Attorney-Adviser

NASA Office of Inspector General; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 95,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

The NASA Office of Inspector General, Office of Counsel, seeks a highly capable attorney to provide legal advice to OIG senior management and support auditors, investigations, and operations.

Responsibilities include advising on federal criminal law, Inspector General Act matters, and assisting DOJ in federal actions, along with written and oral advocacy before key bodies, FOIA/Privacy Act work, and broad legal research on ethics and audits.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) or LL.B. from ABA-accredited law school and active bar membership.
• At least 3 years of professional legal experience post-bar admission, with specialized experience in FOIA/Privacy Act, ethics, or related areas.

Responsibilities

• Advise on federal criminal law, Inspector General Act, and DOJ actions.
• Draft policies and regulations ensuring legal compliance and management guidance.
• Advocate in administrative litigation before MSPB, EEOC, and other bodies.

Skills

Legal research

Regulatory analysis

FOIA/Privacy Act

Litigation advocacy

Policy drafting

Education

Juris Doctor (J.D.) or LL.B.

Job description

The Office of Counsel within the NASA Office of Inspector General (OIG) provides legal advice to OIG senior management, support for auditors, investigations, and operations.

Duties

• Duties described below are at the highest grade advertised. Duties assigned at lower grade levels will be of more limited scope, performed with less independence and limited complexity; duties will be commensurate with the grade of selected employee.
• Advising on applicable federal criminal law and procedures and the Inspector General Act and assisting the Department of Justice in federal court actions.
• Reviewing and drafting policies and regulations for consistency with law and making recommendations on discretionary matters to management.
• Written and oral advocacy in conducting administrative litigation before the Merit Systems Protection Board, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and other bodies.
• Analyzing and applying the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act in the review and release of records to the public.
• Researching, drafting, and advising on a broad spectrum of general federal law topics, to include ethics, contracts, appropriations and audits.
• Diplomacy in communications as Office of Inspector General legal representative at Field Center.
• Overseeing legal administrative systems, tracking, and reporting actions to Office of Inspector General legal management at Headquarters.
• Researches legal issues, evaluates law and facts to develop potential litigative strategies, prepares pleadings, motions, interrogatories, fact finding, and other related documents.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

• This position is open to U.S. citizens, nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
• You must meet qualifications requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
• Position subject to pre-employment background investigation or higher-level clearance. Investigation/Clearance may differ and be required based on the duty location/NASA Center requirements.
• Financial Disclosure, Drug Testing, and/or the Travel Requirements for this position may differ and be required based on the duty location/NASA Center requirements.
• This position may require a two-year trial period. If selected, the requirement to serve such period will be determined by Title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 11. **See Additional Information section**
• You must be an active member of the bar in good standing.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements for all grade levels:

You must possess a Juris Doctor (J.D.) or Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degree from a full course of study at a law school accredited by the American Bar Association; be an active member in good standing of the bar of any state or territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; and have been admitted to practice law before a state or federal court.

To qualify for the GS-13: you must meet the basic requirement for all grade levels (as outlined above).

In addition, one of the following requirements must be satisfied:

One year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level:

• Applicants must possess at least 3 years of professional legal experience after admission to the bar, including at least ONE YEAR of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level in the Federal service or non-Federal service in the Freedom of Information Act/Privacy Act; ethics, personnel law, torts, appropriations, or whistleblower matters and experience in ONE of the following legal areas: criminal, civil, or administrative investigations, litigation, inspector general matters, federal grants, acquisitions, or audits.

OR

A graduate law degree (e.g., Master of Laws/LL.M.) and 1 year of professional legal experience equivalent to the experience described above.

To qualify for the GS-14: you must meet the basic requirement for all grade levels (as outlined above).

In addition, one of the following requirements must be satisfied:

One year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 level:

• Applicants must possess at least 4 years of professional legal experience after admission to the bar, including at least ONE YEAR of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 level in the Federal or non-Federal service in the Freedom of Information Act/Privacy Act; ethics, ethics, personnel law, torts, appropriations, or whistleblower matters and experience in TWO of the following legal areas: criminal, civil, or administrative investigations, litigation, inspector general matters, federal grants, acquisitions, or audits.

OR

A graduate law degree (e.g., Master of Laws/LL.M.) and 1 year of professional legal experience equivalent to the experience described above.

Your resume must include a clear and detailed narrative description, in your own words, of how you meet the required specialized experience. Experience statements copied from a position description, vacancy announcement or other reference material constitutes plagiarism and may result in disqualification and losing consideration for the job.

Please visit https://www.nasa.gov/careers/how-to-apply/#Artificial-Intelligence to review NASA's guidance on the use of artificial intelligent (AI) or AI-assisted tools during the application process.

Education

Basic Requirements:

U.S. degrees must have been awarded from colleges or universities that are accredited by recognized accrediting organizations. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, go to http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/.

If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs. These education credentials must be 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/.

All degrees must have been received in the year of, or any year subsequent to the original date of accreditation.

Additional information

Additional selections may be made for similar positions across. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with interested selecting official(s) within NASA.

Any applicant that received a Voluntary Separation Incentive Payment (VSIP) from the federal government within the last five years based of the closing date of this announcement, if selected, may be required to repay the full amount prior to establishing a start date. For additional information on the VSIP repayment requirement, click here - https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/voluntary-separation-incentive-payments/.

Trial Period

You may 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. If selected, the requirement to serve such period will be determined by Title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 11.

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 probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.