Chief Counsel

NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration; Brook Park (OH); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

NASA’s John Glenn Research Center seeks a Chief Counsel, an executive leadership role reporting to the NASA General Counsel. The Chief Counsel serves as the senior legal adviser to the Center Director and staff on legal policy and law related to GRC activities, in alignment with agency-wide standards.

The role oversees the center's legal office, coordinates with the Office of the General Counsel, and represents NASA in litigation while guiding ethics and patent programs and compliance across

Qualifications

• ECQs and MTQ must be clearly articulated in a 2-page resume.
• Evidence of progressively responsible supervisory and managerial experience at or above GS-15 level.
• If already a career SES or SES CDP certified, state it in the resume; otherwise ECQs must be addressed.
• Do not submit ECQs/MTQ documents separately; only your 2-page resume will be reviewed.

Responsibilities

• Serve as Chief Counsel and senior legal adviser to the Center Director and staff on legal policy and law.
• Oversee the Center's legal office staff and coordinate with NASA Legal Enterprise and OGC.
• Coordinate with OGC and other NASA officials on policy, funding, and objectives.
• Represent NASA interests in litigation and aid DOJ as needed.
• Ensure legal representation in regulatory proceedings and in appropriate courts and agencies.
• Administer the Center's ethics and patent programs and staffing plans.

Skills

Executive Core Qualifications

Leadership & Management

Legal Guidance

Education

J.D. or LL.M

Bar Admission

Job description

Summary

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), John Glenn Research Center (GRC) is recruiting for the role of Chief Counsel, an executive leadership position reporting directly to the NASA General Counsel in the Office of the General Counsel (OGC). The Chief Counsel serves as the senior legal adviser to the GRC Center Director and staff on all matters of legal policy and law related to GRC activities, conducted in alignment with agency-wide legal standards.

Duties

• Serves as the Chief Counsel and senior legal adviser to John Glenn Research Center (GRC) Center Director and staff on all matters of legal policy and law in connection with activities at GRC. The Chief Counsel reports directly to the NASA General Counsel on the provision of legal services NASA-wide and develops local procedures and policy consistent with and in coordination with the Agency General Counsel.
• Directly responsible for the oversight and supervision of staff members of the center's legal office and other staff members from the NASA Legal Enterprise as may be assigned. Develops and executes Center's legal staffing plan, legal office procurement budget, and overall legal operations in close coordination with the NASA Legal Enterprise and as part of the Enterprise's annual Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution (PPBE) cycle.
• Directly responsible for coordination with the NASA Office of General Counsel (OGC), as well as other OGC counsel and management officials, and other NASA officials either directly or in conjunction with the Center Director in the areas of policy, program objectives, funding, and other pertinent activities.
• Represents NASA interests in litigation in which the Center is a party and provides advice and assistance to the Department of Justice.
• Accepts process or pleadings in legal proceedings on behalf of the Center Director and takes all necessary further actions to protect NASA's interests in real or personal property and adjudicates claims presented to the Center for personal injury or damage to or loss of real or personal property.
• Ensures legal representation in matters involving other Federal, state, and local Government agencies when the Center's interests are involved and as required in formal regulatory proceedings where the Center's interests require representation and in appropriate courts and administrative agencies.
• Exercises responsibilities delegated to Center Chief Counsel in NASA agency directives, is responsible to the Designated Agency Ethics Official and Alternate Designated Agency Ethics Official for all ethics activities at the Center, and is responsible for the administration of the Center's patent program.

Requirements

• The individual selected will be required to file an 'Executive Branch Personnel Financial Disclosure Report' (OGE-278e) within 30 days of appointment and annually from then on.
• Initial Senior Executive Service (SES) Career appointee is subject to a one-year probationary period.
• Successful completion of a background investigation commensurate with the risk and sensitivity level of the position.
• Successful completion of pre-employment and random drug testing may be required.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance as required by the position.
• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Must meet qualifications requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
• Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency.

Qualifications

As a basic requirement for entry into the Senior Executive Service (SES) under a career appointment, you must clearly articulate and describe within your 2-page resume that you possess the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) and Mandatory Technical Qualifications MTQ related to this position. If your 2-page resume does not reflect demonstrated evidence of the ECQs and MTQ, you may be disqualified. Any additional pages over the 2-page limit will not be reviewed.

Your resume should include evidence of progressively responsible supervisory, managerial, or professional experience which involved management of a program or organization of significant scope and complexity, normally obtained over several years by serving in positions at the GS-15 level or equivalent.

If you are (1) currently serving under a career SES appointment, (2) eligible for reinstatement into the SES (this means you were previously employed as a Career SES employee and you successfully completed a one-year probationary period), OR (3) have successfully completed a SES Candidate Development Program (CDP) and certified by OPM, you do not need to address the ECQs in your resume. However, your resume must clearly state that you are a current career SES, eligible for SES reinstatement, or SES CDP certified and year of certification.

Please DO NOT submit separate documents addressing the ECQs or MTQ. Only your 2-page resume will be accepted and considered. Any additional documents submitted will not be accepted.

ECQ 1 - Commitment to the Rule of Law and the Principles of the American Founding

This core qualification requires a demonstrated knowledge of the American system of government, commitment to uphold the Constitution and the rule of law, and commitment to serve the American people. Competencies: Knowledge of the American System of Government, Commitment to the Rule of Law, and Civic-Mindedness.

ECQ 2 - Driving Efficiency

This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to strategically and efficiently manage resources, budget effectively, cut wasteful spending, and pursue efficiency through process and technological upgrades. Competencies: Fiscal Responsibility, Managing Resources, Leveraging Technology.

ECQ 3 - Merit and Competence

This core qualification involves the demonstrated knowledge, ability and technical competence to effectively and reliably produce work that is of exceptional quality. Competencies: Technical Skill, Problem Solving, Agility and Resilience.

ECQ 4 - Leading People

This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to lead and inspire a group toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals, and to drive a high-performance, high-accountability culture. This includes, when necessary, the ability to lead people through change and to hold individuals accountable. Competencies: Accountability, Developing Others, Executive Judgment.

ECQ 5 - Achieving Results

This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to achieve both individual and organizational results, and to align results to stated goals from superiors. Competencies: Operational Mindset, Innovation, Strategic Thinking.

MANDATORY TECHNICAL QUALIFICATION (MTQ)

Your resume must include accomplishments that address the MTQ.

MTQ: Demonstrated expertise and experience leading legal teams responsible for providing guidance on complex legal issues and litigation at a local and enterprise level, communicating legal guidance with a varied workforce, in three or more of the following legal areas: procurement, intellectual property, commercial partnership and interagency transactions, international & space, appropriations, employment, administrative, real property, environmental, security and safety, and ethics. Competencies: Technical Work and Team Management, Legal, Government, and Jurisprudence.

Education

This position has a positive education requirement. To be eligible, you must clearly state in your resume the following: degree, major and/or minor, and college/university. A college or university degree generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools which meet these criteria, please refer to Department of Education Accreditation page.

You must possess a J.D. or LL.M from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association and be a member in good standing of a bar in a state/territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

An official transcript will be required if you are selected.

Special Instructions for Foreign Education

If you are using education completed in 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 interpretation of foreign education programs. These education credentials must be deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, click here.

Additional Information

Veterans' preference is not applicable to the SES. Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new window: Learn more about federal benefits.

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.