Attorney-Adviser

About the role

Serves as legal counsel within the Office of the Chief Counsel, International Affairs & National Security Law Division (AGC-700), providing advice and counsel concerning a variety of international and national aviation matters.

What you will do

• Provides legal advice and counsel to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on all international aviation matters, including matters that arise from the operation of foreign air carriers in the United States (U.S.), the operation of U.S. air carriers overseas, the provision of technical assistance by the FAA to foreign countries, and other international aviation matters arising under federal aviation legislation.
• Reviews, drafts, and negotiates agreements for the provision of technical assistance agreements, research and development agreements, and Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreements (BASA) and associated implementation procedures between the FAA and foreign governments.
• In conjunction with other legal practice areas, provides advice and counsel regarding international affairs matters related to aviation safety, air navigation services, and commercial space.
• This includes a wide range of aviation safety, air navigation services, and commercial space-related matters, including but not limited to International Aviation Safety Assessments (IASAs) and : Bi-lateral Commercial Space Transportation Agreements (BiCoSTAs).
• Provides legal and policy advice and guidance to headquarters and regional offices relating to the foregoing matters, which cover a diversified and complex field of law and international, inter- and intra-governmental relations.
• The work involves contact with high-level officials within the FAA, the Office of the Secretary of Transportation (OST), other executive and legislative agencies, foreign governments, and industry.
• Reviews regulatory and legislative proposals to ensure conformity with the authorizing statute and agency policy.
• Conducts thorough legal research by appropriately identifying and analyzing relevant legal and factual issues and arguments.
• Assesses legal strengths and weaknesses of available arguments to provide accurate, complete, and practical legal advice and conclusions.
• Identifies and learns emerging issues, principles, and practices relevant to the legal practice area.
• Provides advice tailored to the client and requirements of the agency.
• Adjusts communications to meet audience expectations and level of understanding.
• Keeps client and practice area management informed of issues and activities that may or should be discussed at a higher level.
• Manages workload to ensure that priorities are achieved and deadlines are met.
• Participates in appropriate training and/or learning activities.
• Performs full performance level assignments under limited direction.
• Serves as an individual contributor, team member, or project leader for routine assignments.
• Applies considerable experience and advanced professional legal knowledge to assignments.
• Performs most assignments independently.
• Receives direction from a manager or more experienced attorney when exceptionally difficult issues are encountered.
• Based on professional knowledge, plans and carries out assignments, resolves most conflicts, coordinates with others, and completes assignments on own initiative.
• Independently plans use of time and resources to accomplish complex objectives.
• The employee is expected to complete activities within established schedules and deadlines, analyze program requirements and accomplishments, and recommend adjustments needed to address program needs.
• Contacts are internal and external to the organization and the agency.
• Contacts are with other attorneys, agency managers, aviation industry representatives, and officials of courts.
• Laws, regulations, orders, and procedures apply directly to many assignments, but the attorney possesses considerable latitude to select an optimum approach or recommend a new approach to a problem or issue.
• Work is reviewed from an overall standpoint for consistency and effectiveness in meeting requirements or satisfying expectations.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• We are not accepting applications from noncitizens.

Education

This position has a positive education requirement: Applicants must submit a copy of their college or university transcripts(s) and certificates by the closing date of announcement to verify qualifications. If selected, an official transcript will be required prior to appointment.

You may upload these documents with your application in USAJOBS or fax it to fax number provided in the announcement (please include announcement number on each page).

Failure to do so will result in loss of consideration.

Schools must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Accreditation may be verified at the following website: ***

Foreign education must be evaluated by a private professional organization specializing in interpretation of foreign education credentials or an accredited U.S. educational institution in terms of equivalence to a degree acquired at an American college or university. A copy of the evaluation results must be included, otherwise your foreign education will not be considered.

For additional information regarding foreign education, visit: *** **Applicants who are not currently in the 905 occupational series (Attorney) in the Federal Government and fail to provide a copy of an unofficial or official transcript will not receive further consideration for this vacancy.

Upon selection, if not currently employed in the 905 occupational series (Attorney), you will be required to submit an official transcript prior to appointment. If you do not have an official transcript (original, with the raised seal), you should contact your school immediately to request it.

How you will be evaluated

IMPORTANT: Applicants may be rated on the extent and quality of experience, education, and training relevant to the duties of the position(s). All answers provided in the on-line process must be substantiated. Ensure that your application package/resume supports your responses.

