Attorney Advisor

Summary

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), Office of Chief Counsel is seeking dynamic individuals to serve in permanent positions as Attorney-Advisors at our headquarters in Washington, D.C. Our attorneys experience a broad range of assignments providing legal support to PHMSA's mission to protect people and the environment by advancing the safe transportation of energy and other hazardous materials that are essential to our daily lives.

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Duties

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As a Pipeline Safety Law Attorney Advisor, you will:

• Work with other attorneys, program staff, subject matter experts, and agency leaders to: implement national policies on pipeline safety; pursue enforcement for violations of pipeline safety standards, including civil penalties and compliance orders; support emergency response following pipeline incidents, including issuance of emergency orders.
• Develop and adopt new regulations to further enhance and improve pipeline safety;
• Develop guidance and interpretations to assist the regulated community in maintaining compliance.
• Support litigation by or against the United States; and other legal support for PHMSA and its pipeline safety program.

As a Hazardous Materials Safety Law Attorney-Advisor, you will work with program clients, subject matter experts, and modal partners to:

• Set national policies on hazardous materials safety requirements for all modes of transportation.
• Pursue enforcement actions, including civil penalty cases, compliance orders, and emergency orders and recalls.
• Issue special permits, which allow for innovative safety approaches and new technologies.
• Develop guidance and interpretations, to assist the regulated community in maintaining compliance with federal hazardous materials transportation laws.
• Support U.S. efforts with respect to international rulemaking and harmonization of transportation safety requirements.

As a Regulatory Affairs Law Attorney Advisor, you will:

• Advise PHMSA's Pipeline Safety and Hazardous Materials Safety programs on applicable laws, regulations, Executive Orders, and guidance governing rulemaking and regulatory matters.
• Support regulatory planning and analysis by reviewing and drafting rulemaking documents, Regulatory Impact Analyses, guidance, and related materials to ensure legal sufficiency, policy alignment, quality, and enforceability.
• Represent the Division in rulemaking-related meetings and coordinate with DOT Operating Administrations, the Office of the Secretary of Transportation (OST), and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to communicate PHMSA's legal positions.
• Conduct legal research and draft recommendations to support regulatory decision-making and the development of rulemaking actions.
• Provide legal support for litigation involving the United States related to PHMSA rulemakings, guidance, and other regulatory actions.

As a General Law Attorney Advisor, you will:

• Prepare legal opinions and perform legal services involving issues concerning the negotiation, drafting, execution, and administration of Federal contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements regarding various agency programs.
• Prepare legal opinions and perform legal services related to the administration of the Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy Act.
• Prepare legal opinions and perform legal services relating to ethics, conflict of interest laws and regulations, anti-lobbying, the Hatch Act, and procurement integrity.
• Prepare legal opinions and perform legal services in the areas of employment and personnel law, and labor relations. Represent the Agency in litigation before the EEOC, the MSPB, the FLRA, arbitrators, and other administrative forums.

The ideal candidate will have knowledge and experience with a range of legal practice areas associated with the transportation industry and the Department of Transportation such as, administrative enforcement, including charging documents, adjudications, hearings, and negotiations; regulatory development and drafting; administrative appeals and litigation; legislative drafting and analysis; and working collaboratively with other attorneys, engineers, policy leaders, and safety experts performing a wide variety of legal tasks in a government setting.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S.Citizen and eligible for consideration.
• Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date.
• This is an Excepted Service position.
• Required documents must be submitted by the closing date.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

• SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered for Selective Service.
• BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: You will be required to complete a background/security investigation and meet preliminary requirements prior to onboarding.
• TRIAL PERIOD: This is an Excepted Service position. This job will be filled by an alternative hiring process and is not in the competitive service. Applicants selected for an excepted service position may be subject to a two-year trial period.
• GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CARD: This position involves travel. A government contractor-issued travel card will be issued and must be retained for official business only.
• ETHICS/CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT: All employees are subject to the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch, set out in Title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations, section 2635, including restrictions on owning financial interests that may conflict with performance of their duties. Some employees, like those involved in contracting or regulating non-Federal entities, are subject to Executive Branch Financial Disclosure requirements set out in Title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations, section 263.

