General Attorney

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
Operational Law Section
Attorney
935 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20535
United States
About the Office: 

The FBI's OGC is looking to fill a Section Chief SES role in its Investigative & Administrative Law Branch. OGC provides legal advice to the entire FBI, including the Director, FBI headquarters officials, and agents in the 56 domestic field offices, on a wide range of substantive legal issues. OGC works closely with other elements of the Department of Justice, other members of the Intelligence Community, including the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), the CIA, and the NSA, and the White House. OGC also assists the FBI in forming partnerships with other federal, state, local and international agencies, as well as private sector entities, in support of FBI operations.

As the federal agency whose mission is to ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans, the Department of Justice is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. To build and retain a workforce that reflects the diverse experiences and perspectives of the American people, we welcome applicants from the many communities, identities, races, ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities, religions, and cultures of the United States who share our commitment to public service.

Job Description: 

The section supports the FBI's national priorities by providing legal and policy advice concerning criminal investigative jurisdiction, operations, and techniques. In particular, the Section provides legal support to the FBI's Criminal Investigative Division, the Cyber Division, the Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate, the Domestic Terrorism and Response Section in the Counter-Terrorism Division, the Office of International Operations, and all field offices and Legal Attaches.

The section is also responsible for providing legal instruction to FBI new agent trainees, analysts and other employees attending the FBI Academy and the Center for Intelligence Training, as well as federal, state, local and international officers attending the National Academy.

This senior manger will supervise multiple first-line managers (Unit Chiefs) in I&ALB and will help shape and coordinate the legal advice provided to a variety of components of the FBI. This manager will also be expected to engage at senior levels with the Department of Justice and elements of the Intelligence Community on significant matters of common interest across the interagency. Senior management positions are not intended to be senior subject matter expert roles: they are designed to help facilitate the mission and goals of managers and staff under their supervision and to coordinate the resolution of complicated legal issues across the FBI and within the Executive Branch. The ideal candidate thus will have previous management experience, as well as significant knowledge and experience in the field of investigative and criminal law and an ability to work with internal and external partners to resolve legal and policy issues in a manner that furthers FBI's mission.

Qualifications: 

Successful candidate should have professional experience in the following: 1) providing legal and policy advice and guidance and conducting oversight in the field of criminal, cyber and technology law and/or 2) criminal investigations/prosecutions.
Candidates for this position must possess strong leadership, organization, collaboration, interpersonal and problem-solving skills.

Candidates must have a J.D. degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association and must be an active member in good standing of at least one State Bar Association. Candidates must possess at least 4 years of post-J.D. professional experience. If selected, applicant may be requested to verify completion of basic education requirement by submitting a copy of college transcripts or lists of college course, and a writing sample.

For Agent candidates, ASAC experience is preferred.

For Professional Support, executive management experience is preferred. Agent candidates must have passed the Leadership Skills Assessment 15 exam except those who are already Executives or were ASACs prior to 06/05/2006.
Non-SES selectees are required to successfully complete a one-year probationary period as a condition of retaining an SES appointment.
Non-SES selectees are also required to complete a financial disclosure report, OGE-278, within 30 days of official appointment.
An eligible selectee will be offered a 30 percent relocation incentive in conjunction with this assignment. To receive the incentive, the selected candidate must be eligible for a cost transfer and will be required to sign a two-year service.

HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:

Your competency narrative (ECQs), résumé, and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed in this announcement. If you are found to be among the top candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.

YOUR COMPETENCY NARRATIVE (ECQs) MUST SHOW THAT YOU POSSESS DEMONSTRATED/SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE IN THE FIVE COMPETENCIES LISTED BELOW. PLEASE PROVIDE EXAMPLES THAT ARE CLEAR, CONCISE, AND EMPHASIZE YOUR LEVEL OF RESPONSIBILITIES.

All applicants will be evaluated on the following Competencies:
 
Organizing and Planning--ESTABLISH PRIORITIES, TIMETABLES, AND GOALS/OBJECTIVES; STRUCTURE A PLAN OF ACTION FOR SELF AND OTHERS; AND DEVELOP BOTH STRATEGIC AND TACTICAL PLANS. 
 
(Please address this competency in ECQ #1.)
 
Leadership--MOTIVATE AND INSPIRE OTHERS; DEVELOP AND MENTOR OTHERS; GAIN THE RESPECT, CONFIDENCE, AND LOYALTY OF OTHERS; ARTICULATE VISION, GIVE GUIDANCE AND DIRECT OTHERS IN ACCOMPLISHING GOALS. 
 
(Please address this competency in ECQ #2.)
 
Collaboration--ESTABLISH CONTACTS AND INTERACT EFFECTIVELY WITH EXTERNAL AGENCIES, GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, THE MEDIA, THE COMMUNITY, AND INTERNAL BUREAU CONTACTS; DISPLAY PROFESSIONALISM WHILE WORKING WITH OTHERS TO ACHIEVE COMMON GOALS AND PROACTIVELY SHARE INFORMATION WITH OTHERS WHEN APPROPRIATE.
 
(Please address this competency in ECQ #3)
 
Problem Solving/Judgment--CRITICALLY EVALUATE CONDITIONS, EVENTS, AND ALTERNATIVES; IDENTIFY PROBLEMS, CAUSES AND RELATIONSHIPS; BASE DECISIONS OR RECOMMENDATIONS ON DATA OR SOUND REASONING; AND FORMULATE OBJECTIVE OPINIONS.
 
