About the Position: This position is located at U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command (MRDC), Judge Advocate Office, Fort Detrick Frederick, Maryland. If you are currently serving in a permanent, competitive service appointment in the Federal service, and are selected for this position, the appointment will remove you from the competitive service while you occupy this position.

Duties

Positions at this level are encumbered by senior specialists who perform under general administrative direction with wide latitude for the exercise of independent judgment. Work is usually difficult, and the employee has demonstrated technical innovation and recognized attainments. Work at this level requires extended technical training and experience which has resulted in an intimate grasp of specialized and complex subject matter in the field. Incumbent is considered to be a technical expert within the work group and to have recognition at other activities and the headquarters level. Incumbent must have expert-level knowledge and experience in federal acquisition, medical research; and government information practices; interpersonal and organizational skills; and the ability to work in fluid environments. Work involves legal review, research, advice and teaming with other professionals on acquisition and medical research. Provide legal review, advice and representation for the full range of Department of Defense (DoD) contractual authorities used at DoDs premier medical research and development command includes formation through award, protest, dispute and close-out. This includes formation through award, protest, dispute and close-out. Contractual vehicles include federal grants and cooperative agreements, federal acquisition regulation (FAR) based procurement contracts and contracts entered into under a range of Other Transactions agreement authorities. Quickly apply basic contractual principles related to Food and Drug Administration regulatory law, intellectual property law and assignment of data rights, and seek assistance from attorneys with greater expertise as needed. Position requires persuasive and effective interpersonal communications skills as well as strong written communications skills. Incumbent will assist with drafting and negotiating contracts including for a wide range of Other Transaction agreements. Provide Government ethics and standards of conduct advice to contracting personnel including through annual OGE 450 reviews. Incumbent will help provide fiscal law advice for a complex medical research and development organization that includes a Congressional Special Interest appropriations, specialized research and development authorities, and interagency transactions.

Requirements

• Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
• A two-year trial/probationary period may be required.
• This position may require the incumbent to submit a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450) upon entry, and annually thereafter in accordance with DoD Directive 5500-7-R.
• This position requires the incumbent to maintain active bar membership, in good standing (as defined by the pertinent bar) of the bar of the highest court of a State, U.S. territory, the District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: US Citizens Applicants will be evaluated to determine if they meet the minimum qualification requirements and on the extent to which their application shows possession of the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) associated with the position. KSA's: Experience applying knowledge of Federal Procurement Law. Experience applying knowledge of Medical Research and Administrative Law. Experience providing legal review of Grants and Cooperative Agreements. Analytic ability and persuasiveness in oral and written communications. Skill in negotiating highly complex subject matters and in drafting legal opinions, policy guidance and nuanced contractual language. Ability to effectively, professionally, and ethically manage a heavy caseload of clients with complex legal needs. Qualification Requirements: The following minimum qualification requirements must be met before applicants are eligible for further consideration: Education Requirements: Position requires the possession of the first professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.) AND a member in good standing with the highest court of a State, U.S. commonwealth, U.S. territory, or the District of Columbia. Applicants for initial appointment into attorney positions within the Department of Army must be graduates of law schools accredited by the American Bar Association at the time of the applicant's graduation. As indicated below, a law school transcript must be submitted with your application materials. Bar Membership: Applicants must currently be a member in good standing (as defined by the pertinent bar) of the bar of the highest court of a State, U.S. territory, the District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. As noted below, proof of such membership and good standing must be submitted with your application materials. Experience: In addition to the requirements above, applicants for the DJ-4 or equivalent Attorney positions must also possess 3 years of professional legal experience, acquired after being admitted to the bar, commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position. Graduation from an ABA-Accredited Law School in the top 25% of the class or an advanced law degree such as an LLM may substitute for one year of the required professional legal experience. Time in Grade: The Qualifying Authorities (QA's) will make a determination as to the applicability of time in grade based on the requirements of the position. If you are currently employed as an attorney by the Federal government you must have completed one year at the next lower grade level within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement, or previously served at the same or higher grade level as the position being filled. NOTICE OF VETERAN'S PREFERENCE: There is no formal rating system for applying veteran's preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of the Defense considers veterans' preference eligibility a positive factor for attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., DD Form 214, "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty") to their submissions. Although the point-preference system is not used, applicants eligible to claim a 10-point preference must submit a Standard Form (SF) 15, "Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference", and supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed. The SF 15 will identify the supporting documentation required along with the list of the types of 10-point preference. The SF 15 is available from the OPM at https://www.gsa.gov/portal/forms/type/sf/.

Education

Only degrees from an accredited college or university recognized by the Department of Education are acceptable to meet positive education requirements or to substitute education for experience. For additional information, please go to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and U.S. Department of Education websites at http://www.opm.gov/qualifications and http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html.

Contacts

• Address BB-APF-W03JAA USA MED RESEARCH AND DEV CMD DO NOT MAIL Frederick, MD 21702 US
• Name: Army Applicant Help Desk