The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or Commission, is an independent agency that regulates the interstate transmission of natural gas, oil, and electricity. The Commission also regulates natural gas and hydropower projects. As part of our goal, we are seeking highly skilled individuals to assist in carrying out the mission of this agency. Join the team and help solve the challenges of managing today's energy markets and set policy direction for the energy industry at large.

The Commission is looking for an experienced senior level executive to serve as the Associate General Counsel. The Associate General Counsel for Rehearings reports directly to the General Counsel and Deputy General Counsel and is responsible for leading the Rehearings section of the Office of the General Counsel (OGC).  The Rehearings section provides the Commission legal services with respect to requests for rehearing of earlier Commission orders issued pursuant to the Commission’s authorizing statutes.  

Additional duties as the Associate General Counsel for Rehearings:

--Oversees the analysis of legal issues in draft orders and memoranda related to wide-ranging matters that may be raised in requests for rehearing of Commission orders issued pursuant to the Commission’s authorizing statutes including but not limited to the Federal Power Act, the Natural Gas Act, the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act, and the Interstate Commerce Act.

--Contributes to the formulation of legal and policy positions of the Commission on issues involving the Commission's regulatory responsibilities under the Commission’s authorizing statutes.

--Advises the Chairman and Commissioners, the General Counsel, the Deputy General Counsel, and other Commission senior staff on matters within the expertise of the Rehearings section.

--Coordinates and cooperates with other sections within OGC and with other Program Offices to implement Commission policy and ensure consistent and legally defensible approach to regulatory policy.

--Supports the General Counsel and Deputy General Counsel in responding to written and oral inquiries from Congress, other Executive Branch agencies, and other interested parties.

--In managing the section's processes, monitors, analyzes, measures and evaluates work and administrative processes to ensure effective and efficient operations. Directs section staff so that all processes work effectively within the teaming and collaborative environment set forth for both OGC and Commission operations. Teams, as appropriate, with managers and staff of other OGC sections and other Program Offices to achieve efficient process operations.

--Promotes, models, and supports the values of the Commission. Ensures that both personal activities and those of subordinate managers and staff adhere to and promote the specified leadership behaviors defined for all Commission leaders. Plans and implements section activities in a strategic fashion to not only accomplish section objectives, but also to meet goals and objectives within an OGC and Commission-wide perspective. Sets direction for the section and sets expectations for all section staff to carry out that direction.

Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Must meet specialized experience.
• One year probationary period may be required.
• A background investigation is required.
• Must meet mandatory technical and executive core qualifications.
• Proof of current, active bar membership required.
• Possess a J.D. or LL.B. degree from an accredited college or university.
• This position has an education requirement; you must submit transcripts.
• You may be required to divest certain energy-related securities.
• Generally, male applicants must be registered with the Selective Service.

If selected for this position, you will be required to:

• Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) to determine your suitability for Federal employment.
• Have your Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of your choice.
• Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S. FERC also participates in the USCIS Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify). For more information about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit: http://www.uscis.gov/e-verify.
• Attend a mandatory ethics training. We are governed by the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) Standards of Conduct, the criminal conflict of interest statutes, and FERC’s supplemental ethics regulation, which specifically prohibits FERC employees from holding certain energy-related securities. To comply with these regulations and statutes, divestiture of these securities may be required after you begin employment. See 5 C.F.R. 2634-41; 18 U.S.C. 201-208; 5 C.F.R. 3401. If selected, you may also be required to file a financial disclosure statement within 30 days of appointment.
• Receive authorization from OPM on any job offer you receive, if you are or were (within the last 5 years) a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch.

Federal agencies may request information regarding the vaccination status of selected applicants for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as protocols related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine. Any information regarding vaccination status will be maintained securely and confidentially.

Qualifications

You must meet the following basic requirements, by the closing date of this announcement: (1) hold a Juris Doctorate (J.D.) or Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from an accredited college or university and (2) be a current, active bar member in good standing.

To qualify for this position, you must address the following Mandatory Technical Qualifications questions.

Mandatory Technical Qualifications:

1. Please describe your demonstrated expert knowledge of issues related to FERC's authority under the Federal Power Act (FPA) and the Natural Gas Act (NGA), including but not limited to section 313 of the FPA and section 19 of the NGA with respect to rehearing of the Commission’s orders.
2. Please describe your demonstrated experience with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit’s decision in Allegheny Defense Project v. FERC, 964 F.3d 1 (D.C. Cir. 2020), as well as with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s procedures for processing requests for rehearing following that court decision.
3. Please describe your demonstrated ability with respect to appellate review of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s orders.

For this position, specialized experience is defined as: You must have specialized experience at a level close to the work of this job that has given you the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities required to successfully perform. This level of experience must demonstrate progressively responsible experience in the leadership/executive and technical areas. 

Applicants for an initial SES career appointment must also clearly demonstrate that they possess the broad executive core qualifications needed to succeed in the SES. A summary of the key characteristics for the Executive Core Qualifications can be found at this link: http://opm.gov/ses/recruitment/ecq.asp

FERC has a certified SES Performance Appraisal System. The salary range for each SES position is determined by the level of responsibility and duties of the incumbent.

How you will be evaluated

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

Applicants will be evaluated on their resume, Mandatory Technical Qualifications and Executive Core Qualifications to determine the best qualified candidates. Applicants are required to submit a narrative statement for each Mandatory Technical Qualification (MTQ) and each Executive Core Qualification (ECQ) listed. You will be evaluated on the ECQs in addition to the MTQs. Only the MTQ responses in the text boxes provided will be evaluated to determine technical qualifications. When describing your technical qualifications, please give examples and explain how often you used your skills, the complexity of the knowledge you possessed, the level of people you interacted with, the sensitivity of the issues you handled, etc.

Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs): In order to be considered for the position, applicants must submit a narrative statement separately addressing each of the five ECQs. Each statement should contain at least two examples describing experiences and accomplishments/results specific to that ECQ. As a guideline, 1-2 pages per ECQ is sufficient. Applicants for an initial SES career appointment must clearly demonstrate that they possess the broad executive core qualifications needed to succeed in the SES. A guide to assist with writing the ECQ narratives can be found at this link: http://opm.gov/ses/recruitment/ecq.asp

In order to properly review your qualifications, please ensure that your resume clearly indicates evidence that you qualify for the Senior Executive Service position and that you possess the Mandatory Technical Qualifications and Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs). Please give a complete and detailed answer for each qualification. Please keep in mind each ECQ and MTQ are unique qualifications. Therefore, duplicate responses are not sufficient in determining if you meet that specific qualification. Do not enter "Refer to Resume" to explain your answer. Applications directing the reader to search within the application or to "See Resume" are considered incomplete and WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. Failure to submit a narrative statement or address any of the ECQs and/or MTQs is also considered incomplete and WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. As a result, you will be rated as "INCOMPLETE".

If you are currently serving under a career Senior Executive Service (SES) appointment, are eligible for reinstatement into SES, or have successfully completed a SES Candidate Development Program (CDP) approved by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and had your ECQs certified by OPM, then you only need to address each MTQ, and you do not need to submit an ECQ narrative. All other applicants are required to respond to all ECQs and MTQs, addressing each ECQ and MTQ separately.