Senior Counsel for Europe
Supervises CLDP's attorneys and international program specialists and leads subject-matter experts, overseeing CLDP's legal and commercial reform portfolio across the EU, Balkans, and Eastern Europe - one of the world's most strategically significant and rapidly evolving regions at the intersection of EU integration, post-conflict recovery, and great-power competition.
Senior Counsel for Eurasia
Supervises CLDP's attorneys and international program specialists and leads subject matter experts, overseeing CLDP's legal and technical reform portfolio across South Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia), Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan), and Pakistan - a region of critical strategic importance where commercial legal reforms carry direct implications for U.S. national security and economic competitiveness.
As a Senior Counsel, you will:
Supervise a team of attorney and program specialists;
Lead a group of subject matter experts and manage a regional legal portfolio;
Engage directly with government ministries, central banks, regulators, and business leaders to advance legal reforms that serve U.S. strategic and economic interests.
This is not a traditional government legal role. You will operate as a senior attorney, a program manager, and a commercial diplomat, often in the same meeting. The work is substantive and visible where you will be designing legal frameworks, advising on legislation, and shaping the regulatory conditions that determine how commerce works across entire regions.
Reports to the Deputy Chief Counsel. Core responsibilities include:
Team Leadership & Management Lead, mentor, and manage a team of Attorney-Advisors, subject-matter experts, and international program specialists; set strategic direction; allocate resources; and build an integrated, high-performing team culture.
Legal & Technical Assistance Design, manage, and expand the region's legal and technical assistance portfolio - identifying priority needs, developing legal and technical assistance programs, and ensuring activities deliver measurable outcomes aligned with U.S. strategic and commercial objectives. Provide substantive legal expertise in areas including commercial law, investment frameworks, alternative dispute resolution, procurement, public-private partnerships, and sector-specific regulation.
Commercial Diplomacy & Stakeholder Engagement Represent CLDP at senior interagency, diplomatic, and international fora. Build and sustain high-level relationships with foreign government officials, ministers, regulators, judges, and the private sector to advance legal reform and U.S. commercial interests.
Interagency Coordination & Strategic Alignment Coordinate closely with State Department, other U.S. Government partners, U.S. judiciary, and private sector representatives to align programming with broader U.S. foreign policy and economic security priorities.
Senior Staff Leadership Serve as a member of the office's senior leadership team. Assist the Chief Counsel and Deputy Chief Counsel in setting the office's strategic vision, contributing to cross-regional priorities, and providing overall leadership and institutional direction in the office.
You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.
You must successfully pass a background investigation. This may include a credit check, a review of financial issues, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs.
Secret clearance is required.
A trial period may be required.
Selective Service: Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see https://www.sss.gov/)
If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application.
All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
Drug Test Required: Yes
License required: Yes. Active Good Standing Bar Membership
Pre-employment physical required: No
Bargaining Unit Position: No
Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE form 450): Yes
Permanent Change of Duty Station (PCS) Expense: Will Not be paid
Applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the next lower grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular competencies/knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. This experience need not have been in the federal government.
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.
Required
J.D. from an accredited law school and active membership in good standing in at least one U.S. state or territory bar.
Minimum 1 year of relevant professional experience at a GS-14 level or higher.
Demonstrated leadership and management experience, with the ability to direct and supervise a team, set priorities, and deliver results in a fast-paced, multi-stakeholder environment.
Strong organizational skills and the discipline to manage multiple complex programs simultaneously across different countries and time zones.
Exceptional interpersonal and diplomatic communication skills, able to build trust and influence at senior levels across cultures.
Preferred
Substantial experience working with senior officials of the U.S. and foreign governments, international organizations, or multilateral institutions.
Track record of designing and executing high-impact legal or regulatory reform programs, including seminars, workshops, legislative drafting exercises, or institutional development initiatives.
Experience in commercial diplomacy, commercial law, trade, IP, alternative dispute resolution, public-private partnerships, procurement, energy, or telecommunication.
Experience coordinating within the U.S. interagency and among international organizations.
For the Europe Team: Regional knowledge of Europe, the Balkans, Eastern Europe.
For the Eurasia Team: Regional knowledge of the Caucasus and Central Asia.
Proficiency in a relevant regional language (e.g., Russian, Bosnian-Serbo-Croatian, Albanian, Ukrainian, or a Turkic language) is a plus.
Education
See Qualifications Above.
Additional information
This position does not confer non-competitive conversion to the competitive service. Acceptance of an excepted service appointment from applicants in the competitive service will require a written statement of understanding when voluntarily leaving the competitive service.
