Public Notice for Attorney Advisor (Direct Hire)

Summary

Chief Counsel, Regulations Division: Responsible for providing legal counsel on regulatory law, security standards, compliance matters, and the interpretation and application of statutes, regulations, policies, and agency requirements.

Duties

• This Public Notice for Attorney Advisor (Direct Hire) position is located in Chief Counsel, Regulations Division, Transportation Security Administration, Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Duties include but are not limited to: Provides expert legal guidance on administrative law, including regulatory and security standards and compliance, to TSA and external stakeholders on varied, complex, and sensitive issues affecting homeland security and TSA's mission. Advises policymakers and managers on the development, implementation, and compliance implications of new or sensitive policies, programs, regulations, and security standards. Communicates legal advice and agency positions clearly and effectively, tailoring messages to varied audiences and incorporating stakeholder input as appropriate. Proposes preventive actions and innovative legal approaches to ensure TSA regulations, security standards, policies, and practices remain legally sufficient and compliant with evolving statutory, regulatory, and administrative requirements. Recommends legally supportable solutions to complex regulatory and security standards issues where existing precedents or prior interpretations must be adapted to emerging legal interpretations or changing operational needs. Serves as a primary legal authority on major, high-profile regulatory law, security standards, and compliance issues affecting the transportation industry. Develops briefings and legal analyses to communicate TSA's strategic regulatory and security standards positions to internal and external stakeholders and decision-makers. Supports policymakers in coordinating legally sound regulatory, compliance, and security countermeasures with appropriate Federal departments, agencies, and instrumentalities. Drafts and reviews regulatory and security standards documents and related legal actions, including documentation of policy decisions, legal sufficiency of the administrative record, Memoranda of Understanding, Privacy Impact Assessments, Paperwork Reduction Act documents, System of Records Notices, legal opinions, guidance documents, and other regulatory requirements. Serves as a lead legal advisor to executive-level staff on questions of regulatory law, security standards compliance, and administrative policy involved in developing policies, strategies, and plans addressing threats to transportation security. Preferred Qualifications: The ideal candidate will possess a combination of legal training, subject-matter knowledge, and practical experience with rulemaking, compliance, enforcement, and administrative procedures. Familiarity with the Administrative Procedure Act, Federal Register process, and agency rulemaking procedures is highly desired. Effective communication skills in advising clients across all levels of an organizational structure. Extensive experience with the regulatory drafting and review process in a federal agency, emerging technologies, cybersecurity, and implementing administration priorities is highly valued. Please note: The major duties described reflect the full performance level of this position. Typically, the lower pay bands perform the same duties but will receive more guidance and training; and/or projects/work assignments may be less complex.

Requirements

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. You must obtain and maintain a Secret clearance level. 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. Must be a graduate of a law school accredited by the American Bar Association You must submit a copy of your law school transcript. (Submission of an unofficial copy is sufficient, but official copy must be submitted prior to appointment). You must submit a certificate of bar membership and proof of good standing. 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 for all grade levels: Applicants must have a Law Degree (e.g., J.D., LL.B.) from an American Bar Association (ABA) accredited law school. Must be an active member in good standing of the bar of the highest court of any state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States. Specialized Experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular competencies/knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. To qualify for the SV-G Pay 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 MUST include all of the following: Researching laws and regulations, analyzing legal issues, and writing legal opinions, memoranda, or recommendations; AND Developing draft letters, memoranda, legal analyses, pleadings, or other legal documents for review and use by a senior or higher-graded attorney, ensuring the drafts are clear, accurate, well-organized, and consistent with applicable legal requirements, policies, and procedures. OR Be a graduate from an accredited law school and be an active member in good standing. To qualify for the SV-H Pay 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 MUST include all the following: Researching laws and regulations, analyzing legal issues, and writing legal opinions, memoranda, or recommendations; AND Developing draft letters, memoranda, legal analyses, pleadings, or other legal documents for review and use by a senior or higher-graded attorney, ensuring the drafts are clear, accurate, well-organized, and consistent with applicable legal requirements, policies, and procedures; AND Reviewing legal precedents and preparing written recommendations for supervisory review. 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 MUST include all the following: Conducting complex legal research and factual investigation, analyzing legal and factual issues, identifying additional facts needed, and determining applicable legal sources; AND Writing complex legal opinions or guidance that interpret state or Federal laws, regulations, or orders, and assisting with drafting regulations and/or orders; AND Advising program offices, agency leadership, or other stakeholders on compliance with regulatory requirements. 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 MUST include all the following: Providing regulatory legal counsel and policy guidance on the interpretation, implementation, and application of laws, regulations, policies, and requirements; AND Assessing regulatory legal risks and recommending legally supportable courses of action based on applicable statutes, regulations, policies, and agency requirements; AND Handling regulatory enforcement matters, administrative litigation, hearings, or appeals involving the application or interpretation of statutes, regulations, and agency requirements. 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 MUST include all the following: Providing regulatory legal counsel and policy guidance on laws, regulations, policies, and requirements related to intelligence, national security or transportation infrastructure, or threats to the traveling public; AND Assessing regulatory legal risks and recommending legally supportable courses of action based on applicable statutes, regulations, policies, and agency requirements; AND Handling regulatory enforcement matters, administrative litigation, hearings, or appeals involving the application or interpretation of statutes, regulations, and agency requirements; AND Training, mentoring, or providing guidance to junior attorneys on legal research, analysis, writing, case strategy, regulatory requirements, and professional practice. Preferred Qualifications: The ideal candidate will possess a combination of legal training, subject-matter knowledge, and practical experience with rulemaking, compliance, enforcement, and administrative procedures. Familiarity with the Administrative Procedure Act, Federal Register process, and agency rulemaking procedures is highly desired. Effective communication skills in advising clients across all levels of an organizational structure. Extensive experience with the regulatory drafting and review process in a federal agency, emerging technologies, cybersecurity, and implementing administration priorities is highly valued.

