalities of the United States Government; and executing the policy making requirements and the regulatory process. Supports policy makers in coordinating countermeasures with appropriate departments, agencies, and instrumentalities of the United States government Serves as lead legal advisor to executive staff on legal and policy issues in decision making for policies, strategies, and plans addressing threats to transportation security. Participates in interdisciplinary project development teams to implement new complex and/or sensitive policies and programs, including matters related to cybersecurity. We are seeking candidates to fill a position limited to the following location Springfield, VA Please see below table information that includes salary plus locality by location: Locations Min w/Locality Max w/Locality Springfield, VA $85,447 $197,200 This Job Opportunity Announcement may be used to fill other Attorney Advisor (GS-0905-11-15 FPL: 15) positions within the Transportation Security Administration within multiple geographical locations with the same qualifications and specialized experience. Requirements Conditions of Employment You must possess U.S. Citizenship or be a U.S. National. You must have reached the minimum age (18) at the time of application. You must complete a favorable Background Investigation (BI). Selective Service registration is required. Direct Hire Authority will be used to fill this position. Conditions of Employment: Must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret clearance. 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. If you fail to meet the conditions of employment or any other pre-employment requirements, such as missing any of the scheduled appointments, the hiring agency may rescind their tentative offer of employment. Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for TSA to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions. Any offers of employment made pursuant to this announcement will be consistent with all applicable authorities, including Presidential Memoranda, Executive Orders, interpretive U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance, and Office of Management and Budget plans and policies concerning hiring. These authorities are subject to change. Qualifications Basic Requirements: The first professional law degree (LL.B. or JD) or the second professional law degree (LL.M.); AND Specialized professional legal experience that is commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position. The quality of the individual's background may be evidenced by the relatedness of his or her specialization. This position requires that you (1) hold a first-level law degree (e.g., J.D. or L.L.B.) from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association; you must indicate the @type and year of degree(s) conferred, law school name and year of completion, proof of Bar membership; (2) be an active member in good standing of the bar of a state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States, and proof of Bar membership; and (3) provide a statement that you are an attorney in good standing. Failure to include this information may eliminate you from consideration for this position. In addition to the Basic Requirements, to qualify for the SV-G Band (equivalent to GS-11), you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the SV-F or GS-09 Pay Band in the Federal service or equivalent education or experience in the private sector. Specialized experience is defined as experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position to be filled. Specialized experience is defined as: Conducting legal research, analyzing statutes, writing legal opinions; Writing authoritative or advisory legal opinions involving interpretation of state or Federal laws, regulations, and orders, or the drafting of such regulations or orders; Developing drafts of letters, memoranda, and legal documents for the use by a higher graded attorney. OR Be a graduate from an accredited law school and be an active member in good standing. To qualify for the SV-H Band (equivalent to GS-12), you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the SV-G or GS-11 Pay Band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private sector. Specialized experience is defined as experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position to be filled. Specialized experience is defined as: Conducting legal research, analyzing statutes, writing legal opinions; Writing authoritative or advisory legal opinions involving interpretation of state or Federal laws, regulations, and orders, or the drafting of such regulations or orders; or Developing drafts of letters, memoranda, and legal documents for the use by a higher graded attorney. To qualify for the SV-I Pay Band (equivalent to GS-13), you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the SV-H or GS-12 Pay Band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private sector. Specialized experience is defined as experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position to be filled. Specialized experience is defined as: Conducting legal research, analyzing statutes, writing legal opinions; Writing authoritative or advisory legal opinions involving interpretation of state or Federal laws, regulations, and orders, or the drafting of such regulations or orders; or Drafting, analyzing, and other legal activities with respect to bills, regulations, Executive Orders, proclamations, or statutory provisions. To qualify for the SV-J Pay Band (equivalent to GS-14), you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the SV-I or GS-13 Pay Band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private sector. Specialized experience is defined as experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position to be filled. Specialized experience is defined as: Drafting legal documents, providing guidance and advice to clients, establishing policies and procedures; and Providing subject matter legal counsel and policy guidance to clients who manage programs related to intelligence, national security, or threats to transportation infrastructure and the traveling public. To qualify for the SV-K Pay Band (equivalent to GS-15), you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the SV-J or GS-14 Pay Band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private sector. Specialized experience is defined as experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position to be filled. Specialized experience is defined as: Experience leading others in addressing diverse and complex legal issues; AND Primary responsibility for drafting final legal documents, providing guidance and advice to management, establishing policies and procedures; AND Providing comprehensive legal counsel and policy guidance to clients who manage programs related to intelligence, national security, or threats to transportation infrastructure and the traveling public. Credit for experience is given based on a 40-hour workweek. Part-time experience is credited on a part-time ratio, i.e., working 20 hours per week for two months equals one month of experience. No additional credit is given for overtime. 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. You must meet the qualification requirements for this position no later than the closing date of the vacancy announcement. Education For positions requiring positive education requirements, or if you are using education to meet all or part of the qualification requirements, you MUST submit a copy of your transcripts or an itemized list of college courses from an accredited college or university, which includes equivalent information from the transcript (course title, semester/quarter hours, and grade/degree earned) in your resume. The information must be provided with the application by the closing date of the announcement. If selected, the applicant must supply a transcript or certification of degree. Additional Information This position will be filled through use of TSA's Direct-Hire Authority pursuant to TSA MD 1100.30-26. Under the Direct-Hire Authority, category grouping and Veterans' Preference does not apply. Eligibility to apply for other Federal positions: TSA is an Excepted Service agency exempt from most of Title 5 United States Code, including regulations which apply to displaced Federal employees (CTAP/ICTAP) of other agencies, and employment with TSA does not confer "Competitive Status" that generally results from selection and service in Competitive Service agencies. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has established an Interchange Agreement, which allows most permanent TSA employees to apply and be considered for vacancies in Competitive Service agencies. Information from OPM on this or other Interchange Agreements is available at: www.opm.gov/ 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 as a condition of placement into this position. 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. 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. TSA employees who are absent for the purpose of performing military duty may apply for any vacancies announced in their absence. More than one position may be filled from this announcement. If you are entering TSA employment on an appointment without time limitations, you must serve a basic trial period unless you have already met the requirement. DHS offers competitive salaries and an attractive benefits package, including: health, dental, vision, life, and long-term care insurance; retirement plan; Thrift Savings Plan [similar to a 401(k)]; Flexible Spending Account; Employee Assistance Program; personal leave days; and paid federal holidays. Other benefits may include flexible work schedules; telework; tuition reimbursement; transportation subsidies; uniform allowance; health and wellness programs; and fitness centers. DHS is committed to employee development and offers a variety of employee training and developmental opportunities. For more information, go to the DHS Careers website and select "Benefits." Disabled veteran leave will be available to any Federal employee hired on or after November 5, 2016, who is a veteran with a service-connected disability rating of 30 percent or more. Employees who transfer to TSA from an agency that allows employees to maintain an annual leave balance higher than the maximum accumulation for the appointed position will have their leave ceiling set to the maximum accumulation for the appointed position (e.g., United States duty location - 240 hours, foreign duty location - 360 hours, or TSES position - 720 hours). TSA will not make a monetary payment for any leave forfeited under these circumstances.
