The position is located in the Office of the General Counsel of the U.S. Agency for Global Media. You will serve as Agency lead for Congressional Investigations and related Oversight matters. The incumbent provides legal support to the Chief Executive Officer; a multi-member Board which includes the Secretary of State; the heads of major international news-media organizations: including the Voice of America and Radio/TV Marti; and journalists and support staff operating around the world.
Summary
The position is located in the Office of the General Counsel of the U.S. Agency for Global Media. You will serve as Agency lead for Congressional Investigations and related Oversight matters. The incumbent provides legal support to the Chief Executive Officer; a multi-member Board which includes the Secretary of State; the heads of major international news-media organizations: including the Voice of America and Radio/TV Marti; and journalists and support staff operating around the world.
As the Assistant General Counsel (Oversight and Compliance), you will serve as agency lead for Congressional Investigations and related Oversight matters, representing the agency before Congress, and advising the General Counsel (GC), the CEO, and senior leaders regarding congressional oversight and other congressional relations matters. The Oversight and Compliance group is a new group in the OGC. You will be responsible for standing up and developing this new practice group. The head of the practice group must take into account the impact of agency legal positions and actions on the various, often novel operations and authorities requisite to carrying out a large news-media organization; doing so requires top-notch, creative and flexible legal thinking; strong interpersonal skills; common sense; collegiality; kindness; a positive attitude; and perhaps, above all, a good sense of humor.
USAGM is unique in the federal government: We create, produce, and broadcast news around the world. We do so for foreign audience in countries which limit or block their people's access to a free press and information, or lack the infrastructure to produce news which reports on local events. A statutory firewall ensures that the agency has editorial independence, meaning our news is free from any partisan or political interference, and adheres to the "highest professional standards" of journalism.
The practice of law at USAGM is unique within the federal government. The USAGM is first and foremost a news-media organization, which means that you will gain expertise in the practice of media law, supporting journalists operating around the globe. In that regard, we deal with those matters that impact all media organizations, including intellectual property and licensing; transmission of our content via terrestrial antenna, satellite, and internet; and press freedom and first amendment issues. We are also a government agency and so our practice also deals with the multitude of legal issues that any government law office deals, including federal employment and labor law; federal contracting; appropriation and fiscal law; grant law; and FOIA and ethics. Finally, we operate around the world, which means that we routinely deal with matters of foreign law and international law, including matters foreign labor law, foreign litigation; trade and economic sanctions; and international agreements.
Duties directly related to the incumbent are as follows:
Advise the GC, Deputy General Counsel, and agency leadership on congressional oversight and investigations and any number of extraordinarily complex and sensitive related assignments that entail extensive and novel legal analysis; cross organizational collaboration; fact finding; in-depth subject matter knowledge in key areas (or the ability to gain it quickly); top notch communication and presentation, and the ability to defend recommendations; sufficient experience with congress or congressional relations necessary to carry out the duties; and (most critically) proven flexibility and strategic and creative thinking so as to serve as a thought leader to address novel legal issues that the agency faces in its unique statutory mission. This may include, but not be limited to:
Provide general legal advice on a host of complex matters affecting USAGM, with a priority focus on providing legal counsel to Agency elements on the complex aspects of oversight and compliance, particularly with respect to Congressional Oversight.
Advise the CEO and senior leaders on oversight matters and congressional inquiries, in close collaboration with Office of Congressional Affairs (OCA).
Advise on and lead strategy and responses to oversight requests from Congress.
Review Congressional requests and advises on responses, to include drafting and editing such responses. As directed, lead agency response on Oversight Matters and/or coordinate such matters with OCA.
Draft memos, policies, and other documents for USAGM executive management, ensuring compliance with law and policy. Briefs USAGM executive management on issues related to Congressional affairs.
Prepare the CEO, senior officials, and other agency witnesses for congressional hearings, testimony, briefings, meetings, and transcribed interviews.
Represent USAGM in sensitive discussions with Congressional staff and senior policymakers.
Defend USAGM equities during Congressional testimony and/or in the context of congressional requests. Manages or supports, as appropriate, document review and production in response to Congressional requests. Engages directly with Congressional staff or counsel to address legal concerns raised by Congressional requests. Develops and evaluates legislative, regulatory, and other policy proposals that implicate USAGM equities.
Advise the General Counsel in support of the representation of the agency in various matters, including litigation. Serves as liaison to and coordinator with related USAGM program offices.
Applicants must meet all qualification requirements by closing date of the announcement to be considered.
Applicants must complete online questionnaire.
If you are a male applicant, born after 12/31/59, you are required to register under the Military Selective Service Act. The Defense Authorization Act of 1986 requires that you be registered or you are not eligible for appointment in this agency.
