Attorney Advisor

As an Rulemaking Attorney, you will: Works with an interdisciplinary team of lawyers, engineers, program analysts, economists, and other technical experts and policy makers to draft the regulations that govern vehicle safety standards and fuel economy standards. Attorneys are engaged in helping to develop the justifications for the agency's rulemaking actions. As the lead drafter of agency justifications, the attorney must understand and synthesize data and analyses about complex technological, environmental, and economic issues, to describe how the magnitude of the problem warrants regulation and explain the agency's work to address the problem - and do so in an understandable and persuasive manner.

Analyzes planned research, rulemakings, regulatory analyses, and policy position papers, critiquing and helping to bolster the agency's policy, scientific, and economic justifications for regulatory and nonregulatory actions to ensure soundness and legal sufficiency. In the course of that work, the attorney will track regulatory, legislative and private sector developments – not just legal, but also technological, environmental, and economic. Works to minimize litigation risks by ensuring that all procedural and substantive requirements are met and that the administrative record supports the agency's actions.

If litigation nevertheless ensues, the attorney will work with NHTSA's litigators and the Department of Justice to defend those actions. Analyzes pending legislation affecting the rulemaking process and/or NHTSA rulemaking authority and actions, and drafts interpretations of the agency's standards and authorizing statutes concerning present, emerging and evolving technologies. Analyzes statutes, regulations, case law, technical, and economic issues, and applies legal principles and precedents to solve a variety of legal issues in a dynamic regulatory agency and presents those solutions in a clear oral or written manner.

Provides legal and policy advice regarding rulemaking issues to the agency and the public. This may include drafting legal interpretations, and understanding and synthesizing complex technical and economic issues, and being able to explain them in plain language so that the agency's rationale is clear to the public. Some areas of focus at NHTSA that the attorney could work on include: Working to advance regulatory work on technologies that can help avoid crashes and improve the safety of all road users, including pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers.

Focusing on emerging and rapidly developing automated driving system technologies. Developing and establishing fuel economy standards for cars and trucks. Evaluating potential cyber security and information privacy issues associated with advanced motor vehicle technologies.

Working on international regulatory issues toward the development of harmonized vehicle regulations with other countries. The Ideal candidate is a professional looking to grow with a great Federal agency. We are seeking highly qualified individuals who are willing to meet the challenges of public service and support our mission.

NHTSA is looking for someone who is highly motivated and who can communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, at all levels of the organization.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered for Selective Service. TRIAL PERIOD: This is an Excepted Service position.

This job will be filled by an alternative hiring process and is not in the competitive service. Applicants selected for an excepted service position may be subject to a two-year trial period. ETHICS/CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT: All employees are subject to the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch, set out in Title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations, section 2635, including restrictions on owning financial interests that may conflict with performance of their duties.

Some employees, like those involved in contracting or regulating non-Federal entities, are subject to Executive Branch Financial Disclosure requirements set out in Title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations, section 263. GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CARD: This position involves travel. A government contractor-issued travel card will be issued and must be retained for official business only.

BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: You will be required to complete a background/security investigation and meet preliminary requirements prior to onboarding.

MANDATORY EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS: In order to qualify for this position, candidates must have successfully completed a full course of study in a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) and have a professional law degree, and must currently be a member in good standing of the bar of a State or Territory of the United States or the District of Columbia.

DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE: PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume/ application does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).

Your resume must contain sufficiently detailed information upon which to make a qualification determination. Please ensure that your resume contains specific information such as position titles, beginning and ending dates of employment for each position, average number of hours worked per week, and if the position is/was in the Federal government, you should provide the position series and grade level For this announcement, all applicants will be reviewed to determine if they meet the basic qualifications for this position, specifically the educational and specialized experience requirements.

Applicants will not be rated or ranked. All applications that are verified to meet the basic qualifications will be referred to the selecting official. The answers you select in the on-line process must be substantiated in your application package. If upon review, it is determined that your described work history, competencies, and/or supporting documents do not support your answer choices, you may not be referred to the selecting official. Please ensure that your work history provides enough details to support your answers.

You may preview questions for this vacancy.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, 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 2-year trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Transportation and its Operating Administrations from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act.

Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to the Department of Transportation by email at, [email protected]. To learn more, please visit our page at: The Fair Chance to Compete Act | US Department of Transportation This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if similar vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate. *NOTE: If you are not yet admitted to the bar of a State, the District of Columbia, a U.S. territory, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, to qualify on Education, you must possess a professional law degree (LL.B.

OR

J.D.). An applicant who has not been admitted to a state bar may be selected for a Law Clerk, GS-0904-11 position. Appointment as a Law Clerk is limited to 14 months, during which time appointee must be adm.itted in good standing to the bar of a court of general jurisdiction of a state, territory or possession of the United States. Upon admission to the bar, the position will be converted to a permanent appointment as an Attorney Advisor.

How to Apply: You must submit a complete application package (including the required documents specified below) no later than 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the closing date of the announcement by email to [email protected].

The following is a list of documents that are only required based on the type of position. Please review each of the following sections to determine which documents you need to provide with your application. RESUME: In accordance with the OPM memorandum titled Merit Hiring Plan, dated May 29, 2025, resumes with a maximum of two (2) pages in length will be accepted as part of your application. These should be legible and in a readable font size. A determination of your eligibility and/or qualifications will be based only on those two (2) pages.

Your resume MUST contain specific information that can be used to make a qualification determination, including employment beginning and ending dates for each position, whether employment is Full-time or Part-time, or average number of hours worked per week, and position titles. If the position is/was in the Federal government, you will need to provide the position series and grade level. The resume should show relevant experience and education, as well as support the required specialized experience.

For assistance with the resume builder, please visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/ COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRE. COVER LETTER: (Limited to two pages) The cover letter should specifically address your interest in the position and why you believe your experience, skills, and interest in the position qualify you for the position in light of the duties and qualifications described in this job announcement. RESUME (Limited to two pages) - It must show education and relevant experience supporting your qualification for the position.

Please send a traditionally formatted resume rather than a resume created within USA Jobs Resume Builder. PROOF OF BAR MEMBERSHIP: Must currently be a member in good standing of the bar of a State or Territory of the United States or the District of Columbia. TRANSCRIPTS - Transcripts are REQUIRED as there is a stated education requirement for the series.

The transcripts need not be official, but must show that you meet the stated education requirements, including specific major or class requirements. A listing of these accredited organizations can be found on the Department of Education's website - click here. WRITING SAMPLE: If selected for an interview, a writing sample may be requested.

VETERANS: Department of Transportation attorney positions are in the excepted service, not the competitive civil service. There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of Transportation considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in the attorney hiring process. If you are eligible for veterans' preference in hiring, you are encouraged to include that information in your application along with supporting documentation, e.g., SF15, DD214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, or other supporting documentation.

Failure to submit any of the required documents by the closing date of the vacancy will result in your removal from consideration for this position. Please review your application prior to final submission and ensure you have submitted all appropriate documents. Uploading documents to USAJobs does NOT ensure inclusion with your application to our system.

You must verify that the documents are in the system with your application prior to final submission.