Duties

Summary

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, is an independent agency that regulates the interstate transmission of natural gas, oil, and electricity. FERC also regulates natural gas and hydropower projects. As part of our goal, we are seeking highly skilled individuals to assist in carrying out the mission of this agency. Join the team and help solve the challenges of managing today's energy markets and set policy direction for the energy industry at large.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

As the Director, Office of Administrative Litigation (OAL) you will oversee the daily operations of the office and ensure policy consistency and the effective resolution of contested proceedings through settlements, alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and hearings before Administrative Law Judges (ALJs). The Director oversees the provision of legal advice to the office in its day-to-day operations, and on matters of administrative law, trial practice and substantive energy law. Additionally, you will be responsible for:

-- Directing and implementing the Office mission and vision statements, goals, strategic plan and performance success measures; and assists with developing the Commission strategic plan.

--Directing the development of Office policy for processing administrative litigation based on consensual decision-making and the use of ADR techniques.

--Overseeing staff collaboration among professional disciplines, applying legal, economic, accounting, public utility, and engineering knowledge at the Commission to develop staff positions for the resolution of proceedings, and to develop an adequate record for Commission review of litigated or settled cases.

--Fostering relationships with other Federal agencies, Administration officials, state regulators, the Congress, U.S. and international public utility communities, and industry representatives.

FERC has a certified SES Performance Appraisal System. The salary range for each SES position is determined by the level of responsibility and duties of the incumbent.

In 2018, FERC was ranked by Bestplacestowork.org as the #2 mid-size agency in the Federal Government . We were also ranked as the #1 mid-sized agency in Work-Life Balance, Teamwork, Senior Leaders, and Training and Development. As a " Best Place to Work ," we are always looking for the best and brightest to join our team of dedicated professionals. Begin your new career by joining a team that will let you make a difference!

Travel Required

Occasional travel - Some travel required.

Supervisory status
Yes

Promotion Potential
ES

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Must meet specialized experience.
• One year probationary period may be required.
• A background investigation is required.
• Must meet mandatory technical and executive core qualifications.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: If selected for this position, you will be required to: complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment; have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer; and go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission participates in the USCIS Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program ( E-Verify ). E-Verify helps employers determine employment eligibility of new hires and the validity of their Social Security numbers. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit http://www.uscis.gov/e-verify .

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, you must address the following Mandatory Technical Qualifications questions.

Mandatory Technical Qualifications:

1. Demonstrated knowledge of FERC regulated energy industries and the related legal framework, particularly the Federal Power Act, Natural Gas Act, Natural Gas Policy Act, and Interstate Commerce Act.

2. Demonstrated experience in the litigation process and knowledge of regulatory policies in the FERC-regulated energy industries which demonstrates incisive legal analytical skills and clear understanding of legal procedures and processes.

3. Demonstrated knowledge of economic, financial, accounting, and engineering theories applicable to electric, natural gas pipeline, hydroelectric, and oil pipeline operations.

For this position, specialized experience is defined as: You must have specialized experience at a level close to the work of this job that has given you the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities required to successfully perform. This level of experience must demonstrate progressively responsible experience in the leadership/executive and technical areas.

Applicants for an initial SES career appointment must also clearly demonstrate that they possess the broad executive core qualifications needed to succeed in the SES. A summary of the key characteristics for the Executive Core Qualifications can be found at this link: http://opm.gov/ses/recruitment/ecq.asp

Education

Additional information

You must submit all required information by the closing date. The materials you send with your resume will not be returned. Before entering on duty, you may be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, SF-278. You will need to provide the information annually. Relocation expenses will not be paid.

It is the policy of the Government not to deny employment simply because an individual has been unemployed or has had financial difficulties that have arisen through no fault of the individual. Information about an individual's employment experience will be used only to determine the person's qualifications and to assess his or her relative level of knowledge, skills, and abilities. Although an individual's personal conduct may be relevant in any employment decision, including conduct during periods of unemployment or evidence of dishonesty in handling financial matters, financial difficulty that has arisen through no fault of the individual will generally not itself be the basis of an unfavorable suitability or fitness determination. Please use the following link for additional information: Ctrl+Click or tap to follow the link" href="https://hru.gov/Studio_Recruitment/tools/Mythbuster_on_Federal_Hiring_Policies.pdf">Mythbusters of Federal Hiring Policies .

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

You will be evaluated on the Executive Core Qualifications in addition to the Mandatory Technical Qualifications. When describing your technical qualifications, please give examples and explain how often you used your skills, the complexity of the knowledge you possessed, the level of people you interacted with, the sensitivity of the issues you handled, etc.

Applicants will be evaluated on their resume, Mandatory Technical Qualifications and Executive Core Qualifications to determine the best qualified candidates. In order to properly review your qualifications, please ensure that your resume clearly indicates evidence that you qualify for the Senior Executive Service position and that you possess the Mandatory Technical Qualifications and Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ's).

Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs): In order to be considered for the position, applicants must submit a narrative statement separately addressing each of the five ECQ's. Each statement should contain at least two examples describing experiences and accomplishments/results specific to that ECQ. As a guideline, 1-2 pages per ECQ is sufficient. Applicants for an initial SES career appointment must clearly demonstrate that they possess the broad executive core qualifications needed to succeed in the SES. A guide to assist with writing the ECQ narratives can be found at this link: http://opm.gov/ses/recruitment/ecq.asp

To preview questions please click here .

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Top Secret

Drug test required
No

Required Documents

Please note that if you do not provide all required information by the closing date of the announcement, as specified in this announcement, you will not be considered for this position.

Current and former Federal employees must submit their most recent SF-50. At time of application, applicants must submit their resume, transcripts, Mandatory Technical Qualifications and Executive Core Qualifications.

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.