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Chief Counsel

Employer
USAJobs
Location
Woodlawn, Maryland
Closing date
Dec 6, 2020
Duties

Summary

The Chief Counsel, Office of the Counsel to the Inspector General (OCIG), Office of the Inspector General (OIG), Social Security Administration (SSA), provides executive leadership and independent authoritative legal advice, guidance, interpretations, and recommendations to the Inspector General and senior staff on all general law issues.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

As the Chief Counsel, the incumbent:
  • Serves as chief legal advisor to the Inspector General (IG) and senior staff on significant matters concerning the OIG's powers and responsibilities under various statutes, regulations, executive orders, and proclamations that affect its oversight responsibilities, business activities, and administrative management of operations.
  • Provides expert legal advice to the IG and senior staff on matters arising in connection with the work of the OIG's Offices of Audit and Investigations, and on general law matters, including, but not limited to: the Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended, and related authorities; Federal fiscal law; Federal employment and personnel law; administrative law; contracts; Federal procurement law; Federal information laws; Federal ethics obligations; eDiscovery; and criminal procedure.
  • Provides executive leadership over a comprehensive litigation program for the OIG, including the development, coordination, and direction of general law (as defined above) litigation and the supervision of OCIG staff engaged in all aspects of general law litigation.
  • Provides executive leadership over and is responsible for directing and supervising OCIG staff engaged in providing legal advice to the OIG on policies and on general law (as defined above) matters, including conducting legal research, often on highly complex, critical, or precedent-setting matters; drafting letters, memoranda, legal instruments, and legal opinions; and participating in discussions, meetings, and conferences, often with senior-level personnel in the OIG or SSA.
  • Provides executive oversight to regulatory strategy, including developing and reviewing responsibilities under current and anticipated regulatory requirements, and advising on the interpretation and application of new and emerging authorities. Drafts or reviews reports and letters to congressional committees, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and others on proposed legislation and legislative matters. Drafts or reviews proposed testimony of OIG officials before Congress.
  • Serves as the Whistleblower Protection Coordinator, pursuant to the Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended, 5 U.S.C. App. 3 § 3(d)(1)(C). Responsible for educating employees of the Social Security Administration (SSA) about prohibitions against retaliation for protected disclosures and rights and remedies against retaliation for protected disclosures, assisting the IG in promoting the timely and appropriate handling of protected disclosures and allegations of reprisal, and assisting the IG in facilitating communication and coordination with the Office of Special Counsel (OSC), Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE), Congress, and other relevant entities regarding the same.
  • Serves as the principal liaison to the Attorney General, the Department of Justice, and other Local, State, and Federal agencies or organizations on general law (as defined above) matters.
  • Serves as the Touhy officer for OIG, pursuant to 20 C.F.R. Part 403. Responsible for determining whether an OIG employee may testify concerning any function of OIG or SSA or any information or record created or acquired by OIG as a result of the discharge of its official duties in any legal proceeding.
  • Represents OIG in discussions and negotiations with senior officials of the SSA; CIGIE; Congress; the White House; OMB; OSC; other Federal, State, and local agencies; and those from outside interests, including media, on general law matters.


Travel Required

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

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
None

Requirements

Conditions of Employment


U.S. Citizenship is required.

In order to be considered minimally qualified for this position, candidates must have had responsible professional experience at a senior level (equivalent to the GS-15 in either the General Schedule (GS) or a comparable pay plan).

Qualifications

As a basic requirement, applicants MUST demonstrate progressively responsible leadership experience that is indicative of senior executive level managerial capability and directly related to the skills and abilities outlined under Executive Core Qualifications and Mandatory Professional/Technical 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 non-governmental organizations. Failure to meet this basic qualification requirement and all executive and technical qualification factors automatically disqualifies an applicant.

You must clearly show that you possess the experience and leadership competencies to perform the duties of an executive. To be considered for this position, all applicants must address each of the Mandatory Professional/Technical Qualifications (MTQ), if any, and the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ) listed below in the application documents you submit. Unless you are currently serving under a career Senior Executive Service appointment, are eligible for reinstatement into the Senior Executive Service, or have successfully completed a Senior Executive Service Candidate Development Program approved by OPM and been certified by OPM, you must submit a narrative statement covering each of the Executive Core Qualifications listed below. Your examples should be clear and concise, and emphasize your level of responsibilities, scope and complexity of programs managed, program accomplishments with results of your actions, policy initiatives and level of contacts.

