The National Science Foundation is seeking qualified candidates for an Attorney Advisor (Assistant General Counsel) position specializing in federal personnel law, including employee and labor relations 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 one or more openings for an attorney who will provide support in federal personnel law, including employee and labor relations. The individual selected 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 part of a small team of dynamic attorneys advising the agency on the full range of federal personnel law matters, including employee and labor relations; Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) issues; Title VII; Title IX; Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA); collective bargaining and other labor union matters; whistle blower protections; bullying; sexual assault and harassment; and other forms of harassment. The Assistant General Counsel may also advise on sexual assault, bullying, and harassment issues outside of the direct employment context, e.g., arising in science facilities funded in whole or in part by NSF. The Assistant General Counsel will also handle litigation matters related to federal personnel law, including EEO and Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) complaints; Office of Special Counsel matters; and matters before the National Labor Relations Board and the Fair Labor Relations Authority. Litigation activities may include conducting discovery, preparing motions and pre-hearing submissions, preparing witnesses, conducting direct and cross examinations, and preparing post-hearing briefs. This also includes all levels of appeals. The Assistant General Counsel will advise NSF supervisors and managers on employee disciplinary matters, performance management, adverse actions, and labor relations matters. 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 with federal litigation outside the federal personnel law context; legislative drafting and technical assistance; export controls; emerging technologies; 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 law, policy, and procedure relevant to the portfolio. Counsel management of Directorate(s) with respect to portfolio matters, and, with the other personnel attorneys, serve as the principal OGC liaison to NSF's Chief Human Capital Officer, the Office of Human Resource Management, the Office of Equity and Civil Rights, and the Office of the Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer. 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]