(Please address this competency in ECQ #4.)

Salary: 
ES-0905-00: $121,956.00 - $183,300.00
Travel: 
Occasional Travel
Application Process: 

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete application package by the closing date which includes:
 
1. Résumé
 
2. Competency Narrative (ECQs) as described in the "Qualifications & Evaluations" section
 
3. 8-10 page writing sample (optional)
 
4. Cover Letter
 
5. Other supporting documents:

  • Proof of Bar Association Membership 
  • Photocopy of Law School Transcripts 
  • SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action and most recent Performance Appraisal (Required for current or former Federal employees) 
  • Current or former SES must submit proof of SES Eligibility

Please e-mail the complete application package to OGC-JOBS@ic.fbi.gov. In the Subject Line,  put "OLS Section Chief- your full name" with all of the required documents attached to the e-mail and save each document in the following format: (John Doe - Cover Letter). Please do not e-mail more than 200 words in the body of the e-mail.

Applicants should familiarize themselves and comply with the relevant rules of professional conduct regarding any possible conflicts of interest in connection with their applications. In particular, please notify this Office if you currently represent clients or adjudicate matters in which this Office is involved and/or you have a family member who is representing clients or adjudicating matters in which this Office is involved so that we can evaluate any potential conflict of interest or disqualification issue that may need to be addressed under those circumstances.

Application Deadline: 
Wednesday, March 23, 2016
Relocation Expenses: 
Yes; relocation expenses will be borne by the FBI.
Number of Positions: 
1
Updated March 10, 2016

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Department Policies

Equal Employment Opportunity:  The U.S. Department of Justice is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer.  Except where otherwise provided by law, there will be no discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex - including gender identity, sexual orientation, or pregnancy status - or because of age (over 40), physical or mental disability, protected genetic information, parental status, marital status, political affiliation, or any other non-merit based factor.  The Department of Justice welcomes and encourages applications from persons with physical and mental disabilities. The Department is firmly committed to satisfying its affirmative obligations under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, to ensure that persons with disabilities have every opportunity to be hired and advanced on the basis of merit within the Department of Justice. For more information, please review our full EEO Statement.

Reasonable Accommodations:  This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency.  Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

Outreach and Recruitment for Qualified Applicants with Disabilities:  The Department encourages qualified applicants with disabilities, including individuals with targeted/severe disabilities to apply in response to posted vacancy announcements.  Qualified applicants with targeted/severe disabilities may be eligible for direct hire, non-competitive appointment under Schedule A (5 C.F.R. § 213.3102(u)) hiring authority.  Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to contact one of the Department’s Disability Points of Contact (DPOC) to express an interest in being considered for a position. See list of DPOCs.   

Suitability and Citizenship:  It is the policy of the Department to achieve a drug-free workplace and persons selected for employment will be required to pass a drug test which screens for illegal drug use prior to final appointment.  Employment is also contingent upon the completion and satisfactory adjudication of a background investigation. Congress generally prohibits agencies from employing non-citizens within the United States, except for a few narrow exceptions as set forth in the annual Appropriations Act (see, https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/non-citizens/). Pursuant to DOJ component policies, only U.S. citizens are eligible for employment with the Executive Office for Immigration Review, U.S. Trustee’s Offices, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Unless otherwise indicated in a particular job advertisement, qualifying non-U.S. citizens meeting immigration and appropriations law criteria may apply for employment with other DOJ organizations. However, please be advised that the appointment of non-U.S. citizens is extremely rare; such appointments would be possible only if necessary to accomplish the Department's mission and would be subject to strict security requirements. Applicants who hold dual citizenship in the U.S. and another country will be considered on a case-by-case basis. All DOJ employees are subject to a residency requirement. Candidates must have lived in the United States for at least three of the past five years. The three-year period is cumulative, not necessarily consecutive. Federal or military employees, or dependents of federal or military employees serving overseas, are excepted from this requirement. This is a Department security requirement which is waived only for extreme circumstances and handled on a case-by-case basis.

Veterans:  There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of Justice considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., the DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty and other supporting documentation) to their submissions. Although the "point" system is not used, per se, applicants eligible to claim 10-point preference must submit Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, and submit the supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed (visit the OPM website, www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf for a copy of SF 15, which lists the types of 10-point preferences and the required supporting document(s). Applicants should note that SF 15 requires supporting documentation associated with service- connected disabilities or receipt of nonservice-connected disability pensions to be dated 1991 or later except in the case of service members submitting official statements or retirement orders from a branch of the Armed Forces showing that their retirement was due to a permanent service-connected disability or that they were transferred to the permanent disability retired list (the statement or retirement orders must indicate that the disability is 10% or more).

USAO Residency Requirement:  Assistant United States Attorneys must reside in the district to which appointed or within 25 miles thereof.  See 28 U.S.C. 545 for district specific information.

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This and other vacancy announcements can be found under Attorney Vacancies and Volunteer Legal Internships. The Department of Justice cannot control further dissemination and/or posting of information contained in this vacancy announcement. Such posting and/or dissemination is not an endorsement by the Department of the organization or group disseminating and/or posting the information.