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General Counsel

Employer
USAJobs
Location
Washington, D.C
Closing date
Sep 24, 2021
Duties

Summary

The Office of General Counsel of the Justice Management Division (JMD) is primarily responsible for providing legal advice and guidance to the Assistant Attorney General for Administration, JMD staffs, and Department leadership on a diverse range of legal and policy questions relating to the organization, management and administration of the Department.
Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

As General Counsel, the incumbent is responsible for the overall management and supervision of the Office of General Counsel (OGC). OGC is primarily responsible for providing legal advice and guidance to the Justice Management Division (JMD) and to the Offices, Boards and Divisions (OBDs) to which JMD provides direct services. OGC also represents JMD and OBD's in administrative litigation. This position also provides legal advice to the Assistant Attorney General for Administration (AAG/A) and staff, as well as to the Office of the Deputy Attorney General and other Senior Leadership Offices.

In this role, the incumbent:
  • Provides overall guidance and direction to a staff of approximately ten attorneys. Determines program emphasis and priorities, develops operating guidelines and communicates agency policies and priorities. Plans internal organization, plans for and develops budget justification, determines training needs of personnel, and manages work processes and procedures.
  • Provides advice and counsel to the AAG/A on all legal matters. This includes review of actions proposed or taken by JMD staffs in all practice areas.
  • Provides legal advice and guidance to JMD staffs, reviews regulations and Department orders for legal sufficiency.
  • Serves as JMD authority on Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act requests.
  • Serves as JMD Senior Component Officer for Privacy and as Secretary to the Department's Data Integrity Board.
  • Serves as Secretary to the Department's Document Review Committee.
  • Provides legal advice regarding general management and administrative matters to the Department's leadership and to other components as requested.
  • Manages administrative litigation of contract claims, procurement protests, Equal Employment Opportunity complaints and occasional Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) appeals; and oversees assistance to other divisions of the Department and United States Attorneys Offices (USAOs) in the conduct of federal court litigation when the litigation involves action taken by JMD and occasionally other Department offices.


Travel Required

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

Supervisory status
Yes

Promotion Potential
00

Requirements

Conditions of Employment


  • You must be a U.S. citizen to qualify for this position.
  • You must submit to a drug test and receive a negative drug test result before you can be appointed into this position.
  • You will need to successfully complete a background security investigation before you can be appointed into this position. Entrance on duty is contingent upon preliminary completion of a security clearance.
  • Veterans' preference is not applicable to the Senior Executive Service.
  • Only experience obtained by closing date of this announcement will be considered.
  • This position requires a Top Secret/SCI Clearance -- (Candidate must be able to obtain the required security clearance).
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 management capability and directly related to the skills and abilities outlined under Technical Qualifications and Executive Core Qualifications.

The application process used to recruit for this position is RESUME-ONLY. Applicants must address the Mandatory Technical Qualifications (MTQs) and Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) within their resume. Resumes may not exceed seven (7) pages

Qualifications

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. You will be evaluated to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications required of the position and on the extent your application demonstrates that you possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities required of the General Counsel. Please be sure to give concrete examples of your experience and demonstrate the complexity of the knowledge you possess.

YOU WILL BE EVALUATED ON ALL OF THE FOLLOWING MANDATORY TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS (MTQ): Your responses to the MTQs should be embedded/addressed within your resume not to exceed seven pages.

MTQ 1. Demonstrated knowledge of law and regulations applicable to the administration of a large federal agency. Consistent with the introduction above, these areas of law include, but are not limited to : appropriations and financial management, government procurement, federal employment, Equal Employment Opportunity, appointment of inferior officers, personnel and physical security, Freedom of Information and Privacy Acts, management and security of information technology (IT) systems, administrative law such as the Administrative Procedure Act and Paperwork Reduction Act, applicable OMB Circulars and related mandatory guidance.

MTQ 2. Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and effectively across a large dispersed organization, including with general counsels of other components of the DOJ, to improve agency management;

MTQ 3. Demonstrated ability to work effectively with high-level officials in various federal agencies and Congress.

IN ADDITION, YOUR RESUME MUST CLEARLY DOCUMENT AND DEMONSTRATE THE FOLLOWING EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS (ECQs) EVIDENCE WITHIN YOUR RESUME NOT TO EXCEED SEVEN PAGES. PAGES EXCEEDING SEVEN (7) PAGES WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED:

ECQ1 - 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.

