Attorney-Adviser (General)

Duties

The following are the duties of this position at the GS-15. If you are selected at a lower grade level, you will have the opportunity to learn to perform all these duties, and will receive training to help you grow in this position.

• Completes highly sensitive assignments to include providing legal support to the Treasury Department and FinCEN national security and law enforcement mission involving Top Secret/SCI information and/or materials. Advises senior Treasury Department leadership including the Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, the General Counsel, and the Deputy General Counsel(s) regarding matters involving FinCEN authorities and/or mission involving materials or information.
• Reviews and evaluates FinCEN administrative actions involving material or information, as well as coordinates with the Department of Justice in connection with any litigation or other legal proceedings involving such matters. Coordinates with FinCEN partners to include the Treasury Department; federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies; members of the Intelligence Community; the White House; the National Security Council; etc. regarding FinCEN authorities or any FinCEN actions.
• Conducts legal research and provides legal and practical conclusions in the form of oral advice, briefings, presentations, and legal decision memoranda on extremely complex and difficult factual, legal, and policy issues. Analyzes, interprets, and applies statutes, regulations, court decisions, Departmental precedents, FinCEN policies, and technical publications involving many fields of law including: the Bank Secrecy Act; the detection and prevention of money laundering; countering the financing of terrorism; financial intelligence; financial criminal activity; national security law; contracts; appropriations and fiscal law; ethics; conflicts of law; Federal preemption of State law; Freedom of Information and Privacy Acts; the Federal Tort Claims Act; the Administrative Procedure Act; administrative law; personnel, labor relations and equal employment opportunity (EEO); procurement; and constitutional law.
• Prepares or reviews proposed legislation, regulations, and policy issuances to ensure they conform to the substantive laws that they are intended to implement or interpret. Stays abreast of legislative and regulatory developments in Congress and other Federal agencies. Coordinates and disseminates information received from the Department and other sources so that relevant or affected FinCEN policies and precedents are identified, and, when necessary, harmonized with those of the Department.
• Oversees the review, coordination, and analysis of policy issues or legal cases related to the Office's mission that require extensive research and evaluation of laws, regulations, and various legal precedents necessary to protect the rights of the Government. Recommends a legal approach regarding long-standing problem where no precedent exists. Makes final determinations and advises key management officials throughout the agency on complex and highly controversial legal problems arising from FinCEN activities, within their specialty area(s).

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

The experience may have been gained in either the public, private sector or volunteer service . One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/day/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week on your resume.

Security Clearance : This position has been designated National Security Level IV, Special Sensitive and requires the incumbent to obtain and maintain eligibility for a Top Secret (TS) clearance with Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) access. Applicant must meet and continue to adhere to the requirements of a Tier 5 level background investigation. Failure to successfully meet these requirements will be grounds for termination. Continued employment with FinCEN is contingent upon satisfactory completion of the Tier 5 level background investigation, the results of which fully meet the FinCEN's special employment criteria. All employees are subject to satisfactory completion of periodic reinvestigation and a continuing life style in conformity with applicable national and FinCEN directives. Any unfavorable information developed during an investigation or other official inquiry may result in termination of employment in accordance with established security policies and procedures.

Key Requirements

• Please refer to "Conditions of Employment."
• Click "Print Preview" to review the entire announcement before applying.
• Must be U.S. Citizen or U.S. National

Qualifications

You must meet the following requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Specialized Experience for the GS-15 : You must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-14 grade level in the federal service. The expectation for selection for the GS-15 will be at least the following: 12 months of pertinent legal experience at the GS-14 (or equivalent). For this position, specialized experience is described as experience at the next lower grade (or equivalent) in the following areas of responsibility:

• Anti-money laundering; countering the financing of terrorism; economic sanctions; illicit finance; administrative law; corporate or contract law; ethics; intelligence law; international law; national security law; civil or criminal litigation; general law; or matters of similar scope and complexity.

Specialized Experience for the GS-14: You must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-13 grade level in the federal service. The expectation for selection for grade GS-14 will be at least the following: 12 months of pertinent legal experience at the GS-13 (or equivalent). For this position, specialized experience is described as experience at the next lower grade (or equivalent) in the following areas of responsibility:

• Anti-money laundering; countering the financing of terrorism; economic sanctions; illicit finance; administrative law; corporate or contract law; ethics; intelligence law; international law; national security law; civil or criminal litigation; general law; or matters of similar scope and complexity.

This experience may have been gained in either the public or private sector. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a pro-rated basis.

Education

Law Degree: Applicants mustbe a graduate of an accredited law school with a LL.B., J.D. or equivalent. The education generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. Refer to the OPM instructions .

Additional Information

To ensure compliance with an applicable preliminary nationwide injunction, which may be supplemented, modified, or vacated, depending on the course of ongoing litigation, the Federal Government will take no action to implement or enforce the COVID-19 vaccination requirement Safer Federal Workforce Task Force 2 pursuant to Executive Order 14043 on Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees. Therefore, to the extent a Federal job announcement includes the requirement that applicants must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 pursuant to Executive Order 14043, that requirement does not currently apply. Federal agencies may request information regarding the vaccination status of selected applicants for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as protocols related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.

Other Information

• We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies.
• This is a non-bargaining unit position.
• Relocation expenses: No.
• We offer opportunities for telework and flexible work schedules.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

• A one year probationary period may be required.
• Must successfully complete a background investigation.
• Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency.
• Have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer.
• If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so.
• Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9 . Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S.
• File a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report within 30 days of appointment and annually from then on.
• Submit to a drug test prior to your appointment and random drug testing while you occupy the position.
• Applicants may be required to provide a writing sample and/or performance ratings at a later stage in the evaluation process.

FinCEN offers flexible work schedules, 11 paid holidays, financial subsidies to employees who use public transportation to commute, in-house training, fitness center reimbursement, alternate work schedules (AWS) and telework opportunities, and eligibility for performance awards. FinCEN also offers attractive health, life, and long-term care insurance programs, and the employees' health insurance contributions are out of pre-tax dollars. Newer employees are covered by a three-tier retirement plan that includes a pre-tax retirement contribution program with matching funds or, as applicable, continuance in the Civil Service Retirement System. Learn more about Federal benefits programs at: https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/Pay_and_Benefits

All candidates will be considered regardless of their race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, protected genetic information, status of a parent, lawful political affiliation, marital status, physical/mental disability (if not a job factor), membership, non-membership in an employee organization, or any other non-merit factor. To file a complaint of discrimination, contact FinCEN, Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity on (703) 905-5052 or TDD (703) 905-3838 .