Description
About the Office
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) supports the mission of the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) in protecting the health of Americans and providing essential human services. OIG is comprised of dedicated professionals promoting the economy, efficiency, and effectiveness of HHS programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. OIG evaluates these programs for success and addresses any fraud, waste, or abuse. The Office of Counsel to the Inspector General (OCIG) provides all legal services for OIG. The office is divided into six branches: Administrative and Civil Remedies, Advice, Exclusions, Industry Guidance, Litigation, and Mission Support.
Requirements
Job Description
OCIG seeks one attorney to serve in the Industry Guidance Branch (IGB). IGB drafts regulations, advisory opinions, and guidance documents that address the application of certain OIG authorities to cutting-edge health care transactions and financial arrangements. The position will be either Associate Counsel (GS-12/13) or Senior Counsel (GS-14), depending on the attorney’s level of experience. The duties of the position will include:
Reviewing and analyzing advisory opinion requests and drafting advisory opinions.
Drafting safe harbor regulations, compliance program guidance, special fraud alerts, special advisory bulletins, and other materials related to the Federal fraud and abuse laws.
Advising OIG staff and other government officials on the application of the Federal fraud and abuse laws.
Responding to questions and issues from industry representatives regarding compliance with the Federal fraud and abuse laws.
The attorney may also be called upon to perform other duties, including assisting with the investigation and litigation of cases involving allegations of false claims, kickbacks, and violations of the physician self-referral law.
Interested candidates should send a resume (not to exceed 2 pages), cover letter, and writing sample in a single PDF file to IGB.Resumes@oig.hhs.gov.
Who May Apply
U.S. Citizens may apply.
Qualifications
Applicants must have graduated with a Juris Doctor (J.D.) or Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association and be a member in good standing of the bar of a state or territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Applicants must be U.S. citizens. This is an excepted service position.
- GS-12: Applicants must have one (1) year of relevant professional legal experience post-bar admission equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level. Experience may be outside of the federal government.
- GS-13: Applicants must have two (2) years of relevant professional legal experience post-bar admission equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level. Experience may be outside of the federal government.
- GS-14: Applicants must have three (3) years of relevant professional legal experience post-bar admission equivalent to at least the GS-13 grade level. Experience may be outside of the federal government.
Each candidate must demonstrate excellent written and oral communication skills, as well as the ability to analyze complex and novel legal questions. Health law experience and familiarity with the Federal anti-kickback statute and other Federal fraud and abuse laws are required. We also will consider knowledge and experience litigating criminal, civil, or administrative cases, including cases involving OIG’s administrative sanction authorities.
Application Deadline
This federal announcement opens on August 6, 2026, and expires at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on Friday, August 28th, 2026. Applications must be submitted by that time in order to be considered.
Salary
This position is being advertised at the GS-12/13/14 level; please see OPM’s Salaries & Wages page for locality-specific salaries. All attorney positions within OCIG have promotional potential to the GS-15 level.
Travel
Occasional travel may be required.
Location/Relocation expenses
This position will be located at all OIG locations. The salary will be adjusted based on duty location. Relocation expenses will not be paid.
OIG Employment Policies
For male applicants born after December 31, 1959, the applicant must have registered with Selective Service.
The applicant must submit to and pass a background investigation.
OIG is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer. Except where otherwise provided by law, there will be no discrimination based on color, race, religion, national origin, politics, marital status, disability (physical or mental), age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, genetic information, status as a parent, membership or non-membership in an employee organization, on the basis of personal favoritism, or any non-merit factor. OIG welcomes and encourages applications from persons with disabilities. OIG is firmly committed to satisfying its affirmative obligations under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, to ensure that persons with disabilities have every opportunity to be hired and advanced on the basis of merit. This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, OIG considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must indicate their preference in their cover letter or resume and they must submit supporting documentation (e.g., DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty and other supporting documentation) which verifies their eligibility for preference. Although the “point” system is not used, per se, applicants eligible to claim 10-point preference must submit Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, and submit the supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed (visit the OPM website, http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/sf15.pdf for a copy of SF 15, which lists the types of 10-point preferences and the required supporting document(s)). Applicants should note that SF 15 requires supporting documentation associated with service-connected disabilities or receipt of non-service-connected disability pensions to be dated 1991 or later except in the case of service members submitting official statements or retirement orders from a branch of the Armed Forces showing that his or her retirement was due to a permanent service-connected disability or that he/she was transferred to the permanent disability retired list (the statement or retirement orders must indicate that the disability is 10% or more).
