Attorney-Adviser (General)

Summary

About the Position: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Office of the Chief Counsel, Military Programs and Installation Law practice group is hiring an experienced attorney to provide authoritative legal advice on complex real property matters. The position supports senior leaders on real estate acquisition, management, disposal, leasing, housing, energy, and other high-value or precedent-setting transactions.

Duties

Provides authoritative legal advice and counsel to senior officials and program offices on complex real property acquisition, management, disposal, leasing, development, and related program matters. Interprets statutes, case law, regulations, policies, and proposed legislation to determine legal effects on real property programs and transactions. Drafts and reviews legal instruments, agreements, legal opinions, briefs, and other written products to ensure legal sufficiency and protect organizational interests. Advises headquarters elements and subordinate organizations on the negotiation, preparation, execution, and administration of complex real property initiatives, including housing, energy, leasing, and exchange programs. Represents the organization in negotiations and other external engagements involving complex or controversial real property transactions; resolves legal and policy issues that cannot be addressed at lower organizational levels.

Qualifications and evaluation

Once the announcement has closed, a review of your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Basis for Rating: If eligible and meeting basic qualifications, your application package will be evaluated in conjunction with your résumé and supporting documents for the required knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) to successfully perform the duties of this position: Knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) to successfully perform the duties of this position: Knowledge of federal real property laws, regulations, policies, and legal principles governing real property acquisition, management, disposal, leasing, and development. Knowledge of the environmental aspects of real property transactions. Skill in legal research, analysis, and interpretation of statutes, case law, regulations, legal instruments, and proposed legislation. Ability to provide authoritative legal advice and recommendations to senior officials on complex, sensitive, controversial, or precedent-setting real property matters. Skill in drafting and reviewing legal instruments, including deeds, easements, leases, agreements, solicitations, legal opinions, briefs, reports, and congressional responses. Ability to analyze and resolve complex legal and policy issues involving competing interests, substantial financial considerations, and significant organizational impacts. Skill in negotiating real property agreements and representing organizational interests with lessees, grantees, private entities, and governmental stakeholders. Ability to communicate legal positions clearly and effectively, orally and in writing, to senior leaders, program officials, external stakeholders, and congressional audiences. Veterans and Military Spouses will be considered along with all other candidates

Education

An applicant must have successfully completed a full course of study in a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) and have the first professional law degree (LLB or JD).Only a degree from an accredited college or university recognized by the Department of Education acceptable to meet positive education requirements, or to substitute education for experience. Only degrees from an accredited college or university recognized by the Department of Education are acceptable to meet positive education requirements or to substitute education for experience. For additional information, please go to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and U.S. Department of Education websites at - http://www.opm.gov/qualifications and http://www.ed.gov//admins/finaid/accred/index.html.Foreign education must be evaluated for U.S. equivalency in order to be considered for this position. Please include this information in your resume. FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

How to apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the online questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 11/05/2026 to receive consideration. To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application (https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13080273). Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. As a reminder, your resume must be two pages or less and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. For additional information, refer to the 'Required Documents' section. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process. You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application. Your resume selected in USAJOBS will be included, but you must re-select other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application may be incomplete. It is your responsibility to verify that your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan. Additional information on how to complete the online application process and submit your online application may be found on the USA Staffing Applicant Resource Center. To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://www.usajobs.gov/applicant/profile/dashboard/), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status.

Required documents

The documents you are required to submit vary based on whether or not you are eligible for preference in federal employment. A complete description of preference categories and the associated required documents is in the Applicant Checklist for Public Announcements. As described above, your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further. 1. Your resume: Your resume must be two pages or less and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. For each relevant work experience, make sure you include the employer's name, job title, start and end dates (include month and year), for qualifications purposes, the number of hours worked per week, and a brief description that show you can perform the tasks at the required level listed in the job announcement. If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as incomplete, and you may not receive consideration for this position. Use plain language. Avoid using acronyms and terms that are not easily understood. The hiring agency will not make assumptions about what's in your resume. If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations, and you may not be considered for this vacancy. For additional information, to include formatting tips, see: What to include in your resume. 2. Other supporting documents: Cover Letter, optional Most recent Performance Appraisal, if applicable This position requires a job-related license or certification. You MUST submit a copy of your license or certification with your application package or you will be rated ineligible. See: Transcripts and Licenses 3. If you are a current U.S. Army Corps of Engineers attorney, you MUST submit the following documents: Your latest non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50); A writing sample (Required for Non-USACE Applicants) NOTE: Writing samples shall not exceed 10 pages 4. If you are NOT a current U.S. Army Corps of Engineers attorney, you MUST submit the following documents: Copy of law school transcripts AND an official statement of relative standing in your class, or official statement demonstrating the unavailability of class standing information (official copies will be required if selected and before placement); Certificate issued by the Bar Registrar or similar official showing that you are a member in good standing with the Bar of a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States, or the District of Columbia, dated NO MORE THAN 90 days before the opening date of this announcement (a copy is sufficient for the application, but a certified copy may be necessary upon selection); A sworn statement, certifying that your fitness to practice law or your conduct as an attorney has never been challenged in any jurisdiction. This statement MUST be notarized, on a date NO MORE THAN 3 months before the opening date of this announcement. If your fitness to practice law or your conduct as an Attorney has been challenged in any jurisdiction, you must provide a notarized statement concerning the facts and circumstances, and any other explanation you deem appropriate. The names of three professional references who are each members of the Bar of a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States, or the District of Columbia. A writing sample NOTE: Writing samples shall not exceed 10 pages. NOTE: Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office. Some supplemental documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you. You may sanitize these documents to remove another person's personal information before you submit your application. You may be asked to provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected to confirm your eligibility.

Additional information

Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration. You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship. A trial period may be required. Per CSR XI 11.3 The first year of continuous service in the position of a preference eligible in the excepted service, or the first 2 years of continuous service in the position of an individual in the excepted service (other than a preference eligible), is a trial period. Direct Deposit of Pay is required. This position requires you to submit a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE450) upon entry, and annually thereafter. This is a Legal Career Field position. Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees. If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet. Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement. When you perform a Civilian Permanent Change of Station (PCS) with the government, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) considers the majority of your entitlements to be taxable. Visit https://www.dfas.mil/civilianemployees/civrelo/Civilian-Moving-Expenses-Tax-Deduction/ for more information. Permanent Change of Station (PCS) allowances may be authorized, subject to the provisions of the Joint Travel Regulations and an agency determination that a PCS move is in the Government Interest. A Relocation, Recruitment, Student Loan Repayment, Advance in Hire or Advance Leave Accrual incentive may be authorized if it is in the best interest of the government.