Supervisory Attorney Advisor (EXCEPTED SERVICE)

Summary

This position is located at the Department of Transportation (DOT) Headquarters in Washington, O.C., as the principal legal advisor to the United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) in Kings Point, New York. The position is considered a senior level position of the Academy Superintendent's leadership team and will serve as a supervisory attorney. This position is established as a supervisory attorney-advisor, serving as the Chief Counsel of the Academy.

Duties

As a Supervisory Attorney Advisor, you will: The employee provides a wide variety of legal services, the main one of which is conducting the necessary legal research and providing expert legal advice and counsel on the full range of legal and policy-related matters affecting USMMA operations and policy objectives. The employee will be considered a generalist and should be familiar with areas of law that impact an installation including but not limited to government contracts and procurement, employee labor relations (EEOC, MSPB, misconduct, etc.), general and administrative law, fiscal and appropriations law, ethics, information law (PA and FOIA), congressional inquiries and responses, installation jurisdiction, housing, federal advisory committees, and environmental law. Addressing legal and related policy issues as primary counsel on matters affecting USMMA; also provides legal advice to the Superintendent and staff of the USM MA on legal and related policy matters. Representing the USMMA on legal matters affecting the USMMA at inter and ultra-agency and departmental meetings, conferences and other events, coordinating legal support for the USM MA from other attorneys in the Office of the General Counsel. Advising the USM MA policy and program formation and implementation and providing legal advice and counsel incident to agency initiatives, issuances, directives, and correspondence. Serving as the appointed Designated Agency Ethics Official, providing advice to USM MA staff and personnel on ethics, including pertinent standards of conduct, conflicts of interests, and post-government employment matters. Providing legal advice incident to inspections, investigations and related reports concerning the USM MA. Providing legal advice to the USMMA on legislative and regulatory proposals affecting USMMA programs and operations. Acting as assistant counsel to Department of Justice attorneys in proceedings before the federal courts and providing liti.gation support on matters involving the USM MA. Also serves as the agency representative on cases and hearings before the EEOC and MSPB on related employment relations cases. Providing written and oral counsel, opinions and decisions on legal aspects of DOT and USMMA activities. The ideal candidate is a senior attorney with broad expertise in federal law, including government contracts, labor and employment (EEOC/MSPB}, administrative and fiscal law, ethics, and information law (FOIA/Privacy Act). Demonstrated experience serving as a principal advisor to senior leadership on policy, programs, and operations is required. The candidate effectively manages high-visibility matters, including congressional inquiries, investigations, and interagency coordination, and advises on legislative and regulatory proposals. Experience providing ethics guidance and litigation support with OOJ, including matters before EEOC and MSPB, is essential. Proven leadership, sound judgment, and strong written and oral communication skills are critical.

Requirements

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered for Selective Service. 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. 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. PCS/RELOCATION/RECRUITMENT: Permanent Change of Station (PCS), Relocation, and Recruitment Incentive authorization varies by position/selection and a service agreement may be required.

Qualifications and evaluation

DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE: PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume/ application does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s). Your resume must contain sufficiently detailed information upon which to make a qualification determination. Please ensure that your resume contains specific information such as position titles, beginning and ending dates of employment for each position, average number of hours worked per week, and if the position is/was in the Federal government, you should provide the position series and grade level For this announcement, all applicants will be reviewed to determine if they meet the basic qualifications for this position, specifically the educational and specialized experience requirements. Applicants will not be rated or ranked. All applications that are verified to meet the basic qualifications will be referred to the selecting official. The answers you select in the on-line process must be substantiated in your application package. If upon review, it is determined that your described work history, competencies, and/or supporting documents do not support your answer choices, you may not be referred to the selecting official. Please ensure that your work history provides enough details to support your answers. You may preview questions for this vacancy.

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.

How to apply

You must submit a complete application package (including resume, vacancy questions and supporting documents) no later than 11:59 pm (EST) on the closing date of the announcement. To begin, click the "Apply Online" button on the job announcement posting. Follow the directions to register, submit all required documents and complete the assessment questionnaire. You may review your saved application(s) at https://help.usajobs.gov/ If you are having difficulty applying online, please contact the DOT Automated Staffing Office via email at Transjobs@dot.gov.

Required documents

The following is a list of documents that are only required based on the type of position. Please review each of the following sections to determine which documents you need to provide with your application. RESUME: In accordance with the OPM memorandum titled Merit Hiring Plan, dated May 29, 2025, resumes with a maximum of two (2) pages in length will be accepted as part of your application. These should be legible and in a readable font size. A determination of your eligibility and/or qualifications will be based only on those two (2) pages. Your resume MUST contain specific information that can be used to make a qualification determination, including employment beginning and ending dates for each position, whether employment is Full-time or Part-time, or average number of hours worked per week, and position titles. If the position is/was in the Federal government, you will need to provide the position series and grade level. The resume should show relevant experience and education, as well as support the required specialized experience. For assistance with the resume builder, please visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/ COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRE. PROOF OF BAR MEMBERSHIP: 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. TRANSCRIPTS - Transcripts are REQUIRED as there is a stated education requirement for the series. The transcripts need not be official, but must show that you meet the stated education requirements, including specific major or class requirements. A listing of these accredited organizations can be found on the Department of Education's website - click here. WRITING SAMPLE: If selected for an interview, a writing sample may be requested. VETERANS: Department of Transportation attorney positions are in the excepted service, not the competitive civil service. There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of Transportation considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in the attorney hiring process. If you are eligible for veterans' preference in hiring, you are encouraged to include that information in your application along with supporting documentation, e.g., SF15, DD214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, or other supporting documentation. Failure to submit any of the required documents by the closing date of the vacancy will result in your removal from consideration for this position. Please review your application prior to final submission and ensure you have submitted all appropriate documents. Uploading documents to USAJobs does NOT ensure inclusion with your application to our system. You must verify that the documents are in the system with your application prior to final submission.

Additional information

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 2-year probationary 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, FairChanceAct@dot.gov. To learn more, please visit our page at: The Fair Chance to Compete Act | US Department of Transportation This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if similar vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.