Documents you must provide

• (1) resume (Two pages or less); (2) proof of active membership to the bar of any U.S. jurisdiction or within the District of Columbia.
• (Please provide bar association number(s) and verification of active status.); (3) writing sample (not to exceed 10 pages in length); and (4) copy of unofficial or official transcript from an accredited law school verifying JD degree.
• Applicants who are or have ever been employed by the Federal Government SHOULD also upload a copy of the most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action).
• For guidance on how to create a Federal resume, visit ***
• Only the documents listed above will be accepted in combination with your on-line application.
• These documents MUST be uploaded or before the closing date of this announcement.
• Failure to submit all required documents by the closing date will result in a finding of ineligible.
• We are not responsible for incomplete, missing, or illegible documents.
• Please DO NOT email your application documents.
• We cannot accept documents received via the email system.
• Documents sent via email will NOT receive consideration.
• This position has a positive education requirement; college transcripts are required for ALL candidates newly appointed to the FAA in the 905 series.
• College transcripts must be submitted from current FAA employees applying for internal vacancies if they have never held a position in the 905 series with the FAA.
• College transcripts are not required from current FAA employees who are currently occupying a 905 series.
• If selected, official transcripts are required prior to employment.
• If you want consideration for one or more of the Special Hiring Authorities, documentation that must be submitted at time of application can be found at Direct Hiring Authorities | Federal Aviation Administration (faa.gov).

What to expect next

Once we receive your complete application, the Human Resources Office will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications. Eligible and qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration. You will be contacted directly if selected for an interview.

For instructions on how to check the status of your application, please go to: USAJOBS Help Guide. Important - If you make any changes to your application, you must resubmit it. If you make changes to your application and do not resubmit it, your changes will not be considered part of your application package, and only your previously submitted application will be evaluated.

All qualified applicants will be considered regardless of political affiliation, race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, age, disability, or other non-merit factors. DOT provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities.

If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency contact listed in the Agency Contact Information section of this announcement or the hiring manager. An employee with a disability must notify the decision-maker of the accommodation request.

Job applicants and employees are required to follow up oral requests in writing. Decisions on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. Additional information on reasonable accommodations procedures or on EEO Programs is available on Office of Civil Rights (ACR) or by contacting the local FAA Civil Rights Office.

Additional information

We may use this vacancy to fill other similar vacant positions. Position may be subject to a background investigation. A one-year probationary period may be required.

The person selected for this position may be required to file a financial disclosure statement within 30 days of entry on duty.

FAA policy limits certain outside employment and financial investments in aviation-related companies. *** Leave Enhancement: FAA organizations may offer enhanced annual leave accrual to newly appointed or reappointed employees.

In order to receive consideration for such a benefit, applicants' prior non-Federal service or active duty uniformed service must directly relate to the duties of the position to which appointed. Granting enhanced annual leave is at the sole discretion of the hiring organization, and granting such benefit is not an entitlement nor guaranteed to any newly hired employee.

This position is covered by the Department of Transportation's Drug and Alcohol Testing Program. Any applicant tentatively selected for this position will be subject to pre-employment or pre-appointment drug screening. Persons occupying a "testing designated position (TDP)" will be subject to random drug and/or alcohol testing.

NOTES: 1) As a part of the Federal-Wide Hiring Reform Initiative (streamlining the hiring process), the FAA is committed to eliminating the use of the Knowledge, Skills and Ability (KSA) narratives from the initial application in the hiring process for all announcements.

Therefore, as an applicant for this announcement, you are NOT required to provide a narrative response in the text box listed below each KSA.

In lieu of providing a KSA narrative response in the text box listed below each KSA section, in your work history, please include information that provides specific examples of how you meet the response level or answer you chose for each KSA. Your work history examples should be specific and clearly reflect the highest level of ability.

Your KSA answers will be evaluated further to validate whether the level that you selected is appropriate based on the work history and experience you provided. Your answers may be adjusted by a human resource specialist as appropriate. 2) This position is covered by the FAA Core Compensation plan.

Additional information about core compensation is available on the following website: *** 3)This Level 3 (Critical-Sensitive; Top Secret) position requires favorable adjudication of a Single Scope Background Investigation (SSBI) background investigation prior to appointment, unless a waiver is obtained.

4) This announcement is limited for the receipt of applications. Once at least 75 applications are received, it will close at 11:59 p.m. EST on that date, or on the initial closing date, whichever occurs first.

5) Salary for each band with locality: H Band including locality: $86,134-$133,515 I Band including locality: $103,604-$160-571 6) Some, all, or none of the referred applicants may be interviewed. This is not a bargaining unit position. Links to Important Information: Locality Pay, COLA