This is a critical sensitive position. If selected, this position requires the completion of the SF-86. Top secret security clearance or the ability to obtain such clearance.
If selected, you will be subject to a background investigation for federal employment and the ability to obtain a clearance. The background investigation will include, among other aspects, a review of your credit and legal history.
This position is not covered by a union agreement.
Transcripts or proof of bar membership may be required before an offer is extended.
If selected for this vacancy, you may be required to file the OGE Form 450 (Confidential Financial Disclosure Report) or Form 278.
The full performance grade level for this position is GS-15.
New appointees to the Excepted Service must serve a two-year trial period. This position has been designated supervisory requiring that the selectee serves on an initial appointment as a supervisor or manager serve a one-year probationary period.
Applicants will be reviewed on a rolling bases and a selection may be made before the announcement closes. You are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.
This position is telework eligible.
Qualifications
Screen out factor: Applicant must be a graduate from a full course of study in a School of Law accredited by the American Bar Association and be an active member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory of the United States, the District of Columbia or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
In addition to the Basic Requirement for this position, your resume must demonstrate one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility comparable to the GS-13 or comparable pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private sector to qualify for GS-14 and at the GS-14 level to qualify you for GS-15. Specialized Experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position.
Specialized Experience for this position:
In order to qualify at the GS-14 level, applicant must have a minimum of three years total legal experience at least one of which is comparable to GS-13 or equivalent experience providing expert legal and policy advice in one or more of the following: Legal experience in any one or a combination of the following performed in a law office, government office, or in the legal department of a business establishment, in the armed forces, or other Federal service: Experience conducting legal research, analyzing statutes, writing legal opinions; Writing authoritative or advisory legal opinions involving interpretation of state or Federal laws, regulations, and orders, or the drafting of such regulations or orders; or drafting, analyzing, and other legal activities with respect to bills, regulations, Executive Orders, proclamations, or statutory provisions.
In order to qualify at the GS-15 level, applicant must have a minimum of four years total legal experience at least one of which is comparable to GS-14 or equivalent experience providing expert legal and policy advice in one or more of the following: Legal experience in any one or a combination of the following performed in a law office, government office, or in the legal department of a business establishment, in the armed forces, or other Federal service: Experience conducting legal research, analyzing statutes, writing legal opinions; Writing authoritative or advisory legal opinions involving interpretation of state or Federal laws, regulations, and orders, or the drafting of such regulations or orders; or drafting, analyzing, and other legal activities with respect to bills, regulations, Executive Orders, proclamations, or statutory provisions.
Education
As a minimum requirement applicant must be a graduate from a full course of study in a School of Law accredited by the American Bar Association, but education must be supplemented by experience as described above.
If you are an eligible Inter agency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) applicant, you may apply for special selection over other candidates for this position. To be well-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, displaced Federal employees must be rated at 80 or above on the rating criteria for this position. ICTAP eligibles must submit one of the following as proof of eligibility for the special selection priority: a separation notice; a "Notice of Personnel Action" (SF-50) documenting separation; an agency certification that you cannot be placed after injury compensation has been terminated; an OPM notification that your disability annuity has been terminated; OR a Military Department or National Guard Bureau notification that you are retired under 5 U.S.C. 8337(h) or 8456.
Applicants claiming veteran's preference must submit a DD-214 (copy # 2 or 4 - member copy); veterans who are claiming disabled veteran preference must also submit a VA disability letter and a SF-15; AND, applicants seeking widow or other special veterans' preference must submit a SF-15 and all documents indicated for their specific form of preference.
If you are still on active duty, you may submit a statement of service from your Personnel Command which states the date you entered active duty, the date you are separating, and the campaign medals you have received.
We may select from this announcement to fill any other vacancies within the Office of General Counsel.
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 windowLearn 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.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Once your application package has been received, a review of your qualifications will be made to ensure you meet the job requirements and competencies required for this position.
Competencies:
Legal, Government and Jurisprudence
Possession of competencies may be addressed in your resume. To determine if you are qualified for this job, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the occupational questionnaire. Although the required documents listed in this announcement only indicates that a resume is required, other documents may be required in specific circumstances, as indicated in application requirements in Other Information above.
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 windowLearn 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.
All applicants are required to submit the following supporting document type(s):
Resume
Applicants may also submit the following supporting document type(s), which may not be required for all applicants:
Cover Letter
License
Performance Appraisal
Resume
Separation Notice (RIF)
SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
Transcript
Although the required documents listed in this announcement only indicates that a resume is required, other documents may be required in specific circumstances.
