Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration is Hiring a Senior Attorney Advisor (Presiding Official) Near Washington, DC

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 (48 months) 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.

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.

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.

Responsibilities:

As an Attorney Advisor, 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.
• Handle 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 hazardous materials activities, including the administrative prosecution of enforcement cases, and the ability to analyze, interpret, and apply laws, regulations, orders, court decisions, and other legal documents. The candidate must have superior research, analytical, writing, and oral communication skills. The candidate should have expert knowledge of the Administrative Procedure Act, the Department of Transportation regulations governing ethical and other conduct, the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and the Federal Rules of Evidence, and other applicable Federal statutes and Executive Orders.  Expertise with the Federal Pipeline Safety Statutes and Regulations and the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 is also desired. The candidate must execute all tasks efficiently and with minimal need for re-work or revision by supervisors and renders legal advice and support in circumstances which allow for minimal or no specific direction or material information from supervisors.

Job Summary