Sunday, December 22, 2013

Position: Attorney (General, Natural Resources Section), NOAA, Washington, DC (Deadline: Dec. 27, 2013)

Job Title:        Attorney-Advisor, (General) Natural Resources Section, GS-0905-13, 14, 15
Department: Department Of Commerce
Agency:         National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Job Announcement Number:        SO-OGC-2014-0002
SALARY RANGE:       $89,033.00 to $155,500.00 / Per Year
OPEN PERIOD:         Thursday, December 05, 2013 to Friday, December 27, 2013
SERIES & GRADE:    GS-0905-13/15
POSITION INFORMATION:                        Excepted Service Appointment - Full-Time - Permanent
PROMOTION POTENTIAL:
15
DUTY LOCATIONS:  1 vacancy in the following location:
Silver Spring, MD

WHO MAY APPLY:    All qualified United States Citizens.

JOB SUMMARY:
Unlock secrets in deep oceans, track rapidly moving storms, operate state-of-the-art environmental satellites, chart the Nation's waterways, formulate models to forecast climate trends, protect and preserve our living marine resources...it's all in a day's work at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (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 extraordinary opportunity is available to serve as an Attorney Advisor in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Office of the General Counsel (OGC).  The NOAA Office of General Counsel employs approximately 110 attorneys at headquarters in the Washington, DC area and in six regional sections.  The Office provides legal advice to the NOAA Administrator and NOAA program offices on a wide variety of legal issues including U.S. and International fisheries, marine mammals, and licensing of commercial satellites.  NOAA is a premier environmental agency located within the Department of Commerce and employs over 12,000 people 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 http://www.noaa.gov/.  
An opportunity is available to be part of a team of attorneys with the NOAA Office of the General Counsel's Natural Resources Section in Silver Spring, MD.  The Natural Resources Section provides legal guidance concerning NOAA's natural resource trustee responsibilities to the Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R) (part of the National Ocean Service) and the Restoration Center (part of the National Marine Fisheries Service).  NOAA is a natural resource trustee pursuant to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), the Oil Pollution Act (OPA) and the National Marine Sanctuaries Act (NMSA).  As a natural resource trustee, NOAA is responsible for accessing injuries to NOAA trust resources caused by the release of hazardous substances, the discharge of oil and/or physical impacts (e.g., vessel groundings in national marine sanctuaries) and seeking compensation from parties responsible for those injuries to natural resources.  This area of work is significant to NOAA'S mission of conserving and managing coastal and marine resources to meet the Nation's environmental needs.
The attorney will be based in Silver Spring, MD.  The NOAA General Counsel's Office, Natural Resources Section has 17 attorneys, and two support staff, located in Silver Spring, MD, St. Petersburg, FL, Gloucester, MA and Long, Beach, CA.  For more information see http://www.gc.noaa.gov/.
KEY REQUIREMENTS
·         Applicant must successfully complete a background security investigation.
·         Overnight domestic or foreign travel may be required.
·         Position is in the excepted service.
·         Must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable. www.sss.gov.
·         Applicant must complete a one year probation period.
·         Applicant must be a US citizen to qualify for this position.

DUTIES:
Duties include representing NOAA in matters relating to its natural resource trustee responsibilities under CERCLA, OPA and the NMSA and their implementing regulations and developing damage claims under those authorities. The position involves working with a team of NOAA scientists, natural resource economists and restoration experts to access the extent of injuries to NOAA trust impacts (within natural marine sanctuaries) and determine the types and amount of restoration necessary to address those injuries.  The workload of the attorney may include cases on both coasts of the county.  The duties of this position include, but are not limited to, assisting in the development of injury assessment work and the planning and implementation of early restoration projects including review of documents for OPA, CERCLA, NMSA and NEPA compliance; representing NOAA as a legal advisor at trustee meetings; and assisting with assessment study and restoration project specific legal issues such as chain of custody, document reservation requirements, memoranda of understanding, cost documentation, access agreements, easements, etc.  The NOAA attorney would work closely with the U.S. Department of Justice, other federal and state natural resource trustees, NGOs, state and industry representative.  The NOAA attorney must take into account U.S. and NOAA policies during the development of the damage claim and the implementation of natural resource restoration.
Please do not apply to this position through USAJobs.  All documentation must be sent to GCNaturalResources.vacancy@noaa.gov for further consideration.

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:
NOAA prefers applicants with experience working with federal environmental and conservation statutes.


You must have a J.D. degree from a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association.
NOAA seeks attorneys who have practiced law a minimum of four years with knowledge of federal environmental statutes and conservation laws, as well as laws and regulations governing Federal agencies, including the Administrative Procedure Act, the National Environmental Policy Act and the Freedom of Information Act.  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, judicial clerking experience, or participation in moot court or law review) or experience practicing environmental law will be favorably considered.
Applicants must have a J.D. from an accredited law school, and be an active member of a state bar or the bar of the District of Columbia.
Applicants must be U.S. citizens to qualify for this position.
Applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
For more information about the qualifications requirements for this: 
 http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-position: standards/0900/general-attorney-series-0905/
HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:
Applications will be evaluated based on the Qualifications described below. 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 Form-214 or other substantiating documents) to their submissions.

To preview questions please
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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:
Relocation or moving expenses will not be reimbursed.
NOAA participates in e-Verify.  E-Verify is an Internet based system operated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in partnership with the Social Security Administration (SSA) that enables participating employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their newly hired employees.
Applicants please send your application material only to the email address:
GCNaturalResources.vacancy@noaa.gov
 or by mail to Ocatavia Saine, Executive Officer, NOAA Office of the General Counsel, Herbert C. Hoover Office Building, 14th & Constitution Ave NW, Suite A100, Washington, DC 20230.
 

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: GCNaturalResources.vacancy@noaa.gov
Applications must be emailed or postmarked
 by December 27, 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 position(s).*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/qualifications/policy/ApplicationOfStds-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.ed.gov/students/prep/college/diplomamills/diploma-mills.html#foreign-credential. 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 G. Saine
Phone: 202-482-4080
 
Fax: 202-482-4893
Email: Octavia.saine@noaa.gov
Agency Information:
NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION
Department of Commerce, NOAA, OGC
14th & Constitution Ave, 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.


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