Qualifications

To qualify, your experience should include experience and education equal or equivalent to the following:

GRADE 11 - Possess a professional law degree (LLB, or J.D.) and bar membership in good standing.

• Experience in performing legal services involving compliance and regulatory issues; AND
• Experience preparing legal memoranda and opinions; AND
• Experience maintaining a relationship with customers to assure their understanding of legal positions.

GRADE 12 - A law degree, bar membership in good standing and at least 1 year of professional attorney experience.

• Experience in performing legal services involving compliance and regulatory issues; AND
• Experience preparing legal memoranda and opinions; AND
• Experience maintaining a relationship with customers to assure their understanding of legal positions.

GRADE 13 - A law degree, bar membership in good standing and either two years of professional attorney experience OR one year of professional attorney experience and a second professional law degree (LL.M) which requires one full year of graduate study.

• Experience in performing legal services involving compliance and regulatory issues; AND
• Experience preparing legal memoranda and opinions; AND
• Experience maintaining a relationship with customers to assure their understanding of legal positions.

GRADE 14 - A law degree, bar membership in good standing and at least 3 years of professional attorney experience.

• Experience in performing legal services involving compliance and regulatory issues; AND
• Experience preparing legal memoranda and opinions; AND
• Experience maintaining a relationship with customers to assure their understanding of legal positions.

GRADE 15 - A law degree, bar membership in good standing and at least 4 years of professional attorney experience.

• Experience in performing legal services involving compliance and regulatory issues; AND
• Experience preparing legal memoranda and opinions; AND
• Experience maintaining a relationship with customers to assure their understanding of legal positions.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas:

1. Oral Communication: Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.
2. Administrative Law: Knowledge of state and Federal administrative laws, including procedures, regulations, guidelines, and precedents related to case preparation and settlements.
3. Legal, Government, and Jurisprudence : Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, legal practices and documents, Government regulations, Executive orders, agency rules, Government organization and functions, and the democratic political process.
4. Written Communication: Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

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All applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

MANDATORY EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS:

In order to qualify for this position, candidates must have successfully completed a full course of study in a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) and have a professional law degree, and must currently be a member in good standing of the bar of a State or Territory of the United States or the District of Columbia.

Additional information

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your 2-year trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Transportation and its Operating Administrations from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to the Department of Transportation by email at, View email address on click.appcast.io. To learn more, please visit our page at: The Fair Chance to Compete Act | US Department of Transportation

CURRENT OR FORMER FEDERAL APPLICANTS: You must submit SF-50(s) that verify your highest competitive grade, full performance level, and federal applicant eligibility. To prove you meet the 52-week time-in-grade requirement for the highest grade level requested, you must submit SF-50 documentation showing a sequential 52-week period. Box 4 of the SF-50 must show an effective date at least 52 weeks prior to the job announcement closing date. Do not submit an award SF-50 or a current-year pay adjustment SF-50, as these generally do not verify grade, eligibility, or the full 52-week requirement. To ensure your application passes HR validation, you are highly encouraged to combine and upload the following required SF-50 documents into a single PDF:

• The Grade Entry Form: The SF-50 showing when you were originally appointed or promoted to your qualifying grade level (establishing the start of your 52-week timeline).
• The Checkpoint Form: A subsequent SF-50 (such as a Within-Grade Increase, promotion, or award) dated at least 52 weeks later.
• Most Recent Form: Your most recent SF-50 showing your current pay plan, series, grade, and step.

Warning on Incomplete Documentation: Submitting only an annual general pay adjustment SF-50 or an award SF-50 by itself is insufficient, as these individual documents do not track or prove your original entry date into that grade. If your documentation fails to conclusively prove a full 52-week history at the next lower grade, you will be rated Ineligible for that tier.

This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if similar vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.