Skip to main content
U.S. flag
Back to results
 

SUPERVISORY ATTORNEY-ADVISER

Securities and Exchange Commission
Division of Examinations (EXAMS)

Summary

The Division of Examinations is seeking a Supervisory Attorney-Adviser in the Office of Broker-Dealers (BDX), Office of Investment Advisers and Investment Companies (IA/IC), Private Funds Unit (PFU) and Office of Clearance Settlement (OCS). As an Assistant Director, you will join a well-respected team that is responsible for supporting EXAMS' mission to conduct and coordinate the nationwide examination program for entities over which the Commission has regulatory authority.

Overview

Help
Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
03/31/2026 to 04/14/2026
Salary
$169,608 - $289,400 per year
Pay scale & grade
SK 17
Locations
1 vacancy in the following locations:
Los Angeles, CA
San Francisco, CA
Denver, CO
Washington, DC
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Travel averages 5 days a month.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
17
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
Yes
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
High Risk (HR)
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
Yes
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
26-IN-12923111-CSS
Control number
863207500

This job is open to

Help

Clarification from the agency

This position is open to: Well-qualified surplus/displaced SEC employees (i.e., CTAP) in the local area and current Division of Examinations employees

Duties

Help

The mission of the Division of Examinations is to protect investors, ensure market integrity and support responsible capital formation through risk-focused strategies that: (1) improve compliance; (2) prevent fraud; (3) monitor risk; and (4) inform policy. The results of the Division's examinations are used by the SEC to inform rule-making initiatives, identify and monitor risks, improve industry practices and pursue misconduct.

If selected, you will join a well-respected team that is responsible for supporting EXAMS' mission to conduct and coordinate the nationwide examination program for entities over which the Commission has regulatory authority.

As a Supervisory Attorney-Adviser, you will:

  • Plan and assign work, advise on program goals and objectives, making decisions on work problems, and organizing and monitoring the flow of work for the assigned programs in order to achieve the most effective results within a complex environment;
  • Direct staff performing extensive and extremely complex inspections or examinations, working with the field offices, reviewing reports and recommendations;
  • Provide advice on novel questions, analyzing industry trends, and following-up to ensure that recommendations are implemented by the industry;Attend and participate, in the capacity of legal adviser and counselor, in meetings and conferences where crucial policy formulation, procedural development, and program planning matters are discussed and agency positions developed;
  • Provide executive leadership and management of the staff and work products by maintaining and exhibiting knowledge, insight, and understanding of the assigned specialized segment of the market; monitoring new or unchartered marketing or financial techniques and developments that impacts SEC decisions; and
  • Represent the agency in high level meetings, conferences, and presentations involving a wide range of participants such as regulatory or law enforcement agencies; state, local, national, or international government offices; private industry; and the academic community
Vacancies are in the following EXAMS' programs and duty locations:
  • BDX: Chicago and New York
  • IA/IC: Chicago, Denver, New York and Philadelphia
  • OCS: Chicago, DC and New York
  • PFU: All Locations

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

  • CITIZENSHIP: You must be a US Citizen.
  • You must possess a J.D. or LL.B Degree and you must be an active member of the bar in good standing.
  • SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see https://www.sss.gov/).
  • SUPERVISORY TRIAL PERIOD: This appointment may require completion of a two-year supervisory trial period.
  • SECURITY CLEARANCE: Entrance on duty is contingent upon completion of a pre-employment security investigation. Favorable results on a Background Investigation may be a condition of employment or selection to another position.
  • DRUG TESTING: This position may be subjected to drug testing requirements.
  • TRIAL PERIOD: Consistent with 5 U.S.C. § 7511, you will be required to serve a two-year trial period (one year for preference eligible veterans) if the position to which you have applied is not the same or similar to your current position of record.
  • PERMANENT CHANGE OF STATION (PCS): Moving/Relocation expenses are not authorized.
  • DIRECT DEPOSIT: All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosin

Qualifications

Applicants are responsible for confirming all required materials are submitted by the closing date of the announcement. Please check the How You Will Be Evaluated and Required Documents sections carefully, as missing documents will render the application incomplete and ineligible for review.

