Clarification from the agency

U.S. Citizens and U.S. Nationals; no prior Federal experience is required.

As a key member the executive staff of the Office of Chief Counsel, the Division Counsel for Tax Exempt and Government Entities (TEGE) Division Counsel, provides legal services for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Tax Exempt and Government Entities Division. The incumbent assists the TE/GE and SB/SE executive leadership team by providing legal advice and in determining strategies, plans, and designs for a comprehensive and customer-oriented tax administration program to achieve taxpayer service and compliance goals. The incumbent works closely with the TE/GE Division Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner, the SB/SE Director of Headquarters Examination, the SB/SE Director of Specialty Examination - Field, the Employee Benefits, Exempt Organizations, and Employment Taxes (EEE) Associate Chief Counsel (ACC), and other Division Counsel and Associate Chief Counsel on program matters, including legal tax issues relating to employee benefit programs (including qualified retirement plans, deferred compensation arrangements, and health and welfare programs), executive compensation, exempt organizations, federal, state, local and Indian tribal governments, tax exempt bonds, and employment tax (referred to collectively as "TEGE issues"). The incumbent directs the Counsel-wide litigation program with respect to these issues. The incumbent provides strategic leadership and focus on the development and management of organizational activities, capital budgeting, and financial management and forecasting.

MAJOR DUTIES INCLUDE:

• Serves as a senior legal advisor in collaboration with the ACC to the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, TE/GE Division Commissioner, other Division Commissioners, the SB/SE Director of Headquarters Examination, the SB/SE Director of Specialty Examination - Field, the Chief Counsel, and other senior IRS and Treasury officials on TEGE issues. Represents these officials on sensitive and controversial legal matters related to these issues.
• Formulates and directs programs and policies with respect to litigation of TEGE issues, making determinations as to which of such cases should be tried, settled, and conceded. Assures IRS-wide consistency of approach in tax litigation; consults with the ACC as to the defense or settlement of TEGE Division Counsel cases; reviews and coordinates pleadings, briefs, settlement documents, and other materials prepared in connection with U.S. Tax Court litigation involving TEGE Division Counsel. Consults with the ACC regarding recommendations of acquiescence and nonacquiescence or appeals of adverse decisions and orders, regarding offers in compromise, or settlement in cases pending on appeal, and regarding ACC recommendations to the Chief Counsel with respect to requests for certiorari.
• Works closely with the TE/GE Division Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner, the SB/SE Director of Headquarters Examination, and the SB/SE Director of Specialty Examination - Field, to formulate short- and long-range program policies, strategies, and objectives for the TE/GE Division and the SB/SE Division with respect to TEGE issues, in consultation with the ACC as appropriate. Participates in the design and development of integrated policies, programs, systems, and strategies to ensure fairness and accountability in the delivery of superior customer service to taxpayers.
• Coordinates litigation strategy and positions on TEGE issues with appropriate officials throughout the TE/GE Division, SB/SE, other Division Counsel offices, and ACC offices. Reviews and exercises independent judgment with respect to questions concerning litigation and/or settlement of issues and cases.
• Responsible for the structure and implementation of an effective communication and coordination network regarding docketed large cases and related non-docketed matters.
• Exercises ongoing responsibility for the overall management of TEGE Division Counsel attorneys who are geographically dispersed across the nation. Through subordinate managers and attorneys, represents the government in the U.S. Tax Court and provides quality legal advice to TE/GE and SB/SE field personnel.
• Provides executive leadership and direction to TEGE Division Counsel attorneys through subordinate managers. Functional responsibilities include program planning and field operations. Delegates sufficient authority and provides a supportive environment for subordinates to manage their resources effectively and seek continuous improvement through creativity and innovation. Directs and oversees the overall management of the TEGE Division Counsel legal staff. In this regard, provides continuing coordination, control, and direction of TEGE Division Counsel field operations to assure that Chief Counsel objectives, policies, procedures, and programs are implemented fully and effectively, including the development of programs and their evaluation in terms of effectiveness, efficiency, comprehensiveness, and timeliness.

Conditions of employment

• Refer to "Additional Information"
• Click "Print Preview" to review the entire announcement before applying.
• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National

Qualifications

To qualify for this position of Division Counsel (TEGE) you must meet the following requirements:

• Possess at least the first professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.) from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association; AND
• Applicants must be an active member in good standing of the bar of a State, U.S. Commonwealth, U.S. territory, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico;
• Desired Education/Experience: An LL.M. in Taxation is desired but not required. 7 years of professional legal tax experience is desired.

