General Attorney

Closing Date: 13th May, 2026

Description:

Summary:
The Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection (OAWP) is committed to ensuring accountability within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). OAWP was statutorily established by the VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017 (Accountability Act), P.L. 115-41, and its functions are codified under 38 U.S.C. 323.

Duties:
The Investigative Attorney provides legal advice and assistance to OAWP investigators, reviews investigative work-product, and assists in preparing reports of investigation and recommendations, including for disciplinary action against VA senior leaders and supervisors.

Legal Advice and Assistance: The incumbent provides thorough expert legal advice and assistance to OAWP investigators and staff related to the collection and documentation of facts, documents, witness testimony, and other information necessary to develop an evidentiary record. The incumbent readily identifies appropriate sources of information. The incumbent independently conducts extensive legal research and evaluation of various theories and subjects and applies such legal analysis to the facts obtained in the evidentiary record. The incumbent memorializes factual and legal analyses in various work products, including reports of investigation, correspondence, legal opinions, and memoranda.

The incumbent assists in preparing reports of investigation and recommendations, including for disciplinary action, pertaining to senior leader accountability and whistleblower retaliation matters. The incumbent ensures the reports of investigation are succinct, legally sufficient, cite all applicable law and evidence, and appropriately represent the facts gathered during the investigation. The incumbent works closely with OAWP investigators and staff as they prepare reports of investigation and recommendations and other work products. The incumbent advises OAWP investigators and staff on possible courses of action for complex and controversial issues, including legal and factual that may lack available precedent. These issues interpreting or applying statutes, regulations, rules, policies, contracts, comments, orders, decisions, opinions, and other legal instruments of importance to OAWP. The incumbent will provide legal support for and may complete complex, large scale, and multi-jurisdictional investigations and investigative reports involving numerous parties and multiple issues, including long-term and/or systemic problems.

Policy Development: The incumbent provides proactive, thorough expert legal advice and assistance to OAWP on establishing and revising standard operating procedures and policies related to OAWP investigations and related processes. The incumbent independently considers the importance of establishing or changing precedent as well as other considerations. These projects typically require multi-dimensional analyses. In developing these analyses, the incumbent displays an understanding of various considerations, such as policy and operational factors, and can incorporate such factors into analyses to assist OAWP in identifying appropriate courses of action.

Training: The incumbent develops and presents OAWP training, including on laws relating to administrative investigations, senior leader accountability, and whistleblower rights. The incumbent may assist OAWP with developing whistleblower rights and protections training for VA Administrations and Staff Offices. The incumbent must possess superior communication skills.

Performs other duties as assigned.

Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.

Work Schedule: Full-time - Required to work Monday through Friday with various tours available pending supervisory approval. May be subjected to change based on operational needs.

• Compressed/Flexible: May be authorized by supervisor
• Remote: This is a remote position
• Position Description/PD#:1571282
• Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: None
• Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements:
Conditions of Employment:

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• You may be required to serve a probationary or trial period
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
• Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents).
• Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a one year probationary period or two year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period one year probationary period or two year trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications:
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 05/13/2026.

Basic Requirements:All attorneys in the GS-0905 series must be active members in good standing of the bar of a state or territory of the United States or the District of Columbia and must hold a current, unrestricted license to practice law.