Supervisory Attorney-Advisor (Labor)

Closing Date: 16th June, 2023

Description:

Summary:
The Associate General Counsel serves as a senior counsel, performing complex employee representation investigations and recommending representation determinations, providing technical advice to and reviewing the work of less senior staff members, carrying out or managing assigned projects, initiatives, or specialized legal functions, and acting as General Counsel in the General Counsel's absence.

Duties:
Assigns and reviews the work on non-supervisory staff in the Office of Legal Affairs, approves leave, evaluates work performance, prepares performance standards and ratings, provides advice and instruction to employees.

Recommends appointment, promotion, or reassignment of staff employees, hears and resolves complaints from employees and when necessary refers more serious unresolved complaints to the General Counsel.

Effects minor disciplinary measures, such as warning and reprimands and identifies developmental and training needs of employees, provides or arranges for needed development and training.

Conducts or oversees the conduct of investigations into representation disputes, carrying out a full range of investigative activities including initial examination, of applications and case files; conferences with representatives of the applicants and carriers; obtaining access to carrier records to determine voter eligibility in the various crafts or classes; examination of authorization cards, preparing and correcting eligibility lists; preparing election notices; responding to inquiries in connection with an election; conduction elections and obtaining ballot counts; and determining the results. Depending on the size of the election, may be assisted by other staff members or mediators. On occasion may hearings on representation matters and may investigate allegations of election interference.

Manages or carries our assigned projects, initiatives, or specialized legal functions. These include, but are not limited to, researching legal questions and preparing legal opinions, investigating allegations of employee misconduct, developing or revisiting policies and procedures, researching posibilities for technological innovation, supporting Presidential Emergency Boards, or assisting in litigation. From time to time, cooperates as a participant in projects involving other departments.

As a senior attorney in a collaborative environment, in the mode of coaching, counseling, and developing others, selectively provides technical advice and assistance to less senior staff attorneys. Comments on draft determinations prepared by others and engages constructively in staff conferences.

Participates with the General Counsel in developing program goals, plans, and strategies, and acts as a confidential sounding board to the General Counsel in the management of the Office of Legal Affairs. At the direction of the General Counsel, performs other selected managerial functions in support of the General Counsel.

Requirements:
Conditions of Employment:

• US Citizenship is required.
• Suitable for Federal employment, determined by background investigation.
• Direct Deposit of pay is required.
• Selective Service registration required for male applicants, unless exempt.

Qualifications:
All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Qualifying experience may be obtained in the private or public sector. 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. Qualifying education must have been obtained from an accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Basic Requirement: All applicants must possess the following

• J.D. or LL.B. degree --And--
• Active membership of the bar in good standing in any state, territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the commonwealth of Puerto Rico. (Note: proof of bar membership will be required before entry on duty.

• 5 years of professional legal experience of which three years must have been in the labor relations field or other public employment law field.
• Or
• Combination of professional legal experience and education.

Professional legal education beyond the first professional law degree may be substituted for professional legal experience as follows:

• The second professional law degree (LL.M.) which requires one full year of graduate study may be substituted for one year of professional legal experience.
• The third professional law degree (S.J.D.) may be substituted for an additional year of professional legal experience.
Or

For the GS-15 you must possess a highly substantive knowledge of the Railway Labor Act (RLA) or Nationals Labor Relations Act (NLRA) or other state or federal labor relations statues gained through practice under those statues? This experience must also demonstrate analytical ability, including the ability to deal with complex issues in an orderly and systematic manner as well as assess the practical implications of alternative solutions to complex issues, the ability to recognize, interpret and apply applicable policies, regulations, precedents, and statutory guidelines, skill in oral communications, which are required to present sensitive recommendations to the Board and to effectively represent the Board before the public and the industry.

Applicants must carefully review the information in the "How You Will Be Evaluated" section for important information and instructions pertaining to the multi-hurdle assessment process for this position.

Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.

Education:
If qualifying based on Education you Must provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: (1) official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all of your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement.

Only education from institutions which are accredited or preaccredited/candidate for accreditation may be used to meet education requirements.

Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

Additional Information:
Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA 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 RA, please review the Procedures for RA for Online Assessments here (https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire).

Career Transition Assistance Programs: CTAP/ICTAP provides placement assistance to permanent Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated. To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, applicants must be well-qualified (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements), score at least 85 on the assessment questionnaire, and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry. Please refer to Required Documents section for additional details. For information on CTAP and ICTAP visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/federal-employees/career-transition/

Telework Suitability:
The duties of this position are suitable for occasional telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval and if they meet the eligibility criterion in the 2010 Telework Act (https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-111hr1722enr/pdf/BILLS-111hr1722enr.pdf).

Stipulations of Employment:

• Selection may require completion of a 1-year probationary period.
• Selection may require completion of a 1-year supervisory or managerial probationary period.
• This position is subject to a negative drug test prior to entrance on duty, and random drug testing while you occupy the position.

If selected, you will be required to file a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450).

Work Schedule:
This position allows for a flexible work schedule.

Miscellaneous:
NMB uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit http://www.uscis.gov/e-verify.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Alternate_Application_Information


Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

For Category Rating: Once the application and assessment process are complete, qualified candidates will be assigned to a quality category. The category assignment is a measure of the degree in which your background matches the competencies required for this position. The categories for this announcement are defined as: Best-Qualified and Qualified. Your resume and supporting documentation will then be used to determine if you are qualified for this job. If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job.

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the Assessment Questionnaire and any additional assessment required for this position. If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. If you are found to be among the top candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.

You will be evaluated for this job based on:

• The experience listed in your resume and how well you meet the experience listed in the qualification section of announcement and the competencies listed.
• On-line job Assessment Questionnaire

Required Documents:
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
Your Resume listing work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment mm/yy and duties performed.

• College transcript(s), if qualifying based on education or if this position has a basic education requirement
• Veterans' Preference documentation, if applicable (e.g. DD-214 Member Copy 4 showing type of discharge/character of service, SF-15 Form and related documentation, VA letter, etc.)
• Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program Documentation: If you are applying under CTAP or ICTAP, you MUST submit proof of eligibility under 5 CFR 330.602(a) for CTAP and 5 CFR 330.704 for ICTAP. This includes a copy of the agency notice, a copy of your most recent performance rating, and a copy of your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) showing your position, grade level, and duty location. Please annotate your application to reflect that you are applying as a CTAP or ICTAP eligible
• Cover Letter, optional

It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted prior to the closing date of the announcement.

Career Transition Assistance Programs: CTAP/ICTAP provides placement assistance to permanent Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated. Applicants claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility must submit a copy of their most recent performance appraisal, proof of eligibility, and most current SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with their application. To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, applicants must be well-qualified (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements), score at least 85 on the assessment questionnaire, and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry. For information on CTAP and ICTAP visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/federal-employees/career-transition/

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply:
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section of this vacancy.

The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date to receive consideration.

• To begin, click Apply Online to access an online application. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account or you may need to create a new account.
• You will be taken to an online application. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the application.
• You will receive an email notification when your application has been received for the announcement.
• To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Application Status page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and your responses submitted to the online application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
• You may preview the Assessment Questionnaire at: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11985980

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