BUREAU OF ALCOHOL, TOBACCO, FIREARMS AND EXPLOSIVES
OFFICE OF THE CHIEF COUNSEL
GENERAL ATTORNEY
GS-905-12/13/14
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA
Who May Apply: Applications will be accepted from all qualified U.S. citizens. You need not be a current or former Federal employee to apply; however, you must be a U.S. citizen.
About the Office: The Office of the Chief Counsel (Firearms, Explosives and Arson Division) supports the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) by providing legal advice to personnel of ATF located in Martinsburg, West Virginia.
Responsibilities and Opportunity Offered: The incumbent serves as a legal advisor to ATF personnel located in Martinsburg, West Virginia, by providing legal advice relating to the agency’s enforcement of the Federal laws relating to firearms, explosives and arson. Specifically, the incumbent provides legal advice on classifications of firearms under the Federal firearms laws; on importation of firearms, ammunition, and defense articles under the import provisions of the Federal firearms laws; on relief from disabilities under the Federal explosives laws; on issues relating to licenses and permits issued under the Federal firearms and explosives laws; and on various provisions of the National Firearms Act.
In addition, the incumbent drafts and reviews legislation; reviews the agency’s rulemaking documents and rulings; prepares legal opinions relating to the firearms and explosives laws; and provides written and verbal legal advice. The incumbent is a member of the Firearms, Explosives & Arson Division, reporting to the Associate Chief Counsel (Firearms, Explosives & Arson).
Required Qualifications: All candidates for this position must possess a J.D. degree and be an active member in good standing of the bar (any state or territory or the District of Columbia) AND have at least 1 full year of specialized experience as a practicing attorney (equivalent to the next lower level in the Federal service for the grade level applied for).
Preferred Qualifications: Specialized experience is experience which has equipped the candidate with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to successfully perform the duties of this position. For example, specialized experience is experience with the Federal firearms and explosives laws, experience with administrative law or criminal law, experience with Federal rulemaking, or experience with the Federal legislative process. Superior analytical, written, and communication skills are highly desirable.
Travel: Occasional travel is required.
Salary Information:
GS-12 - $69,764 to $90,698
GS-13 - $82,961 to $107,854
GS-14 - $98,033 to $127,442
Promotion Potential: GS-15
Location: Martinsburg, West Virginia
Relocation Expenses: Payment of travel and relocation expenses is not authorized and will not be paid.
Submission Process and Deadline Date: All basic applications and resumes must be submitted on-line. Send any additional required supplemental documentation following the “Faxing Supporting Documentation” instructions in the USAJOBS Vacancy Announcement (09-MER-001-MGT) which will provide you the necessary cover sheets for each of your documents so that they will be correctly submitted to the appropriate vacancy announcement. The fax number will be available on the cover sheet.
Applications must be received by November 21, 2008, the closing date of this announcement.
If you have questions or are unable to submit your application through USAJOBS, please contact: Marge Tangenberg at 202-648-8839.
NOTE: To prevent being locked out of Quikhire, which is geared to accept only Competitive Service applicants, please follow the instructions below:
When responding to the Core Questions in the USAJOBS Vacancy Announcement in Step 2 of the application process, QUESTION #5, please select - DOJ (ATF). Since this position is in the EXCEPTED SERVICE, under QUESTION #8, please select - COMPETITIVE APPOINTMENT.
Internet Sites: www.atf.gov (Use this internet sites to access the on-line application)
Other attorney vacancy announcements can be found at:
http://10.173.2.12/oarm/attvacancies.html and
http://www.usdoj.gov/oarm/attvacancies.html
Department Policies: The Department of Justice cannot control further dissemination and/or posting of information contained in this vacancy announcement. Such posting and/or dissemination is not an endorsement by the Department of the organization or group disseminating and/or posting the information.
The U.S. Department of Justice is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer. Except where otherwise provided by law, there will be no discrimination because of color, race, religion, national origin, politics, marital status, disability, age, sex, sexual orientation, membership or nonmembership in an employee organization, or on the basis of personal favoritism. The Department of Justice welcomes and encourages applications from persons with physical and mental disabilities.
The Department is firmly committed to satisfying its affirmative obligations under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, to ensure that persons with disabilities have every opportunity to be hired and advanced on the basis of merit within the Department of Justice. This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
It is the policy of the Department to achieve a drug free workplace and persons selected for employment will be required to pass a drug test which screens for illegal drug use prior to final appointment. Employment is also contingent upon the completion and satisfactory adjudication of a background investigation. Only U.S. citizens are eligible for employment with the Executive Office for Immigration Review. Unless otherwise indicated in a particular job advertisement, non U.S. Citizens may apply for employment with other organizations, but should be advised that appointments of non U.S. Citizens are extremely rare; such appointments would be possible only if necessary to accomplish the Department's mission and would be subject to strict security requirements. Dual citizens of the U.S. and another country will be considered on a case by case basis.
There is no formal rating system for applying veterans’ preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of Justice considers veterans’ preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring.