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Employer Information
Federal Emergency Management Agency Office of Chief Counsel
Amy Weinhouse, Deputy Associate Chief Counsel
500 C St SW
Washingtong Dc, District of Columbia 20024
Email: amy.weinhouse@fema.dhs.gov
Recruiting for office(s) in: Washington DC
Type of organization: Government
Job Title: Attorney-Advisor
FEMA OCC’s Resilience Legal Division (RLD) seeks a PFT GS-13/14 attorney to serve as primary legal advisor for the Floodplain Management Division as well as floodplain management functions across the agency and ancillary legal advisor to the Engineering and Modeling Division in the Risk Analysis, Planning & Information Directorate (RAPID) on flood risk identification, flood risk disclosure and related issues.
RLD is looking for an attorney who is a fast learner, adaptable, team player, and self-starter. Ideal candidates should have strong core legal skills; strong oral and written communication skills; and are comfortable working on a small team in a fast-paced environment with a diverse portfolio. The Floodplain Management Program is an essential component of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and the national unified approach to floodplain management and works with participating NFIP communities to ensure compliance with minimum program standards and enhanced mitigation initiatives, zoning and land use requirements, environmental compliance related to the NFIP, and disaster response and recovery issues.
This is an excellent opportunity for candidates looking for a long-term commitment on a great team.
DUTIES OF THE POSITION:
If selected, the attorney would work on the ERM legal team and be expected to:
• Be strategic (help our clients solve problems with a lasting impact);
• Be bold (give feedback and raise concerns with leadership, colleagues, and clients);
• Help the public and the nation become more resilient;
• Work collaboratively with ERM legal team members, other OCC divisions, and other federal agency attorneys;
• Engage directly with and advise political and Senior Executive Service client leadership;
• Attend and advise Floodplain Management and other clients on meetings or communications with the Department of Homeland Security, the Office of Management and Budget, and Congress;
• Collaborate with the FEMA Regions and field;
• Influence client outcomes to ensure legal sufficiency;
• Help maintain strong relationships with partners and stakeholders, including:
o DHS Office of General Counsel;
o DHS Office of the Inspector General; and
o State, local, tribal, and private sector stakeholders;
• Assist with legislative drafting and responses to inquiries from Congress;
• Maintain and organize legal advice, including through use of technology; and
• Provide training on relevant subject matter to internal and external stakeholders.
The RLD ERM team is small, but the responsibilities and breadth of issues are great: we support some of the most interesting and dynamic programs in FEMA — Floodplain management, Flood hazard identification, Hazard Mitigation Assistance grant programs such as Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC), Community Disaster Resilience Zones, the Dam Safety Program, the Individual and Community Preparedness Division, and more.
For the PFT GS-13/14 Attorney, the core portfolio will focus on floodplain management and related issues and the intersection with flood hazard identification and flood insurance. The attorney will review policies and guidance and support rulemaking efforts, liaising with several other legal divisions and program offices within FEMA.
Time period of employment: full time, ongoing
- Deadline to apply: 23 December 2024
- Anticipated start date:
- Response method(s): Email
- Materials requested: Résumé, Cover letter, Writing sample
Hiring criteria
Applicants must meet the qualifications requirements for the grade level to which they are applying by the closing date of this announcement.
Minimum Requirements include:
• U.S. Citizenship,
• Ability to successfully pass a background investigation (public trust),
• Ability to obtain and maintain a government travel card,
• Selective Service registration for males born after 12/31/59,
• A graduate of a law school accredited by the American Bar Association,
• Membership in good standing of the Bar of a State, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and
• Agreement with Every Employee is an Emergency Manager requirement.
Minimum Experience:
For the purposes of this announcement legal experience means experience in which the candidate’s job duties required the provision of legal advice or representation, and which required the candidate to be an active member in good standing of the Bar of any state or territory, or the District of Columbia.
You qualify for this position at the GS-13 level if you possess the following experience by the closing date of this announcement:
• Applicants must have at least two (2) years of full-time legal experience. Legal experience means experience in which the candidate’s job duties required the provision of legal advice or representation, and which required the candidate to be an active member in good standing of the Bar of any state or territory, or the District of Columbia.
• Applicants must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience that is directly related to the line of work of this position and that is at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to that of an attorney at the GS-12 level.
o Attorneys at the GS-12 level are relatively junior attorneys that perform substantive work on basic to moderately complex assignments; have solid writing skills, conduct original research, and demonstrate strong legal analysis; have effective communication skills; contribute to decisions about legal strategy; serve primarily as assistants on cases and matters managed by higher grade attorneys; and require less supervision and produce work product that generally requires less review than attorneys at a GS-11 level.
You qualify for this position at the GS-14 level if you possess the following experience by the closing date of this announcement:
• Applicants must have at least three (3) years of full-time legal experience. Legal experience means experience in which the candidate’s job duties required the provision of legal advice or representation, and which required the candidate to be an active member in good standing of the Bar of any state or territory, or the District of Columbia.
• Applicants must have at least two (2) years of specialized experience that is directly related to the line of work of this position, which has equipped the applicant with knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. At least one of the two years of specialized experience must be at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to that of an attorney at the GS-13 level.
o Attorneys at the GS-13 level are mid-level attorneys that perform substantive work on moderately complex, novel, or significant matters; have excellent writing skills, conduct demanding legal analysis, draft and review motions, subpoenas, complaints, memoranda, and comparable legal documents; possess strong communication skills; contribute to tactical and legal policy decisions; be able to assume some supervisory role over legal interns, and GS-11/12 attorneys, or non-attorney staff on a project-specific basis; and require only moderate level of supervision or review of written work product.
Specialized experience for this position includes:
• Independently analyzing and interpreting federal and state statutes, regulations, and policies; Executive Orders; and judicial and administrative decisions in the course of rendering advice.
• Working in one or more of the following areas: floodplain management, flood hazard identification, land use, hazard mitigation, administrative law, fiscal law, grants management, environmental and historic preservation, disaster response and recovery, and emergency preparedness. Experience providing legal advice and/or representation on complex issues of floodplain management, flood hazard identification, land use, hazard mitigation, administrative law, fiscal law; procurement; grants management; environmental and historic preservation law, disaster response and recovery, and emergency preparedness.
At time of application, the applicant must submit a:
• Resume,
• Writing sample, and
• Cover letter explaining interest in the position and how experience will make them an outstanding Attorney-Advisor within FEMA’s Office of Chief Counsel (OCC), Resilience Legal Division, Environmental and Historic Preservation, Risk Management and Mitigation (ERM).
Prior to tentative job offer, the applicant must also provide:
• Proof of current bar admission
• Law school transcript from an American Bar Association accredited law school