Attorney (GS-11/13)

Summary

This position is within the Department of Energy, Bonneville Power Administration, Office of General Counsel. As an Attorney-Adviser, you will provide strategic legal counsel shaping the Pacific Northwest's energy future. You will advise agency leadership, negotiate high-impact agreements, and represent BPA in administrative hearings and litigation involving complex energy and resource matters. Help power the region while tackling rewarding, cutting-edge legal work!

Duties

Elevate Your Legal Career: Power the Pacific Northwest as an Attorney with Bonneville Power Administration! At Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), our mission powers the Pacific Northwest. We market clean, carbon-free hydroelectric power across the Columbia River Basin, operate the region's high-voltage transmission backbone, and lead some of the nation's most comprehensive fish and wildlife restoration programs. Behind every major regional energy agreement and transmission milestone is our collaborative, mission-driven legal team. We are seeking motivated, talented legal professionals to join the Office of General Counsel as an Attorney across multiple experience levels: GS-11, GS-12, or GS-13, with clear career-ladder promotion potential up to the GS-14 full performance level. Entry-Level Attorneys (GS-11): Launch your federal legal career with comprehensive mentorship, direct exposure to cutting-edge energy law, and early opportunities to conduct substantive research, draft key pleadings, and assist in negotiations and trials. Experienced Counsel (GS-12 / GS-13): Step into a high-responsibility role managing complex matters independently, advising executives, resolving multi-million-dollar disputes, and shaping legal strategy before courts and regulatory agencies. Whether you are an experienced attorney or are just starting your legal career, you will find meaningful public service, professional growth, and the opportunity to tackle novel legal issues shaping the future of clean energy. Key Duties & Meaningful Impact Here are eight high-impact responsibilities where your legal expertise will make a difference: Strategic In-House Counsel & Executive Advisory: Serve as a trusted legal advisor to agency managers and technical experts. You will analyze complex operational and policy questions, conduct legal investigations, assess risk, and propose clear, practical courses of action that protect and advance the agency's public mission. Commercial, Real Estate & Infrastructure Negotiations: Participate in or lead multidisciplinary teams negotiating high-value commercial, financial, and utility infrastructure agreements. You will work with public utilities, financial institutions, private industry, and local governments to draft and review critical contracts and transactional terms. Federal Court Litigation & Appellate Advocacy: Develop and support litigation strategies for cases in U.S. District Courts, the Court of Federal Claims, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. You will draft persuasive motions, briefs, and pleadings, manage discovery, and collaborate with federal partners to defend agency actions. Regulatory Proceedings & Administrative Hearings: Advocate for BPA before regulatory commissions and administrative bodies, such as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB). You will draft filings, examine witnesses, present arguments, and help establish formal public records in contested matters. Solving Novel, High-Stakes Energy & Environmental Issues: Tackle groundbreaking legal challenges involving major financial stakes and regional policy impacts. Where precedent is scarce or conflicting, you will develop creative, well-reasoned legal frameworks that balance public utility duties with environmental protection and market realities. Legislative & Policy Analysis: Interpret evolving federal and state environmental statutes, energy regulations, and public law. You will review proposed state and congressional legislation affecting regional energy markets, drafting influential agency comments, policy guidelines, and legal notices. Tribal, Regional & Intergovernmental Engagement: Engage with sovereign tribal governments, state and regional utility councils, conservation groups, and international partners. You will provide strategic legal guidance that respects intergovernmental relationships, navigates public sensitivities, and builds consensus. Claims Evaluation & Alternative Dispute Resolution: Assess contract disputes, tort claims, and property rights matters to identify cost-effective resolutions. You will perform privilege reviews, conduct legal risk analyses, and advise leadership on whether to negotiate fair settlements, engage in arbitration, or pursue formal legal defense.

Qualifications

BASIC REQUIREMENT: Professional law degree (L.L.B. or J.D.) and membership in a State or D.C. bar association is required. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS: GS-11: A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-09) in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as: professional legal experience 1) conducting legal research, fact gathering, and statutory and case law analysis to identify applicable legal precedents; 2) preparing initial drafts of legal memoranda, pleadings, discovery requests, briefs, or transactional agreements under the direction of senior counsel; and 3) assisting senior attorneys with hearing preparation, regulatory filings, or commercial dispute matters. GS-12: A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-11) in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as: professional legal experience 1) analyzing and interpreting complex statutes, regulations, and judicial orders to provide legal advice to clients or management on operational, administrative, or policy questions; 2) drafting and editing legal pleadings, motions, transactional instruments, contracts, and formal legal analyses; and 3) supporting lead counsel in administrative proceedings, regulatory matters, or civil litigation, including preparing evidentiary records, participating in dispute resolution, and drafting pre-proceeding documents. GS-13: A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-13) in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as: professional legal experience 1) independently researching, analyzing, and rendering legal opinions and counsel to executive management or organizational officials on complex administrative, regulatory, commercial, or environmental legal matters; 2) drafting, examining, and participating in the negotiation of complex contracts, commercial agreements, or settlement arrangements; and 3) representing an organization or clients before administrative tribunals, arbitration panels, regulatory bodies, or judicial courts, including drafting dispositive motions, conducting witness examinations, and formulating trial or hearing strategy. "Experience" refers to paid and unpaid experience. Examples of qualifying unpaid experience may include: volunteer work done through National Service programs (such as Peace Corps and AmeriCorps); as well as work for other community-based philanthropic and social organizations. Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills; and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Requirements

