Assistant General Counsel

U.S. Department of Agriculture; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 192,000 - 204,000; Full time

Job summary

The U.S. Department of Agriculture seeks an experienced professional for the Senior Executive Service position of Assistant General Counsel for the Natural Resources and Environment Division.

The role supervises the division, provides legal advice, and coordinates nationwide with other departments and USDA offices on environmental matters. Applicants must hold a professional law degree, be active in the bar, and address ECQ and TQ requirements in their resume.

Qualifications

• Requires a professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.).
• Active bar membership in good standing in any state, DC, or Puerto Rico.

Responsibilities

• Provides direction, legal advice and litigation support for natural resources matters arising under Forest Service and USDA programs.
• Supervises and directs all legal work under environmental statutes and regulations affecting USDA resources.
• Acts as chief legal counsel on complex or precedent-setting matters and coordinates with national and USDA offices.
• Manages a staff of attorneys and support personnel and coordinates nationwide with civil resources attorneys.

Education

Professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.)

Job description

Summary

This position is designated as SES, General. USDA structures its SES positions into position levels. This is a position level 1 with a salary range of $192,332 to $204,121 per year. Exceptions to the salary cap may be considered in certain circumstances. SES employees are also eligible to receive bonuses and performance-based awards. Visit http://www.opm.gov/ses/ for additional information and benefits for SES employees.

Major Duties

Serves as Assistant General Counsel for the Natural Resources and Environment Division and is responsible for the general supervision of the Division.Provides direction, legal advice and litigation support for all natural resources litigation matters arising under Forest Service and other USDA programs and activities.Prepares legal advice, memoranda, and opinions concerning USDA natural resources and conservation programs and environmental law matters.Reviews regulations, policies, and directives concerning USDA natural resources and conservation programs.Provides direction and supervision of legal work arising under the National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act, and other environmental laws affecting USDA programs.Supervises and directs all legal work under statutes and regulations applying to USDA natural resources and conservation programs.Serves as chief legal counsel on controversial, complicated, or precedent-setting matters which may involve working with top officials in the Office of the Secretary and their counterparts in other agencies.Supervises a staff of attorneys and support personnel and coordinates nationwide with natural resources attorneys and professionals in other Departments and USDA offices in connection with performance of all such duties.

Education

A professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.) from an accredited law school. Law school transcript required AND active membership of the bar in good standing in any state, territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Evaluations

You will be evaluated on the quality and extent of your total accomplishments, experience, and education (if applicable). Your application will be rated and ranked by a review board using only the information submitted within the application package. Applicants who do not demonstrate in their resume sufficient possession of the ECQs & TQs will be determined to be ineligible for further consideration. Unless you have already been certified by a Qualifications Review Board (QRB) in the past, you must be certified by a QRB after selection and before appointment can occur. Once the application process is complete, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be conducted. If you meet minimum qualifications, your Application Package will be further reviewed to determine if you possess the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ) and Technical Qualifications (TQ) listed above. ECQs and TQs must be thoroughly addressed within your two (2) page resume. Separate narratives will not be accepted or reviewed. Highly Qualified applicants may undergo one or more interviews and may be referred to the selecting official for further consideration. Upon selection, if not already a member of the SES serving under a career appointment, the individual selected must have his/her executive qualifications certified by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's SES Qualifications Review Board (QRB) before appointment to this position. The selected individual's application will be forwarded to the OPM for review and certification by the QRB, unless the selectee provides evidence of their noncompetitive status (i.e., a current SES, OPM QRB certified SESCDP graduate, or SES reinstatement eligible). Upon QRB certification, the selected individual will be required to serve a one-year probationary period. For more information regarding the SES, go to https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/senior-executive-service/. To view the application form, visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13002053

Required Documents

Your resume should contain information sufficient to make a valid determination that you fully meet the specialized experience requirements as stated in this vacancy announcement. It is recommended that you include the following information:

• 1. 2-page ECQ/TQ based Resume. DO NOT submit Executive Core Qualifications or Technical Qualifications in lieu of a resume.
• 2. Current or former career SES members must provide an SF-50 showing current status or reinstatement eligibility.
• 3. Applicants who have successfully completed an OPM-approved SES Candidate Development Programs must submit a copy of their certification.
• 4. Current or former Federal civilian employees, please provide a copy of your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action).

Education (if applicable): A copy of your transcript(s) or a separate course listing showing the college name, course title, department, hours earned (quarter or semester), and grade. If you have completed any part of your education outside the U.S., you must submit the evaluation of your foreign education that has been prepared by an accredited organization. The National Association for Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) can provide a list of who can evaluate your foreign education. For additional information, visit DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.

Other Information

Consideration for competitive selection for this position is open to all persons within the area of consideration who meet the basic qualifications. Race, color, age, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, political beliefs, religion, marital or family status, disability, and other non-merit factors will not be considered.

1. This position is covered under the post-employment restriction of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (P.L. 95-521). This law also requires the selectee to file an Executive Personnel Financial Disclosure Report (Standard Form 278), within 30 days of appointment.
2. Applications sent in U.S. Government postage-paid envelope and submitted through Federal Agency courier services will not be considered.
3. The 1993 Hatch Act Reform Amendments prohibit oral and written political recommendations for Federal jobs.
4. 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.
5. All application forms are subject to the provisions of the Privacy Act and become the property of USDA.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is an Equal Opportunity Employer. USDA prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs). Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication or program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD). Reasonable Accommodation: This agency provides reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency at 202-260-8128. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-case basis. Effective January 1, 2010, OPM must authorize any employment offers we make to current or former (within the last 5 years) political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employees in the executive branch. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employee in the executive branch, you must disclose that to the Human Resources Office.