Attorney Advisor (Managing Attorney)

Summary

The VCF is administered by a Special Master appointed by the Attorney General, with operational assistance provided by the Civil Division Torts Branch, and provides compensation for physical harm or death caused by the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, or the debris removal efforts in the immediate aftermath. The VCF compensates individuals (or a personal representative of a deceased individual) who were present at one of the three crash sites or in the VCF New York City Exposure Zone.

Duties

• The Managing Attorney is responsible for implementing the strategic direction and administrative functioning of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, Torts Branch, Civil Division, Department of Justice. The incumbent reports to, and functions as, the principal legal and administrative advisor to the VCF Special Master. The duties are heavily focused on organizational management, advising the Special Master on the development and implementation of strategic priorities and program-wide improvements, as well as high level problem solving. The incumbent handles a wide array of difficult and complex legal and other issues pertaining to the administration of a victim compensation program, and as such must be able to work with minimal supervision and superior executive/administrative skills. As a Attorney Advisor (Managing Attorney), GS-0905-15, your typical work assignments may include the following: Leading strategic initiatives on behalf of the Special Master, integrating legal, operational, policy and organizational priorities in alignment with the Special Master's objectives and directives; Establishing performance measures in alignment with HRD and other OPM directives, evaluating organizational effectiveness, and recommending corrective actions; Managing diverse and high-priority projects or tasks assigned directly by the Special Master; Serving as General Counsel and Advisor. Providing authoritative counsel to the Special Master on highly sensitive policy, operational, or resource-allocation matters. Provides legal advice/input on statutory, legal, and regulatory issues.

Qualifications

Interested applicants must possess a J.D., or equivalent, degree, be duly licensed and authorized to practice as an attorney under the laws of any State, territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia, and be an active member of the bar in good standing. You must have a minimum of 4 years post-JD legal experience to qualify for the GS-15. Examples of qualifying experience described above include: a broad background of experience and knowledge in legal issues, organizational performance, and administrative/supervisory management of attorneys. Experience solving complex organizational challenges in collaboration with a leadership team; developing and implementing policies, procedures, systems, and/or controls to support program/project implementation. Experience leading implementation of new policies and procedures. Ability to work effectively with legal and non-legal staff. Excellent organizational and collaboration skills. Preferred qualifications: Applicants should reflect excellent analytical, verbal, presentation, and writing skills, working with the highest degree of independence and initiative. This role requires a high level of discretion and professionalism. Background in compensation programs, victim services, trauma-informed practices, and organizational/technological system transformation projects is a plus. Candidates with at least 7 years of experience preferred. Applicants should have excellent writing, negotiation, and interpersonal skills; exhibit good judgment, and have experience in trial work. Judicial clerkship experience is desirable. Trial Period Statement As a condition of employment for accepting this position in accordance with section 11.5 of Executive Order 14284, you will be required to serve a 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Education

All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, see www.ed.gov. OR Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the above education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to timely provide such evidence by submitting proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency with your application materials. More information may be found at https://www.ed.gov/about/initiatives/international-affairs/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications All documentation must be in English or include an English translation.

How to apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the online application questionnaire and submit your supporting documentation. Your complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 09/25/2026 to receive consideration. 1. Click "Apply Online" to get started. 2. If you're not logged in to your USAJOBS account, you will need to login. If you don't have an account, please create one. 3. You will be prompted to select one of your stored (or uploaded) resumes, and any supporting documents you have uploaded to USAJOBS. If you have not uploaded these documents, you can do so later before submitting your application. 4. After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, you will be asked to submit your demographic information (if you have provided this in your profile). Submission is optional and anonymous. 5. You'll be asked to confirm your choices and certify the accuracy of your information before you're able to continue to the Application Manager system. Until you see the blue border and DOJ logo, you are still on USAJOBS. You'll see a folder animation just before you leave USAJOBS. 6. Once you reach DOJ's Application Manager system, you'll be asked to verify the information you transmitted from USAJOBS. You will then respond to the application assessment questionnaires and indicate your eligibility options. 7. After responding to the questionnaires, you will have the opportunity to attach the documents you brought over from USAJOBS *OR* upload documents directly from your computer or device. 8. If you opt to upload a document directly, click the "Upload" button and select the document on your device, then wait for the upload to finish. Repeat as needed. Documents must be less than 3 MB each and should be in a compatible file format. 9. Once all your documents are uploaded, you must assign the uploads to the appropriate document category. You may attach more than one document to each category. Click the drop-down menu for a document category, and select one of the available options in the menu. The document will be listed under this category. You can click the drop-down again to add other documents, as needed. You can have up to 15 document assignments. 10. Once you've uploaded and assigned all your documents to an appropriate document type, you can proceed to the final verification step, and click Submit. 11. If you have correctly submitted your application, you will receive an automated e-mail notification within 30-60 minutes. Be sure to review the announcement fully to make sure that your application contains everything that is required. If you need help with the application process, please see the USAJOBS Help Site (for everything on the USAJOBS-side), or the Application Manager Help Site (for everything on the DOJ-side). Regrettably, the Department of Justice cannot assist you with USAJOBS account issues. If you contact us for assistance and the problem is related to your USAJOBS account, we will have to direct you to USAJOBS to remedy the issue.