Summary
About the Position: The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoWEA) Office of the General Counsel (OGC) facilitates DoWEA's global educational mission by providing high quality and timely legal advice and counsel, effective advocacy, and creative problem-solving. This position serves as the Senior Counsel (Reasonable Accommodations) - Office of the Chief -HQ, DOWEA.
Duties
Serves as the agency’s principal legal adviser and subject-matter expert on reasonable accommodation and disability employment law.
Provides authoritative legal advice concerning the Rehabilitation Act, ADA standards applicable to the federal sector, EEOC regulations and guidance, executive orders, OPM/DoD policy, and related federal disability-employment requirements.
Advises management, HR/EEO personnel, reasonable accommodation professionals, and senior decision-makers throughout the interactive process.
Conducts legal review of complex accommodation requests, including requests involving telework, reassignment, essential functions, undue hardship,
direct threat, medical documentation, confidentiality, leave, assistive technology, and overlapping employment authorities.
Reviews proposed accommodation decisions for legal sufficiency, consistency with applicable law and agency policy, and litigation risk.
Advises on reassignment as an accommodation, including agency search obligations, employee qualifications, vacancy requirements, and related legal considerations.
Represents the agency in complex administrative litigation and contested matters arising from reasonable accommodation and disability employment issues,
including EEO complaints and hearings, discovery, dispositive motions, settlement negotiations, and other proceedings before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and appropriate administrative forums.
Provides litigation strategy and counsel in complex reasonable accommodation matters, including assessing claims and defenses, developing evidentiary records,
preparing witnesses, evaluating litigation and settlement risk, and coordinating with agency stakeholders and, as appropriate, the Department of Justice in federal court litigation.
Develops agency-wide legal guidance, templates, procedures, training, and preventive-law products concerning reasonable accommodation and disability employment law.
Monitors EEOC decisions, federal court precedent, legislation, regulations, and government-wide policy and advises leadership regarding changes in agency obligations and litigation risk.
Coordinates complex, novel, high-risk, and precedent-setting reasonable accommodation matters with appropriate agency stakeholders and senior legal leadership.
Education
FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html
How you will be evaluated
Once the announcement has closed, a review of your resume package(resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.