Clarification from the agency

All groups of qualified individuals.

1. Legal Program Leadership - Plans, directs, and supervises a professional staff furnishing legal, legislative, and litigation services across VA on veterans' benefits matters, including compensation and pension, life insurance, education, vocational rehabilitation, and burial/memorial affairs.

2. National Litigation Strategy - Manages national policy and litigation strategy before the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC) and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

3. Benefits Policy & Compliance Oversight - Provides legal counsel on eligibility questions, character of discharge, domestic relations, regulation of representatives, fiduciaries, garnishment, forfeiture, and judicial review of benefits decisions.

4. Medical Care & Research Counsel - Leads counsel on medical care administration and operations (including eligibility and access), Homeless Programs, Veterans Canteen Service, patents and intellectual property, non-profit research corporations, and medical research and development programs.

5. Loan Guaranty & Real Property Oversight - Oversees loan guaranty programs (Home Loan Guaranty, NADL, SAH) and related real-property legal matters.

6. Revenue, Collections & FTCA Leadership - Directs legal strategy for revenue and third-party collections activities and provides leadership on Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) issues.

Conditions of employment

• Must be a US citizen or National.
• Subject to a One year probationary period required (unless already completed).
• 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.
• Incumbents of this position will be subject to a background investigation commensurate with the risk and sensitivity level of the position.
• May be subject to pre-employment and random drug tests.
• Public Financial Disclosure Report (SF-278) is required within 30 days of appointment.
• May be subject to reassignment geographically or organizationally.
• VA structures its SES positions into pay bands. This is a pay band 3 position and the salary range is $151,661-$209,600. Exceptions to the cap of the range may be considered in certain circumstances.
• Per OPM Qualification Standards for the 0905 General Attorney Series, candidates must possess a professional law degree (J.D. or LL.B.) from an accredited law school and be an active member in good standing of the bar .

Qualifications

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 be disqualified. Please see "Required Documents" section below for all resume formatting requirements.

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.

Do NOT submit a separate narrative statement specifically addressing the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) or the Technical Qualifications (TQs).

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

TQ1: Leadership, Supervision, and Management of a Professional Legal Staff- Must demonstrate progressively responsible experience leading and supervising a professional legal workforce engaged in complex, high-stakes matters.

TQ2: Legal Direction and Oversight of Complex Regulatory, Administrative, and Litigation Programs- Must demonstrate expert knowledge and senior-level leadership directing legal work across complex regulatory, administrative, and litigation programs with significant organizational and public impact.

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.

There are five ECQs:

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.

• Sub-Competencies:
  • Knowledge of the American System of Government: Demonstrates understanding and appreciation of the American system of government, including the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, separation of powers, federalism, and the historical development of the American Nation.
  • Commitment to the Rule of Law: Upholds the principles of the American Founding, including equality under the law and democratic self-government. Ensures the law is applied fairly and consistently.
  • Civic-Mindedness: Stays up-to-date on important developments in American government and aligns organizational objectives and practices with presidential and public interests. Demonstrates a 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.

• Sub-Competencies:
  • Fiscal Responsibility: Strategically manages, allocates and monitors financial resources. Aligns priorities and initiatives to justify budget proposals. Monitors expenditures, cuts unnecessary costs, and uses cost-benefit analysis to set priorities.
  • Managing Resources: Manages resources efficiently and effectively based on current and projected organizational goals, skills, budget considerations, and staffing needs.
  • Leveraging Technology: Explores emerging technology and potential applications. Incorporates technology to enhance efficiency and achieve results. Ensures access to and security of technology systems

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.

• Sub-Competencies:
  • Technical Skill: Possesses the requisite technical knowledge and subject matter expertise to consistently produce timely, high-quality work. Is considered a strong contributor in his or her domain.
  • Problem Solving: Engages in critical and data-driven thinking when diagnosing root causes and evaluating options. Identifies and promptly addresses the most pressing, high-priority problems.
  • Agility and Resilience: Anticipates and adapts to change, new ideas, new information, and new conditions. Is committed to continuous improvement. Deals effectively with pressure and remains optimistic and persistent, even under adversity.

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.

• Sub-Competencies:
  • Accountability: Ensures that employees are appropriately recruited, selected, appraised, trained, and retained. Takes swift action to address performance- or conduct-based deficiencies in employees supervised. Holds self and others accountable for measurable high-quality, timely, and cost-effective results.
  • Developing Others: Recognizes and rewards outstanding achievement in others. Develops the ability of others to perform and contribute to the organization by providing opportunities to learn through formal and informal methods. Cultivates a dynamic environment in which employees are not afraid to make mistakes.
  • Executive Judgement: Makes well-reasoned, timely, and effective decisions and considers short- and long-term implications. Communicates effectively with stakeholders across all organizational levels, sharing and guarding information where appropriate.

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.

• Sub-Competencies:
  • Operational Mindset: Effectively translates strategies into actionable steps and processes. Partners effectively with stakeholders to drive adoption and addresses blockers to ensure successful implementation.
  • Innovation: Applies creativity to improving products and processes, challenges convention, takes measured risks, and considers ways to simplify and remove unnecessary requirements.
  • Strategic Thinking: Formulates objectives and priorities and implements plans consistent with the long-term interests of the organization by evaluating conditions, resources, capabilities, constraints, and organizational goals and values.

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 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. See "Required Documents" section for additional information.

How you will be evaluated

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

Per OPM Qualification Standards for the 0905 General Attorney Series, candidates must possess a professional law degree (J.D. or LL.B.) from an accredited law school and be an active member in good standing of the bar .

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

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 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.

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/.