Attorney Advisor GS-11/12/13/14 - Region IX (San Francisco, CA)

The Office of the General Counsel at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is currently seeking applications for an Attorney Advisor position in its Region 9, San Francisco office.

Who May Apply: This vacancy announcement is open to all US Citizens and may be used to fill multiple positions.

Duty Station: San Francisco, CA

Salary Range: $90,310 - $191,900

Open Period: September 17, 2024 – until filled.

Job Summary:

The Office of the General Counsel (OGC) at the Department of Health and Human Services is seeking an attorney to join its Region 9 - San Francisco office. OGC Region 9 provides comprehensive legal services to almost all components within HHS.

OGC is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. At OGC, diversity, equity, and inclusion are at the core of who we are. We’re always growing our network of people, programs, and tools to allow our staff to do their best work. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. OGC is also committed to compliance with all fair employment practices regarding citizenship and immigration status.

For additional information about OGC’s mission, please visit our website at: http://www.hhs.gov/ogc/index.html

Duties:

This is a General Attorney Advisor position in the HHS San Francisco Region Office. The attorney will be expected to provide a variety of legal services to one or more Department components in the region, including the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), and the Indian Health Service (IHS), on matters which often require coordination with other components of the Department, other OGC offices, or the U.S. Department of Justice. Attorneys may represent the agency in litigation against hospitals, nursing homes, health plans, clinical laboratories, and other health care providers to enforce compliance with federal requirements; aid in the recovery of misspent Medicare, Medicaid, and federal grant funds; counsel health care providers and administrators at over 20 IHS-operated hospitals and health care facilities throughout the region on a range of issues related to patient care and hospital operations; advise OCR in the investigation and resolution of unauthorized uses and/or disclosures of personal health information by health care entities; and represent the agency in hearings before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Merit Systems Protection Board, and the National Labor Relations Board. Attorneys must be able to work independently and as a team with the 400+ OGC colleagues across the nation. Demonstrated experience or familiarity in federal court or administrative litigation or negotiations and/or a government law background would be helpful.

We are seeking to fill the position at the GS-11, GS-12, GS-13, or GS-14 level ($90,310 - $191,900) depending on experience and qualifications. The position will be located in San Francisco, CA., and reimbursement for relocation expenses is not available.

Qualifications Required:

Your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the position qualifications listed on this announcement. Salary will be commensurate with education and experience.

At the GS-11: You must possess a Juris Doctorate (J.D.) or LL.B from an accredited ABA law school and possess active bar status in good standing.

At the GS-12: You must possess a Juris Doctorate (J.D.) or LL.B from an accredited ABA law school, active bar status in good standing, and one year of professional legal experience post bar admission equivalent to the GS-11 level.

At the GS-13: You must possess a Juris Doctorate (J.D.) or LL.B from an accredited ABA law school, active bar status in good standing, and two years of professional legal experience post bar admission with one year of experience equivalent to the GS-12 level.

At the GS-14: You must possess a Juris Doctorate (J.D.) or LL.B from an accredited ABA law school, active bar status in good standing, and three years of professional legal experience post bar admission with one year of experience equivalent to the GS-13 level.

Conditions of Employment:

You must possess a Juris Doctorate (J.D.) from an accredited ABA law school.
Proof that bar status is active, in good standing and eligible to practice in the highest court of a State, U. S. commonwealth, U. S. territory, or the District of Columbia.
Candidates must also have exemplary legal writing, oral advocacy abilities, possess excellent interpersonal skills, and displays a capacity to work with diverse individuals and groups.
It will be a plus for the candidate to have familiarity in one or more of the following areas: civil litigation, employment law, or health care law.
It will also be a plus for the candidate to have familiarty and experience with laws, regulations and precedent concerning the statutes and regulations enforced by OCR’s Civil Rights and Health Information Privacy Divisions.
Must maintain active bar membership in good standing and the eligibility to practice law in the highest court of a state, territory, Commonwealth, or the District of Columbia throughout employment in the Office of the General Counsel.
Upon final job offer from HHS OHR, the successful candidate must submit official law school transcripts.
Security and Background Requirements: If not previously completed, a background security investigation will be required for all appointees. Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet these requirements may be grounds for appropriate personnel action. In addition, if hired, a background security reinvestigation or supplemental investigation may be required at a later time. Applicants are also advised that all information concerning qualifications is subject to investigation. False representation may be grounds for non-consideration, non-selection and/or appropriate disciplinary action.
E-Verify: If you are selected for this position, the documentation that you present for purposes of completing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Form I-9 will be verified through the DHS "E-Verify" System. Federal law requires DHS to use the E-Verify System to verify employment eligibility of all new hires and as a condition of continued employment obligates the new hire to take affirmative steps to resolve any discrepancies identified by the system. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is an E-Verify Participant.
Direct Deposit: All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.
Financial disclosure statement may be required.
Two-year trial period may be required.
Travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will not be paid.
This position may be in a bargaining unit.
Multiple selections may be made from this announcement.

In accordance with Executive Order 12564 of September 14, 1986, The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is A Drug-Free Federal Workplace. The Federal government, as the largest employer in the Nation, can and should show the way towards achieving drug-free workplaces through programs designed to offer drug users a helping hand, and at the same time demonstrating to drug users and potential drug users that drugs will not be tolerated in the Federal workplace. The use of illegal drugs, on or off duty, by Federal employees is inconsistent not only with the law-abiding behavior expected of all citizens, but also with the special trust placed in such employees as servants of the public. Applicants tentatively selected for this position may be required to submit to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment and be subject to reasonable suspicion and post-accident drug testing upon hiring. If required to submit to urinalysis, the appointment to the position will be contingent upon a negative applicant drug test result. In order to demonstrate commitment to the HHS goal of a drug-free workplace and to set an example for other Federal employees, employees not in a testing designated position may volunteer for unannounced random testing by notifying their Drug-free Federal Workplace Program Point of Contact upon hiring.

Security Requirements: Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory preemployment adjudication. This includes fingerprint, credit and tax checks, and drug testing. In addition, continued employment is subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation.

Instructions To Apply:

Please submit the following documents to OGCR9Hiring@hhs.gov using the subject line “Region 9 Attorney Advisor” in the forwarding email. To receive full consideration, submit all materials by 11:59 p.m. on the closing date of the announcement:

Cover letter addressed to the Office of the General Counsel Hiring Official.
Resume (must include education, including name of undergraduate and law school, degree received and date graduated; date admitted to bar and jurisdiction; a general description of all past employment relevant to the practice of law, including dates of employment (full time or part time) and supervisors name and telephone number(s).
Legal writing sample (5-10 pages preferred).
Proof that bar status is active, in good standing and eligible to practice in a state, territory of the US, the District of Columbia or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
Names and contact information for at least three professional references.