Qualifying experience may be obtained in the private or public sector. 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. Qualifying education must have been obtained from an accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

BASIC REQUIREMENT: All applicants must possess the following

  • J.D. or LL.B. degree --AND--
  • Active membership of the bar in good standing in any state, territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the commonwealth of Puerto Rico. (Note: proof of bar membership will be required before entry on duty.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT: In addition to meeting the basic requirement, applicants must also meet the minimum qualification requirement.

SK-17: Applicant must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS/SK-14 level. Specialized experience includes:
  1. Providing legal advice on federal securities laws and compliance issues as they relate to securities-related financial institutions, such as broker-dealers, clearing agencies, transfer agents, municipal advisers, investment advisers, investment companies, security-based swap dealers, private funds or self-regulatory organizations; AND
  2. Leading teams of staff with varying backgrounds (e.g., legal, accounting, examining); AND
  3. Identifying emerging risks and issues affecting financial institutions.

ACCOMPLISHMENT RECORD COMPETENCIES: Your Accomplishment Record narratives should address the following competencies. See the How You Will Be Evaluated section below for more information:

Examwork: Effectively conducts examwork activities (whether onsite, correspondence, etc.) in a professional manner to procure information from an entity under examination.

Critical Thinking: Considers a variety of factors, general and subject matter-specific, when making decisions and determining next steps in a case.

Managing Information (core): Ability to ensure that programs strategically utilize and share information, with some guidance.

Teamwork and Collaboration: Interacts with internal and external others in a manner that advances examinations and SEC goals and objectives.

Education

You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: (1) official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. If you are qualifying for this position by substituting education or training for experience, you must submit a copy of your unofficial transcripts or equivalent by the closing date of the announcement. Qualifying education must have been obtained from an accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Internal Applicants: OHR will verify education qualifications for internal applicants using documents in the Electronic Official Personnel Folder (eOPF). If required transcripts or certificates are not present in your eOPF, you will be required to provide them to OHR. If selected, a start date will not be established until official transcripts are received.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs. For more information, click here.

Applicants may also find the following helpful:
National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) is an association of 19 credential evaluation services with admission standards and an enforced code of good practice.

Association of International Credentials Evaluators (AICE) is an association of 10 credential evaluation services with a board of advisors and an enforced code of ethics.

Additional information

Supplementary vacancies may be filled in addition to the number stated in this announcement and may be filled from any division or office within the agency.

Salary Ranges:

  • Atlanta:
    • $169,608 - $289,400
  • Boston:
    • $181,652 - $289,400
  • Chicago:
    • $179,295 - $289,400
  • Denver:
    • $178,829 - $289,400
  • Fort Worth:
    • $174,363 - $289,400
  • Los Angeles:
    • $186.982 - $289,400
  • Miami:
    • $170,814 - $289,400
  • New York:
    • $189,009 - $289,400
  • Philadelphia:
    • $176,733 -$289,400
  • San Francisco:
    • $200,505 - $289,400
  • Washington DC:
    • $183,515 - $289,400

SEC COMPENSATION PROGRAM: Total salary (base pay + locality) is dependent upon duty location. The overall salary range listed above is provided for informational purposes; a selectee's initial pay will be established below the maximum rate of the range. The pay for current SEC employees will be determined according to the procedures specified in the agency's policy. Please click here for a compensation overview.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR SURPLUS OR DISPLACED FEDERAL EMPLOYEES: Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) is available to individuals who have special priority selection rights under this plan. Individuals must be minimally qualified for this position to receive consideration for special priority selection. CTAP eligibles will be considered minimally qualified if they meet the minimum requirements for this position.