Each MTQ and ECQ must be addressed separately and submitted with your application. Please refer to the OPM Guide to SES Executive Core Qualifications ( https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/senior-executive-service/reference-materials/guidetosesquals_2012.pdf ) for guidance on how to describe your executive qualifications.

EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS:

Narrative Statements for the ECQs must not exceed 10 pages ; additional pages will not be considered. This document MUST be submitted using the "Executive Core Qualifications" document type.
  • ECQ 1 - LEADING CHANGE: You must have demonstrated an 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.
Leadership Competencies : Creativity & Innovation, External Awareness, Flexibility, Resilience, Strategic Thinking, Vision.
    ECQ 2 - LEADING PEOPLE: You must demonstrate 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.
Leadership 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.
Leadership Competencies : Accountability, Customer Service, Decisiveness, Entrepreneurship, Problem Solving, Technical Credibility
    ECQ 4 - BUSINESS ACUMEN: This ECQ involves the ability to manage human, financial, and information resource strategically.
Leadership Competencies : Financial Management, Human Capital Management, Technology Management
    ECQ 5 - BUILDING COALITIONS: This ECQ 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.
Leadership Competencies : Partnering, Political Savvy, Influencing/Negotiating

FUNDAMENTAL COMPETENCIES: The following competencies are the foundation for success in each of the Executive Core Qualifications: Interpersonal Skills, Oral Communication, Integrity/Honesty, Written Communication, Continual Learning, and Public Service Motivation.

MANDATORY PROFESSIONAL/TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS (MTQs) :

No more than two (2) pages per MTQ is allowed; additional information will not be considered. This document MUST be submitted using the "Mandatory Technical Qualification" document type.
  • General knowledge in the majority of the following relevant areas:
    • The Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended, and related authorities
    • Federal fiscal law
    • Federal employment and personnel law
    • Administrative law
    • Contracts
    • Federal procurement law
    • Federal information law
    • Federal ethics obligations
    • eDiscovery
    • Criminal procedure
  • Demonstrated experience litigating cases involving one or more of the above-referenced areas of general law before the Federal courts and/or Federal administrative agencies.
  • Demonstrated experience providing legal advice and counsel to senior officials of a Federal organization, and representing an organization in discussions or negotiations with senior officials of other organizations.
  • Active membership in the bar of the court of a State, Territory, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. (You must include a copy of current/active Bar Membership.)This document MUST be submitted using the "Proof of active Bar membership" document type.

  • DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS (DQs) :

    An optional statement addressing each Desirable Qualification (DQ) is strongly recommended. No more than two (2) pages per DQ is allowed; additional information will not be considered. This document should be submitted using the "Desirable Qualification" document type.
  • Demonstrated experience providing expert legal advice and technical guidance on proposed legislation, regulations, and associated guidance, and on the implementation of new such legislation and regulations.


  • Education

    Additional information

    (1) The selectee for this position will be subject to an appropriate security investigation, including fingerprinting and periodic future reinvestigation(s).
    (2) Veteran's preference is not applicable to the SES.
    (3) This position is covered under the post-employment restrictions of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (PL 95-521). This law also requires the selectee to file an Executive Personnel Financial Disclosure Report (Standard Form 278) within 30 days of appointment.
    (4) Selectee must serve a one-year probationary period unless s/he previously completed one in the Senior Executive Service.
    (5) Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must be registered with the Selective Service System before they can be employed by an executive agency of the Federal government. This requirement does not apply to Agency employees appointed before November 8, 1985.
    (6) This position may be a Testing Designated Position. The selectee will be notified if they are required to submit to a pre-employment urinalysis drug screening within 48 hours of notification. After appointment, the selectee will then be subject to future random drug screening.

    All application materials are subject to the provisions of the privacy act and become property of SSA.

    The Social Security Administration provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify us. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be granted on a case-by-case basis.

    The Social Security Administration provides equal opportunity for all persons without regard to race, color, age, religion, gender, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, disability, or conduct not adversely affecting employee performance.

