The National Science Foundation is seeking qualified candidates for an Attorney Advisor (Assistant General Counsel) position specializing in Financial Assistance work within the Office of the General Counsel (OGC), Office of the Director (OD), Alexandria, VA. For more information on OGC please click here. For more information on OD please click here.

Duties

OGC is the legal office for the Foundation, providing legal advice, assistance, and advocacy on all aspects of the Foundation's programs, policies, and operations, as well as areas affecting science and technology more broadly. Advice is provided in a wide variety of areas, such as: grants, contracts and cooperative agreements; intellectual property; conflicts-of-interest; employee and labor relations; civil rights; health, safety and environment; Federal fiscal and administrative law and procedure; and international law and agreements. OGC is seeking to fill a new opening for an attorney who will provide support for financial assistance work, including grants and cooperative agreements for scientific research and for the operation of scientific facilities. The individual selected for this position will serve as an Assistant General Counsel responsible for providing related advice, guidance, and other legal services. The work of the Assistant General Counsel will include, and the candidate should demonstrate experience, as follows: The Assistant General Counsel will be one of two attorneys advising the agency on the wide range of legal issues arising from the Foundation's grants and cooperative agreements practice, including the appropriate use of the instruments; terms and conditions; and issues arising in the award and administration of assistance agreements (such as appropriate funding structures, limitations on awardee eligibility, agency responses to Office of Inspector General inquiries, etc.). As part of the financial assistance practice, the Assistant General Counsel will advise the agency on the use of grants and cooperative agreements in the construction, operation, and/or management of scientific facilities. Candidates must have federal financial assistance practice experience, including expertise in the Federal Grants and Cooperative Agreements Act and the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (2 CFR Part 200). NSF OGC is a small, collaborative office where the ability to be flexible and provide value to areas beyond the principal area of a portfolio is prized. As such, additional preference may be given to candidates with experience in other areas of Federal government legal practice, such as Congressional oversight, federal procurement, fiscal law, legislative drafting, and technical assistance; export controls; emerging technologies; litigation; suspension and debarment; research integrity and misconduct; national security; or administrative law. Additionally, the Assistant General Counsel will: Be knowledgeable of, and keep up to date with, the state of federal financial assistance law and policy. Counsel management of Directorate(s) with respect to matters falling within the portfolio. Support colleagues and clients to identify the need for policy guidance in portfolio matters and support its development. Consult with and render opinions to all levels of the agency in interpreting and applying such guidance. Represent NSF in interagency and executive branch discussions related to portfolio matters. Identify facts and issues to determine the nature of the legal problem, conduct legal research, and provide written and oral legal advice. Serve on working groups related to matters in the portfolio.

Requirements

Qualifications

Candidates must have a J.D. from a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA), plus after award of the J.D., eight or more years of professional legal experience. Candidates must have expertise related to the areas of law relevant to the position for which they wish to be considered, as articulated in the Duties and Experience section above. Bar Membership: Member in good standing of the bar of a State, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Also, desirable, but not required, is experience involving other areas of Federal government legal practice.

Education

Please refer to the Qualifications section.

If your degree was obtained from a foreign institution, please also submit the certification from the Association for International Credential Evaluation Professionals, or certification equivalency.

Contacts

• Address NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION, OFFICE OF THE GENERAL COUNSEL 2415 Eisenhower Ave Alexandria, VA 22314 US
• Name: Staffing and Classification Branch
• Email: [email protected]