Attorney-Adviser

About the role

About the Position: This position is in support of the DHA Office of General Counsel, located in Falls Church, Virginia. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

What you will do

• Manage fraud cases by determining and coordinating optimal civil, criminal, and administrative remedies.
• Coordinate with government partners, including the Department of Justice (DOJ) and criminal investigators, providing direct litigation support, and delivering official agency analysis on legal matters such as settlements.
• Responsible for the entire suspension and debarment process, from analyzing referrals and preparing administrative records to drafting decisions for the Suspension and Debarment Official (SDO).
• Support Department of Justice (DOJ), Defense Health Agency’s Office of Inspector General, and other relevant stakeholders on TRICARE program-related healthcare fraud and abuse matters.
• Represent the government in adversarial proceedings and hearings, such as those before the Government Accountability Office (GAO) for bid protests and the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals for appeals.
• Support the Department of Justice (DOJ) in civil litigation that significantly impacts the Military Health System (MHS), Defense Health Agency, and the TRICARE program, often involving millions of dollars and complex policy issues.
• Review complex contractual documents and provisions for legal sufficiency and compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and policy.
• Formulate the government’s legal position on claims, disputes, and appeals, often against top-tier law firms.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Education

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.

For further information, visit: ***

How you will be evaluated

Your application package (resume and supporting documents) will be evaluated for basic qualification requirements and for the skills needed to perform the duties of the position, as described in this vacancy announcement and identified by the Selecting Official.

Veteran's preference requirements do not apply to attorney positions in the excepted service, however the principles of veteran's preference will be followed to the extent which is administratively feasible. Time in Grade: The Qualifying Authorities (QA's) will make a determination as to the applicability of time in grade based on the requirements of the position.

If you are currently employed as an attorney by the Federal government you must have completed one year at the next lower grade level within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement, or previously served at the same or higher grade level as the position being filled.

Documents you must provide

• The following documents are required to be submitted as part of your application package.
• If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.
• Your resume: Your resume may be submitted in any format and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement.
• NOTE: The maximum number of pages accepted for a resume is TWO pages.
• Applicants with resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration.
• If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations, and you may not be considered for this vacancy.
• For additional information see: What to include in your resume.
• Law school transcripts: This position has an individual occupational requirement for education.
• You MUST submit a copy of your transcript(s) with your application package, or you may be rated ineligible.
• Unofficial transcripts are acceptable, but official transcripts will be required prior to entry on duty.
• See: Transcripts and Licenses 3.
• Certificate of Good Standing: Certificate of good standing from the Bar of a state, territory or commonwealth of the United States (e.g., American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands), or the District of Columbia.
• Document should be dated within three (3) months of the date the application is submitted.
• Document should be dated within three (3) months of the date the application is submitted.
• If the document has been ordered, but not arrived, you may provide a screenshot of your certificate (clearly showing a time/date within the last 90 days) which validates your current, active status 4.
• Other supporting documents: Writing sample of 3-5 pages, including the analysis of a legal issue (excerpt is acceptable)(highly desired) Self-certified statement of fitness to practice law (highly desired).
• The statement should state under oath that your fitness to practice law has never been challenged in any jurisdiction.
• The statement must be dated within 90 days of the closing date of the announcement.
• If fitness has been challenged, you must provide a sworn statement in detail as to the circumstances.
• Most recent Performance Appraisal, if applicable.
• Veterans documents, if applicable.
• Permanent change of station (PCS) orders and marriage license, if claiming military spouse preference.
• Time-in-grade documentation: If you are applying for a higher grade and your SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you meet the one year time-in-grade requirement so you will need to provide an SF-50 which clearly demonstrates you meet the time-in-grade requirements (examples of appropriate SF-50s include Promotions, Within-grade Grade/Range Increases, and SF-50s with an effective date more than one year old).
• NOTE: Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office.
• Some supplemental documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you.
• You may sanitize these documents to remove another person's personal information before you submit your application.
• You may be asked to provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected to confirm your eligibility.

What to expect next

If you provided an email address, you will receive an email message acknowledging receipt of your application. Your application package will be used to determine your eligibility, qualifications, and quality ranking for this position. If you are determined to be ineligible or not qualified, your application will receive no further consideration.

Additional information

Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.

You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship.

A two-year trial period may be required if new to federal service. Direct Deposit of Pay is required. If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet.

Permanent Change of Station (PCS) allowances are not authorized. You may claim military spouse preference. Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application. Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.