    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 for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above, as evidenced by the quality and extent of your accomplishments and experience within your application materials. Applicants who meet all the mandatory executive and technical qualifications will be evaluated by an SES Rating Panel, comprised of at least three SES members. Your application will be rated and ranked using only the information submitted within the application package. This evaluation will determine which applicants are best qualified.

    Applicants determined to be Highly Qualified must demonstrate sufficient possession of ECQs, MTQs, and DQs, and will be referred to the hiring component for further consideration. Highly Qualified applicants may undergo an interview and a reference check. If you are the recommended selectee, your ECQs must be certified by an OPM Qualifications Review Board prior to appointment, unless you are a current SES executive or have successfully participated in an OPM approved SES Candidate Development Program. You may be asked to further modify the ECQ narratives submitted with your application package.

    Background checks and security clearance

    Security clearance
    Top Secret

    Drug test required
    No

    Position sensitivity and risk
    Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk

    Trust determination process
    National security

    Required Documents

    Your complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on 12/07/2020. Failure to submit any of the required documents by the closing date of the announcement will result in your removal from consideration for this position.

    To apply for this position, you must provide a complete application package which includes:
    1. REQUIRED: Your resume (5-page maximum) - We recommend that your resume emphasize your level of responsibilities, the scope and complexity of the programs managed, and your program accomplishments, including the results of your actions. It is important that your resume be complete and thorough. Insufficient information will result in an ineligible rating. It is recommended that you include the following information:
    • Full name, mailing address, and day and evening telephone numbers
    • Educational information, including the name, city and state of colleges or universities you attended, as well as the type and year of any degrees received
    • Information about your paid and nonpaid work experience related to this position including:
      • Job title (include series and grade if Federal job)
      • Duties and accomplishments
      • Employer's name and address
      • Supervisor's name and phone number
      • Starting and ending dates of employment (month and year)
      • Salary
      • Indicate if we may contact your current supervisor
      • Information about honors, awards, and special accomplishments

    2. REQUIRED: Narrative Statements separately addressing each of the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ) and Mandatory Professional/Technical Qualification(s) (MTQ). ECQ narratives are not to exceed 10-pages, total; MTQs may not exceed two pages per MTQ .

    Narratives should address experience (paid and unpaid), education, training, awards, and/or self-development activities as related to each ECQ and MTQ. Please refer back to the Qualifications and Evaluation sections of the vacancy announcement for further guidance on preparing narrative statements. If you do not provide these narrative statements you will not be considered for this position.

    OR

    If you are a graduate of an approved SES Candidate Development Program (SESCDP), you must submit MTQ narratives to demonstrate possession of the required qualifications. To be considered non-competitively, you must also submit a copy of your QRB Certificate of Qualifications. This document MUST be submitted using the "Executive Core Qualifications" document type.

    Failure to provide the required documentation will result in ineligibility, or consideration under Competitive procedures.


    OR

    If you are a current member of the SES, or former SES with reinstatement eligibility, you must submit MTQ narratives to demonstrate possession of the required qualifications.

    3. REQUIRED: Proof of active Bar membership of the court of a State, Territory, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. This document MUST be submitted using the "Proof of active Bar membership" document type.

    4. REQUIRED: SF-50 (Please remove your social security number and date of birth)
    • If you are a current Federal employee, a copy of a recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, that indicates Federal status, grade, tenure, and type of service.
    • If you are a current member of the SES, or former SES with reinstatement eligibility, you must provide an SF-50 documenting your appointment and/or resignation to/from the SES, as well as an SF-50 showing satisfactory completion of the SES Probationary Period.
    • If you are a current or former (within the last 5 years) political appointee, including Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-Career SES, please submit documentation of your appointment, including a copy of your SF-50.

    5. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: A supplemental narrative addressing each Desirable Qualification (DQ). Maximum 2 pages per DQ

    6. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: A copy of your most recent annual performance appraisal (from either the Federal or private sector). Please remove your social security number.

    Extraneous documents provided with your application package will not be considered.

    If you are having difficulty applying online, please contact the HR Specialist listed as the contact on the vacancy announcement during core business hours (9:30 am - 2:30 pm Eastern Time).

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