Apply now for an exciting opportunity at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). With an expanded mission and authority to include oversight of the swap markets, the CFTC continues to protect the American public by promoting market integrity, transparency and preventing and prosecuting fraud, manipulation and other abuse in the futures and options markets. Please visit www.cftc.gov to learn more about the CFTC.
Summary
Apply now for an exciting opportunity at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). With an expanded mission and authority to include oversight of the swap markets, the CFTC continues to protect the American public by promoting market integrity, transparency and preventing and prosecuting fraud, manipulation and other abuse in the futures and options markets. Please visit www.cftc.gov to learn more about the CFTC.
As an Attorney Advisor (International) in the Office of International Affairs (OIA), your principal duties will include conducting research, drafting reports, legal interpretations, memoranda and other written products as assigned. You will review Commission proposed rules and other actions, participate in the representation of the Commission at international meetings and domestic inter-agency meetings relating to international policy, and negotiate and draft regulatory arrangements with foreign authorities. Responsibilities at the full performance level will include, but are not limited to:
Negotiating and drafting documents intended for an international audience, which may involve reports for international bodies such as the International Organization of Securities Commissions and the Financial Stability Board.
Drafting briefing memoranda on international developments and reports.
Reviewing draft rules prepared by other offices and divisions with a view towards ensuring consistency with international standards.
Monitoring foreign regulatory developments, as well as producing and maintaining analyses of regulatory developments.
Preparing legal interpretations and memoranda for the Commission, its operating divisions and other senior staff with respect to difficult, complex and novel legal problems.
Negotiating and drafting international arrangements with foreign regulators and policymakers for information sharing and cooperative regulatory oversight.
Males born after 12-31-1959 must be registered for Selective Service
May be subject to a two-year trial period.
You must be an active member of the bar in good standing.
Bar Membership: Currently an active member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
Qualifications
CT-11: Candidates with a law degree (J.D. or LL.B or equivalent) and bar membership and either Superior Academic Achievement or 1 year of relevant legal experience after completion of law school. The following educational activities may be substituted for the year of required experience at this level: top third or above of law school graduating class; significant achievement on law review; moot court participation; relevant law school course work; law clerk experience with a major law firm, federal judge, U.S. Attorney’s or Federal Public Defender’s Office, or Federal agency; or superior legal writing ability as evidenced by current legal publications or the equivalent.
CT-12: Candidates with a law degree (e.g., J.D. or equivalent and bar membership) plus 2 years of relevant legal experience after completion of law school.
Relevant legal experience is defined as an attorney, law clerk, or other legal experience which was obtained subsequent to graduation from law school.
Desired Qualifications:
Demonstrated skill in research and analysis of sophisticated legal issues, as well as excellent written and oral communication skills.
Knowledge of commodities or related law and regulations, financial markets, corporate law, and general administrative law.
Experience in developing or interpreting regulations, no-action letters, and policy statements related to the Commodity Exchange Act.
Knowledge of derivatives markets, including futures, options, and swap markets.
Education
Successful completion of a full course of study (J.D.) in a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA).
To be creditable, education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. You must report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions that are recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criterion, see www.ed.gov.
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 and such education has been 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, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html
Additional information
Relocation: Relocation expenses will not be paid.
Trial Period: You may be subject to a two-year trial period, if applicable.
This is a Bargaining Unit Position located in the National Treasury Employee Union (NTEU) Chapter 337.
This vacancy may be used to fill additional positions.
The law prohibits public officials from appointing, promoting, or recommending their relatives. The law prohibits requesting, making, transmitting, accepting, or considering political recommendations for employment or other personnel actions for non-political positions. This includes recommendations from Members of Congress, Congressional employees, elected state or local officials, and political party officials and any recommendation based on party affiliation.
Veterans' Preference: There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must indicate their preference in response to the appropriate question in their assessment questionnaire (it is also recommended that information is included in their cover letter or resume) and they must submit supporting documentation (e.g., DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty and other supporting documentation) which verifies their eligibility for preference. Although the "point" system is not used, per se, applicants eligible to claim 10-point preference must submit Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, and submit the supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed (visit the OPM website, http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/sf15.pdf for a copy of SF 15, which lists the types of 10-point preferences and the required supporting document(s). Applicants should note that SF 15 requires supporting documentation associated with service-connected disabilities or receipt of non-service-connected disability pensions to be dated 1991 or later except in the case of service members submitting official statements or retirement orders from a branch of the Armed Forces showing that his or her retirement was due to a permanent service-connected disability or that he/she was transferred to the permanent disability retired list (the statement or retirement orders must indicate that the disability is 10% or more).
