Assistant Counsel Position Available - Joint Region Marianas

Notice Number: #42-22
Location: Commander, Joint Region Marianas (CJRM); Piti, Guam
Closing Date: 3/23/2022 (11:59:59 PM (EST))
Command & Location: CNIC - Joint Region Marianas
Grade: GS-13/14
Job Type: Assistant Counsel

Position Description:
The Navy and Marine Corps team offers innovative, exciting and meaningful work linking military and civilian talents to achieve our mission and safeguard our freedoms. The Department of the Navy Office of the General Counsel has been serving the Department since 1941 and is committed to developing innovative legal solutions to the business and other challenges facing the Navy and Marine Corps to enhance the war fighting capability of the Naval Service. You will find our attorneys stationed across the United States and worldwide, working with Navy and Marine Corps personnel wherever the Department's business is conducted.

There is an anticipated vacancy for an attorney to serve as an Assistant Counsel within the Commander, Navy Installations Command (CNIC) Office of General Counsel (OGC). This position is located in Piti, Guam at the Joint Region Marianas, and reports directly to the Region Counsel who serves as legal advisor to the Commander, Joint Region Marianas. The Region Counsel reports to the CNIC OGC, Washington Navy Yard, Washington D.C., which is under the general supervision and coordination of the Department of the Navy (DON) OGC and provides legal services to CNIC and its Region activities.

CNIC’s mission is to provide consistent, effective, and efficient shore installation services and support to sustain and improve current and future Fleet readiness and mission execution. As an Echelon III command, JRM is one of the ten Navy Regions reporting to CNIC and executes CNIC mission by coordinating base operating support for Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps installations and activities located on Guam and throughout the Marianas Islands.

The JRM Counsel office is comprised of four attorneys, including the subject position, and one paralegal. Legal advice is provided on a full range of issues encountered by the clients, with a concentration in civilian personnel law (involving discipline of both appropriated fund and nonappropriated fund employees) and labor law including Merit Systems Protection Board and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission litigation, mediations, arbitrations, matters arising out of collective bargaining agreements, pre-litigation advice and services on matters involving EEO programs such as reasonable accommodation; environmental law; fiscal law (matters stemming from appropriated funds and non-appropriated funds); international law (within the context of the U.S. responsibilities under the Compacts of Free Association); business and commercial law involving the acquisition of supplies and services to include interagency agreements: real and personal property law; administrative law resulting from operations and responsibilities associated with operating military installations; ethics and standards of conduct; and, the law of information disclosure (Freedom of Information Act (FOIA /Privacy Act (PA) matters).

The successful candidate will be expected to perform the full range of OGC practice areas with primary duties of civilian personnel law (CPL) and labor law, environmental law, ethics and standards of conduct, and the law of information disclosure (FOIA/PA). The CPL and labor law practice includes: administrative employment litigation before the EEOC and the MSPB: federal court litigation involving CPL matters; advising on collective bargaining agreement matters including grievances and arbitrations; conducting training for CPL practitioners and clients; and, providing guidance and legal advice in disciplinary and pre-litigation matters. The position will be filled under the General Schedule (GS) at the GS-13, or GS-14 level depending on the qualifications of the successful applicant, and the needs of the office, and funding availability.

The position has a full performance level and potential promotion to GS-14. To be eligible for selection at the GS-13 level, the applicant must have in excess of two years of successful relevant legal experience.

To be eligible for selection at the GS-14 level, the applicant must have at least three and one-half years of successful legal experience. Pay retention may be offered to the selectee if the pay would otherwise be less.

Applicants will be evaluated on the following: (1) the depth, breadth and quality of their recent and relevant legal experience; (2) their research, analytical, oral, and written communication skills; (3) their interpersonal skills, including their ability to establish strong and effective attorney-client relationships; and, (4) their ability to work both independently and as part of a team; and, (5) their success contributing to a legal team/organization. Applicants must be willing to learn and acquire familiarity with all the relevant practice areas handled by the office in order to contribute to the office’s support of the clients. Experience with the DON OGC and DON OGC may be considered a plus. Applicants with a record of making significant contributions to the advancement of the DON OGC or equivalent Office of the General Counsel or Law Firm/Office beyond the day-to-day legal practice are desired.

