This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/668719800. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
The mission of the Office of the General Counsel is to provide legal advice and counseling to the Secretary and central executive officials, and to directors and administrative staff who manage the Smithsonian’s (SI) museums and programs. The legal issues presented include the protection of SI's unique trust status within the federal structure in legislative enactments, executive regulations and operations, and judicial opinions.
08/01/2022 to 08/15/2022
$135,468 - $203,700 per year
SL 00
1 vacancy in the following location:
No
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
No
Permanent -
Full-time -
Excepted
00
No
No
EX-22-29
668719800
The incumbent serves as a senior legal professional with primary responsibility in the areas of Smithsonian transactional and policy matters. The incumbent also serves as an ethics counselor, assists in developing reporting systems, and conducts high-level training to senior officials on policies.
The broad primary areas of responsibility for this position includes conducting transactions, developing and implementing policy, and training and educational outreach.
The first area of responsibility is advising on business matters at the highest levels of management, participating on pan-institutional committees or working groups or committees as requested directly by clients or as assigned by the General Counsel, identifying and interpreting laws, directives, and policies, and serving as a general resource to senior management on transactional matters, including complex business agreements, memoranda of understanding and gift agreements.
The second areas of responsibility is advising on and developing policies for ethics, international projects, public affairs issues, access to records, and risk management. This includes but is not limited to evaluating and assisting with on issues related to conflicts of interest advisory board activities, and tort claims.
A third area of responsibility is participating in training and educational outreach in areas of responsibility, including serving as an ethics counselor, developing ethics-related policies and compliance materials, and providing ethics and other compliance training to officials throughout the Smithsonian.
The position requires mentoring of Assistant General Counsels and serving as a resource to the other attorneys in the office, in the Office of Contracting, the Office of International Relations, the Office of Communications and External Public Affairs (including Congressional Affairs, marketing, social media, etc.), Office of Risk Management, and the Office of Sponsored Projects.
All areas of responsibility require developing solutions to complex legal and administrative problems requiring creative and innovative approaches. The position reports directly to the General Counsel and generally provides advice directly to senior management officials subject to the authority of the General Counsel. The incumbent is expected to provide guidance to others within the Office of the General Counsel. The responsibilities require interaction with counsel of other agencies, including the Department of Justice.
As the legal advisor assigned to special projects the incumbent normally assumes full responsibility for coordinating the work of others at all levels within the Institution.
Conditions of Employment
COVID-19 VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS: For the latest information on the COVID-19 vaccination requirements and its impact on your application, click on Smithsonian Institution’s Frequently Asked Questions.
There is no OPM qualification standard established for positions in the General Attorney 0905 series, and agencies may establish their own standards for these Excepted Service positions. The Office of Human Resources, Office of General Counsel, Office of the Inspector General, and Office of Contracting and Personal Property Management established the following qualifications criteria for Smithsonian attorney positions:
A. Qualified candidates must (1) possess a Juris Doctor (J.D.) from a law school accredited by the American Association of Law Schools, and (2) be a member in good standing of the Bar of a State or the District of Columbia.
B. In addition to degree requirements above, candidates must possess the following:
One year of specialized experience at the GS-15 grade level or equivalent. The experience includes working as a licensed attorney with relevant responsibilities advising senior management in the areas of transactional matters, developing and implementing policy, and training and educational outreach.
Applicants must demonstrate the necessary skill in evaluating and determining substantive legal, administrative and policy issues necessary to evaluate and advise on transactional matters including complex business agreements, gift agreements, or memoranda of understanding.
Applicants must also demonstrate skill in evaluating legal, ethical, and administrative issues associated with conflicts of interest, advisory boards, international projects, public affairs issues, access to records, or risk management.
Applicants must clearly demonstrate experience leading and managing peers or interns in their substantive areas of expertise.
Applicants must clearly demonstrate experience in training and educational outreach in their areas of responsibility, including serving as an ethics counselor, developing ethics-related policies and compliance materials, and providing ethics, compliance, or other training to officials throughout the Smithsonian and to other professional audiences.
SUPERVISORY CONTROLS
The incumbent serves under the direction of the General Counsel and carries out the functions of the Office of General Counsel with special emphasis on legal issues concerning Smithsonian Enterprises, international projects and agreements, and Smithsonian policies and regulations. The incumbent has expertise in negotiating contracts, analyzing business and media proposals, and governance.
Assignments are typically performed with significant independence within defined parameters and without preliminary instructions or discussions about the problems that may be encountered. Typically, there is no required review of work in progress, including advising senior officials. Performance is reviewed in terms of overall effectiveness and as appropriate.
SECURITY LEVEL
This position has been reviewed to determine the level of POSITION SENSITIVITY. Based on the nature of the work, the position has been determined to be Public Trust/HIGH RISK. This designation will require (1) a pre-employment Security Agency Check (SAC) for the prospective incumbent; and (2) a subsequent comprehensive background investigation and favorable adjudication in order to continue in the position.
EEO
The Smithsonian Institution does not discriminate against any employee or any applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, age, membership in an employee organization or other non-merit factors.
REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION
The Smithsonian provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need an accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the contact person listed in this announcement. The decision on granting a reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
RELOCATION
Relocation expenses will not be paid.
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.
The Smithsonian offers a comprehensive benefits program for both Federal and Trust employees. See www.sihr.si.edu for details. We also offer a rich program of services and opportunities to balance and enhance your work life. They include: Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center (an accredited educational program for children between the ages of 3 months to 6 years), transportation benefits, professional interest groups, employee advocacy groups, special events such as brown bag lunches, an annual picnic on the Mall, an annual holiday party, free lectures, behind-the-scenes tours and employee discounts at our theaters, shops and after hours events. These and other programs have made the Smithsonian one of the top 10 places to work in the government.
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.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
The qualifications listed in this document will be used along with your resume and your responses to the questions posed in the electronic application process to determine the candidates who will move forward in the evaluation process. When crafting your responses to the questions, please provide concise, detailed information on your background and experience.
Important Note:
Your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses to the occupational questionnaire or other assessment tool for consistency. If a determination is made that you have rated yourself higher than supported by your resume, you will be assigned a rating commensurate to your described experience. Your resume should provide sufficient information regarding how your education and experience relate to the major duties and qualifications criteria listed for this position.
PART-TIME OR UNPAID EXPERIENCE: Credit will be given for appropriate unpaid work on the same basis as for paid experience. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. To receive credit for such experience you must indicate clearly the nature of the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the average number of hours per week spent in such employment.
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.
The Smithsonian offers a comprehensive benefits program for both Federal and Trust employees. See www.sihr.si.edu for details. We also offer a rich program of services and opportunities to balance and enhance your work life. They include: Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center (an accredited educational program for children between the ages of 3 months to 6 years), transportation benefits, professional interest groups, employee advocacy groups, special events such as brown bag lunches, an annual picnic on the Mall, an annual holiday party, free lectures, behind-the-scenes tours and employee discounts at our theaters, shops and after hours events. These and other programs have made the Smithsonian one of the top 10 places to work in the government.
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.
As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.
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.
Click on the "Apply Online" button on the upper right side of the page. Please Note:
After you apply and the position has closed, you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. We usually have a large response to senior level positions and it may take some time to effectively review application packages. We will contact you by email as decisions are made.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
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.
Click on the "Apply Online" button on the upper right side of the page. Please Note:
After you apply and the position has closed, you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. We usually have a large response to senior level positions and it may take some time to effectively review application packages. We will contact you by email as decisions are made.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/668719800. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
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