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.
This job is being filled under a Schedule A hiring authority 5 C.F.R. § 213.3102 and is excepted from the competitive civil service. You will be evaluated and deemed either eligible or ineligible based on the relevance and quality of your experience and education, bar membership, and desired qualifications described above. These positions are not covered by the usual civil service hiring procedures. There is no numerical rating system through which to apply veterans' preference; however, CFTC considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference are encouraged to include that information in their cover letter or resume, and to attach supporting documentation (e.g., the DD Form-214 or other substantiating documents) to their submissions. All eligible applicants will be further evaluated by subject-matter experts.
Your resume will be referred to the selecting official for the initial review of qualifications. This does not mean you are considered qualified for the position. A qualification analysis will be conducted by the HR Specialist to ensure the selectee meets all requirements, including education and minimum qualifications listed on the vacancy announcement. Additional information may be requested later in the recruitment process.
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.
Resume showing all relevant and related experience (cover letter optional). If selected, your resume will be used to determine your initial pay setting decision;
Bar membership details (Note: proof of bar membership will be required before entry on duty);
Writing sample demonstrating analysis of complex legal issues (optional)
EDUCATION DOCUMENTATION:
You are not required to submit transcripts for this initial phase of the application process. Candidates will be referred for consideration based on their self-certification. If you are selected for this position which has a positive education requirement (as described in the vacancy announcement), you will be required to submit official transcripts verifying your qualifications prior to a job offer being issued.
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 MUST APPLY ONLINE: Your complete application, including required documents, must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (EST) on the closing date of this announcement. You must complete and submit an application by accessing the USAJOBS website at USAJOBS.GOV. To begin, click the Apply Online button within the vacancy announcement and follow the prompts to create an account using LOGIN.GOV, if you have not done so already. LOGIN.GOV will walk you through each step of the account set-up and will automatically link your USAJOBS profile to LOGIN.GOV. Once you have established an account using LOGIN.GOV, you will then go back to USAJOBS.GOV using your LOGIN.GOV username and password to answer the questions and submit all required documents. If you already have established an LOGIN.GOV account or want to return to your saved application, go to USAJOBS.GOV using your LOGIN.GOV username and password to apply or view your profile. If you have problems completing your on-line application, including problems submitting your supporting documents, please contact the Help Desk by e-mail at mgshelp@monster.com or phone at 1-866.656.6831. The help desk is available Monday-Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. EST.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
Please notify us if your contact information changes after the closing date of the announcement. Also, note that if you provide an email address that is inaccurate or if your mailbox is full or blocked (e.g., spam-blocker), you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
Resume showing all relevant and related experience (cover letter optional). If selected, your resume will be used to determine your initial pay setting decision;
Bar membership details (Note: proof of bar membership will be required before entry on duty);
Writing sample demonstrating analysis of complex legal issues (optional)
EDUCATION DOCUMENTATION:
You are not required to submit transcripts for this initial phase of the application process. Candidates will be referred for consideration based on their self-certification. If you are selected for this position which has a positive education requirement (as described in the vacancy announcement), you will be required to submit official transcripts verifying your qualifications prior to a job offer being issued.
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 MUST APPLY ONLINE: Your complete application, including required documents, must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (EST) on the closing date of this announcement. You must complete and submit an application by accessing the USAJOBS website at USAJOBS.GOV. To begin, click the Apply Online button within the vacancy announcement and follow the prompts to create an account using LOGIN.GOV, if you have not done so already. LOGIN.GOV will walk you through each step of the account set-up and will automatically link your USAJOBS profile to LOGIN.GOV. Once you have established an account using LOGIN.GOV, you will then go back to USAJOBS.GOV using your LOGIN.GOV username and password to answer the questions and submit all required documents. If you already have established an LOGIN.GOV account or want to return to your saved application, go to USAJOBS.GOV using your LOGIN.GOV username and password to apply or view your profile. If you have problems completing your on-line application, including problems submitting your supporting documents, please contact the Help Desk by e-mail at mgshelp@monster.com or phone at 1-866.656.6831. The help desk is available Monday-Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. EST.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
Please notify us if your contact information changes after the closing date of the announcement. Also, note that if you provide an email address that is inaccurate or if your mailbox is full or blocked (e.g., spam-blocker), you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
