Attorney Advisor (General)

Duties

• Provides legal support and assistance in furtherance of the Office's responsibilities under the Inspector General Act of 1978 (PL 95-452), which duties include but are not limited to the conduct of legal research; the review and evaluation of existing and proposed legislation, rules and regulations, programs and procedures; and the development of recommendations to assist Agency management in reducing program susceptibility to fraud, abuse, waste, and mismanagement.
• Assists in the coordination and preparation of drafts of proposed comments or revisions for transmittal by the SBA Inspector General to the Office of General Counsel, other SBA offices, or the Office of Management and Budget, as appropriate.
• Supports SBA OIG Audits and Investigations Divisions in the determination of whether evidence of criminal or other violations of law is sufficient to warrant referral to the Department of Justice, Agency personnel, other OIGs, or other Federal agencies or State or local authorities for enforcement or remedial action.
• Supports attorneys of the Department of Justice and United States Attorney's Offices in development of prosecutable cases relating to SBA programs and operations, in the enforcement or defense of subpoenas issued by the Inspector General, and in other matters under the cognizance of the OIG as necessary.
• Provides research and other assistance in support of legislation development, review functions and other activities of the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency designed to promote economy, efficiency, and effectiveness, and to prevent and detect fraud and abuse in Government programs and operations.
• Prepares affidavits, briefs, motion papers, and other legal documents as necessary in support of judicial or administrative proceedings initiated by or against or involving the Office of Inspector General, or employees thereof, in connection with the performance of their official duties.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen.
• You must successfully complete a background investigation. Candidates who do not complete the required background investigation paperwork by the pre-determined due date, will be disqualified.
• You may be required to serve on a one-year trial period.
• You must possess a J.D., LL.B., and/or LL.M professional law degree.
• You must be an active member of the bar in good standing.
• You must submit a writing sample with your application. Failure to submit a writing sample WILL render you ineligible for consideration.
• Candidates who are determined to be qualified for this position, must complete an additional online assessment through Talent Plus. You must complete the Talent Plus Assessment within 48 business hours of being sent the email notification.

How You Will Be Evaluated

• Benefits

  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.

  Review our benefits

  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.

• Required Documents

  As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.

  To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:
  
  1. Your resume showing work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment and duties performed.
  2. A complete Occupational Questionnaire
  3. Bar Membership Certification
  4. Transcript or degree (J.D., LL.B., and/or LL.M professional law degree)
  5. A Writing Sample
  6. A complete Talent Plus Assessment, if required after initial qualification determination
  7. In addition to the online application (resume and responses to the occupational questionnaire), you are required to submit the following forms, if applicable. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure all documents are legible:

  • If you are using education as a substitution for experience (the announcement will state whether this is allowed), or if there is an educational requirement for this position, you must submit a copy of your transcripts (unofficial or official) that clearly describes your qualifying education. If selected, official transcripts will be required;
  If you are claiming Veteran status, you must submit a copy of all required documents to support your claim (showing character of service)
  • -see VetGuide;
  • Veterans who are still in the service may be granted tentative preference on the basis of information contained in their applications, but they must produce a DD-214 (showing the character of service) or other proof of service to receive consideration for veterans' preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit FedsHireVets.gov.

  If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

  Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

  Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

• How to Apply

  Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include the initial online assessment and submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 04/09/2024 to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:

  • To begin the application process, click the Apply Online button.
  • Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
  • Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
  • After submitting an online application, you will be notified whether or not you are required to take the additional online assessment through Talent Plus. This message will be delivered to you via email. You must complete the Talent Plus Assessment within 48 business hours of being sent the email notification.
  • If you are asked to take the Talent Plus Assessment, you will be presented with a unique URL to access the Talent Plus system.
  • Note, set aside at least 40 minutes to take the assessment; however, most applicants complete the assessment in less time. If you need to stop the assessment and continue at a later time, you can re-use the URL sent to you via email.

  To update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login) . There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Update Application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
  
  To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account: https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login . All of your applications will appear on the Welcome page. The application record in your USAJOBS account provides an Additional Application Information page that provides information regarding the documentation you submitted and any correspondence we have sent related to this application. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.

  Agency contact information

  Melissa Jones

  Phone

  (202) 205-7368

  Email

  melissa.jones@sba.gov

  Address

  OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL HR OFFICE
  409 3RD STREET, SW
  WASHINGTON, DC 20416
  US

  Next steps

  Once your responses to the occupational questionnaire are received by our system, you will be sent an acknowledgement email stating that your submission was successful. If you meet the minimum qualifications of this position, you will be presented with instructions on how to access the Talent Plus Assessment system via email. The additional assessment must be completed within 48 business hours following email notification. After a review of your complete application is made, you will be notified of your rating and/or referral to the hiring official. If further evaluation or interviews are required you will be contacted. During the evaluation and interview process you may be asked to provide written responses to questions or additional writing samples. You may track the status of the application process through USAJOBS and you will be notified of your outcome.

• Fair and Transparent

  The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

  • Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
  • Reasonable accommodation policy
  • Financial suitability
  • Selective Service
  • New employee probationary period
  • Signature and false statements
  • Privacy Act
  • Social security number request

Required Documents