The successful applicant must have graduated from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association; be an active member in good standing of the bar of the highest court of a State, U.S. Commonwealth, U.S. Territory, or the District of Columbia; and be admitted to practice before a state or federal court. U.S. Citizenship is a requirement of the position, and the successful applicant must be able to obtain and maintain a SECRET level security clearance. Occasional travel may be required.

Applicants should submit a cover letter and resume along with two legal writing samples that demonstrate analytical and/or advocacy abilities (NTE 10 pages each; portions of longer work products are acceptable); the two most recent performance appraisals with rating official narrative, if available; and the names and telephone numbers of at least three references (other than an applicant’s current supervisor) who may be contacted. A client reference is encouraged. The application should indicate the current federal grade (if applicable), salary requirements, and projected availability. Current federal employees must also provide a copy of their most recent SF-50. Applicants who have graduated from law school within the last five years must provide a copy of their law school transcripts including class rank. Please redact social security numbers from any submitted documents. Inquiries about the position or about living in Guam may be directed to the Region Counsel, Joseph P. Duenas at joseph.duenas@fe.navy.mil or at 1-671-349-5608 (DSN 315-349-5608) or 1-671-898-5969.

Hard copy applications are not being accepted. Electronic submissions in MS Word or individual Adobe ".pdf" format is required (no Adobe Acrobat merged portfolios or binders). Applications should ONLY be sent to CNIC_OGC_JOBS@us.navy.mil. Do not email applications to the POC for this vacancy announcement. This personnel notice will close on Wednesday, March 23, 2022 at 11:59:59 PM (EST). Completed applications must be received by the closing date and time to be considered.

If the successful applicant is not currently a member of the Department of the Navy Office of the General Counsel, processing of the hiring action can only commence after submission of those items identified in the "Instructions for New OGC Attorneys" (see Careers section of www.ogc.navy.mil).

COVID VACCINATION REQUIREMENT FOR FEDERAL EMPLOYEES PURSUANT TO E.O. 14043 IS CURRENTLY NOT BEING IMPLEMENTED OR ENFORCED To ensure compliance with an applicable nationwide preliminary injunction, the Department of the Navy will take no action to implement or enforce the COVID-19 vaccination requirement pursuant to Executive Order 14043. Therefore, the requirement that a federal employee must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or have received an approved vaccine exemption for religious or medical reasons does not currently apply. However, the Department of the Navy may request information regarding the vaccination status of individuals selected for employment for the purposes of implementing workplace safety protocols related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, quarantine etc. [DO NOT SUBMIT ANY INFORMATION REGARDING YOUR VACCINATION STATUS/PROOF OF OR REQUESTS FOR EXEMPTION WITH YOUR APPLICATION.]

NOTICE OF VETERANS' PREFERENCE There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of the Navy Office of the General Counsel considers veterans' preference eligibility a positive factor for attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must specifically claim such eligibility 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. (SF-15, which lists the types of 10-point preference and the required supporting documents, is available from the Office of Personnel Management Website at www.opm.gov.)

Not all veterans are preference eligible. For a summary of time periods, campaigns, and conditions that entitle an applicant to preference eligibility, please visit https://www.fedshirevets.gov/index.aspx, https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-ingovernment/unique-hiring-paths/veterans, and see the Veterans' Preference Advisor, operated by the Department of Labor at http://www.dol.gov/elaws/vets/vetpref/vetspref.htm.

The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy or gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor.


Reasonable Accommodation Links:
https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/disability-employment/reasonable-accommodations/

https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/disability-employment/hiring/#url=Schedule-AHiring-Authority


Legal and Regulatory Guidance Links:

Financial suitability Link:
https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/fair-and-transparent/financial-suitability/

Social security number request Link:
https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/fair-and-transparent/social-securitynumber/

Privacy Act Link:
https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/fair-and-transparent/privacy-act/

Signature and false statements Link:
https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/fair-and-transparent/signature-falsestatements/

Selective Service Link:
https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/fair-and-transparent/selective-service/

New employee probationary period Link:
https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/fair-and-transparent/probationary-period/

Relocation expenses may be paid, but are not guaranteed. If relocation expenses are a requirement, the applicant should state their requirement for this expense in the application package.

Permanent Change of Station (PCS) funding may be available to those eligible.