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Deputy Associate Chief Counsel (International Programs and Operations)

Employer
USAJobs
Location
Washington, D.C
Closing date
Sep 21, 2021
Duties

Summary

The Office of Chief Counsel, IRS, the largest tax law firm in the country, is looking for enthusiastic individuals to join our team and gain valuable experience in a legal environment. The Office of Chief Counsel's mission is to serve America's taxpayers fairly and with integrity by providing correct and impartial interpretation of the internal revenue laws and the highest quality legal advice and representation for the Internal Revenue Service. It's a great place to work!

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

The Deputy Associate Chief Counsel (International Programs and Operations) of the International Division of the Office of Chief Counsel will join two other Deputy Associate Chief Counsels and a Senior Level Counsel in serving as the principal advisors to the Associate Chief Counsel (International) and will represent the Associate and the Office in matters generally, including the overall direction and management of the International Division. The Deputies assist the Associate in supervising (through GS-15 managers) a staff of professional attorneys and support personnel engaged in providing legal guidance and assistance in matters dealing with international and foreign tax matters, including all matters relating to the activities of non-U.S. persons or entities within the United States and the activities of U.S. or U.S.-related persons or entities outside the United States. These legal advisory services support uniform interpretation, application, enforcement, and litigation of the international provisions of the Internal Revenue Code, all bilateral and multilateral tax treaties and agreements to which the United States is a party, and all foreign revenue laws that pertain to or affect tax matters in the United States. The Office of the Associate Chief Counsel (International) works closely on all international program matters with other Associate Chief Counsels and Division Counsels, IRS Division Commissioners, Treasury officials, officials of the State Department and the Department of Justice, and officials of foreign governments. The Deputies are delegated authority for signature on all matters on which the Associate Chief Counsel (International) has authority and, when acting for the Associate, have full authority to make decisions on any issues arising in the Office of the Associate Chief Counsel (International).

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Deputy Associate Chief Counsel (IP&O) acts as a principal legal advisor to the Associate Chief Counsel (ACC) (International) and assists the ACC (International) in planning, directing, and coordinating the policies, programs, and goals of the Office. Though the Deputy assists the ACC (International) with respect to all executive activities falling within the International Division's jurisdiction, this Deputy focuses on (yet is not limited to):
  • Overseeing tax treaties and mutual legal assistance treaties (MLATs), foreign trusts, international aspects of estates and gifts, U.S. territories and exchange of information requests.
  • Developing goals and monitoring performance measures for programs, including private letter rulings, Technical Advice Memoranda, and closing agreements.
  • Coordinating and overseeing Chapters 3 and 4 information reporting and withholding, and forms and publications.
  • Developing a strategic relationship with international functions involving the Office of the IRS Commissioner, most notably Large Business & International (LB&I), working closely with the Director of Treaty and Transfer Pricing Operations and the Director of Withholding Exchange and International Individual Compliance, as well as Division Counsel for those offices, to formulate and coordinate goals and strategies for treaty administration.
  • Planning, directing, and coordinating the Office of Chief Counsel's participation in all multinational forums, such as the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the Forum on Tax Administration, the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes, and the Inter-American Center of Tax Administrations, including assisting LB&I and the Treasury Department in the development of positions to be taken in those forums.
  • Planning, directing, and coordinating the International program nationwide, including all personnel, fiscal, and budgetary requests and recommendations; balancing the often competing needs of program segments; and determining the allocation and deployment of human and fiscal resources that best positions the organization to meet the needs of clients as a whole.
  • Assisting the Associate in ensuring that the International's managers operate as an effective management team, and that all management functions are handled equitably and in a manner that is responsive to the needs of all programs that International supports. May designate personnel to act in key positions during temporary vacancies and may redelegate certain authorities as appropriate.
  • Ensuring that personnel activities and issues are properly and timely addressed as necessary (e.g., recruitment, training, performance evaluation, disciplinary or adverse action, and management reporting).


Travel Required

Occasional travel - Travel may be required.

