Clarification from the agency

Open to the Public-All US Citizens

Incumbent provides legal interpretation and analysis of regulatory and legislative requirements and
recommendations on rule makings that increase competitive opportunities for small businesses. The
Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA), amended by the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act
(SBREFA) of 1996, requires federal agencies to consider the effect of their rule makings on small
businesses, make information available to small businesses to assist in compliance, develop forfeiture
policies that account for small business characteristics, and a variety of other measures. The RFA makes
an agency’s final analysis judicially reviewable in a legal action brought by affected small business
entities.

Assists the Director with managing OCBO and works to promote opportunities in the
communications industry for small businesses. Incumbent assists the staff and Director with
executing OCBO’s mission to increase competition, encourage innovation, foster economic
growth, improve communications service to all communities, improve education and increase
diversity of voices and viewpoints across various communications mediums. The Deputy
Director works with entrepreneurs, industry, public interest organizations, and individuals to
disseminate information about FCC policies, broadband initiatives, cybersecurity, and other
priorities of the Commission.

Provides advice and guidance to the Chairperson and Commissioners’ staff, bureaus’ and
offices’ staff to ensure legal analysis that accompany FCC notice-and-comment rule
makings comply with the RFA. Implements, recommends, and evaluates the legal
sufficiency of RFA analyses, Commissions actions and rule makings; prepares legal
memoranda, comments on rulemakings, legislation, regulations, and any other matters for
which OCBO is responsible. Manages and coordinates the preparation of agency draft
orders, public notices, staff attorneys’ legal briefs. May coordinate legal research and
analyses with the Office of General Counsel (OGC), bureau and office chiefs, and the
Office of Chairperson and Commissioners.

Analyzes questions of law and telecommunications regulations. Based upon the
incumbent’s extensive legal and/or telecommunications background, the Incumbent may be
asked to advise and make legal recommendations on Commission decisions, proposed
rules, and regulatory and legislative issues impacting OCBO programs. Works closely with
the bureaus and offices, and leads interdisciplinary working groups directed to originate
research and investigative analysis on critical and unprecedented regulatory and legislative
issues affecting the implementation of policies and procedures throughout the Commission.

Conditions of employment

• Bar Membership Documentation Required Upon Selection.
• Education-Transcripts Required Upon Selection.
• US Citizenship.
• Suitable for employment as determined by a background investigation.
• Serve a probationary period of one year, if applicable.
• Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered with Selective Service.
• Financial disclosure statement may be required upon assuming the position.
• Current FCC employees must provide SF-50 verifying grade & status
• SF-50 Documenting One Year of Time in Grade Required

Please note your resume must thoroughly support your responses to the vacancy questions.  Your resume is an integral part of the process for determining if you meet the basic qualifications of the position and determining if you are to be among the best qualified.

SF-50 Required: ALL FCC EMPLOYEES AND CURRENT FEDERAL EMPLOYEES MUST provide a legible Personnel Action, SF-50, that verifies your status and highest permanently held grade.  If an SF-50 is not submitted, the application will be rated as ineligible. To request a copy of your SF-50 please send an email to PersonnelRecordsRequest@fcc.gov

Qualifications

Applicants must meet eligibility and qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Current Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Professional law experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position and is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled.

In order to be deemed as "BEST QUALIFIED" candidates must meet both the educational requirements AND the Specialized Experience.

A. Education

You must meet the minimum basic educational requirements for Attorney positions. Education requirements include:  a professional law degree JD, LL.B., and/or LL.M. 

NOTE-If you do not provide a transcript at the time of application, a transcript will be required to be provided at the time of selection.

AND

B. Specialized Experience

GS-15

Applicants must have four years of professional law experience, one year of which must demonstrate specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-14 in the Federal service. For this position, specialized experience includes the following:

1. Experience serving as an expert developing policies, explaining complex or controversial issues, and proposing solutions to senior management on small business telecommunications and regulatory issues such as supply chain diversity, cybersecurity issues, and advanced communications services;
2. Experience directing or managing a staff, or serving as a team or project leader to ensure the team timely meets project deadlines and internal goals;
3. Experience interpreting statutes, regulations, and/or rulemaking documents, and providing legal and policy advice on the drafting of a variety of legal documents;
4. Experience initiating and developing collaborative alliances with a variety of organizations and trade associations that support small business interests; and
5. Experience overseeing and organizing local and national outreach events, including launching topic specific campaigns, and organizing townhalls and roundtable meetings.

PART-TIME OR UNPAID EXPERIENCE:  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, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

How you will be evaluated

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

All candidates will be considered without regard to political or religious affiliation, marital status, race, color, sex, national origin, non-disqualifying physical or mental handicap, age, or any other non-merit factor.  THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.

All applicants will be rated on the extent and quality of experience and education relevant to the duties of the position.  Applicants who do not submit a supporting resume will be rated ineligible. 

There are several parts to the application process that affect the overall evaluation of your application including:

1.  the core questions
2.  supplemental documentation (e.g., SF-50, transcripts, bar membership); and
3.  your resume.

Applicants will be rated ineligible, if they do not respond to job specific questions provide supplemental documents and submit resume.  For more information, please click on Rating Process

You will be evaluated for this position on the following Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Other characteristics (KSAOs):

• Knowledge of research strategies and techniques to research legal issues where no clearly applicable precedents are available.
• Ability to communicate in writing in order to produce legal documents.
• Knowledge of the policies, rules and regulations, and relevant case law.
• Ability to communicate orally on issues related to in-depth legal research.