This position is located in the Office of General Counsel (OGC), Water Law Office, Washington, DC.  For more information on this office, visit our website: https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/about-office-general-counsel-ogc.        

Duties

The Water Law Office is a fast-paced law office within the Office of General Counsel providing legal counsel under the Clean Water Act, Safe Drinking Water Act and Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act.  The Water Law Office is supervised by an Associate General Counsel (Associate) and Deputy Associate General Counsel (Deputy Associate) and includes several practice groups, each of which is led by an Assistant General Counsel.  The Assistant General Counsel for Clean Water Act Technology and Wet Weather, in consultation with the Associate and Deputy Associate, coordinates the work of a team of 14 attorneys in counseling EPA’s Office of Water, Enforcement Office and EPA’s regional offices regarding the development, revision and implementation of regulations, guidances, policies and practices within the purview of the practice group.  The Assistant General Counsel also works with EPA offices and the Department of Justice on litigation, including defensive litigation, amicus participation, and certain enforcement matters.

Requirements

Qualifications

Applicant must possess a J.D. degree or equivalent apprentice experience as allowed per state law, be duly licensed and authorized to practice as an attorney under the laws of any state, territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia, and be an active member of the bar of any U.S. jurisdiction in good standing. The ideal candidate will have relevant experience as a Clean Water Act counseling attorney, including experience handling teams of attorneys in a substantively challenging environmental litigation and counseling on the development and implementation of complex statutory and regulatory programs. This includes substantial experience in counseling on the promulgation of large and complex rulemakings.  The ideal candidate will also have excellent interpersonal, leadership, communication and organizational skills, a strong customer service ethic, and an eagerness to learn (and teach). The ideal candidate will have demonstrated experience and knowledge, written and oral communication skills, and other abilities to assist senior and junior attorneys in delivering timely and high-quality legal advice to a variety of audiences, including subordinates, peers, senior OGC management, science and policy staff and their senior management.  The ideal candidate will also have experience demonstrating the ability to:  assist the Associate and Deputy Associate by providing recommendations regarding the performance of work of the practice group and the operation of the Water Law Office; provide helpful input on allocation of resources; promote professional growth of practice group staff, including by providing input and recommendations to the Associate and Deputy Associate on performance of group members; foster a collegial work environment; and perform the other responsibilities of the Assistant General Counsel. The ideal candidate will also demonstrate a history of working well in a team setting and interest in exercising leadership within the Water Law Office and Office of General Counsel.  To qualify at the GS-15 grade level, applicants must have one year of specialized experience at, or equivalent to, the GS-14 grade level.  Examples of specialized experience include independently performing legal analysis; (attorney’s credited with Level C or D (GS-12 to GS-14) independently perform legal analysis); composing pleadings, briefs and other court documents involving unique or difficult legal issues; conducting highly complex counseling and litigation; and leading junior attorneys, paralegals, and support staff. Please identify in your written statement of interest/cover letter and resume any specialized experience in administrative and environmental law, if applicable. Note: Applicants must include a separate business-style resume with your application in lieu of the automated USAJobs resume. This document should be uploaded as part of your complete application packet described below under the Supporting Documentation Tab. Veterans:  There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Environmental Protection Agency considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., the DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty and other supporting documentation) to their submissions. Although the "point" system is not used, per se, applicants eligible to claim 10-point preference must submit Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, and submit the supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed (visit the OPM website, www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf for a copy of SF 15, which lists the types of 10-point preferences and the required supporting document(s). Applicants should note that SF 15 requires supporting documentation associated with service- connected disabilities or receipt of nonservice-connected disability pensions to be dated 1991 or later except in the case of service members submitting official statements or retirement orders from a branch of the Armed Forces showing that his  or her retirement was due to a permanent service-connected disability or that he/she was transferred to the permanent disability retired list (the statement or retirement orders must indicate that the disability is 10% or more). More information on GS levels for the 0905 Attorney position are available at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/classifying-general-schedule-positions/standards/0900/gs0905.pdf. If you are selected, you will be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Form prior to your first day of employment and annually thereafter. This position is designated as a Moderate Risk and requires a background investigation. Unless an appropriate background investigation is already on record with the Office of Personnel Management, you must undergo a background investigation. If you are selected, you must complete a one-year trial period. This position is in the excepted service. Selection under this appointment authority does not confer civil service competitive status; however, this position is covered for the purpose of federal retirement and benefits.

Contacts

• Address Environmental Protection Agency 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, District of Columbia 20460 United States
• Name: Cyntiha Woodard
• Phone: 202-564-7907
• Email: [email protected]