Supervisory status
Yes

Promotion Potential
ES - N/A

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • Please refer to "Conditions of Employment."
  • Click "Print Preview" to review the entire announcement before applying.
  • Public Trust (85PS) Background Investigation required.


CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:
  • Subject to a one-year probationary period (unless already completed).
  • Have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer.
  • Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency.
  • If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so.
  • 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.
  • Obtain and use a Government-issued charge card for business-related travel.
  • The employment of any candidate, including a current employee or a new hire, selected for this position may be conditional upon classification and/or audit of federal tax returns. This audit may include up to 2 years of returns.
  • Because of its tax-related mission, the Office of Chief Counsel requires fingerprinting, tax verification, and background security investigation as part of the pre-employment process.


Qualifications

As a basic requirement, candidates must clearly describe progressively responsible leadership experiences that demonstrate the executive level managerial capabilities comprising the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) of the Senior Executive Service. Typically, experience of this nature will have been gained at or above the GS-15 grade level or its equivalent in Federal service or with state or local government, the private sector, or non-governmental organizations.

The following five ECQs provide the focus for the Office of Personnel Management certification of executive qualifications for initial career appointment to the Senior Executive Service. The listing of elements for each activity area is illustrative, not exhaustive.

A) Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs):

Unless you are currently serving under a Career Senior Executive Service (SES) appointment, are eligible for reinstatement into the SES, you must address the ECQs. The following five ECQs provide the focus for certification of executive qualifications for initial career appointment to the Senior Executive Service and also provide a basis for assessing relative quality of management experience for this position. The listing of elements for each activity area is illustrative, not exhaustive, and it is not expected that an individual will be a subject-matter expert in all of these activities. Please provide a brief explanation providing two examples of your experience with each ECQ.
  • Leading Change - Ability to bring about strategic change, both within and outside the organization, to meet organizational goals. Ability to establish an organizational vision and to implement it in a continuously changing environment.
  • Leading People - Ability to lead people toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals. Ability to provide an inclusive workplace that fosters the development of others, facilitates cooperation and teamwork, and supports constructive resolution of conflicts.
  • Results Driven - Ability to meet organizational goals and customer expectations. Ability to make decisions that produce high-quality results by applying technical knowledge, analyzing problems, and calculating risks.
  • Business Acumen - Ability to manage human, financial, and information resources strategically.
  • Building Coalitions - 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.

  • B) Professional/Technical Competencies (PTCs):

    In addition to the general managerial competencies set out in the Executive Core Qualifications and mandatory for all Senior Executive Service positions, candidates must show evidence of the following more specific competencies in order to meet basic qualifications for this position:

    Mandatory:
  • Position requires comprehensive, professional knowledge of and experience in applying the tax laws related to all transactions and activities that cross the borders of the United States, including all international provisions of the United States revenue laws and all bilateral and multilateral tax treaties and agreements to which the United States is a party.
  • 2. Must have demonstrated experience in managing all aspects of a large-scale law program that involves significant human and fiscal resources. Experience includes planning, directing, budgeting for, staffing, and evaluating such programs, as well as effectively managing equal employment opportunity initiatives.
  • Must have demonstrated the ability to review and evaluate programs for the purpose of assessing their effectiveness against overall organizational goals and objectives, and the ability to design and implement program improvements as necessary to enhance organizational performance.
  • Must have demonstrated the capacity for effective and decisive decision-making, as well as the ability to solve problems of substantial impact, sensitivity, and complexity.

  • Desirable:
  • A thorough understanding of the operations and organization of the Internal Revenue Service and Office of Chief Counsel, and a solid understanding of the Department of the Treasury and its Office of General Counsel, are desirable.

  • (Note: Failure to address these factors will result in your application being disqualified.) Narrative responses to the Technical Qualifications and Desirable Qualifications should not be more than two pages for each. Please provide the Executive Core Qualifications, Technical Qualifications and Desirable Qualifications each on separate sheets of paper.

