Attorney Advisor (General)

Summary This position is in the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (PSHSB), Cybersecurity and Communications Reliability (CCR) Division. Relocation expenses will not be paid. THIS VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT MAY BE USED TO FILL ADDITIONAL POSITIONS WITHIN 90 DAYS. Responsibilities Incumbent provides oral and written legal advice, guidance, interpretation, opinions and assistance on a wide range of legal and policy matters; performs legal research; determines implications of novel and complex legal issues; develops factual, legal, and precedent-setting positions on disputed matters. Responds to inquiries from the Division, Bureau, and/or Commission leadership as well as from other components of the Commission and other government agencies, Congress, and the public; addresses novel legal questions pertaining to CCR issues involving communications reliability issues; prepares memoranda or opinions outlining the facts and legal issues involved in disputed matters, and fully justifies conclusions and recommendations. Reviews and evaluates proposed legislation, regulations and policies to analyze their effect on existing laws and regulations and on Division/Bureau programs, policies, regulations and overall operations. Identifies facts, applies analysis, develops policy, and prepares rule making orders and decisions assuring that documents adhere to Division/Bureau/Commission policy while evaluating objectives and clearly identifying all available options. Ensures that Commission-level documents submitted for review are: legally and demonstrably supported by accurate facts, comprehensive and internally consistent, and in conformance with existing policy, precedent, decisions, processes and procedures. Develops potential projects to address the need for communications networks to be reliable, resilient, and secure within the purview of the Division by recommending establishing new policy, or by altering or clarifying established policy and/or established legal precedents. Resolves legal questions and addresses issues that may have no precedents or no clearly applicable precedents, requiring significant, independent legal research and coordination, and determining when to brief matters to CCR leadership. Identifies major policy issues requiring interpretation by higher legal authority and develops and prepares recommended interpretation outlining the facts and applicable law. Performs extensive research; determines implications of novel and complex legal issues; develops factual, legal, and precedent-setting positions on disputed matters. The scope of legal problems encountered is broad, highly complex and technical. Draft rules, regulations, and policies, including those pertaining to communications reliability (such as network outage reports, disaster information reporting and 911 reliability certifications) and public safety, homeland security, national security, disaster management, and related issues. Represents CCR leadership at meetings, hearings and conferences to: (1) gather facts, investigate circumstances and events, and formulate the best legally supportable course of action for resolving complex issues, often in coordination with technical and other Commission staff with regard to alleged violations of statue or regulations; and (2) coordinate with Bureau/Commission offices on policy issues requiring interpretation and developing and preparing recommended interpretation outlining the facts and applicable laws. Requirements Conditions of Employment FCC Employees Only US Citizenship. Suitable for employment as determined by a background investigation. SF-50 Documenting One Year of Time in Grade Required Bar Membership documentation required upon selection Transcripts required upon selection Financial Disclosure may be required Current FCC employees must provide SF-50 verifying grade & status. To be considered for this position, applicants must: Currently be employed in the Federal Communications Commission in positions serving under career, career conditional, or excepted service (Schedule A appointments under authority 213.3102(d)-Attorneys) appointments. SF-50 Required: ALL FCC EMPLOYEES MUST provide a legible Personnel Action, SF-50, that verifies your status and highest permanently held grade. If an SF-50 is not submitted, the application will be rated as ineligible. To request a copy of your SF-50 please send an email to PersonnelRecordsRequest@fcc.gov Qualifications Applicants must meet eligibility and qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Current Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Professional law experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position and is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. In order to be deemed as "BEST QUALIFIED" candidates must meet both the educational requirements and the specialized experience requirements outlined below. A. Education You must meet the minimum basic educational requirements for Attorney positions. Education requirements include: a professional law degree JD, LL.B., and/or LL.M. If transcripts are not submitted at the time of application, a copy of the transcript must be submitted at the time of selection. AND B. Specialized Experience Specialized Experience: Specialized experience is experience which is in or directly related to the line of work of the position to be filled and which has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Applicants must have a minimum of one year of specialized experience in or equivalent to the next lower grade level in the Federal Service. To Qualify for the GS-13: Applicant must possess at least two years of professional law experience and at least one year of the experience must be specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service. For this position, specialized experience includes: 1. Experience interpreting communication laws, statutes, regulations and/or rule making documents; 2. Skill analyzing legal issues, identifying potential problems and proposing solutions; 3. Experience preparing legal documents to include briefs, issue papers, and report summaries; 4. Ability to communicate legal issues/positions. To Qualify for the GS-14: Applicant must possess at least three years of professional law experience and at least one year of the experience must be specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-13 grade level in the Federal service. For this position, specialized experience includes: 1. Experience interpreting communication laws, statutes, regulations and/or rule making documents; 2. Skill analyzing legal issues, identifying potential problems and proposing solutions; 3. Experience preparing legal documents to include briefs, issue papers, and report summaries with analysis and recommendations; 4. Ability to communicate legal issues/positions while representing the Bureau in meetings with both internal stakeholders for the purpose of providing, receiving, persuading or negotiating legal positions. To Qualify for the GS-15: Applicant must possess at least four years of professional law experience and at least one year of the experience must be specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-14 grade level in the Federal service. For this position, specialized experience includes: 1. Experience interpreting communication laws, statutes, regulations and/or rule making documents; 2. Skill analyzing legal issues, identifying potential problems and proposing solutions; 3. Experience preparing legal documents (e.g., briefs, issue papers, and report summaries with analysis and recommendations; 4. Ability to communicate legal issues/positions while representing the Bureau in meetings with both internal stakeholders for the purpose of providing, receiving, persuading or negotiating legal positions; and 5. Providing advice, guidance, direction and leadership to other attorneys or professionals in meetings, discussions, or legal proceedings. PART-TIME OR UNPAID EXPERIENCE: 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. Education Refer to information outlined under the "Qualifications" subheading. Additional Information EEO Policy Statement Reasonable Accommodation Policy Statement Veterans Information Legal and Regulatory Guidance NOTE-This position is in the bargaining unit. The exclusive representative is NTEU Chapter 209.