Supervisory Attorney Advisor (Division Chief)

📍 Washington, District of Columbia · 🏛 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives · 💰 $169,279–$197,200 per year · 🎓 GS 15 · 🧭 Attorney (0905) · ⏳ Closes Nov 27, 2026 · 13 days left · 🗓 Posted Nov 12, 2026
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About this job

This position is located in the Office of Public and Governmental Affairs, Information and Privacy Governance Division administering the disclosure provisions of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Privacy Act (PA) and formulate programs and policies concerning the collection and release of official records. responsible for serving as the principal legal advisor to ATF's Executive Staff and Senior Management officials on all matters relating to the public disclosure of records.

Duties

The major duties of the Supervisory Attorney Advisor (Division Chief) position include, but are not limited to, the following: Supports the mission of the Office of Public and Governmental Affairs (PGA), and its mission is to administer the disclosure provisions of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Privacy Act (PA). Formulates programs and policies concerning the collection and release of official records. Responsible for serving as the principal legal advisor to the Bureau Executive Staff and Senior Management officials on all matters relating to the public disclosure of records.

Qualifications

To qualify at the GS-15 level, applicants must have at least six years of specialized experience as a practicing attorney. This is a non-bargaining unit position. Specialized Experience is experience which is in or directly related to the line of work of this position and which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities needed to successfully perform the duties of the position. Interpreting, applying, or advising on the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), Privacy Act (PA), or closely related federal disclosure and administrative-law requirements in complex matters; AND Analyzing complex legal and factual records to identify governing authorities, evaluate competing arguments, assess litigation or appeal risk, and recommend legally defensible courses of action;AND Preparing or substantively reviewing legal opinions, memoranda, declarations, Vaughn indexes, appeal analyses, litigation support materials, policy documents, or other complex written legal products; AND Providing legal advice, briefings, or counsel to senior officials, program personnel, attorneys, requesters, or other stakeholders on complex disclosure, privacy, litigation, or information-governance issues; AND Negotiating or resolving complex matters with requesters, opposing or litigating counsel, other agencies, public-interest organizations, media representatives, oversight entities, or comparable sophisticated stakeholders; AND Planning and prioritizing staff work assignments, evaluating staff performance, and advising staff on technical and administrative matters of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Privacy Act (PA). Veterans' Preference: If you are entitled to veteran preference, you should indicate the type of veteran preference you are claiming on your résumé http://www.opm.gov/ctap/index.asp - In order to verify your veteran preference entitlement, please submit a copy of the Member Copy 4 of your DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty); official statement of service from your command if you are currently on active duty; or other official documentation (e.g., documentation of receipt of a campaign badge or expeditionary medal) that shows your military service was performed under honorable conditions. In addition, if you are a disabled veteran, a Purple Heart recipient, or widow/widower of a veteran, the spouse of a disabled veteran or the natural mother of a disabled or deceased veteran, you must submit a Standard Form (SF) 15, "Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference," and the other required documentation identified on the reverse side of the SF-15 to support your preference claim. If the SF-15 is not submitted, the documentation required by the form verifying the service connected disability (e.g. letter from the VA confirming the disability) must be submitted in order to receive 10-point preference consideration.

Education

Applicants must possess a J.D. degree and hold an active bar membership.

Requirements

All applicants must meet all qualification requirements described in this announcement by the closing date. MOBILITY PLAN: New employees hired pursuant to this vacancy announcement must sign a mobility agreement. The purpose of ATF's mobility policy is to enhance career development and progression, and achieve mission and business effectiveness. To accomplish these objectives, the mobility plan will facilitate the movement of employees through special short-term assignments or permanent reassignments throughout the Bureau. Applicants who decline to sign a mobility agreement, as required, will be removed from the hiring process. Key Requirements: Must be a U.S. Citizen or National Pass drug screening and subject to random drug test Must successfully complete a background security investigation A Financial Disclosure Form may be required Must provide a legal writing sample (no more than 15 pages) May be required to serve a one year probationary period Must possess a J.D. degree and hold an active bar membership.

Evaluations

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above. Your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed on this announcement. If you are basically qualified for this job, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses on the online assessment questionnaire. If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job. If you are found to be among the top candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration. Structured Resume Review: Subject matter experts (SMEs) will review your resume to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the required specialized experience. SMEs will review ONLY two pages of your resume, starting at your work experience. SMEs will not review any additional information beyond your resume (e.g., cover letter). Applicants who pass the structured resume review will be added to the list of qualified candidates. You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Leadership Written Communication Oral Communications Legal, Government, and Jurisprudence When addressing the specialized experience statement, applicants must present evidence of the experience in their resume. If the specialized experience statement is repeated in the applicant's resume, Human Resources will deem the applicant as ineligible. If you would like to preview the application questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13080209

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). You must submit a complete application package by 11:59 PM (ET) on 11/27/2026 to be considered. The application process is as follows: Click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application. Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process. You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application. To update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period return to your USAJOBS account. There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Edit My Application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement is closed. To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account. Your applications will appear on the Welcome page. Navigate to the job application and click Track this application to view your application status. The link will take you to the hiring agency application system, which has the most up-to-date status of your application. There you can review any notifications sent to you related to this application, including the invitation to take the USA Hire assessment. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means click here.

Applications are handled only on the official announcement. This page is a readable copy of the public announcement data — the official version controls if anything differs.

