Chief, Information Law Unit

U.S. Office of Special Counsel; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) seeks an experienced attorney to establish and lead the Information Law Unit (ILU). The ILU Chief will supervise attorneys and staff and report directly to the General Counsel.

You will oversee OSC's FOIA responses, Privacy Act compliance, and records management, collaborating across OSC and with the National Archives to advance information-law initiatives. This role requires strong leadership, legal acumen, and the ability to implement cross-cutting

Qualifications

• J.D. or equivalent from ABA-accredited law school.
• Active bar membership in a U.S. state, DC, or Commonwealth.
• Four years post-J.D. legal experience with at least one year at the GS-14 level.

Responsibilities

• Lead and supervise the Information Law Unit (ILU) and its staff.
• Oversee OSC's FOIA response program, Privacy Act, and records management functions.
• Collaborate with OSC divisions and the National Archives to advance information-law initiatives.

Skills

Team leadership

Complex information communication

Information law matters

Education

J.D./LL.B. from ABA-accredited law school

Active bar membership (US/DC/PR)

Job description

Summary

The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) is looking for a dynamic attorney to develop a new unit within OSC, the Information Law Unit (ILU). The ILU Chief is a supervisory position responsible for running several OSC programs including FOIA responses, Privacy Act, and records. The ILU Chief will supervise attorney and non-attorney positions and will report directly to the General Counsel.

Duties

Why Join OSC?

OSC is a mission-driven agency with incredibly dedicated employees.

Unit Overview

The Information Law Unit (ILU) is a new unit that is responsible for running OSC's information-law programs and providing agency-wide expertise and training on information law topics, including FOIA responses and records retention. The ILU is part of OSC's Office of General Counsel.

Duties

As the Chief of the Information Law Unit (ILU) you will lead a team that is responsible for:

• OSC's FOIA response program
• Privacy Act compliance
• Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) matters
• Records management (including NARA-related requirements)
• Touhy responses
• OSC's Annual Survey of Filers
• Other similar information-law functions

As ILU Chief you will need to use technology to efficiently run/supervise the programs you are responsible for, including the software platform OSC uses for its FOIA response program, NARA's Electronic Records Archives system, and OSC's electronic case management system. You will interact with OSC employees at all levels and across all program and support units, including Information Technology. You will interact on OSC's behalf with your counterparts at other agencies and with the National Archives and Records Agency.

Ideal Candidate

OSC seeks an attorney experienced in information and records law, who has established or managed programs, and who is skilled at leading others.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

• U.S. Citizenship or National authorized to work in the U.S.
• Individuals born after 12-31-1959 and required to register for Selective Service under the Military Selective Service Act of 50 USC App. 453, must be registered or otherwise exempt from Selective Service. See "Additional Information" section below.
• May be required to successfully complete a trial period.
• May be eligible for incentive pay.
• May be eligible for superior qualifications/special needs pay setting.
• Direct Deposit of pay is required.
• E-Verify will be used to confirm employment eligibility on new employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit e-verify.gov
• Suitable for Federal employment as determined by appropriate background investigation.

Qualifications

Education Qualification:

• A professional law degree (L.L.B., J.D., L.L.M.) from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association; and
• An active membership in good standing in a bar of a state, U.S. Territory, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

In addition to Education, applicants must meet the minimum Specialized Experience Requirements outlined below:

Possess four (4) years of post J.D. legal experience, and have at least four (4) years of specialized experience, with at least one (1) of these years equivalent to the GS-14 grade level in the Federal service, in:

• leading or supervising a team;
• communicating complex information orally and in writing;
• working on information law matters.

Your resume must explicitly outline your qualifications. We will not make assumptions about your experience.

NOTE:

To be considered for this position, you must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements for the GS-0905 series set forth in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards by the closing date of the announcement. A copy is available at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including time-in-grade restrictions, specialized experience and/or education, as defined above.

Annual Leave Accrual Credit

Selectees for their first Federal position may be eligible to earn a higher annual leave accrual rate based on prior non-Federal or uniformed service work experience. The amount of service credited will be based on specialized experience or qualifying experience that is provided on the applicant resume and documentation submitted.

Additional information

ACTIVE-DUTY SERVICE MEMBERS: In accordance with VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011 (Public Law 112-56), current military members may apply by submitting a "certification" of active service in lieu of a DD-214. A "certification" letter should be on letterhead of the appropriate military branch of the service and contain: (1) your rank; (2) dates of active duty service; (3) type of discharge and projected character of service (i.e. honorable); (4) projected Veteran's preference, if applicable; (5) date terminal leave begins, if applicable; (6) date of expected discharge or release that is within 120 days of your employment application submission; and (7) signed by, or by direction of, the adjutant, personnel officer, or commander of your unit or higher headquarters. If selected, your qualifying separation, veteran's preference, and/or appointment eligibility will be verified prior to appointment. Active-duty members that fail to provide a valid "certification" of service with their initial application will be found to have an incomplete application. Military members may be appointed before the effective date of their military retirement/separation if on terminal leave.

SELECTIVE SERVICE: Individuals born after December 31, 1959 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service. You can find more information on Who Must Register and Exemptions here. In addition, you can find more information on what to do if you failed to register here.

These are not Bargaining Unit positions.

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.

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.

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.