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.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Applicants will be rated based on their education, experience, demonstrated legal research and writing abilities, and performance during the interview process.
Basis for evaluation: If eligible and meeting basic qualifications, your application package will be evaluated in conjunction with your resume and supporting documents for the required knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) to successfully perform the duties of this position.
There are no numerical rating systems through which to apply veterans preference; however, the Office of the General Counsel favorably considers veterans preference eligibility in hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans preference are encouraged to include that information in their cover letter or resume. If selected, additional information may be required.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
Cover letter. Address demonstrated interests and qualifications as it relates to the position.
Resume showing relevant experience. Your resume should list your educational and work experience, including the dates (mm/dd/yyyy) and provide the hours per week, if less than 40. For work in the Federal Service, please include the pay plan and grade level for the position(s).
Copy of law school transcript. (Unofficial copy is sufficient, but official copy must be submitted before appointment). You are not required to submit official documents at this time; copies are sufficient.
Certificate of bar membership and proof of good standing. Prior to receiving an offer, you will be asked to provide a certificate of bar membership and proof of good standing.
Failure to provide documents, if selected, may result in lost consideration.
Please DO NOT put your SSN on pages within your application package. Privacy Act - Privacy Act Notice (PL 93-579): The information requested here is used to determine qualifications for employment and is authorized under Title 5 U.S.C. 3302 and 3361.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
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.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING RESUMES AND SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
To be considered, please submit the following to zkhan@doc.gov with "Senior Counsel Application" in the subject line:
Cover letter specifying which position you are applying for (Europe or Eurasia) or that you want to be considered for both with a stated preference for one
Current resume (up to 2 pages)
For more information about CLDP and our work, visit cldp.doc.gov Agency Contact: Zmarak Khan, Senior Counsel - zkhan@doc.gov
Office of the Secretary
1401 Constitution Ave NW
Washington, DC 20230
US
Next steps
Once your application is received we will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications and determine your eligibility. You will only be contacted if you are found eligible and if you are selected for an interview. Applicants selected for interviews may be requested to provide a legal writing sample.
Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for OGC to share your application with others in OGC for similar positions.
By submitting your application, you are certifying the accuracy of the information contained in your application. If you make a false statement in any part of your application, you may not be hired; you may be terminated after you begin work; or, you may be fined or jailed.
After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation.
You will be required to submit official documentation prior to appointment. The agency will then verify the information provided on your application (i.e., degree, veterans' preference, disability, etc.).
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
Cover letter. Address demonstrated interests and qualifications as it relates to the position.
Resume showing relevant experience. Your resume should list your educational and work experience, including the dates (mm/dd/yyyy) and provide the hours per week, if less than 40. For work in the Federal Service, please include the pay plan and grade level for the position(s).
Copy of law school transcript. (Unofficial copy is sufficient, but official copy must be submitted before appointment). You are not required to submit official documents at this time; copies are sufficient.
Certificate of bar membership and proof of good standing. Prior to receiving an offer, you will be asked to provide a certificate of bar membership and proof of good standing.
Failure to provide documents, if selected, may result in lost consideration.
Please DO NOT put your SSN on pages within your application package. Privacy Act - Privacy Act Notice (PL 93-579): The information requested here is used to determine qualifications for employment and is authorized under Title 5 U.S.C. 3302 and 3361.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
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.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING RESUMES AND SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
To be considered, please submit the following to zkhan@doc.gov with "Senior Counsel Application" in the subject line:
Cover letter specifying which position you are applying for (Europe or Eurasia) or that you want to be considered for both with a stated preference for one
Current resume (up to 2 pages)
For more information about CLDP and our work, visit cldp.doc.gov Agency Contact: Zmarak Khan, Senior Counsel - zkhan@doc.gov
Office of the Secretary
1401 Constitution Ave NW
Washington, DC 20230
US
Next steps
Once your application is received we will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications and determine your eligibility. You will only be contacted if you are found eligible and if you are selected for an interview. Applicants selected for interviews may be requested to provide a legal writing sample.
Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for OGC to share your application with others in OGC for similar positions.
By submitting your application, you are certifying the accuracy of the information contained in your application. If you make a false statement in any part of your application, you may not be hired; you may be terminated after you begin work; or, you may be fined or jailed.
After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation.
You will be required to submit official documentation prior to appointment. The agency will then verify the information provided on your application (i.e., degree, veterans' preference, disability, etc.).
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
