The Bureau of Competition is one of the major operating components of the Commission, with law enforcement responsibilities for antitrust charges arising under Sections 2, 3, 7, and 8 of the Clayton Act and under Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act. This position is responsible for overseeing the Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) premerger notification program, including the Honors Paralegal Program and Attorney Recruitment, Operations Division, and Technology and Information Management Office.
The Bureau of Competition is one of the major operating components of the Commission, with law enforcement responsibilities for antitrust charges arising under Sections 2, 3, 7, and 8 of the Clayton Act and under Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act. This position is responsible for overseeing the Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) premerger notification program, including the Honors Paralegal Program and Attorney Recruitment, Operations Division, and Technology and Information Management Office.
Applications will be accepted from all groups of qualified individuals.
Subject to the Director's discretion, the Deputy Director (OPTIM) directly manages the Premerger Notification Office, the Operations Division, the Honors Paralegal Program, and the Technology and Information Management Office-units comprising 40-60 employees, including attorneys, paralegals, and administrative staff. The Deputy Director leads and evaluates their work through subordinate managers, determines resource allocations, assesses program performance, and decides when to initiate or discontinue projects. The role helps coordinate Bureau activities with other government agencies and Commission offices.
Premerger Notification: The Deputy Director has overall responsibility for administering and implementing the agency's Premerger Notification Enforcement Program and overseeing attorneys, HSR review professionals, and administrative staff. The HSR program is the primary mechanism through which the FTC and the Department of Justice Antitrust Division obtain information on planned mergers and acquisitions, making it vital to U.S. antitrust enforcement. The PNO reviews all Hart-Scott-Rodino filings, receives HSR filing fees, recommends regulatory changes, and provides guidance to businesses and counsel. Filing fees exceed $160 million annually, and the Deputy Director ensures proper collection and accounting. Although jointly administered with the Department of Justice, the FTC leads HSR program regulation and interpretation. The incumbent, directly and through staff, coordinates with DOJ officials on policy initiatives, regulatory proposals, and daily management of the dual-agency filing process.
Bureau Operations: The Deputy Director (OPTIM) provides overall leadership for the Operations Division, directing staff in allocating resources across the Bureau, reviewing programs, implementing improvements, and helping shape the Competition Mission's goals and policies. The role oversees planning for the Competition Mission, which affects broad sectors of the U.S. economy and delivers significant consumer savings.The incumbent leads all administrative management functions, including managing the Bureau's $30+ million budget, tracking expenditures, forecasting needs, and overseeing expert-witness contracting. The Deputy Director coordinates with Human Capital Management to recruit, hire, train, and allocate staff; monitors attrition and staffing needs; and advises the Bureau Director on workforce distribution. The role also ensures proper labor-management practices and works with Human Capital officials to resolve labor issues.
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 (ECQ) and Technical Qualifications (TQ) 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: The position requires comprehensive professional knowledge of and demonstrated experience at the GS-15 grade level or above in applying Federal antitrust laws and regulations to complex matters and cases.
MTQ 2: Specialized legal knowledge: To satisfactorily conduct the work of the position, the Deputy Director must have experience that demonstrates familiarity with the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act.
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 MTQs, 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.
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.
Professional/Educational Credentials: This position requires comprehensive, professional knowledge of federal antitrust and consumer protection laws and regulations; specifically, sections 2, 3, 7, and 8 of the Clayton Act and Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act. Graduation from an accredited law school and current possession of a bar membership, which permits the practice of law in the United States, are required.
In order to qualify, you must meet the basic educational requirements:
A. Law degree (J.D. or LL.B) from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association
AND
B. Bar Membership: Be an active member in good standing of a State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of a territory of the United States.
IMPORTANT: Applicants are responsible for citing J.D. and bar membership information (institution name, state(s) for bar, and dates) on their respective resumes. Applicants who possess an equivalent degree rather than a J.D. may be subject to additional review.
A college or university degree generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools which meet these criteria, please refer to Department of Education Accreditation page.
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 and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. For further information, visit: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.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.
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 Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ) and Technical Qualifications (MTQ) listed below. ECQs and TQs must be thoroughly addressed within your two (2) page resume. Separate narratives will not be accepted or reviewed. 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/.
*DO NOT SUBMIT ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION* Extraneous materials such as a cover letter, letters of recommendation, award certificates, etc., will be discarded and not considered.
1. Vacancy Announcement number: EXEC-20260317-35885-BC-SDL
2. RESUME (Mandatory) - All applicants are required to submit a resume limited to two (2) pages (i.e., 1 page that is double-sided or 2 pages that are one-sided each) showing all relevant experience. Applicants seeking initial career appointment to the Senior Executive Service (SES) must include evidence of the ECQs and TQs. If the resume received by an applicant is longer than two pages, the applicant is automatically ineligible for further consideration. PLEASE DO NOT USE USAJOBS RESUME BUILDER.
2. VACANCY QUESTION/ASSESSMENT QUESTIONNAIRE RESPONSES: Responses are automatically submitted through USA Jobs when you apply to this vacancy.
3. ADDITIONAL REQUIRED DOCUMENTS: Applicants are required to submit the following supporting documentation if applicable:
STRONGLY RECOMMENDED: Applicants are encouraged to include their most recent performance evaluation.
NOTE: Current or Former Political Appointees: OPM must authorize any employment offers made to individuals who are currently serving in or have previously served in political positions within the last 5 years. These positions include Presidential appointees with or without Senate confirmation, Schedule A or Schedule C political appointees, appointees serving in a political capacity under an agency-specific authority, and Noncareer SES employees in the Executive Branch. If you are currently a political appointee or have been within the last 5 years, please indicate this in your resume. Serving in a political position WILL NOT eliminate you from consideration.
Veterans' preference: Is not applicable to positions in the Senior Executive Service.
REMINDER: Before uploading your required documents, please ensure they are in PDF format and DO NOT EXCEED the noted page limits.
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
To apply for this position, you must complete this application and submit any required documents specified in the Required Documents section and submit by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration.
To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
Follow the prompts to select and upload your résumé and/or other required documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the "Include Personal Information" section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
It is applicant's responsibility to verify that information entered and uploaded, (i.e., resume and other required documents) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Human Resources will not modify or change any part of your application.
Application packages will NOT be accepted via mail. Due to security processes, mail delivery takes approximately 2-3 weeks to process at which time the vacancy announcement will be closed, and no further consideration will be given to additional application packages.
To verify the status of your application, sign in to your USAJOBS account (https://www.usajobs.gov/), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to.
Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated by the Human Resources Office to determine your eligibility for the position. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another notification regarding the status of your application.
There are three key documents that contain important information about your rights and obligations. Please read and retain these documents:
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
