Clarification from the agency

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS OPEN TO ALL QUALIFIED INDIVIDUALS. You MUST apply online to be considered for this vacancy. Please review this announcement in its entirety for specific information on how to apply.

Overview

The Associate General Counsel for Real Property provides day-to-day leadership, guidance and direction for the provision of legal services related to Central Office program activities of the Public Buildings Service, including design and construction of public buildings, repair and alteration of owned and leased buildings, rental of space, operation and maintenance of owned and leased buildings, utilization and disposal of excess and surplus property, acquisition and disposal of interests in real and related personal property, and claims, protests, and litigation regarding such activities, including public utility rate cases. The incumbent also is responsible for providing legal services to other agency components relating to real property functions, including the Office of High Performance Federal Buildings within the Office of Governmentwide Policy. The incumbent of this position reports to the General Counsel of GSA and may also receive direction from the Deputy General Counsel.

Further, the Associate General Counsel:

• Serves as a member of the senior management team of the Office of General Counsel. This includes participation in senior office management activities, including establishment and reporting of office performance metrics, budgeting, contracting, personnel and space management activities, and such other activities as directed by the General Counsel or Deputy General Counsel.
• Is responsible for drafting and delivery by the Real Property Division of guidance and opinions related to authorities governing certain GSA activities.
• Recommends to OGC and agency leadership the need for new or revised agency policy, agency or external regulations, Executive Orders, or legislation.
• Is responsible for advising and assisting agency clients in the drafting and updating of contracts, templates, and other legal documents.
• Reviews the work of subordinate staff, both supervisory and non-supervisory, involving complex or difficult questions of law or policy for which no precedent has been established, where conflicting precedent exists, or concerning matters of an unusual or novel nature with the potential for significant impact to agency operations.
• Regularly interacts with agency and external Governmental leadership officials at the highest levels. This includes participation in briefings and meetings with heads of GSA service and staff offices; senior officials and staff of external GSA customer agencies; senior Office of Management and Budget and other Executive Office of the President officials, and Members of Congress including their senior staff. Responsibilities in this regard include representation and advocacy on behalf of the agency in conferences and meetings with senior level officials of other Federal departments and agencies, with representatives of state and local governments, and with domestic and foreign contacts and their legal representatives on matters involving legal questions in the area of the incumbent’s responsibility, as described herein.
  
• Provides leadership, mentoring, and supervision to subordinate supervisors and staff; fosters the development of a world-class workforce and facilitates cooperation and teamwork.
• Enables and entrusts subordinate supervisors in their day to day activities, providing executive level support, guidance, and final approval on all actions requiring such higher level approval.
• Responsible for furthering the agency’s Equal Employment Opportunity program within the Real Property Division, assuring equal opportunity in recruitment, selection, promotion, training, awards, assignments and special program objectives.

Conditions of employment

• Proof of bar membership/license is required. Please review announcement.
• Resume must not exceed 5 pages, including an optional cover letter
• Application must be received by the closing date of the announcement
• Veterans preference is not applicable to the SES
• Applicants must be U.S. Citizens
• Apply online (See How to Apply section)

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

• This position is a critical-sensitive national security position and appointment requires that you undergo a single scope background investigation and that the GSA security office grant you a Top Secret national security clearance.  Applicants do not need this level of clearance in order to apply.  If you are not a GSA employee, the security office must grant the clearance before you are appointed to this position unless a pre-appointment waiver of this requirement is approved.
• If tentatively selected, you will be required to submit a Declaration for Federal Employment.
• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959 will be required to complete a certification document confirming their selective service status.
• Persons selected for their initial appointment to an SES position must have their executive qualifications approved by the Office of Personnel Management before being appointed to the position.
• If selected, you will be required to serve a one-year probationary period unless you have previously successfully completed a one-year probationary period in the Senior Executive Service.
• Veteran's preference does not apply to positions in the Senior Executive Service.
• If selected, you must file a Public Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 278) upon appointment in accordance with the Ethics in Government Act of 1978.
• This position has been designated under Executive Order 12564 as being subject to random drug screening. If tentatively selected for this position, you may be required to submit to a urinalysis screen for illegal drugs prior to appointment. Appointment to the position will be contingent upon your receiving a negative test result.
   

Qualifications

You MUST be a member of the bar (in good standing) of a State or territory of the United States of America, or the District of Columbia; proof of license is required.

All applicants must meet the Mandatory Technical and Executive Core Qualification requirements listed below to be eligible for consideration. Eligibility will be based on a clear demonstration that the applicant's training and experience are of the scope, quality and level of responsibility sufficient to successfully perform the duties and responsibilities of this executive position. 

Your resume must show possession of the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ's) listed below but must not address the ECQ’s through separate narrative responses.

You must submit a supplemental statement that separately addresses the Mandatory Technical Competency (MTC) listed below. Your resume should also corroborate your possession of the MTC. Your application will not be considered if you fail to submit this supplemental statement.

Please see the "Required Documents" section below for complete instructions on the content and format of your application package.
 

MANDATORY TECHNICAL COMPETENCY:
1. Ability to oversee the provision of legal services in the areas of: real estate acquisitions and disposals; design and construction, alteration, renovation, and repair of public buildings and leased buildings; architect and engineering (A&E) contracting; lease administration, including enforcement and modification; buildings management; environmental law related to real property; fiscal law; and claims and litigation.

EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS (ECQs)
1.  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.

2.  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.

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

4.  Business Acumen - This core qualification involves the ability to manage human, financial, and information resources strategically.

5.  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.

For guidance on how to address the ECQ's in the context of your resume, please refer to page 29 of the "Guide to SES Qualifications" at: http://www.opm.gov/ses/references/GuidetoSESQuals_2012.pdf.

How you will be evaluated

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

An SES review panel will evaluate your resume based on the quality and extent of your total accomplishments, experience, and education. Applicants determined to be highly qualified may undergo an interview and a reference check and may be required to provide a writing sample or work plan. If selected, you must be certified by an Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualifications Review Board (QRB), unless you are a current or former career SES member or have successfully completed an OPM approved SES Candidate Development Program. You must receive QRB certification before you can be appointed to the position.
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