Hiring Organization
USAO District of New Mexico
Location:
201 3rd Street NW
Suite 900
Albuquerque, NM 87114 - United States
About the Office
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico has approximately 195 employees and contractors. The main office is located in Albuquerque. The branch office in Las Cruces is located approximately 225 miles south of Albuquerque, is 50 miles from the Mexican border, and includes approximately 45 of the district's employees and contractors. The District also has an unstaffed office in Santa Fe.
Albuquerque is the largest city in New Mexico, located approximately 60 miles from the state capital of Santa Fe. Albuquerque and the surrounding areas offer an array of activities from hiking to skiing to cultural activities such as the opera, arts, celebrated museums, legendary historic sites, and majestic monuments. The metro area, with approximately 860,000 residents, sprawls over 100 square miles at elevations ranging from 4,500 feet above sea level in the Rio Grande Valley to 6,500 feet at the foot of the Sandia Mountains, which tower to 10,678 feet. Albuquerque enjoys blue skies and sunshine 310 days of the year, with low humidity and mild winters.
The State of New Mexico, also known as the "Land of Enchantment," is a unique mix of Native cultures, blended with Hispanic and European traditions. Ranked the 5th largest state, it totals 121,593 square miles. New Mexico shares 180 miles of international border with the Country of Mexico. Las Cruces, the second largest city in New Mexico, is nestled in the fertile Mesilla Valley between the majestic Organ Mountains and the meandering Rio Grande. Las Cruces blends a unique variety of attractions, culture, historical sites, and superb year-round weather.
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.
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.
Job Description
The role of the Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) will be to work closely with the United States Attorney and First Assistant United States Attorney on policy, strategy, training, recruitment and hiring, public relations, and community involvement. The Selectee is responsible for exercising dynamic leadership and efficiently and effectively managing the employees to accomplish the mission of the Department and the specific goals as set by the United States Attorney.
The AUSA will also achieve management excellence across all functions and mission-specific operations by ensuring ethical conduct, developing the workforce, producing accurate and transparent information, and deploying innovative technology.
Temporary Promotion to Executive Assistant United States Attorney: Upon appointment to the Assistant United States Attorney position, Selectee will be immediately promoted to a Temporary NTE Executive Assistant United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico. The Executive Assistant United States Attorney range of pay is $133,992 to $176,200.00, which includes a 17.14% locality pay.
Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.
For additional information and to apply for this position, please use the following links to the official announcement on USAJobs: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/657495500
Qualifications
Required Qualifications:
Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree, be an active member of the bar (any United States jurisdiction), and have at least three (3) years as an Assistant United State's Attorney or comparable legal experience.
United States citizenship is required.
Preferred Qualifications:
Applicants should be able to demonstrate by experience, knowledge, or training, (1) an understanding of basic leadership and managerial skills, (2) capacity to develop and implement attorney training, (3) familiarity with diversity, equity and inclusion and accessibility approaches, and (4) ability to translate complex legal concepts and systems into language accessible to non-legal professionals and those impacted by criminal justice systems.
You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.
Salary
Assistant United States Attorney's pay is administratively determined based, in part, on the number of years of professional attorney experience. The range of basic pay is $71,718.00 to $174,590.00, which includes a 17.14% locality pay.
Travel
This position requires 1 to 5 nights of travel per month.
Relocation Expenses
Relocation Expenses not Authorized.
Updated June 1, 2022