In accordance with Executive Order 14170, applicants are encouraged to respond to four short, free-response, essay questions in the questionnaire. Answer to these questions is not scored or rated. Your answers will be reviewed by the hiring manager and agency leadership if you are referred for selection consideration. When you apply you will be asked a series of questions to determine your eligibility for employment and your qualification for this position specifically. You must answer all of these questions completely and truthfully.Key Requirements: You must be a United States Citizen. This employer participates in the e-Verify program. Males must abide by Selective Service registration requirements. You will be required to report in person to the official duty location. Conditions of Employment: Selectee will be required to complete the Office of Government Ethics Standard of Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OFGE450e) within 30 days of employment and annually.

Education

This vacancy has a positive education requirement. In order to be rated as qualified, you must provide copies of your college transcripts. Education must be obtained from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. See Department of Education Accreditation Search to verify school accreditation. Foreign education must be reviewed by an organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education and a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, see the Department of Education website.DO NOT email or mail in any of your application documents. Documents will not be accepted outside of the online application system. Failure to provide copies of your college transcripts may result in a rating of "Ineligible".

How you will be evaluated

BASIS OF RATING: Once the announcement closes, your application will be automatically evaluated and rated by the system and a Human Resources Specialist. To determine if you are qualified for this job, a review of your application and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Your application is rated based on the extent and quality of your experience, education (when applicable), and training as described in your resume and applicant assessment. Your credentials are measured against the established duties of the position at the grade level(s) being advertised. If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses you provided in your online questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation before the vacancy closes, you may be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified', or your score may be adjusted accordingly You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above. Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics): Attention to Detail Customer Service Decision Making Flexibility Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Reasoning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date (11/16/2026) of this announcement. To preview the Assessment Questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13110492 There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of Energy considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., the DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty and other supporting documentation) to their submissions. USAHire: To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.

How to apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section. A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the announcement closing date to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: You must have a login.gov account to sign into USAJOBS: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/account. To begin the application process in USAJOBS, click the Apply Online button. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all required and supporting documentation. You must click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 pm (ET) on the announcement closing date. After submitting an online application, you will be notified whether or not you are required to take additional online assessments through the USA Hire Competency Based Assessment system. This message will be delivered to you via email notification. The email may be routed to your "Spam" or "Junk" folder. If you are asked to take the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be presented with a unique URL to access the USA Hire system. Access to USA Hire is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Be sure to review all instructions prior to beginning your USA Hire Assessments. Click here for Computer System Requirements Note, set aside at least 3 hours to take these assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue at a later time, you can reuse the URL sent to you via email and also found in your USAJOBS account under the "Track my application" link for the corresponding application. You may update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period by returning to your USAJOBS account, select Update Application: https://login.usajobs.gov/Account/Login. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To verify the status of your application, during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account; applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each application status means, visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status. If you need help with login.gov or USAJOBS (e.g., account access, Resume Builder) visit the USAJOBS Help Center: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to If you experience difficulty applying on USAJOBS, after clicking the Apply Online button, or you are experiencing a significant hardship hindering your ability to apply online, the Agency Contact listed in the announcement can assist you during normal business hours. If you receive any system error messages, take screenshots if possible, to aid technical support.

Other information

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional similar vacancies across DOE EEO Policy: USAJOBS Help Center | Equal employment opportunity policy Reasonable Accommodation Policy: Employees or applicants may request Reasonable Accommodation (RA) for assistance, when applying or competing for a job or performing a job due to their medical condition or to exercise their religious beliefs. If you need reasonable accommodation in the application or selection process, please contact the Staffing Specialist listed on this vacancy announcement. USAJOBS Help Center | Reasonable accommodation policy Reasonable Accommodation for USAHire: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a reasonable accommodation in your online application. Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a Reasonable Accommodation, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here. Veterans Information: USAJOBS Help Center - Veterans Veterans and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Telework: https://www.opm.gov/telework/ Selective Service Registration: http://www.sss.gov/ - Who must register: https://www.sss.gov/faq/#who-needs-to-register Hiring incentives may be authorized for a highly qualified candidate based on budget availability and in accordance with federal regulations. BPA strives to ensure a safe and positive work environment. We also understand the importance of work/life balance and offer a variety of programs and policies designed to create more flexible, responsive work environments supportive of commitments to community, home and family members. BPA also supports employees' overall wellness through its Be Well program, which helps employees adopt healthier lifestyles and feel better about their work/life balance. The program supports five key areas of life: career, community, financial, physical and social.