Clarification from the agency

Open to all qualified U.S. citizens. Open to current employees within the Federal civil service. SES reinstatement eligibles and SESCDP graduates may also apply for noncompetitive consideration.

This position is located in the Office of General Counsel (OGC), U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). OGC provides legal opinions, advice, and services with respect to all departmental programs and activities. OGC has primary responsibility for the development of HUD program regulations and assists in the development of HUD programs and policies.

The incumbent of this position serves as an Associate General Counsel and, as such, is given considerable latitude and independent authority to administer certain functional and/or programmatic responsibilities of the Office of General Counsel. Each Associate General Counsel directs and supervises the activities of a substantial portion of the professional and clerical staff of the Office of General Counsel.

Major Duties:

The AGC supervises and manages legal work pertaining to the legislative and regulatory functions described below. Since these functions are not limited to specific program areas, requests for this work come from across the Department, including the Secretary, Deputy Secretary, and Assistant Secretaries. Since both legislation and regulations reflect, at times, major policy calls of the Department, or carry significant budgetary implications, the Associate General Counsel also interacts significantly with legislative, regulatory, and budgetary staff at other agencies, and often with Congressional staff.

The Office of Legislation and Regulations, which the Associate General Counsel supervises and manages, consists of two divisions. Each division is headed by an Assistant General Counsel who reports directly to the Associate General Counsel. The activities assigned to each division are as follows:

Legislation Division

The Legislation Division provides legal services and advice in connection with the development of the Department's legislative program. Specifically, the Division 1) coordinates the development and clearance (through the Department and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) of the Department's annual authorizing legislation, including the drafting of legislative text and the drafting or review of accompanying explanatory material; 2) provides legal counsel during congressional consideration of HUD-related legislation; 3) provides legal advice in connection with the pre-drafting development of possible legislative proposals advanced by the Secretary and members of Principal Staff; 4) prepares and clears (through the Department and OMB) departmental policy positions (known as "reports") on proposed and pending legislation affecting HUD that originate in other Federal agencies or in Congress; 5) provides legal services (including drafting) in connections with the Department's annual Budget and Appropriations Act; 6) provides technical drafting services, legal review, and other technical assistance, upon request, for members of Congress and their staffs, in connection with legislation; and 7) serves as liaison with OMB for HUD legislative proposals and reports to Congress, which require review and approval by OMB's Legislative Reference Division.

Regulations Division

The Regulations Division provides legal services and advice in connection with the development of the Department's regulatory program. Specifically, the Division drafts and clears (through the Department and OMB) regulations necessary to carry out the Department's programs and policies. This includes drafting the Department's highest priority rules; editing rules and related documents (such as Notices of Funding Opportunity) drafted elsewhere in the Department; managing departmental clearance; providing information and legal advice in connection with the overall management of the process by the Secretary and Deputy Secretary; resolving, or raising for resolution, clearance issues; serving as liaison with OMB's Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) on regulatory actions that are subject to review by OIRA under Executive Order 12866; managing the process for the review of rules by the Congress; and arranging for the publication of Federal Register documents after Secretarial approval. The Division, together with the Legislation Division, prepares Implementation Guides for all new laws affecting the Department that may give rise to the need for new or amended regulations or policies. The Division also coordinates Office of General Counsel clearance of the Department's internal directives, prepares the Department's comments on draft Executive Orders, and provides legal advice on the Department's rulemaking authorities, including the Administrative Procedure Act, the Federal Register Act, the Paperwork Reduction Act, the Regulatory Flexibility Act, and several Executive Orders affecting the rulemaking process.

Perform other duties as assigned.

Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National of the United States.
• Ability to complete personnel security vetting (e.g., investigation, evaluation, and adjudication) 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.
• Subject to an one-year supervisory probationary period (unless already completed).
• 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 (see www.sss.gov).
• File a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report OGE-278e within 30 days of appointment and annually from then on.
• Complete the Declaration for Federal Employment, Optional Form (OF) 306, to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency.

Qualifications

As a basic requirement for entry into the senior executive service (SES), applicants must provide evidence of progressively responsible executive leadership and supervisory experience that is indicative of senior executive level managerial capability. This experience should be sufficiently broad in scope and at a major management level in a large or complex organization. The ideal candidate will have experience supervising many employees through subordinate supervisors and have experience hiring, developing, and evaluating employees. Typically, experience of this nature is at the GS-15 or equivalent level in the federal service or its equivalent in the private sector.