ICTAP: If you are an eligible Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) applicant, you may apply for special selection over other candidates for this position. To be well-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, displaced Federal employees must be rated at 80 or above on the rating criteria for this position. ICTAP eligibles must submit one of the following as proof of eligibility for the special selection priority: a separation notice; a "Notice of Personnel Action" (SF-50) documenting separation; an agency certification that you cannot be placed after injury compensation has been terminated; an OPM notification that your disability annuity has been terminated; OR a Military Department or National Guard Bureau notification that you are retired under 5 U.S.C. 8337(h) or 8456.
Education: If education is a requirement or there is an option to use education for qualification purposes, you must submit your unofficial transcripts with your application package at the time of applying or before the closing date of this vacancy announcement. If selected for the position, you will be required to submit official transcripts before your Enter on Duty date.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
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.
You are encouraged to apply online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application. If you cannot complete the Application Package online, please contact the Human Resource Specialist listed in this vacancy announcement.
To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents and any appropriate Accepted Documents.
To begin, click Apply in the announcement; then, choose to create a new USAJOBS account or Sign-in into your existing account.
Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package.
You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before submitting it. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
After completing the questionnaire and uploading appropriate documents, click the Submit Application to submit your application package.
It is applicant's responsibility to verify that information entered in the profile is accurate and all required documents are uploaded and submitted before 11:59 PM (EST) on 03/24/2023 of the announcement to receive consideration.
Human Resources will not modify or change any part of your application. If a document is not in legible format, applicant will not be able to view it in Application Manager which means applicant must again upload the documentation to the system by the closing date of this announcement.
To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account. The page will display the positions for which you've applied as well as the status of each application.
To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click on the plus sign (+) next to the job title to expand information about the job. Next click on Update Application to complete the application process.
Note: Submission of a resume alone IS NOT a complete application. This position requires the completion of additional forms and/or supplemental materials as described previously. Please carefully review the complete job announcement, including the Required Documents, Other Information, and How to Apply sections of the announcement.
Application packages will NOT be accepted via mail or e-mail. All resumes/applications received at the addresses listed in the Contact Information or Agency Information will be destroyed and will not be considered for this vacancy announcement.
Once the online questionnaire and application package is received, you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. After a review of your complete application is made, you will be notified of your rating and/or referral to the hiring official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
All applicants are required to submit the following supporting document type(s):
Resume
Applicants may also submit the following supporting document type(s), which may not be required for all applicants:
Cover Letter
License
Performance Appraisal
Resume
Separation Notice (RIF)
SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
Transcript
Although the required documents listed in this announcement only indicates that a resume is required, other documents may be required in specific circumstances.
ICTAP: If you are an eligible Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) applicant, you may apply for special selection over other candidates for this position. To be well-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, displaced Federal employees must be rated at 80 or above on the rating criteria for this position. ICTAP eligibles must submit one of the following as proof of eligibility for the special selection priority: a separation notice; a "Notice of Personnel Action" (SF-50) documenting separation; an agency certification that you cannot be placed after injury compensation has been terminated; an OPM notification that your disability annuity has been terminated; OR a Military Department or National Guard Bureau notification that you are retired under 5 U.S.C. 8337(h) or 8456.
Education: If education is a requirement or there is an option to use education for qualification purposes, you must submit your unofficial transcripts with your application package at the time of applying or before the closing date of this vacancy announcement. If selected for the position, you will be required to submit official transcripts before your Enter on Duty date.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
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.
You are encouraged to apply online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application. If you cannot complete the Application Package online, please contact the Human Resource Specialist listed in this vacancy announcement.
To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents and any appropriate Accepted Documents.
To begin, click Apply in the announcement; then, choose to create a new USAJOBS account or Sign-in into your existing account.
Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package.
You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before submitting it. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
After completing the questionnaire and uploading appropriate documents, click the Submit Application to submit your application package.
It is applicant's responsibility to verify that information entered in the profile is accurate and all required documents are uploaded and submitted before 11:59 PM (EST) on 03/24/2023 of the announcement to receive consideration.
Human Resources will not modify or change any part of your application. If a document is not in legible format, applicant will not be able to view it in Application Manager which means applicant must again upload the documentation to the system by the closing date of this announcement.
To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account. The page will display the positions for which you've applied as well as the status of each application.
To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click on the plus sign (+) next to the job title to expand information about the job. Next click on Update Application to complete the application process.
Note: Submission of a resume alone IS NOT a complete application. This position requires the completion of additional forms and/or supplemental materials as described previously. Please carefully review the complete job announcement, including the Required Documents, Other Information, and How to Apply sections of the announcement.
Application packages will NOT be accepted via mail or e-mail. All resumes/applications received at the addresses listed in the Contact Information or Agency Information will be destroyed and will not be considered for this vacancy announcement.
Once the online questionnaire and application package is received, you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. After a review of your complete application is made, you will be notified of your rating and/or referral to the hiring official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
