Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from all groups of qualified individuals.

These duties encompasses the Assistant Director (AD) for each of the Bureau's three (3) Merger Enforcement Divisions listed below. The major responsibilities of each ADs are identical; however, each division is specifically responsible for antitrust investigations and challenges of mergers and acquisitions in the following assigned industries:

• Mergers I: pharmaceuticals, medical devices, consumer health products, defense, scientific, industrial, technology, and consumer products.
• Mergers III: all stages of the oil and gas supply chain (e.g., exploration and production, processing, refining and bulk supply, pipelines, terminals, and wholesale and retail sales); technology platforms and data services, especially those adjacent to the hospitality and real estate sectors; title insurance; and consumer goods, such as razors.
• Mergers IV: hospitals, consumer goods, supermarkets, retail, multichannel video programming distribution, and media.

Each AD participates in Bureau management by overseeing a law enforcement division that is responsible for the enforcement of Sections 2, 3, 7, and 8 of the Clayton Act and Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act, including antitrust investigations and, where appropriate, challenges of mergers and acquisitions. The incumbent is key to fulfilling the agency's competition mission with respect to the assigned industries, and the position carries high visibility. The position encompasses responsibilities that extend beyond the identification and prosecution of antitrust violations, including analysis and advice that may influence the efforts of legislation and regulation, the Bureau's policies, and the Commission's long-range strategic goals and objectives.

The AD is a key member of the Bureau's senior management team and devises and implements program and policy decisions in furtherance of the FTC's competition mission. The incumbent exercises wide discretion in directing investigative and litigation proceedings to enforce the statutory provisions discussed above; reviews policy recommendations that affect the Division's and Bureau's longer-term strategies; considers political, social, economic, technical, and administrative factors that potentially impact recommended policies; and formally recommends action to the Bureau Director and other approving officials. The AD serves as the primary link between the Division, other Bureau leaders, and FTC commissioners, and maintains contact with a wide range of public, private, and international groups with diverse interests in competition matters.

The AD provides counsel and guidance for staff members on policy questions and matters of legal strategy. The AD reviews and refines legal documents prepared by the staff (e.g., proposed complaints, recommendations that cases be closed, trial briefs, motions, proposed findings, and orders) for consistency with agency policy, soundness of judgment, and legal sufficiency, and oversees the prosecution of complaints before the federal district courts or the Commission's Administrative Law Judges. The work performed under the incumbent's supervision involves coordinating complex and difficult antitrust investigations and proceedings. In addition, the incumbent has frequent conferences with parties and third parties to proceedings, as well as their counsel; the questions raised in these meetings are often controversial in nature, requiring the exercise of a high degree of tact, persuasiveness, and legal skill on the part of the incumbent.

The AD also performs or supervises other functions that may be delegated considering the Bureau's overall workload requirements. Occasionally, the incumbent is summoned to appear before the Commission, congressional committees, industry regulators, industry representatives, and various forums to discuss the Division's work, emerging trends in competition law, emerging problems of law violations, proposed legislation and regulation, and related matters. The incumbent may represent the FTC or the Bureau in proceedings before government agencies or give speeches or other briefings to various groups.

The AD professionally and administratively directs, oversees, supervises, coordinates, and reviews (through subordinate supervisors) the work of approximately 25-35 attorneys and legal support staff who review Hart-Scott-Rodino filings and monitor markets to identify transactions that might violate the antitrust statutes; conduct investigations to determine whether such transactions warrant investigation; and formulate plans and legal theories to pursue these investigations and subsequent enforcement actions. The incumbent assesses policy, program, and case feasibility; determines goals and objectives; and develops plans to achieve goals and objectives. The incumbent identifies, diagnoses, and consults on problem areas related to assignments and goal achievement and makes decisions on alternative courses of action.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen or National.
• You must possess a J.D. or LL.B. degree from an accredited law school.
• Background investigation (Public Trust) is required.
• You are subject to serve a one-year probationary period unless you have previously completed the probationary period in the Senior Executive Service (SES).
• The individual selected will be required to file an Executive Branch Personnel Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 278) within 30 days of appointment and annually from then on.
• Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency
• If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so.
• You may be required to obtain and maintain an interim and/or final security clearance prior to entrance on duty. Failure to obtain and maintain the required level of clearance may result in the withdrawal of a job offer or removal.

