Closing Date: 2nd October, 2026

Description:

Summary:
This position is in the Department of Transportation, Office of the Secretary, Office of the General Counsel, Office of Federal Financial Assistance, Acquisition, and Fiscal Law and will assist in the supervision and management of all legal matters related to the Department of Transportation's administrative operations, including fiscal issues, procurement matters, federal financial assistance, and innovative financing and public private partnerships.

Duties:
The Supervisory Attorney Advisor:
  • Assists the Assistant General Counsel for Federal Financial Assistance, Acquisition, and Fiscal Law in monitoring and overseeing the Federal Financial Assistance, Acquisition, and Fiscal Law activities of the Department.
  • Aids in the supervision of all aspects of work performed by the attorneys and administrative staff in the Office of Federal Financial Assistance, Acquisition, and Fiscal Law, as well as any temporarily assigned honors attorneys, law clerks, and interns. Under the supervision of the Assistant General Counsel for Federal Financial Assistance, Acquisition, and Fiscal Law, the Supervisory Attorney reviews and assigns projects, directs, and evaluates performance, acts on recommendations, furnishes advice and assistance, approves, or overrules proposed actions, and exercises all other appropriate supervisory functions.
  • Ensures that the Office of Federal Financial Assistance, Acquisition, and Fiscal Law renders effective legal advice and recommends the most appropriate way to develop or to implement new or amended departmental policies. The Supervisory Attorney is also responsible for ensuring that these policies are consistent with the intent of the law and are administratively sound, efficient, and economical in operation.
  • Performs legal research and analysis, conducts necessary conferences and consultations prepares memoranda and opinions and maintains continuing contact with Departmental officials and others affected to assure understanding of the legal and policy positions involved.
  • Renders expert written or oral counsel, opinions, or decisions on the legal aspects of matters within the purview of the Office of Federal Financial Assistance, Acquisition, and Fiscal Law.

The ideal candidate is highly motivated, self-reliant, and skilled individual willing to work in a challenging, fast-paced environment with experienced professionals committed to ensure that our nation has the safest, most efficient and modern transportation system in the world. This individual should have a keen interest in the broad range of legal issues involving the department's administrative operations including appropriations, fiscal law, acquisitions and federal financial assistance. The ideal candidate can handle multiple projects, cases, and issues simultaneously. The ideal candidate exercises a high degree of initiative and must be creative and imaginative in coping with exceptionally difficult legal and policy problems and must have the ability to set priorities in the exercise of assigned responsibilities.

Requirements:
Conditions of Employment:
  • Be a U. S citizen or a U. S. national.
  • Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date.
  • This is an Excepted Service position.
  • Required documents must be submitted by the closing date.

Conditions of Employment:
  • Selective Service: Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered for Selective Service.
  • Background Investigation: You may be required to complete a background/security investigation and meet preliminary requirements prior to onboarding.
  • Trial Period: This is an Excepted Service position. This job will be filled by an alternative hiring process and is not in the competitive service. Applicants selected for an excepted service position may be subject to a two-year trial period.
  • Ethics/Conflict of Interest Statement: All employees are subject to the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch, set out in Title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations, part 2635, including restrictions on owning financial interests that may conflict with performance of their duties. Some employees, like those involved in contracting or regulating non-Federal entities, are subject to Executive Branch Financial Disclosure requirements set out in Title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations, part 2634.
  • Government Travel Card: This position involves travel. A government contractor-issued travel card will be issued and must be retained for official business only.

Qualifications:
To qualify, your experience should include experience and education equal or equivalent to the following:
To qualify for the GS-15, you must have at least one year of experience equal to or equivalent to the GS-14, it must include:
  • Be a graduate of an accredited law school with a LL.B., J.D., or have completed a structured, multi-year apprenticeship under the supervision of a practicing attorney or judge equivalent.
  • Be an active member in good standing of the bar in a state or territory of the United States or the District of Columbia or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
  • Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas:
  • Legal, Government and Jurisprudence: Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, legal practices and documents, Government regulations, Executive orders, agency rules, Government organization and functions, and the democratic political process.
  • Administrative Law: Knowledge of state and Federal administrative laws, including procedures, regulations, guidelines, and precedents related to case preparation and settlements.
  • Compliance: Knowledge of procedures for assessing, evaluating, and monitoring programs or projects for compliance with Federal laws, regulations, and guidance.
  • Oral Communication: Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, considering the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.
  • Written Communication: Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience.

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.

For additional information about applying to Federal positions, please click on the following link: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-policies/#url=e4

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

Education:
Mandatory Education Requirements:
In order to qualify for this position, candidates must have successfully completed a full course of study in a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) and have a professional law degree, or have completed a structured, multi-year apprenticeship under the supervision of a practicing attorney or judge equivalent. Candidates must currently be a member in good standing of the bar of a State or Territory of the United States or the District of Columbia.

Additional Information:
As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 2-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 2-year trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Transportation and its Operating Administrations from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code 9202(c) (https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2022-title5/pdf/USCODE-2022-title5-partIII-subpartH-chap92-sec9202.pdf) and 5 C.F.R 920.201 (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-5/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-920/subpart-B/section-920.201), certain positions