    Education

    Applicants must possess a J.D. and have at least 7 years of professional legal tax experience. An LL.M. in Taxation is desired but not required.

    The experience may have been gained in the public or private sector, or through Volunteer Service . One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis.

    To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week, on your resume.

    Additional information

    • We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies.
    • This is a non-bargaining unit position.
    • We offer opportunities for telework.
    • We offer opportunities for flexible work schedules.
    • Relocation expenses will be paid for Federal employees only.
    • Required to file a public financial disclosure report (OGE Form 278e) upon entry on duty, and annually thereafter.
    • Initial SES appointment will be required to serve a one-year probationary period.
    • After entrance on duty, failure to successfully meet the background investigation and favorable adjudication requirements may be grounds for termination.


    How You Will Be Evaluated

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

    Your application includes your resume and responses to the online questions and required supporting documents. Please be sure that your resume includes detailed information to support your qualifications for this position; failure to provide sufficient evidence in your resume will result in a "not qualified" determination.

    Applicants will be considered based on their overall background as it relates to the position to be filled. All application materials and interviews, if conducted, will be used in the final evaluation and selection process.

    Candidates found basically qualified will be further evaluated by an Executive Resources Board based on the extent and quality of their experience as it relates to the Professional/Technical Competencies and the Executive Core Qualifications needed for this position. Appropriate consideration will be given for job-related training, education, awards, publications, and supervisory appraisals of job performance. Interviews of applicants may be held at the option of the Board. Selected applicant will be subject to certification of their executive qualifications by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (unless previously certified). (Note: Current and former SES members, and other candidates who have already been OPM/QRB-certified, are not required to address the executive core qualifications. They must, however, provide documentation of certification in the form of an SF-50 showing career SES status, or an OPM issued SES qualification certificate.)

    Referral: If you are among the top qualified candidates, your application may be referred to a selecting official for consideration. You may be required to participate in a selection interview. We will not reimburse costs related to the interview such as travel to and from the interview site.

    To preview questions please click here .

    Background checks and security clearance

    Security clearance
    Other

    Drug test required
    No

    Position sensitivity and risk
    High Risk (HR)

    Trust determination process
    Suitability/Fitness

    Required Documents

    A complete application includes (1) a resume, (2) vacancy question responses, (3) a supplemental narrative statement that addresses your possession of the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) and the Professional/Technical Competencies (PTCs), and (4) submission of any required documents noted in the vacancy announcement. Please note that if you do not provide all required information as specified in this announcement, you will not be considered for this position (or will not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible).
  • Cover letter (memorandum of interest) summarizing your interest in the position.
  • All applicants are required to submit a resume either by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one of their own choosing. To receive full credit for relevant experience, please list the month/year and number of hours for experience listed on your resume. We suggest that you preview the online questions, as you may need to customize your resume to ensure that it supports your responses to these questions. Please view resume tips .
  • A supplemental narrative statement that addresses your possession of the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) and the Professional/Technical Competencies (PTCs).
  • If you are not an OPM-Certified SES member or candidate, you must address the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs).

  • CHIEF COUNSEL EMPLOYEES:
    A Supervisory Report (ERB Form 1-88, 4/11) regarding your suitability for the position as completed by your current or most recent supervisor. You are responsible for notifying your supervisor that this report must be received no later than five workdays after the closing date of this announcement.

    CURRENT AND FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES - Documentation Relating to Your Federal Employment:
    • Submit a copy of your SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, which shows your current (or most recent) grade and competitive service status. (The "position occupied" block on the SF-50 should show a "1" and your "tenure" block should show a "1" or "2".)
    • Indicate on your application the highest permanent grade you have held; if this grade is different from your current grade; submit a copy of an additional SF-50 showing this grade.
    • Submit a copy of your most recent, signed, completed annual performance appraisal which includes the final rating. If the performance appraisal is not dated within the last 12 months or if you have not received a performance appraisal, please explain why in your application.


    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.

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