Attorney-Advisor (General)

Closing Date: 14th September, 2026

Description:

Summary:
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), Office of Inspector General (OIG), is seeking a highly qualified Attorney-Advisor to provide expert legal counsel on complex and sensitive matters. The incumbent will report to a Supervisory Attorney- Advisor and support OIG programs by delivering timely advice, ensuring compliance with applicable laws and regulations, and advancing the OIG's mission to detect and prevent fraud, waste, and abuse.

Duties:
As an Attorney-Advisor, you will be responsible for:

• Providing authoritative guidance legal advice and services relating to audits, evaluations, investigations, and other products from SBA-OIG components.
• Providing expert legal advice and guidance on complex cases or legal issues in one or more fields, including civil, criminal, and administrative law and procedure; ethics law; appropriations law; procurement law; legislative affairs; information disclosure law (FOIA/Privacy Act); and employment and labor law.
• Serving as a principal legal advisor on a full range of SBA-OIG programs, operations, policies, and legal interpretations, ensuring legal sufficiency and consistency with applicable laws, regulations, and OIG objectives.
• Providing legal advice to executive and senior leadership and representing or supporting the OIG in presenting legal positions before administrative or judicial bodies, congressional staff, or other external entities, as appropriate.
• Resolving complex factual and legal issues by conducting comprehensive legal analysis, developing innovative legal strategies, preparing authoritative legal opinions and recommendations, and advising leadership on matters with significant organizational or government-wide impact.
• The incumbent is expected to work independently in formulating legal advice and work products.

Requirements:
Conditions of Employment:

• You must be a U.S. Citizen
• You must successfully complete a background investigation.
• You may be required to serve a one-year probationary period.
• You must possess a J.D., LL.B., and/or LL.M professional law degree.
• You must be an active member of the bar in good standing.

Qualifications:
In order to qualify for this position, your resume must demonstrate sufficient specialized experience to perform the duties of this position. Your resume is the key means we have for evaluating your skills, knowledge, and abilities, as they relate to this position. Therefore, we encourage you to submit a thorough resume that directly relates to this position.

Specialized Experience Statement
GS-12: Applicants must possess a J.D., LL.B., and/or LL.M professional law degree from an American Bar Association accredited law school, be an active member of the bar in good standing (any jurisdiction), meet the GS-11 requirements, and possess at least 1 year of professional legal experience after admission to the bar at a level of difficulty comparable to the GS-11 level including activities such as: (1) conducting legal research of policies, regulations, and/or compliance questions, including researching legal precedent; (2) drafting briefs, motions, or other legal documents; and (3) making oral presentations of legal research/analysis, OR received a Scientiae Juris Doctor degree (Doctor of Juridical Science degree).

GS-13: Applicants must possess at least 3 years of professional experience after admission to the bar, including at least ONE YEAR of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the GS-12 level in the Federal service or non-Federal service in the Freedom of Information Act/Privacy Act; ethics, whistleblower matters or legislative affairs and experience in ONE of the following legal areas: criminal or administrative investigations and procedure, federal grants or acquisitions, audits, or appropriations law.

GS-14: Applicants must possess at least 4 years of professional experience after admission to the bar, including at least ONE YEAR of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the GS-13 level in the Federal or non-Federal service in the Freedom of Information Act/Privacy Act; ethics, whistleblower matters or legislative affairs and experience advising on TWO of the following legal areas: criminal, civil or administrative investigations and procedure, federal grants or acquisitions, audits, or appropriations law.

Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook (https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0900/general-attorney-series-0905/) of General Schedule Positions.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g. Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g. professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

All qualification requirements must be met by 11:59 pm (Eastern Time) on 09/14/2026.

Education:
You must meet the minimum basic educational requirements for Attorney Advisor positions. Education requirements include: a professional law degree J.D., LL.B., and/or LL.M.

Additional Information:
Reasonable Accommodation Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a reasonable accommodation in your online application. Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a Reasonable Accommodation, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments (https://appsupport-usastaffing.opm.gov/hc/en-us/articles/45063284835091-Requesting-an-accommodation)

Career and InterAgency Career Transition Assistance Programs: Are programs that applies to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) is a program that helps "surplus" or "displaced" federal employees improve their chances of finding a new job in their current agency (intra-agency, i.e. SBA employees only).

Inter-Agency Career Transition Assistance (ICTAP) is a program that helps "surplus" or "displaced" federal employees improve their chances of finding a new job at another agency (inter-agency; i.e. not applying to their current or former agency).

You are eligible for CTAP/ICTAP if:

• You are a current federal employee who meets the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee meaning you have received official notice that your job is no longer needed or that you will lose your job by Reduction-in-Force (RIF).
• Your agency, or the agency to which you are applying, is accepting applications from within or outside of the permanent workforce.
• The position to which you are applying MUST BE in the Local Commuting Area of the position of record from which you are being displaced.
• You meet the qualifications and other requirements of the job for which you are applying. This includes being rated as well-qualified for the position (score of 85 or better based on your responses to the competencies and associated questions listed within the assessment).

Additional Information:
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits: