Attorney Advisor (Safety Law)

Federal Railroad Administration (U.S. Department of Transportation); Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is seeking an Attorney Advisor (Safety Law) to support its mission by advising on regulatory and enforcement issues related to rail safety. The role focuses on administrative law, regulations, and guidance, with responsibilities spanning enforcement actions, rulemaking, litigation, and legislative analysis.

The ideal candidate will have broad experience in legal practice affecting the transportation sector and DOT, including regulatory drafting, enforcement

Qualifications

• Graduate of an accredited law school and admission to the bar in a US jurisdiction (or DC).
• Experience in administrative law, rulemaking, litigation, and regulatory drafting is required or highly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Enforcement: Review, assess, and close civil penalty cases in rail safety.
• Rulemaking: Help develop and draft rail safety regulations.
• Litigation: Provide counsel on litigation matters and represent the agency in certain hearings.
• Support: Advise on proposed rail safety legislation and related legal issues.
• General: Guide the Office of Safety Law, stakeholders and the public on rail safety law concepts.

Skills

Administrative Law

Written Communication

Oral Communication

Problem Solving

Education

ABA-approved law school

Active bar in US or DC

Job description

Summary

The Office of Safety Law supports FRA’s mission-driven rail safety program by advising on the legal requirements relating to railroad safety, focusing on regulatory and enforcement issues. Staff attorneys specialize in subject matter areas such as operating practices, operating crew certification, hazardous materials, track and structures, signal and train control, and motive power and equipment.

Duties

As an Attorney Advisor (Safety Law), you will:

• Enforcement: Handle rail safety enforcement actions, including review, assessment, and closure of civil penalty cases.
• Rulemaking: Assist in the development and drafting of rail safety regulations.
• Litigation: Counsel on litigation matters pertaining to rail safety and represent the agency in certain administrative hearings.
• Support: Provide technical assistance regarding proposed rail safety legislation.
• General: Guide FRA’s Office of Railroad Safety, industry stakeholders, and the public regarding rail safety legal issues.

The ideal candidate should have knowledge of and experience in a wide range of legal practice areas affecting the transportation industry and DOT, including specifically: administrative law, regulations, and guidance; safety enforcement programs; litigation; or legislative drafting.

*PLEASE NOTE: This announcement establishes an open continuous (1 year) vacancy announcement. Given our continuing need for top professionals in this field, we will review applications after the first 21 days of the vacancy opening for early consideration. Then after, applications will be reviewed on an as needed basis.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S.Citizen and eligible for consideration.
• Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date.
• This is an Excepted Service position.
• Required documents must be submitted by the closing date.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

• SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered for Selective Service.
• BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: You will be required to complete a background/security investigation and meet preliminary requirements prior to onboarding.
• 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.
• GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CARD: This position involves travel. A government contractor-issued travel card will be issued and must be retained for official business only.

Qualifications

To qualify your experience should include experience and education equal or equivalent to the following:

GRADE 12

You must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS‑11 it must include:

• Be a graduate of an accredited law school with a LL.B., J.D., or equivalent AND at least One (1) years of professional legal work experience.
• Be an active member in good standing of the bar in a state or territory of the United States or the District of Columbia or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

GRADE 13

You must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS‑12, it must include:

• Be a graduate of an accredited law school with a LL.B., J.D., or equivalent AND at least TWO (2) years of professional legal work experience.
• Be an active member in good standing of the bar of the highest court of any state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

GRADE 14

You must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS‑13, it must include:

• Be a graduate of an accredited law school with a LL.B., J.D., or equivalent AND at least THREE (3) years professional legal work experience of a progressively responsible nature.
• Be an active member in good standing of the bar in a state or territory of the United States or the District of Columbia or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

GRADE 15

You must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS‑14, it must include:

• Be a graduate of an accredited law school with a LL.B., J.D., or equivalent AND at least FOUR (4) years of professional attorney experience.
• Be an active member in good standing of the bar in a state or territory of the United States or the District of Columbia or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

You cannot qualify for any grade on education alone; you must also have experience.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas:

1. Administrative Law - Knowledge of state and Federal administrative laws, including procedures, regulations, guidelines, and precedents related to case preparation and settlements.
2. Written Communication - Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience.
3. Oral Communication - Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.
4. Problem Solving - Identifies and analyzes problems; weighs relevance and accuracy of information; generates and evaluates alternative solutions; makes recommendations.

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.

For additional information about applying to Federal positions, please click on the following link:https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-policies/#url=e4

All applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

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.

Additional information

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will 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. 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,[e-mail]. 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.

RAILROAD STOCK

Pursuant to 5 C.F.R. Parts 2635.403 and 6001.104, all FRA employees (or spouses or minor children of FRA employees) are specifically prohibited from holding railroad stock (including shares of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. which owns 100% of BNSF), whether held outright, in an IRA, or in a 401(k) or other plan. (Employees may hold a mutual fund which invests in railroad stocks, so long as the mutual fund does not invest more than 30% of its assets in such prohibited investments.) Employees having prohibited financial interest must divest themselves of railroad stock within 90 days after their appointment to their positions. Neither the rule against holding railroad stock, nor the divestiture period, is in any way affected by the existence of re-employment rights which employees might have with railroad companies. Nor is there any monetary threshold for applicability of the rule against ownership of railroad stock; all dollar amounts are prohibited.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Federal 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. Learn 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.