Assistant United States Attorney (Criminal) Term Appt Department of Justice Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys and the Office of the U.S. Attorneys Summary The United States Attorney's Office (USAO) for the Middle District of North Carolina is seeking an experienced attorney for a temporary appointment as an Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) in our Criminal Division at our Winston-Salem branch office.

Please Note:

This is a term position. This position may be extended, or made permanent, with further advertising. This job is open to The public U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S. Clarification from the agency All United States Citizens and Nationals Duties The incumbent will represent the U.S. Government as an Assistant United States Attorney in a wide range of unique and complex criminal cases. You will be responsible for prosecuting a variety of violations of federal laws such as drug trafficking, trafficking of fentanyl and its precursor chemicals, and illegal drug use. Also, the prosecution of Immigration matters, including but not limited to 1) gang-related crimes involving aliens; 2) child trafficking and smuggling involving aliens within the United States; 3) unlawful voting by aliens; 4) firearms trafficking and smuggling involving aliens; 5) violations of the Alien Registration Act; and 6) violations of or fraud relating to Title IV of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act. The prosecution of immigration matters includes civil defensive litigation resulting from and/or related to the Department's efforts to enforce the nation's immigration laws and keep the country safe from crime associated with illegal immigration, including but not limited to, civil immigration habeas matters. Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress. Requirements Conditions of employment You must be a United States Citizen or National. Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory preemployment adjudication. This includes fingerprints, credit and tax checks, and drug testing. Continued employment is subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation. You must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable. J.D. degree and active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction) required. Must reside in the district to which appointed or within 25 miles thereof. See 28 U.S.C. 545 for district specific information. Qualifications Applicants must demonstrate superior analytical abilities; possess strong research, writing, and courtroom advocacy skills; and independently exercise fair and sound judgment. Candidates must adhere to all Department of Justice and United States Attorney's Office policies; work collaboratively and professionally with fellow attorneys, support staff, and law enforcement partners; and interact effectively and respectfully with opposing counsel. Applicants should be able to represent the United States persuasively, ethically, and justly in court, and must show a strong commitment to public service and dedication to excellence.

Required Qualifications:

Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree, be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction), and have at least 3 years post-J.D. legal or other relevant experience. United States citizenship is required.

Preferred Qualifications:

Prior experience in criminal investigations and prosecutions is preferred. Applicant should possess superior oral and written communication skills, strong interpersonal skills, and the capacity to function in a highly demanding environment with minimal guidance. You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement. Education Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree Additional information

Salary Information:

Assistant United States Attorney's pay is administratively determined based, in part, on the number of years of professional attorney experience. The range of basic pay is $82,459 to $197,100 which includes 17.06% locality pay.

Other Benefits:

The Department of Justice offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation; sick leave; holidays; telework; life insurance; health benefits; and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System. The Benefits link provides an overview of the benefits currently offered to Federal Employees.

Relocation Expenses:

Relocation expenses will not be authorized.

• This and other vacancy announcements can be found under Attorney Vacancies and Volunteer Legal Internships .

The Department of Justice cannot control further dissemination and/or posting of information contained in this vacancy announcement. Such posting and/or dissemination is not an endorsement by the Department of the organization or group disseminating and/or posting the information.

Travel:

Occassional travel may be required. Applicants should familiarize themselves and comply with the relevant rules of professional conduct regarding any possible conflicts of interest in connection with their applications. In particular, please notify this Office if you currently represent clients or adjudicate matters in which this Office is involved and/or you have a family member who is representing clients or adjudicating matters in which this Office is involved so that we can evaluate any potential conflict of interest or disqualification issue that may need to be addressed under those circumstances.

Type of Position:

This is a temporary position not-to-exceed 09/30/2029. This position may be extended or made permanent without further competition or advertisement. Political Appointees (Current and Former): 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 or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the HR Office. Failure to disclose this information could result in disciplinary action including removal from Federal Service.

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. More information can be found here: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/media/1425556/dl?inline. 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. 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. Opens in a new window Learn more about federal 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.

Evaluation Method:

Once your complete application package is received, it will be reviewed to ensure you meet all job requirements. An attorney interview panel will then review all qualified applicants and make recommendations for invitation to interview. You will be notified if selected for an interview. The Occupational Questionnaire will take you approximately 20 minutes to complete.

Veterans' Preference:

There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of Justice considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must indicate their preference in response to the appropriate question in their assessment questionnaire (it is also recommended that information is included 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 nonservice-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 retirement was due to a permanent service-connected disability or that they were transferred to the permanent disability retired list (the statement or retirement orders must indicate that the disability is 10% or more).