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Required documents

It is your responsibility to carefully review the list of required documents below and submit the necessary documentation to prove you possess the required specialized experience for this position. IF YOU OMIT ANY OF THE REQUIRED INFORMATION, YOU RUN THE RISK OF BEING FOUND INELIGIBLE FOR THE POSITION. Resume - All Applicants:You must submit a resume (strictly two pages or less) that serves as the primary evidence of your qualifications. To demonstrate that you meet the specialized experience requirements, your resume must comprehensively and explicitly link your career history to the specialized experience competencies of this role. To reduce possible disqualification due to a lack of verifiable information, you should include all six of the following elements for every job entry listed in your employment history. If any element is omitted, the HR Specialist may be unable to determine your eligibility, resulting in your removal from consideration with an ineligible rating: Official Position Title: State your exact federal or corporate title to establish the professional level of your experience. For example, Division Chief, Group Supervisor, etc. Employer Name and Contact Information: Provide the company/agency name and a valid phone number or email address for verification purposes. Start and End Dates: List the exact month and year for both the start and end of each employment period to verify you meet the time-in-grade and minimum duration requirements for specialized experience. Hours Worked Per Week: Explicitly indicate if the position was full-time or state the exact number of hours worked per week if part-time. (Specialized experience is credited based on a 40-hour work week; failure to provide hours means your experience cannot be quantified or credited.) Pay Plan/Series/Grade: For all federal positions held, you should explicitly state your Pay Plan (i.e., GS, GL, etc.), Series (i.e., 1811, 1801, 2210, etc.) and Grade (e.g., GS 01-15). It should be expressed as following example GS-1811-14). If a position was in the private sector or was volunteer work, explicitly state "N/A - Private Sector" or "N/A - Volunteer" so the HR Specialist can accurately assess your equivalent level of experience. Duties Performed and Accomplishments: Provide a targeted list of responsibilities and measurable achievements. This section must directly mirror and provide evidence of the specialized experience outlined in the qualifications section of this announcement. Use action-oriented, quantifiable bullets to demonstrate your mastery of the required skills. Showing relative permanent and volunteer work experience, education, and training. Your resume serves as the basis for qualification determinations. Veterans' Preference documentation: If you are claiming veterans' preference you must submit:(1) a copy of your DD-214, "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty," (Member 4 copy), showing the dates of active duty, type of discharge, and character of service, OR (2) a certification letter from the armed forces that certifies you are expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions no later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted. This letter must contain (a) military service dates including the expected discharge or release date and (b) character of service. If you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference as a Disabled Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient, or Mother or Spouse of a Disabled or Deceased Veteran, in addition to the documents specified above, you must submit all additional proof required by the SF-15, and if applicable, a completed SF-15. Additional Documents that must be uploaded Legal writing sample (no more than 15 pages) Law school transcript official or unofficial showing degree conferred by closing date of the announcement (Note: If you're selected for this position, official transcript(s) will be required prior to your first day.) Active bar membership. Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office by providing a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information regarding your most recent political appointment: Position title; Type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee); Agency; and Beginning and ending dates of appointment.

What to expect next

You can check the status of your application anytime by accessing the USAJOBS online application system at http://www.usajobs.gov. You will need to provide your USAJOBS User ID and Password to access the Track your Online Job Application feature. You may also click on the link provided to access additional information on USAJobs. All applicants will be notified at four (4) stages in the hiring process: (1) upon receipt of your application; (2) after your qualifications have been assessed; (3) whether or not you've been referred to the Selecting Official; and (4) whether or not you've been selected for the position. The hiring manager makes a selection from well qualified applicants. If your name is sent to the hiring manager, you may be invited for an interview. We strive to extend a final offer of employment within 90 days from the close of this announcement.

Other information

Additional selections may be made from this announcement. A one-year probationary period is required for new supervisors and managers. Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution. Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin. Notice to Prospective Employees of Ethical Obligations from ATF's Human Resources Operations Division. Please click on the following link to read important information. DOJ Notice to Prospective Employees of Ethical Obligations Notice to Prospective Employees of Ethical Obligations Probationary Period: As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary 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:1) your performance and conduct;2) the needs and interests of the agency;3) whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and4) whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest EEO Statement/Policy: The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor. Reasonable Accommodation Statement: ATF provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the job application and hiring process, and you meet the eligibility requirements listed above, please notify the human resources specialist listed on the vacancy announcement, or contact the ATF's Office of Equal Employment Opportunity at (202) 648-8760 or send an email to [email protected]. The decision on granting a reasonable accommodation is handled on a case-by-case basis. Selective Service: If you were born male, on or after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. Additional information is found at: www.sss.gov.

Frequently asked questions

How much does this Supervisory Attorney Advisor (Division Chief) job pay?

The announcement lists a salary of $169,279–$197,200 per year (GS 15).

When is the last day to apply?

Applications close on Nov 27, 2026 — 13 days from today.

Where is this job located?

This position is located in Washington, District of Columbia with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

How do I apply?

Applications are submitted through the official announcement on USAJobs. Use the Apply button on this page to go to the official posting — this site never takes applications itself.

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Data: USAJobs (U.S. Office of Personnel Management), retrieved 2026-11-14 · Announcement 27-PGA-EXC-13080209-CLG · Official announcement. FederalJobs is unofficial and is not affiliated with OPM or the agency.
Supervisory Attorney Advisor (Division Chief)
Nov 27, 2026 deadlineApply