Personnel Appeals Board Member

This job is open to

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The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Clarification from the agency

You must be a United States citizen NOTE: You are ineligible to apply if you are a current or former officer or employee of the U.S. Government Accountability Office, Architect of the Capitol, the Botanic Garden, or the Senate Restaurants.

Overview

Telework eligibleYes—as determined by the agency policy.Remote jobNoRelocation expenses reimbursed No Salary $100.43 - $100.43 per hour Pay scale & grade SR 00 Promotion potential None Work scheduleIntermittent - Rarely exceeds 480 hours per year.Travel RequiredOccasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position. You will get per diem, travel, and transportation expenses.Appointment typeTerm - You will serve a 5-year term. You may not be reappointed.Supervisory statusNoFederal service typeThis job is in the Excepted Service Represented by a unionNoDrug testNoSecurity clearanceOtherFinancial disclosure requiredYesAnnouncement numberPAB-26-DE-13072578Control number887068200

Occupations and job series

• 0905 Attorney

Summary

**THIS ANNOUNCEMENT HAS BEEN AMENDED TO EXTEND THE CLOSING DATE**

We are looking for an experienced attorney to serve as a Board Member of the U.S. Government Accountability Office's (GAO), Personnel Appeals Board (PAB). In this position you will serve as an administrative judge for employment and labor law matters that involve GAO employees.

Duties

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As a Board Member you will:

• Serve as one of the five Personnel Appeals Board members appointed by the Comptroller General.
• Serve as an administrative judge to hear and make final decisions on complaints filed by GAO employees or applicants for employment with GAO and actions brought by GAO's employee union, including on the following matters:
  • appeals of removal/termination from employment;
  • suspensions of more than 14 days;
  • reductions in grade or pay;
  • furloughs of not more than 30 days;
  • alleged prohibited personnel practices;
  • alleged prohibited political activity;
  • the appropriateness of a unit of employees for collective bargaining;
  • an election or certification of a collective bargaining representative;
  • certain labor-management relations issues;
  • actions alleging discrimination, harassment, and/or retaliation; and
  • personnel-related issues that the Comptroller General by regulation decides are for PAB resolution.
• Conduct oversight of GAO's regulations, procedures and practices as they relate to EEO laws.
• Oversee updates to PAB-related regulations.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be registered with the Selective Service if applicable.
• You must be an active member in good standing of the bar in any United States jurisdiction. You must maintain this licensure while in this position.
• You must undergo and complete a favorable background investigation.
• You will be required to submit a financial disclosure report. If you work more than 60 days a year, your financial disclosure report is subject to public inspection.
• You will be required to provide an official law school transcript.
• You will be required to provide proof of Bar membership.
• If selected and you occupy a civilian office or position (including a temporary, part-time, flex-time, or intermittent position), appointive or elective, in the legislative, executive, or judicial branch of the government of the United States (including a Government corporation and a nonappropriated fund instrumentality under the jurisdiction of the armed forces) or in the government of the District of Columbia, you will be subject to the provisions of the Dual Compensation Act which prohibits an individual from receiving pay from more than one position for more than an aggregate of forty (40) hours of work in one calendar week.
• If you are a Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) or Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS) annuitant, you may be eligible for a salary offset waiver.

Qualifications

You must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

Required:
You must have at least 7 years of experience as a licensed attorney doing one of the following:

• Adjudicating and/or arbitrating employment and/or labor law matters at the federal, state, or local level.
• Independently handling litigation, including preparing for, participating in (as lead counsel), and/or conducting formal hearings or trials on employment and/or labor law matters at the federal, state, or local level.
• Adjudicating and/or arbitrating matters at the federal, state, or local level, but the matters did not involve employment or labor law issues.
• Independently handling litigation, including preparing for, participating in (as lead counsel), and/or conducting formal hearings or trials at the federal, state, or local level, but the matters did not involve employment or labor law.

You must demonstrate a capacity and willingness to devote sufficient time to timely dispose of cases.

Desired:
Our ideal candidate will have experience with federal employment law bodies like the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB); the Office of Special Counsel (OSC); the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC); or the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA).

