Duties

Summary

The Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board (FRTIB) is looking for a highly qualified and motivated individual to serve as the General Counsel.

This Job Opportunity Announcement (JOA) may be used to fill other General Counsel, ES-0905-00 positions within the FRTIB in the same geographical location with the same qualifications and specialized experience.
Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

The major duties of the position are:

• Advises the named fiduciaries of the Thrift Savings Plan (the Members and the Executive Director of the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board (FRTIB)) concerning their fiduciary and other legal duties and responsibilities under the Federal Employees' Retirement System Act of 1986 (FERSA), as amended.
• Provides advice to the Executive Director and the staff of the FRTIB and its contractors concerning the proper interpretation of the provisions of FERSA and other applicable laws and regulations in administering the TSP.
• Provides advice to the Executive Director and the staff of the FRTIB concerning issues arising from the FRTIB's status as an independent agency within the Executive Branch of the United States.
• Interprets laws and regulations relating to human resources, contracts, ethics, computer security, and the Freedom of Information and Privacy Acts. Oversees ethics and Privacy Act training to the named fiduciaries, FRTIB staff, and contractor personnel.
• Serves as the Senior Agency Official for Privacy (SAOP).
• Provides advice concerning applicability of and compliance with laws, regulations, Executive Orders, OMB Memoranda, and other materials as they relate to FRTIB and TSP operations.

Travel Required

Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.

Supervisory status
Yes

Promotion Potential
00

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

U.S. Citizenship is required.

All qualification requirements must be met by 12/04/2020. Your application package will not receive consideration if it is missing any of the required documents under the "Required Documents" tab.

One year probationary period for initial SES appointment

Selective Service. If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System , or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law.

Background Suitability Investigation. Continued employment is contingent upon satisfactory completion of a background investigation and the granting of a federal suitability or security clearance. If selected, you may be offered tentative employment until the background investigation has been fully adjudicated.

Active member of the bar in good standing.

Selected candidate is required to file a SF-278, Public Financial Disclosure Report within 30 days after his/her appointment, in accordance with the Ethics in Government Act of 1978.

Qualifications

The application process used to recruit for this position is RESUME-ONLY. Do NOT submit Executive Core Qualifications in lieu of a resume.

To apply for this position you need only submit a resume which CANNOT exceed FIVE (5) pages. Any information submitted in excess of five (5) pages WILL NOT be considered. You must submit a resume which provides evidence of how you possess the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) and the Mandatory Technical Qualifications (MTQs). Please ensure that your resume emphasizes your level of responsibilities, the scope and complexity of programs managed and your program accomplishments, including the results of your actions related to the MTQs and ECQs described below. An example of a resume showing possession of the ECQs is available here.

As a basic requirement for entry into the SES, applicants must provide evidence of progressively responsible leadership experience that is indicative of senior executive level managerial capability and directly related to the skills and abilities outlined under Mandatory Technical Qualifications and Executive Core Qualifications. Typically, experience of this nature will have been gained at or above the GS-15 grade level in the Federal service, or its equivalent with state or local government, the private sector, or nongovernmental organizations.

Executive Core Qualifications:

• ECQ 1 - LEADING CHANGE: This core qualification involves the ability to bring about strategic change, both within and outside the organization, to meet organizational goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to establish an organizational vision and to implement it in a continuously changing environment. (Competencies: creativity and innovation, external awareness, flexibility, resilience, strategic thinking, vision)
• ECQ 2 - LEADING PEOPLE: This core qualification involves the ability to lead people toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to provide an inclusive workplace that fosters the development of others, facilitates cooperation and teamwork, and supports constructive resolution of conflicts. (Competencies: conflict management, leveraging diversity, developing others, team building)
• ECQ 3 - RESULTS DRIVEN: This core qualification involves the ability to meet organizational goals and customer expectations. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to make decisions that produce high-quality results by applying technical knowledge, analyzing problems, and calculating risks. (Competencies: accountability, customer service, decisiveness, entrepreneurship, problem solving, technical credibility)
• ECQ 4 - BUSINESS ACUMEN: This core qualification involves the ability to manage human, financial, and information resources strategically. (Competencies: financial management, human capital management, technology management)
• ECQ 5 - BUILDING COALITIONS: This core qualification involves the ability to build coalitions internally and with other Federal agencies, State and local governments, nonprofit and private sector organizations, foreign governments, or international organizations to achieve common goals. (Competencies: partnering, political savvy, influencing/negotiating)

Mandatory Technical Qualifications:

• Extensive knowledge of and demonstrated experience in providing legal oversight is some or all of the following areas: privacy law, freedom of information, ethics, compliance, employee benefit plans (e.g.; 401k, 403b), fiduciary responsibilities, and procurement law. This includes understanding complex legal issues and short- and long-term consequences to provide legal advice and opinions to executive leadership in these areas.
• Experience managing a team of attorneys and possession of the supervisory and managerial skill and ability to develop, coordinate, and administer Agency programs, policies, and objectives.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations. 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

Applicant must possess a J.D. or LL.B. degree and be a member of the bar in good standing in any state, territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the commonwealth of Puerto Rico. ALL APPLICANTS must submit proof of current bar membership and proof of successful completion of education requirements. You must provide your transcripts to support your educational claims. Transcripts may be unofficial copies, but they must come from an accredited college or university. Click here to search the database of accredited institutions.

