Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to all qualified Individuals within the civil service. This area includes the legislative, judicial, and executive branches; it also includes employees in both competitive and excepted service. For additional clarification, review the Qualifications section of the announcement. Please review this announcement in its entirety for specific information on how to apply.

The Counsel to the Inspector General is a member of the Executive decision and policy making staff. The incumbent shares responsibility in the accomplishment of the OIG mission, participates in the planning, development, and execution of OIG policies and programs. The Counsel manages legal services for the OIG, providing advice to the IG in the execution of the audit, administration, inspections and investigations programs. The Counsel to the Inspector General reports directly to the Deputy Inspector General and the Inspector General.

• Leads the Office of Counsel, managing the workload performed by its staff of attorneys and paralegals, ensuring a successful legal program that supports OIG audits, investigations, inspections and administration.

• Directs the provision of expert, independent legal counsel to the Inspector General and all other officials of OIG on all legal matters pertinent to OIG involving criminal, civil, and administrative law.
• Directs the OIG legal review of all GSA and other federal agency proposed legislation and regulations affecting OIG programs and activities.
• Advises on the interpretation and legal application of legislation and regulations administered or issued by GSA and other federal government entities.
• Serves as liaison for sensitive activities with senior policy and program officials of the OIG, GSA, Justice Department, other law enforcement agencies, and the Congress.
• Provides assistance to U.S. Attorneys and other Department of Justice attorneys in the preparation and conduct of criminal and civil proceedings that are within GSA OIG's jurisdiction.
• Unless a prospective settlement could cause a change in GSA's policies and procedures, the Counsel to the Inspector General has settlement authority on behalf of the agency for all False Claims Act Cases.

• Oversees and provides legal assistance in connection with processing and resolution of Federal Acquisition Regulation mandatory disclosures.

• Directs the coordination and evaluation of, and responses to, all requests for information submitted to the OIG under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act.
• Directs the administration of the OIG ethics program.
• Advises OIG Executive Staff and other senior management staff on operational and legal matters.

Conditions of employment

• Veterans preference does not apply to SES vacancy announcements.
• The interagency career transition assistance program (ICTAP) does not apply to SES vacancy announcements.
• Applicants must be U.S. Citizens.
• Applicants must apply online (See 'How to Apply' section).
• You will be required to complete a Public Financial Disclosure Report

Qualifications

This announcement is open to all qualified Individuals within the civil service. For purposes of this announcement, the civil service consists of all persons who occupy positions in the executive (both competitive service and excepted service), judicial, and legislative branches, except positions in the uniformed services (the armed forces, the Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service, and the Commissioned Corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). Included are experts and consultants who occupy appointive positions, and individuals in the Postal Service and the Postal Rate Commission. The District of Columbia Government is not part of the Federal civil service. A person is considered to be in the civil service only if occupying a civil service position at the time of application to this vacancy announcement. SES reinstatement eligibles outside the civil service and SESCDP graduates with noncompetitive eligibility may also apply. 

Applicants must possess a J.D. degree and be an active member of a bar (any jurisdiction). You must submit a copy of your college transcripts showing completion of the J.D. degree and proof of active bar membership.

Applicant qualifications will be assessed using the traditional application method. Under this method, applicants must submit a resume, a separate narrative addressing the ECQs, and a separate narrative addressing the mandatory technical competencies. All applicants must meet the Mandatory Technical Competencies 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.

You must submit a supplemental statement that separately addresses the Mandatory Technical Competencies (MTCs) listed below and a supplemental statement that separately addresses the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) listed below. Your resume should also corroborate your possession of the MTCs. Your application will not be considered if you fail to submit both of the supplemental statements.

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

MANDATORY TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES (MTCs):

MTC1 - Describe your executive-level experience addressing complex legal issues relating to audits, investigations, and evaluations of Federal programs and operations, and legal issues relating to criminal, civil, and administrative investigations of Federal programs, employees and contractors.

MTC2 - Describe your executive-level experience addressing Federal legal issues relating to procurement, appropriations, litigation procedures, employee relations, ethics, the Whistleblower Protection Act, the Freedom of Information Act, and the Privacy Act.

MTC3 - Describe your knowledge and experience working with the legal authorities that govern an Office of Inspector General including, but not limited to, the Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended, and describe your executive-level experience working with the Department of Justice, Congress, Office of Management and Budget, other Offices of Inspector General, or other Government agencies.

EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS (ECQs):

The ECQs were designed to assess executive experience and potential, not technical expertise. They measure whether an individual has the broad executive skills needed to succeed in a variety of SES positions. All applicants must submit a written narrative to address the ECQs. Your narrative must address each ECQ separately and should contain one or two examples per ECQ describing your experiences and accomplishments/results. The narrative should be clear, concise, and emphasize your level of responsibility, scope and complexity of programs managed, program accomplishments, policy initiatives undertaken and the results of your actions. Applicants should not enter "Refer to Resume" to describe your experiences. Applications directing the reviewer to search within the application or to see the resume are considered incomplete and may not receive further consideration. The narrative must not exceed 10 pages. There are five ECQs:

ECQ1 - 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.

ECQ2 - 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.

ECQ3 - 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.

ECQ4 - Business Acumen - This core qualification involves the ability to manage human, financial, and information resources strategically.

ECQ5 - 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.

Failure to submit a narrative statement addressing each of the ECQs may cause your application to be deemed incomplete and not be considered. For guidance on how to prepare well-written ECQ narrative statements, please refer to page 9 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, other assessments and a reference check. If selected, you must be certified by an Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualifications Review Board (QRB), unless you are a current career SES member, former career SES member with SES career reinstatement eligibility, or have successfully completed an OPM-approved SES Candidate Development Program (SES CDP). You must receive QRB certification before you can be appointed to this position.