As a basic requirement for entry into the SES, applicants must provide evidence of progressively responsible leadership experience that is indicative of senior executive level managerial capability and directly related to the skills and abilities outlined under Technical Qualifications and Executive Core Qualifications. Typically, experience of this nature will have been gained at or above the GS-15 grade level or its equivalent in Federal service. Applicants must possess the following technical and executive core qualifications:

A) Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs):

Unless you are currently serving under a Career Senior Executive Service (SES) appointment, or eligible for reinstatement into the SES, you must address the ECQs. Applicants must provide a narrative statement (not to exceed a total of 10 pages) that clearly documents and demonstrates possession of the competencies in the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) as established by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. The following five ECQs provide the focus for certification of executive core qualifications for initial career appointment to the Senior Executive Service.

1. Leading Change - Ability to bring about strategic change, both within and outside the organization, to meet organizational goals. Ability to establish an organizational vision and to implement it in a continuously changing environment.
2. Leading People - Ability to lead people toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals. Ability to provide an inclusive workplace that fosters the development of others, facilitates cooperation and teamwork, and supports constructive resolution of conflicts.
3. Results Driven - Ability to meet organizational goals and customer expectations. Ability to make decisions that produce high-quality results by applying technical knowledge, analyzing problems, and calculating risks.
4. Business Acumen - Ability to manage human, financial, and information resources strategically.
5. Building Coalitions - 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.

B) Mandatory Technical Competencies (MTQs):
In addition to the Executive Core Qualifications, all candidates must show evidence of the following mandatory technical competencies in order to meet basic qualifications for this position. The narrative statements should demonstrate your specialized knowledge and technical competence. Please give concrete examples of your experience and demonstrate the complexity of the knowledge and skills you possess. You should address each MTQ separately, with the total narrative not exceeding ten pages.

Mandatory:

1. Position requires strong direct or indirect knowledge of, or experience with, tax litigation and dispute resolution. Position requires comprehensive, professional knowledge of, and experience in, applying tax laws affecting TEGE issues.
2. Must have demonstrated experience in managing all aspects of a large-scale law program that involves significant human and fiscal resources. Experience includes planning, directing, budgeting for, staffing, and evaluating such programs, as well as effectively managing equal employment opportunity initiatives.
3. Must have demonstrated the ability to review and evaluate programs for the purpose of assessing their effectiveness against overall organizational goals and objectives, and the ability to design and implement program improvements as necessary to enhance organizational performance.
4. Must have demonstrated the capacity for effective and decisive decision-making, as well as the ability to solve problems of substantial impact, sensitivity, and complexity.

1. A thorough understanding of the operations and organization of the Internal Revenue Service and Office of Chief Counsel, and a solid understanding of the Department of Treasury and its Office of General Counsel, are desirable.

(Note: Failure to address these factors will result in your application being disqualified.) Narrative responses to the Technical Qualifications and Desirable Qualifications should not be more than two pages for each. Please provide the Executive Core Qualifications, Technical Qualifications and Desirable Qualifications each on separate sheets of paper.

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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week, on your resume.

How you will be evaluated

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

Applicants will be considered based on their overall background as it relates to the position to be filled. Interviews may be held at the option of the office. All application materials and interviews, if conducted, will be used in the final evaluation and selection process.

Candidates found minimally qualified will be further evaluated by an Executive Resources Board based on the extent and quality of their experience as it relates to the Mandatory Technical Competencies and the Executive Core Qualifications needed for this position. Appropriate consideration will be given for job-related training, education, awards, publications, and supervisory appraisals of job performance. Interviews of applicants may be held at the option of the Board. Selected applicant will be subject to certification of their executive qualifications by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (unless previously certified). (Note: Current and former SES members, and other candidates who have already been OPM/QRB-certified, are not required to address the executive core qualifications. They must, however, provide documentation of certification in the form of an SF-50 showing career SES status, or an OPM issued SES qualification certificate.)

Referral: If you are among the top qualified candidates, you may be required to participate in a selection interview. We will not reimburse costs related to the interview, such as travel to and from the interview site.