Education

This position has a basic education requirement listed under the Qualifications section of this announcement. 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.

Benefits

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; situational telework may be permitted in accordance with departmental policy 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.

Required documents

The following documents are required and must be provided with your application. Applicants who do not submit required documentation to determine eligibility and qualifications will be eliminated from consideration. Documentation is needed to verify the eligibilities you are claiming. NOTE: Your resume must clearly demonstrate how you meet this requirement; otherwise, you will be deemed ineligible. Additionally, copying and pasting information from the announcement into your resume will not adequately convey your qualifications. Resume Requirements: All applicants are required to submit a resume limited to two (2) pages. The USAJOBS database will not allow an applicant to submit an application that includes a resume over two pages. Narrative description of duties with start and end dates (including month and year) for work experience. Number of hours worked in a position (i.e., full-time or part-time). If part-time, (i.e., less than 40 hours per week) state the total number of hours worked per week. If you are a current Federal employee or previous Federal employee, provide your performance level for federal civilian positions (i.e., band or grade). If your resume does not contain this information, your application will be marked as insufficient, and you will not receive consideration for this position. Do NOT include photographs (or links to social media such as LinkedIn), inappropriate content, classified information, nor personal information such as age, gender, religion, social security number, etc. on your resume. Utilizing the USAJOBS Resume Builder and completing all available fields is strongly encouraged. Detail Documentation: Eligible applicants who wish to qualify for this position based upon experience obtained while serving on a detail with TSA must submit signed copies of the corresponding TSA form 1160, Terms And Conditions For Temporary Internal Assignment -Detail, or an SF-52, Request for Personnel Action, as supporting documentation along with their application otherwise the experience cannot be credited. Transcripts: If you are qualifying based on education OR if there are mandatory education requirements listed under the Qualifications and Evaluations section, you MUST submit a copy of your college transcript(s) with your application. If selected, an official/sealed college transcript(s) will be required to verify education prior to employment. Veterans: If claiming VEOA or Veterans Preference- submit a copy of the official DD-214, which must include the character of service (i.e., with an Honorable or General discharge). If no DD-214 is available, please submit a memo/certification of military service as outlined in the VOW Act. This will be annotated in block 24 on member copy 2,4, or 7 of the DD-214. If claiming veterans' consideration which involves considering your disability rating, you must submit a VA Letter or a disability determination from a branch of the Armed Forces. Note: All veterans claiming 10-point preference must also submit a SF-15. TSA Employees: Current TSA employees are strongly encouraged to submit the most recent non-Award SF-50, at the time of application, to support eligibility for Status consideration. TSA employees who do not submit the SF-50 with the application must document their current TSA position in their resume and may be required to provide the SF-50 document during the selection process. TSA employees may obtain a copy of their most recent non-Award SF-50 at https://eopf.opm.gov/dhs/. Current or Former Federal Civilian employees (Non-TSA): You must submit a legible copy of a SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action. The SF-50 block 24 must contain a "1" or "2" AND block 34 must contain a "1" or "2." Individuals with Disabilities: Documentation of eligibility for employment under this hiring authority can be obtained from a licensed medical professional (e.g., a physician or other medical professional certified by a state, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. territory to practice medicine); a licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist (i.e., state or private); or any Federal agency, state agency, or agency of the District of Columbia or a U.S. territory that issues or provides disability benefits. Documentation is used to verify that the individual being hired is indeed a person with an intellectual disability, severe physical disability, or psychiatric disability. Military Spouse Preference: If you are eligible based on one of the below, please submit the following: (1) spouse of an active-duty member of the armed forces: DD214 of spouse, marriage license, and PCS orders showing dependency (if applicable) (2) a spouse of a service member who is 100% disabled due to a service-connected injury: DD214 of spouse, marriage license, and VA Letter or disability determination showing 100% (3) spouse of a service member killed while on active duty: DD214 of spouse, marriage license, documentation from the Armed Forces casualty office.