ECQ2 - 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.

ECQ3 - RESULTS DRIVEN. This core qualification involves the ability to meet organizational goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to make decisions that produce high-quality results by applying technical knowledge, analyzing problems, and calculating risks.

ECQ4 - BUSINESS ACUMEN. This core qualification involves the ability to manage human, financial, and information resources strategically.

ECQ5 - 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.

Additional information on the Executive Core Qualifications can be found at http://www.opm.gov/ses/recruitment/ecq.asp.

Please refer to OPM's Guide to the Senior Executive Service Qualifications for more detailed information.

**Please be advised, while you do not have to submit a separate ECQ narrative at this phase in the application process, If you are selected for the position once the Executive Review Board (ERB) and Interviews have concluded, then you will need to provide the separate ECQs not-to-exceed 10 pages per the OPM requirements for Case Documentation under Criterion A-Resume Based QRB submission unless you are already a member of the Senior Executive Service previously certified by OPM**

Education

Applicants must possess a J.D. degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association, have at least 5 years of relevant post-J.D. experience, and be an active member of the bar in good standing a state, U.S. territory, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. IMPORTANT: Applicants are responsible for citing J.D. and bar membership information (institution name, state(s) for bar, and dates) on their respective resumes.

Additional information

DOJ 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. This link provides an overview of the benefits currently offered to Federal employees: https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/Pay_and_Benefits .

The Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) of the selectee who is not a current or former career Senior Executive employee (Title V) must be approved by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) before appointment. In addition, individuals entering the Senior Executive Service for the first time are subject to a one-year probationary period. Applicants who have completed the Candidate Development Program (CDP) and have had their ECQs certified by OPM must provide a copy of their certificate as part of their application.

EEO Policy Statement: The Department of Justice does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, age, disability (physical or mental), genetic information, status as a parent, sexual orientation, marital status, political affiliation, or any other impermissible factor. The complete DOJ EEO Statement/Policy is found at: http://www.justice.gov/jmd/eeos/08-eeo-policy.pdf .

Reasonable Accommodation
Federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

Legal and Regulatory Guidance
  • Social Security Number - Your Social Security Number is requested under the authority of Executive Order 9397 to uniquely identify your records from those of other applicants who may have the same name. As allowed by law or Presidential directive, your Social Security Number is used to seek information about you from employers, schools, banks, and others who may know you. Failure to provide your Social Security Number on your application materials will result in your application not being processed.
  • Privacy Act - Privacy Act Notice (PL 93-579): The information requested here is used to determine qualifications for employment and is authorized under Title 5 U.S.C. 3302 and 3361.
  • Signature - Before you are hired, you will be required to sign and certify the accuracy of the information in your application.
  • False Statements - If you make a false statement in any part of your application, you may not be hired; you may be fired after you begin work; or you may be subject to fine, imprisonment, or other disciplinary action.
  • 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.


How You Will Be Evaluated

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

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is required by law to review the executive qualifications of each new career appointee to the Senior Executive Service (SES) prior to appointment.

Please see Application Procedures for specific instructions. The resume should demonstrate the necessary level of management skills, characteristics, qualities, specialized knowledge, and technical competence that would indicate successful performance in the SES. This evidence must include clear and concise examples that emphasize the applicant's level of responsibilities, scope, and complexity of programs managed, program accomplishments, policy initiatives, and level of contacts.

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Top Secret

Drug test required
Yes

Position sensitivity and risk
Special-Sensitive (SS)/High Risk

Trust determination process
Credentialing , Suitability/Fitness , National security

Required Documents

Applicants who fail to submit all information and documents (i.e., resume, and other documents as applicable) WILL NOT receive consideration for this position.

If you are a current career member of the SES, or are eligible for reinstatement in to the SES, or have completed an SES Candidate Development Program and obtained Office of Personnel Management Qualifications Review Board certification, you can apply to be considered non competitively.

To be considered non-competitively, you must submit your resume only, and other documents, as applicable. You must submit your application so that it will be received by 11:59 p.m. (EST) on the closing date of the announcement.

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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