Summary The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), headed by the Administrator of PHMSA, is within the Department of Transportation, responsible for transportation-related programs, including hazardous materials safety and pipeline safety. This is a senior attorney-advisor, on the staff of the Chief Counsel, serving as a presiding official on pipeline safety enforcement cases, under the direct supervision of the Deputy Chief Counsel. Responsibilities As a Senior Attorney Advisor (Presiding Official), you will: Be responsible for maintaining case files and drafting high-quality administrative decisions that can withstand judicial review. Prepare draft final orders, decisions on a petition for reconsideration of any final order, drafts, and update Guidelines, perform legal analyses and research, conduct necessary conferences and consultations, prepare memoranda and opinions, and maintain continuing liaison with appropriate Office of Pipeline Safety staff. Be responsible for managing the case load of the office and achieve required timelines. Represent PHMSA in conferences with representatives of other Executive departments and agencies, industry, and the public regarding legal matters of interest. Handles difficult legal or factual questions where the impact of the case or legal problem has significant impact on protecting the public, property, and the environment from the risks associated with pipeline transportation. The ideal candidate must have strong enforcement and litigation experience and understand the legal and procedural aspects of the administrative prosecution of enforcement cases, and the ability to analyze, interpret, and apply laws, regulations, orders, court decisions, and other legal documents. Requirements Conditions of Employment This is an Excepted Service position. Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date. Required documents must be submitted by the closing date. You must be a U.S.Citizen and eligible for consideration. CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered for Selective Service. 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, section 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, section 263. GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CARD: This position involves travel. A government contractor-issued travel card will be issued and must be retained for official business only. TELEWORK ELIGIBILITY: This position may be eligible for occasional and/or regularly scheduled telework. The number of telework days approved will be determined by your immediate supervisor or manager following the agency’s telework policy and guidance. If participating in the telework program, you will be required to sign a telework agreement detailing agency telework policy requirements, working conditions, and expectations for the position. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE: The Ethics in Government Act of 1978 requires the applicant selected for this position to submit a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450) within 30 days of appointment and annually thereafter. Qualifications To qualify, your experience should include experience and education equal or equivalent to the following: GRADE 15 - A law degree, bar membership in good standing and at least 4 years of professional attorney experience. Experience in Pipeline safety law, administrative law, rulemaking, legislation, enforcement, litigation, and environmental law. Experience researching and analyzing legal issues and professional application of legal principles, precedents, and rulings. Experience presiding over hearings and writing legal decisions or opinions. Experience conducting briefings for and providing legal advice and assistance to executives and senior staff in carrying out the activities of their respective programs, at least 4 years (48 months) of professional attorney experience. 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: 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. 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. Problem Solving - Identifies and analyzes problems; weighs relevance and accuracy of information; generates and evaluates alternative solutions; makes recommendations. For all types of consideration, 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, and 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 How to Apply: To apply, please submit a cover letter, resume, law school transcripts, proof of bar membership, and a writing sample via email to: PHMSA.Attorney.Jobs@dot.gov no later than 11:59 pm (EST) on the closing date of the announcement. Please indicate that you are applying to the Presiding Official job vacancy. Incomplete applications will not be considered. This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if similar vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.