Position (1-year, renewable): Attorney-Advisor with NOAA Southwest Section (Long Beach, CA) (Deadline: May 22, 2013)

A very interesting opening at NOAA General Counsel's Office' Southwest Section, Long Beach office. It seems to be essentially an entry-level position.  Note the short deadline - May 22, 2013 - and that the application must be submitted to the NOAA General Counsel Office, apparently through a special email address listed in the job ad (see below).

For a direct link to the job posting on USA Jobs, see

https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/343777000

National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration

Job Title:          Attorney-Advisor, Southwest Section, GS-0905-12

Department:   Department Of Commerce

Agency:           National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Job Announcement Number:  SO-OGC-2013-0007

SALARY RANGE:          $76,644.00 to $99,636.00 / Bi-weekly

OPEN PERIOD:                        Thursday, May 16, 2013 to Wednesday, May 22, 2013

SERIES & GRADE:        GS-0905-12

POSITION INFORMATION:      Competitive: Excepted Service - Full-Time Term for 13 months with the option to extend up to four years.

PROMOTION POTENTIAL:  13

DUTY LOCATIONS:      1 vacancy in Long Beach, CA

WHO MAY APPLY:       All qualified United States citizens.

JOB SUMMARY:

NOAA! Join a dedicated workforce committed to a vital mission: safeguarding the public, protecting natural resources, strengthening the economy.  A career that makes a world of difference!

An exciting opportunity is now available to be part of a team of attorneys with the NOAA General Counsel's Southwest Section in Long Beach, California. This office is responsible for advising NOAA regarding ocean fishery conservation and management as well as protection of threatened and endangered anadromous and marine species and marine mammals off the Pacific Coast, particularly California.  NOAA is a premier environmental agency located within the Department of Commerce and employs over 12,000 individuals nationwide.  The agency's mission is to conserve and manage coastal and marine resources and to understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment to meet the Nation's economic, social and environmental needs.  For more information see www.noaa.gov.  The NOAA Office of the General Counsel employs approximately 114 attorneys nationwide who provide legal advice to the NOAA Under Secretary and the agency's constituent line offices.  The Southwest Section, located in Long Beach, California, is a unit of the NOAA Office of the General Counsel with 10 attorneys, a paralegal, and an administrative support professional.  For more information, see www.gc.noaa.gov. 

Please do not apply to this position through USAJobs.  All documentation must be sent to GCSouthwest.vacancy@noaa.gov for further consideration.

KEY REQUIREMENTS

Applicant must successfully complete a background security investigation.

Some domestic and foreign travel required.

Position is in the excepted service.

Registered for Selective Service, if applicable (www.sss.gov)

Applicant must complete a one-year probation period.

Applicant must be a U.S. citizen to qualify for this position.

DUTIES:

The attorney selected will be expected to provide legal advice to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) on issues related to conservation and recovery of protected resources under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the Federal Power Act, and related federal administrative laws.  For example, the attorney will provide legal advice on designation and release of experimental populations, listing determinations, consultations, permits, habitat conservation plans and fishway prescriptions and all supporting environmental analyses related to these actions.  The attorney will also provide advice regarding related statutes, including the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA), National Historical Preservation Act, and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).  The attorney will coordinate with other lawyers, policy makers, and technical staff within NOAA and interact with other Federal agencies (e.g., Department of the Interior and Department of Justice), applicants, industry groups, public interest organizations.  The attorney will report to the Deputy Chief, Southwest Section.

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:

Candidates for this position should have at least two years of experience as an attorney practicing in the area of Federal or state environmental law, preferably the Endangered Species Act, or the Federal Power Act, and related statutes and regulations.  Applicants also should have experience with laws, policies and procedures governing Federal agencies, including the APA, NEPA, and FOIA.

Applicants must have a demonstrated ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing and to identify and resolve complex legal issues.  Applicants also must demonstrate the ability to manage large projects independently, assimilate large amounts of materials quickly, balance a large and diverse workload, and work effectively in a team with other attorneys and support staff.

Significant academic achievement in law school (such as graduation in top third of class, graduation with honors, significant judicial clerking experience, or participation in moot court or law review) will be favorably considered.

Applicants must have a J.D. from an accredited law school, and be an active member in good standing of a state bar or the bar of the District of Columbia.

You must have a J.D. degree from a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association.

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

For more information about the qualifications requirements for this position: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0900/general-attorney-series-0905/

HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:

Applicants will be evaluated based on the Qualifications described above.  Please be advised that NOAA Attorney positions are in the Excepted Service.  As such, these positions are not covered by the usual civil service hiring procedures.  There is no numerical rating system through which to apply veterans preference; however, the NOAA Office of the General Counsel considers veterans preference eligibility as a positive factor in hiring.  Applicants eligible for veterans preference are encouraged to include that information in their cover letter or resume, and to attach supporting documentation (e.g., the DD-214 or other substantiating documents) to their submissions.

BENEFITS:

NOAA offers a comprehensive benefits package. Explore the benefits offered to most Federal employees at http://www.usajobs.gov/ResourceCenter/Index/Interactive/Benefits#icc

OTHER INFORMATION:

NOAA GC will not pay relocation expenses or moving costs.

HOW TO APPLY:

Application may be made by sending a resume, and cover letter to Octavia Saine, NOAA Office of the General Counsel, Herbert C. Hoover Office Building, 14th & Constitution Ave., NW, Suite A100, Washington, DC or by e-mail to: GCSouthwest.vacancy@noaa.gov.  Applications must be emailed or postmarked by May 22, 2013.  Please email your application material to the email address or mailing address provided in this vacancy announcement.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:

A complete application consists of the following:  *Resume showing relevant experience; cover letter optional.  Your resume must indicate your citizenship, and if you are registered for Selective Service if you are a male born after 12/31/59.  Your resume should also list your educational and work experience including the dates (mm/dd/yy) of each employment along with the number of hours worked per week.  For work in the Federal Service, please include the grade level for the position9s).  *Education.  If this position requires proof of higher education, you must submit an unofficial transcript or a list of courses that includes the following information:  name of accredited institution, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned.  Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements.  Please refer to:  http://www.opm.gov/qualificatons/policy/ApplicationsOfStds-04.asp for more information.  Special Instructions for Foreign Education:  Qualifying education from colleges and universities in foreign countries must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities.  Applicants educated in whole or in part in foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree.  A listing of these accredited organizations can be found on the Department of Education’s website- http://www2.edd.lgov/students/prep/college/diplomamills/diploma-mills.html#foreigncredential

You must provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course by course listing along with your application.  Failure to provide such documentation when requested will result in lost consideration.

AGENCY CONTACT INFO:

Octavia Saine
Phone: 202-482-4080
Fax: 202-482-4893
Email: octavia.saine@noaa.gov

Agency Information:
NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION
NOAA, OGC
14th & Constitution Avenue, NW
Suite A100, Room A123
Washington, DC
20230
US
Fax: 202-482-4893

WHAT TO EXPECT NEXT:

Applicants will not be notified that their application has been received. Interviews may be arranged at the discretion of NOAA for those subject to further consideration based upon qualifications.