Qualifications

QUALIFICATIONS:
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution. Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin.

To meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position, you must show that you possess the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) and Mandatory Technical Qualifications (MTQs) related to this position within your resume - NOT TO EXCEED 2 PAGES. Resumes over the 2-page limit, will not be reviewed beyond page 2 or may be disqualified. Your resume should include examples of experience, education, and accomplishments applicable to the qualification(s). If your resume does not reflect demonstrated evidence of these qualifications, you may not receive consideration for the position.

There is NO requirement to prepare a narrative statement specifically addressing the Executive Core Qualifications ECQs or the Mandatory Technical Qualifications MTQs.

MANDATORY TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS (MTQs): Your resume should demonstrate accomplishments that would satisfy the technical qualifications.

MTQ 1: Knowledge and experience in legal areas relevant to the Commission's work, including antitrust law, competition analysis of mergers and acquisitions, and federal court litigation. Thorough understanding of the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act, as well as how it affects the agency's operations. Ability to analyze economic evidence surrounding antitrust, merger, and competition matters.

MTQ 2: Experience in the management of complex legal issues. Experience includes analyzing complex legal issues and questions of litigation strategy, reviewing pleadings, briefs, and legal memoranda, and providing oral and written legal advice and recommendations. Experience in supervising and reviewing the work product of attorneys and other staff in a legal office with a focus on achieving high-quality organizational results.

EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS (ECQs): In addition to the Technical Qualification Requirements listed above, all new entrants into the Senior Executive Service (SES) under a career appointment will be assessed for executive competency against the following five mandatory ECQs. If your 2-page resume does not reflect demonstrated evidence of the ECQs and TQs, you may not receive further consideration for the position.

ECQ 1: Commitment to the Rule of Law and the Principles of the American Founding - This core qualification requires a demonstrated knowledge of the American system of government, commitment to uphold the Constitution and the rule of law, and commitment to serve the American people.

ECQ 2: Driving Efficiency - This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to strategically and efficiently manage resources, budget effectively, cut wasteful spending, and pursue efficiency through process and technological upgrades.

ECQ 3: Merit and Competence - This core qualification involves the demonstrated
knowledge, ability and technical competence to effectively and reliably produce work that is of exceptional quality.

ECQ 4: Leading People - This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to lead and inspire a group toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals, and to drive a high-performance, high-accountability culture. This includes, when necessary, the ability to lead people through change and to hold individuals accountable.

ECQ 5: Achieving Results - This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to achieve both individual and organizational results, and to align results to stated goals from superiors.

Note: If you are a member of the SES or have been certified through successful participation in an OPM approved SES Candidate Development Program (SESCDP), or have SES reinstatement eligibility, you do not need to respond to the ECQs. Instead, you should attach proof (e.g., SF-50, Certification by OPM's SES Qualifications Review Board (QRB)) of your eligibility for noncompetitive appointment to the SES.

How you will be evaluated

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

You will be assessed for this position based on how effectively your background and experience align with the qualifications outlined above.

This position is being filled through the revised Resume-Based SES Hiring Method - a streamlined approach that simplifies the application process.

Once the application process is complete, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be conducted. If you meet minimum qualifications, your Application Package will be further reviewed to determine if you possess the ECQs and MTQs listed below. ECQs and MTQs must be thoroughly addressed within your two (2) page resume. Separate narratives will not be accepted or reviewed and will automatically disqualify the applicant. Highly Qualified applicants may undergo one or more interviews and may be referred to the selecting official for further consideration.

Note: If the resume received by an applicant is longer than two pages, the applicant is automatically ineligible for further consideration.

Upon selection, if not already a member of the SES serving under a career appointment, the individual selected must have his/her executive qualifications certified by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's SES Qualifications Review Board (QRB) before appointment to this position. The selected individual's application will be forwarded to the OPM for review and certification by the QRB, unless the selectee provides evidence of their noncompetitive status (i.e., a current SES, OPM QRB certified SESCDP graduate, or SES reinstatement eligible). Upon QRB certification, the selected individual will be required to serve a one-year probationary period. For more information regarding the SES, go to https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/senior-executive-service/.