Reasonable Accommodation: If you are an applicant who needs a reasonable accommodation to participate in the SEC application process due to a medical disability, please contact reasonableaccommodation@sec.gov. For religious-based accommodations, please contact religiousaccommodation@sec.gov . Please be sure to submit your request at least 5 business days in advance of the date you need the requested accommodation.

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Information for SEC Job Applicants: Federal EEO laws protect all applicants from discrimination on the following bases: race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor. Applicants who believe they have been discriminated against on any EEO basis can seek recourse through the SEC's administrative complaints process. To be timely, an individual must enter the EEO process within 45 days from when they know (or should have known) of the alleged discrimination. Click here for additional information.

The Fair Chance Act prohibits specific inquiries concerning an applicant's criminal or credit background unless the hiring agency has made a conditional offer of employment to the applicant. An applicant may submit a complaint, or any other information, to the agency within 30 calendar days of the date of alleged non-compliance by contacting the Legal and Policy Office in the Office of Human Resources at ElliottT@sec.gov.

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.

How you will be evaluated

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

Your resume and application package will be reviewed to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements outlined in this announcement.

Your qualifications will be assessed through a two-step screening process:

  1. Minimum Qualifications Resume Review
  2. Accomplishment Record Review
If you are found minimally qualified through the resume review, a rating panel will review your resume and Accomplishment Record narratives. Accomplishment Record narrative should clearly demonstrate your proficiency in the competencies listed in the Qualifications section. Submitting a Performance Appraisal does not fulfill the requirement for an Accomplishment Record.

Your resume must provide evidence that supports the claims made in your Accomplishment Record narratives; both documents must effectively showcase your qualifications. Each competency narrative should detail one specific, relevant example from your training or experience. Please limit each response to a maximum of 300 words, as any text beyond this limit will not be considered during the evaluation. You will upload one document with your narrative responses addressing each of the four competencies. Your responses must be in the below format:

Competency Title
  • Position title and dates from your resume that this experience was obtained
  • Describe the situation (i.e., the challenged faced, the problem solved)
  • Describe the specific actions you took
  • State the outcome, results, or long-term impact of your accomplishment
  • Name and email address of someone who can verify this information
Basis for Rating: The rating panel will evaluate applicants' accomplishment records and resume, then place them into one of the following categories:
  • Highly Qualified - Meets the minimum qualification requirements and has extensive skills and experience in most of the job related competencies.
  • Well Qualified - Meets the minimum qualification requirements and has a moderate amount of skills and experience in most of the job related competencies.
  • Qualified - Meets the minimum qualification requirements, but may have a limited amount of experience in several of the job related competencies.
Top ranked applicants will be referred to the hiring office for further review and consideration. The hiring office may directly contact recommended candidates for interview(s). When the selection is made, applicants will be sent a referral status notification and a final disposition notification.

To preview the Questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12923111

Securities and Exchange Commission

Our mission includes advocating for investors who seek to secure a future for their family, providing guidance and regulations for the nation's securities industry in an increasingly global market, and taking action with an eye toward promoting the capital formation necessary to sustain economic growth.

A career with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) offers work that is exciting, challenging and rewarding. You can contribute to securities regulation and enforcement while making a positive difference for the American investing public. The SEC provides:

  • Careers that broaden and deepen your already accomplished knowledge, skills and abilities;
  • An environment that allows you to work and learn with the nation's experts;
  • Benefits, compensation and career expansion opportunities; and
  • A balance between your professional and family life.
The SEC offers a number of enhanced pay and benefits plus the standard Federal benefits. Please be sure to visit the SEC's compensation and benefits program pages.

Agency contact information

ask HR
Email
askHR@sec.gov
Address
Division of Examinations
100 F Street NE
Washington, DC 20549
US

Visit our careers page

Learn more about what it's like to work at Securities and Exchange Commission, what the agency does, and about the types of careers this agency offers.

https://www.sec.gov.

Your session is about to expire!

Your USAJOBS session will expire due to inactivity in 8 minutes. Any unsaved data will be lost if you allow the session to expire. Click the button below to continue your session.