Your application should demonstrate that you possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully fulfill responsibilities inherent in SES positions such as:

• Leading the work of an organizational unit
• Ensuring the success of one or more specific major programs or projects
• Monitoring progress toward strategic organizational goals, evaluating organizational performance and taking action to improve performance
• Supervising the work of employees, developing policy and other executive functions

If your experience does not include these basic qualifications, you will not be determined qualified for this position.

Veterans' preference: Is not applicable to positions in the Senior Executive Service.

To meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position, you must show that you possess the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ) and Mandatory Technical Qualifications (MTQs) related to this position within your resume - NOT TO EXCEED 2 PAGES. Applications received with resumes exceeding the 2-page limit will be disqualified and will not receive further consideration.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 narrative statements 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 these technical qualifications.

MTQ 1: Extensive knowledge of the Federal legislative, appropriations and regulatory processes, and the authorities that govern or relate to such processes, including demonstrated ability to formulate legislative and regulatory policy and to draft significant legislation and regulations.

MTQ 2: . Experience demonstrating the ability to manage or lead teams of attorneys providing legal advice and guidance under tight deadlines.

Must be a graduate of an accredited law school and an active member in good standing of the bar of a State, the District of Columbia, or a United States Territory or Commonwealth. Relevant specialized legal knowledge and experience is desirable. Active Bar membership is verified prior to appointment.

EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS (ECQs): In addition to the Mandatory Technical Qualification (MTQ) 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 two-page resume does not reflect demonstrated evidence of the ECQs and MTQs, you may not receive further consideration for the position.

These are the five ECQs and their competencies:

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 Constitution and the rule of law, and commitment to serve the American people. (Competencies: Knowledge of the American System of Government, Commitment to the Rule of Law, Civic-Mindedness).

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. (Competencies: Fiscal Responsibility, Managing Resources, Leveraging Technology).

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. (Competencies: Technical Skill, Problem Solving, Agility and Resilience).

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. (Competencies: Accountability, Developing Others, Executive Judgement).

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. (Competencies: Operational Mindset, Innovation, Strategic Thinking).

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 MUST attach proof (e.g., SF-50, Certification by OPM's SES Qualifications Review Board (QRB)) of your eligibility for noncompetitive appointment to the SES.

A method to present demonstrated evidence of the ECQs and MTQs is to use the C - C - A - R model (Challenge / Context / Action / Results):

1. Challenge - Describe a specific problem or goal.

2. Context - Talk about the individuals and groups you worked with, and/or the environment in which you worked to tackle a particular challenge (e.g., clients, co-workers, members of Congress, shrinking budget, low morale).

3. Action - Discuss the specific actions you took to address a challenge.

4. Results - Give specific examples of the results of your actions. These accomplishments demonstrate the quality and effectiveness of your leadership skills.

Note for Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize any employment offers made to current or former (within the last 5 years) political appointees (i.e., Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employee, or Presidential Appointee employee in the executive branch). If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Noncareer SES employee, or Presidential Appointee employee in the executive branch, you must disclose that to the Human Resources Office.

How you will be evaluated

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

All applicants must submit a two-page resume (not to exceed two-pages) which reflects demonstrated experience for each ECQ and MTQ.

Failure to submit a two-page resume WILL DISQUALIFY YOU FROM FURTHER CONSIDERATION. As a result, you will be rated as "INCOMPLETE".

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 above. ECQs and MTQs must be thoroughly addressed within your two (2) page resume. Separate narratives will not be accepted or reviewed. Applicants will be evaluated on the quality and extent of their total accomplishments, experience, the ECQs, and the MTQs. Highly Qualified applicants may undergo one or more structured interviews and may be referred to the selecting official 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/.

Veterans' preference: Is not applicable to positions in the Senior Executive Service.

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.

You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

• Civic-Mindedness
• Fiscal Responsibility
• Managing Resources
• Leveraging Technology
• Technical Skill
• Problem Solving
• Agility and Resilience
• Accountability
• Developing Others
• Executive Judgement
• Operational Mindset
• Innovation
• Strategic Thinking
• Customer Service
• Influencing/Negotiating
• Conflict Management
• Team Building
• Interpersonal Skills
• Integrity/Honesty
• Continual Learning

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.