Job Description

The Department of the Navy (DON) Office of the General Counsel (OGC) invites qualified attorneys to apply for the position of Assistant/Associate Counsel, Naval Sea Systems Command . The position is located at the Washington Navy Yard in Washington, DC. Multiple vacancies may be filled under this announcement.

NAVSEA is responsible for the development, acquisition, and maintenance of the ships, shipboard systems, and ordnance of the DON. NAVSEA attorneys provide their clients with the full range of legal services assigned to DON OGC, including acquisition, civilian personnel, labor, environmental and occupational safety and health, intellectual property, ethics and standards of conduct, fiscal, and associated litigation in various forums. The anticipated vacancy is within the Systems Section, which is responsible for providing legal advice to officials on the acquisition of billions of dollars in weapons; warfare systems; unmanned vehicles; complex services; international acquisitions; diving, salvage and associated services; and fiscal law matters.

The successful candidate will manage an extensive and challenging portfolio of programs critical to the future of the DON, including counseling clients on the full range of government acquisition, ranging from Acquisition Category I programs to simplified acquisitions. The practice includes milestone decisions for major defense systems, acquisition planning, source selections, sole source awards, bid protests, and contract administration, including requests for equitable adjustment (REAs) and claims. The individual will address questions of fiscal law; interpret legislation, regulations, and policy guidance; and advise on matters of congressional or secretarial interest and industry inquiries.

POSITION OVERVIEW
- This position will be filled at the General Schedule (GS) GS-11, GS-12, GS-13, GS-14, and GS-15 or equivalent pay band. At the GS-15 level, this position will be filled at the NH-IV level within the Acquisition Workplace Personnel Demonstration Project (ACQDEMO).
- A relocation incentive may be available but is not guaranteed.
- Permanent Change of Station (PCS) funding may be available to eligible applicants but is not guaranteed.
- This Personnel Notice will close on July 14, 2025 at 11:59:59 PM Eastern Time. Complete application packages must be received by this closing date and time to be considered.

NOTICE OF VETERANS' PREFERENCE

There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of the Navy Office of the General Counsel considers veterans' preference eligibility a positive factor for attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must specifically claim such eligibility in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., Department of Defense (DD) Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty or other supporting documentation) to their submissions.

Although the point-preference system is not used, applicants eligible to claim a 10-point preference must submit a Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, and supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed. (SF 15, which lists the types of 10-point preference and the required supporting documents, is available from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) website at

Not all veterans are preference eligible. For a summary of time periods, campaigns, and conditions that entitle an applicant to preference eligibility, please visit OPM's Feds Hire Vets webpage, USAJOBS' Dedicated Veterans Website, and the Department of Labor's Veterans' Preference Advisor.

FAIR & TRANSPARENT

QUALIFICATIONS
At the time of application, you must:

- Have a Juris Doctorate (J.D.) from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association.
- Be admitted to, eligible to practice in, and an active member in good standing of the bar of the highest court of a State, U.S. commonwealth, U.S. territory, or the District of Columbia.
- Be a U.S. citizen able to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance.

GS-11 Qualifications

- At least one year of recent professional legal experience; or
- The second professional law degree (Master of Laws (LL.M.)), provided it required one full academic year of graduate study.
- If you are a recent law school graduate and/or have less than one year of professional legal experience, you must have superior law school credentials as demonstrated by: academic standing in the top third of your law school's graduating class, work or achievement of significance as a member of an official law review or journal, a special high-level honor for academic excellence, e.g., membership in the Order of the Coif, winning a moot court competition, membership on the law school's official moot court team, or other evidence of clearly superior accomplishment or achievement.

GS-12 Qualifications

- At least two years of recent professional legal experience at or equivalent to the GS-11 level; or
- The second professional law degree (LL.M.) plus one year of recent and relevant professional legal experience at or equivalent to the GS-11 level.

GS-13 Qualifications

- More than two years of recent and relevant professional legal experience commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position.

GS-14 Qualifications

- At least three-and-one-half years of recent and relevant professional legal experience commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position.

GS-15 Qualifications

- At least five-and-one-half years of recent and relevant professional legal experience commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position.

EVALUATION CRITERIA
You will be evaluated on:

- The depth, breadth, and quality of your experience in Acquisition;
- Your research, analytical, and communication skills (both oral and written);
- Your interpersonal skills, including your ability to establish effective attorney-client and professional relationships; and
- Your experience advising clients.

APPLICATION PACKAGE

You must submit:

• A cover letter that explains why you are interested in and qualified for the position. If applicable, you must include any requests for a relocation incentive or PCS funding in your cover letter.
• A current resume that shows relevant experience, including: Job titles (with GS level(s), if applicable);Dates of employment (month/year); and
  Bar membership, stating jurisdiction(s).
• Two brief legal writing samples (no more than 10 years old and no more than 10 pages each) that demonstrate analytical and advocacy abilities (excerpts of lengthier written work products are acceptable);
• Your two most recent performance evaluations (if unavailable, please explain); and
• The names, email addresses, and telephone numbers of at least three references, including a supervisor, who may be contacted.
• Current and former Federal employees must also provide a copy of their most recent Standard Form-50 (SF-50) showing title, series, grade, and current salary information (if unavailable, please explain). Do not submit SF-50s for performance awards.
• If you are not currently a member of DON OGC, you must also submit a copy of your law school transcript(s) for all legal degrees held, showing award of the degree, final GPA, and final class rank where available. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted, but official transcripts will be required before the applicant is selected.

Social security numbers and dates of birth should be redacted from all documentation submitted.

Send your application package electronically to usn.ncr.comnavseasyscomdc.mbx.NAVSEA-OGC-Vacancies@us.navy.mil . Include your surname and this Personnel Notice Number, 2025-004, in the subject line of your transmittal e-mail and in the file names of any attachments. Hard copy applications will not be considered.

Interested attorneys should contact Ms. Wendy Iaci at (202) 781-4176 or gwendolyn.a.iaci.civ@us.navy.mil for more information.

Interested attorneys who are not currently members of DON OGC should review the posting at for additional information.

The Department of Defense is currently under a hiring freeze, and exemption approval through the Secretary of the Navy may be required in order to finalize an appointment to this position.

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