Non-qualifying Experience:
Experience handling non-adversarial legal matters as an attorney is not qualifying. Examples include corporate law, trust and estate matters, and tax law.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). 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.

Education

You must have a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA).

You must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

Additional information

• Option for additional selections: We may fill more than one position from this announcement.
• When you can expect to start: Selections made from this announcement will fill Board Member positions as their current terms expire. If you are selected, you will begin your term either March 2027 or July 2027.
• Equal employment opportunity: The U.S. Government Accountability Office's policy is to provide equal employment opportunity for all regardless of race, religion, color, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity), national origin, age, disability, or genetic information.
• Reasonable accommodation: GAO provides reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. To request an accommodation, please email ReasonableAccommodations@gao.gov.

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.

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Learn more about federal benefits.

You will be ineligible for benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Basis for rating

• The experience listed in your resume and whether your experience and skills match what we're looking for.
• Answers to the online assessment.
• Structured interviews

Required Documents

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All applicants must submit:

• Cover letter
  • Highlight your qualifications and explain why you are interested in this position.
  • Upload under "Cover Letter" document type.
• Resume
  • Emphasize your years and level of experience and responsibility for researching, analyzing, and/or resolving complex legal issues; your experience preparing briefs or formal written decisions or opinions; and your ability to demonstrate appropriate judicial temperament.
  • Include start and end dates for each position (e.g., month and year; month, day, and year).

Starting on September 27, 2025, federal agencies will only accept resumes up to two pages in length to comply with the Merit Hiring Plan. USAJOBS will not allow you to upload or build resumes longer than two pages, and you will need to update the resumes in your profile before applying to a job.

• What is required in the resume?
  Resumes submitted for federal jobs are required to have:
• Contact Information-your name and the best way to contact you.
• Relevant work experience-Job experience should include employer name, job title, start and end dates (month/year), the number of hours worked per week and descriptions that explain how your previous work experience relates to and helps you meet the required qualifications in the GAO job announcement to which you are applying.
• Education, certifications or licensures-If the job announcement requires any education, certifications or licensures, make sure you include the required information on the resume.
• For more information on the how to check the resume for the new 2-page requirement, please go to the Help Center or click the link: USAJOBS Help Center - Update your resume now so it meets new resume requirements
• Online questionnaire
  • You will complete this by following the directions in the How to Apply section.
  • Click this link to preview the online questionnaire: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13072578
• Proof of Bar membership
  • Upload under "Proof of Licensure" document type.
• Supplemental Application
  • Upload supplement to your resume under "Supplemental Application" document type (if needed).

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

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To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration.

• To begin, 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 résumé 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 verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your 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://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
• If you are unable to apply online, you must request an alternative application which is available from the Human Resources Office. Please contact Ebonye Watson at watsone@gao.gov to obtain an alternative application.

Agency contact information

Ebonye Watson Email watsone@gao.gov Address Government Accountability Office
Human Capital Office
441 G Street NW
Washington, DC 20548
US

Next steps

1. You get a confirmation that we received your application
   • Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email.
2. We do an initial screening of the applications
   • After the announcement closes, we will review your application package to determine if you are eligible, meet the qualifications requirements, and provided the required documents.
3. We rate the applications
   • If you reach this phase, a panel of executives will rate the breadth and depth of your executive qualifications.
   • If you are rated high enough you may be referred for an interview.
4. We conduct interviews
   • If you reach this phase, a panel of executives will interview you.
   • The panel will make a recommendation to the selecting official on who to select for the position.
5. We contact your references
   • We may contact your references. We use this step to get additional information on your skills, performance, knowledge, and work history from a source other than yourself. This will help us assess your potential for success in the position.
6. We send you a tentative job offer
   • If you're selected, we will make you a tentative job offer and begin negotiating your salary.
7. We conduct a background investigation
   • You will be required to complete security forms to begin your background investigation. We use the background investigation to determine if you're suitable for federal employment.
8. We send you a final job offer
   • We will work with you and your hiring manager at GAO to set an onboarding date.
   • After your onboarding date is approved, you will get your final job offer.

You will be ineligible for benefits.