Foreign Education. If you are using education completed at foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign education programs. Foreign education must be deemed equivalent to that gained at an accredited U.S. education program. For further information visit the U.S. Department of Education's website concerning foreign qualifications.

Education may not be substituted for experience for this series and grade combination.

Additional information

The FRTIB offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes paid time off*, life insurance, health benefits, and participation in the 3-tier federal retirement system. The FRTIB also has wonderful benefits and work/life-balance flexibilities that may be right for you. We offer, if applicable:

• -Flexible work schedule options. The FRTIB offers two flexible work schedules, the Gliding Schedule and the Flexible 5-4/9 Schedule. Employees on the Gliding Schedule must arrive between 6:30 am and 9:30 am and work 8 hours plus a 30-minute unpaid lunch period. Employees on the Flexible 5-4/9 Schedule work eight 9-hour days and one 8-hour day (plus the 30-minute unpaid lunch period) in each biweekly pay period and receive one scheduled day off; and must arrive between 6:30 am and 9:30 am.
• -Telework up to 2 days per week for eligible positions.
• - Employee Assistance Program (EAP ). The EAP provides employees with free confidential assistance for help with personal issues that may be affecting work life. The program also provides consultation to supervisors who are trying to best help an employee with performance and/or attendance problems.
• -Work Life 4 You. The FRTIB provides all employees and their family members with access to the Federal Occupational Health managed referral and information service to assist in dealing with life, family, health, education, work, and finance. This service is provided at no cost to the employee.
• -SES members accrue annual leave at the rate of 8 hours for each full bi-weekly pay period and their annual cap is 720 hours. Annual leave may be used for vacation or other personal reasons. Sick leave may be used when you are ill, when you have a doctor, dental, or optical appointment, or when you need to provide care to an ill family member.
• -Fitness center. The FRTIB employees, at no cost, have access to the fitness center conveniently located on the main level of the building featuring state of the art weight training and cardiovascular equipment.
• -Extensive training programs and tools supportive of enhancing organization effectiveness and employee development.
• -A monthly transit subsidy for a portion of your commuting costs to help defray the commuting costs of employees who use mass transportation, including commuter bus, Metrorail or Metrobus, or commuter rail systems.
• -Child care program. The FRTIB's childcare subsidy program offers up to $600 in monthly subsidy paid to qualified child care providers of employees meeting the eligibility requirements.
• -Student loan repayment or recruitment bonus, when applicable.

The FRTIB offices are conveniently located within a few blocks of the Union Station metro station. In addition, private parking is available in the building at the posted daily and monthly rates.

Recruitment incentives may be authorized.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

To preview the occupational questionnaire, click on the following link https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/10929735 .
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

ALL applicants must submit a five (5) page ECQ-based Resume. You will be evaluated on the quality and extent of your total accomplishments and experience. Your application will be rated and ranked by an Executive Resources Board (ERB) Panel, comprised of at least three SES members, using only the information submitted within the resume. Applicants who do not demonstrate in their resume sufficient possession of the ECQs and MTQs will be determined ineligible for further consideration.

As part of the "Resume Based" recruitment method, highly qualified candidates will undergo the Structured Interview process. Based on the ERB Panel's evaluation, applicants who were determined Best Qualified will be referred to the selecting official for further consideration.

Once a candidate has been identified for selection, reference checks may be completed. Unless you have already been certified by a Qualifications Review Board (QRB) in the past, your ECQs must be certified by a QRB before appointment can occur.

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Secret

Drug test required
No

Position sensitivity and risk
Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk

Trust determination process
Suitability/Fitness

Required Documents

Please be advised, the following documents are required even if you are already a current federal employee or employee of the FRTIB. Failure to submit any of the required documents by the closing date of the announcement will result in your removal from consideration from this position.

1. Resume - Your resume must total no more than FIVE (5) pages. Any information submitted in excess of five (5) pages WILL NOT be considered. You must submit a resume which provides evidence of how you possess the ECQs and the MTQs. Please ensure that your resume emphasizes your level of responsibilities, the scope and complexity of programs managed and your program accomplishments, including the results of your actions related to the MTQs and ECQs described below. An example of a resume showing possession of the ECQs is available here. Resumes that do not contain all of the necessary information to determine qualifications may be marked as insufficient and applicants may not receive consideration for this position. Your latest resume submission is the one that will be used to determine your qualifications.

2. Bar Membership - Proof of current and active BAR Association Membership in good standing. During the initial review of applications, the Agency will accept photocopies of BAR Membership Cards or screenshots providing proof of active membership in a BAR Association.

3. College transcripts. Transcripts must be legible and possess the school name imprinted on the transcript or be on school letterhead; you may be asked to submit official transcripts upon selection.

4. Responses to the Occupational Questionnaire.

5. SF-50. Current & former federal employees must submit an SF-50 which shows current or most recent grade.