Reasonable Accommodations :

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. Required Documents You must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

• Required:

  Your responses to the Online Occupational Questionnaire (This is completed automatically during the apply online process).

• Required:

  Your resume cannot exceed two pages
• you will be deemed ineligible and receive no further consideration if your resume exceeds two pages
• see USAJOBS for formatting requirements.

• Required :

  Writing Sample (20 pages or less)

• Required :

  Three References

•

Required :

Cover Letter Include relevant employment history as outlined below for each job: Official position title (if Federal, include series/grade), Employer name and contact information, Start and end dates (for full consideration you must include month, day, and year), Indicate full-time or number of hours worked per week if part-time, and A list of duties performed and accomplishments. 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.

• Required, if applicable: To get Veterans' Preference, you must indicate your preference in response to the appropriate question in your assessment questionnaire and you must submit the appropriate supporting documentation.

See the "How you will be Evaluated" section for details regarding what is appropriate Veterans' Preference documentation. It is also recommended that you include veterans' preference information in your cover letter or resume. Outreach and Recruitment for Qualified Applicants with

Disabilities :

The Department encourages qualified applicants with disabilities, including individuals with targeted/severe disabilities to apply in response to posted vacancy announcements. Qualified applicants with targeted/severe disabilities may be eligible for direct hire, non-competitive appointment under Schedule A (5 C.F.R. § 213.3102(u)) hiring authority. Individuals with targeted/severe disabilities are encouraged to contact one of the Department's Disability Points of Contact (DPOC) to express an interest in being considered for a position. See list of DPOCs .

Suitability and Citizenship :

It is the policy of the Department to achieve a drug-free workplace and persons selected for employment will be required to pass a drug test which screens for illegal drug use prior to final appointment. Employment is also contingent upon the completion and satisfactory adjudication of a background investigation. Congress generally prohibits agencies from employing non-citizens within the United States, except for a few narrow exceptions as set forth in the annual Appropriations Act (see, https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/non-citizens/). Pursuant to DOJ component policies, only U.S. citizens are eligible for employment with the Executive Office for Immigration Review, U.S. Trustee's Offices, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Unless otherwise indicated in a particular job advertisement, qualifying non-U.S. citizens meeting immigration and appropriations law criteria may apply for employment with other DOJ organizations. However, please be advised that the appointment of non-U.S. citizens is extremely rare; such appointments would be possible only if necessary to accomplish the Department's mission and would be subject to strict security requirements. Applicants who hold dual citizenship in the U.S. and another country will be considered on a case-by-case basis. All DOJ employees are subject to a residency requirement. Candidates who have lived outside the United States for two or more of the past five years will likely have difficulty being approved for appointments by the Department Security Staff. The two-year period is cumulative, not necessarily consecutive. Federal or military employees, or dependents of federal or military employees serving overseas, are excepted from this requirement.

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. 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 To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on Sunday, August 30, 2026, to receive consideration. 1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire. 2. Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package. (It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation are submitted prior to the closing date.) 3. To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login , select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete. You are encouraged to apply online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application. However, should you not be able to apply online, please contact Carole Smith at carole.smith@usdoj.gov, prior to the closing date of this announcement to request an alternate method of applying. Agency contact information Carole Smith Phone 336-332-6306 Email carole.smith@usdoj.gov Address Middle District of North Carolina 101 S. Edgeworth St., 4th Floor Greensboro, NC 27401 US Next steps We will notify you of the outcome after each step of the recruitment process has been completed. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation, to include a credit and tax checks, and a drug test by urinalysis. We expect to make a final job offer within 120 days after the closing date of the announcement. Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys and the Office of the U.S. Attorneys If you are looking for an exciting and challenging career, this is the position for you! With a talented workforce of over 100,000 people, the mission of the Department of Justice is to uphold the rule of law, keep our country safe, and protect civil rights. You will be part of a dedicated team helping to enforce Federal criminal and civil laws that protect life, liberty and the property of citizens. The United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of North Carolina is very active, serving approximately 3 million people and covering 24 counties in the central part of the state. Employment with this office offers a unique and challenging experience for highly motivated attorneys, including opportunities to work their own caseload, manage investigations, and represent the United States of America in federal District Court and the Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Our district is headquartered in downtown Greensboro with a staffed branch office in Winston-Salem. For more information on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorney's Offices, visit http://www.justice.gov/careers/careers.html Agency contact information Carole Smith Phone 336-332-6306 Email carole.smith@usdoj.gov Address Middle District of North Carolina 101 S. Edgeworth St., 4th Floor Greensboro, NC 27401 US