Clarification from the agency

Open to all groups of qualified individuals from the public. Current employees within the Federal Excepted Service. Current Career SES and SES reinstatement eligibles. SESCDP graduates may also apply for noncompetitive consideration.

Incumbent is responsible for the overall planning, organization, and formulation of policy and procedures of the Division. Provides legal services for highly varied and complex public health functions, including consultation and negotiation with corporations, other federal agencies, state and local officials, national health organizations and institutions of higher education, as well as with labor unions, and other private organizations. The work involves the interpretation and application of federal statutes having no court precedents, establishment of basic interpretative standards for application to new programs and activities, and the preparation or review and clearance of letters, press releases, and other materials to be issued by the Department.

Litigation services for program operations involve supervision of assistance to, and coordination with, the Department of Justice (DOJ), including United States Attorneys. Participates directly when such litigation raises complex and unprecedented legal attacks on administrative regulations and policies that require a broad knowledge of federal civil procedure and of developing legal theories in constitutional law and the health field.

Conditions of employment

• This employer participates in the E-Verify Program
• U.S. Citizenship is required
• Subject to satisfactory security and suitability determinations
• New appointees must successfully complete a 1-year probationary period
• Must pass a pre-employment drug test; random testing after appointment
• This is a career position in the SES. Unless the selectee is already a member of the SES with career status or has successfully completed an SES Candidate Development Program certified by OPM the candidate must complete the ECQ process.
• Executive qualifications must be approved by OPM before appointment can be effected. If you are selected, the agency will determine if an ECQ narrative or Structured Interview is used for submission to OPM prior to October 1, 2025.
• You must meet the qualification requirements of this position no later than the closing date of the job opportunity announcement.
• Must possess J.D. or LL.B degree
• Active Membership or admission to the bar is required

Qualifications

Open to all groups of qualified individuals from the public. Current employees within the Federal Excepted Service. Current Career SES and SES reinstatement eligibles. SESCDP graduates may also apply for noncompetitive consideration.

As a basic requirement, applicants must demonstrate progressively responsible leadership experience that is indicative of senior executive level managerial capability and directly related to the skills and abilities outlined under the Professional/Technical Qualifications and Executive Core Qualifications listed below. Typically, experience of this nature will have been gained at or above the equivalent of the GS-15 grade level in the Federal service or its equivalent with state and local government, the private sector, or non-governmental organizations. Failure to meet this basic qualification requirement and all executive and technical qualification factors will automatically exclude you from further consideration.

All candidates for SES positions with the Federal Government must demonstrate leadership experience indicative of senior executive level management capability. To meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position, you must show in your resume that you possess the Fundamental Competencies, five Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs), and the Professional Technical Qualifications (PTQs) listed below. It is recommended that your resume emphasize levels of responsibility, scope and complexity of programs managed, and program accomplishments and results.

Fundamental Competencies:

Interpersonal Skills, Oral Communication, Integrity/Honesty, Written Communication, Continual Learning, and Public Service Motivation.

Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs):

1. Leading Change: The ability to bring about strategic change, both within and outside the organization, to meet organizational goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to establish an organizational vision and to implement it in a continuously changing environment.

2. Leading People: The ability to lead people toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to provide an inclusive workplace that fosters the development of others, facilitates cooperation and teamwork, and supports constructive resolution of conflicts.

3. Results Driven: The ability to meet organizational goals and customer expectations. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to make decisions that produce high-quality results by applying technical knowledge, analyzing problems, and calculating risks.

4. Business Acumen: The ability to manage human, financial, and information resources strategically.

5. Building Coalitions: The ability to build coalitions internally and with other Federal agencies, State and local governments, nonprofit and private sector organizations, foreign governments, or international organizations to achieve common goals.

Professional Technical Qualifications (PTQs):

This position also requires that you possess PTQ's that represent knowledge, skills, and abilities essential for success in this role. The following PTQ's must be evident in your resume. It is STRONGLY recommended that you visit the following Office of Personnel Management (OPM) webpage for more information regarding the Fundamental Competencies and ECQs.

1. Candidate should have a high level of litigation experience and expertise; trial experience, including experience serving as first chair in complex civil trials; familiarity and experience in working in or with DOJ; executive judgment, initiative, and decision making.
2. Candidate should have significant experience dealing with all stages of litigation, including investigation, negotiation, discovery, expert-witness discovery, and trial. The candidate should also have significant experience in developing litigation strategy.
3. Candidate should have sound knowledge of the policies, regulations, and legislation that govern the DHHS legal program.
4. The candidate should have experience dealing with litigation including, by way of example, Administrative Procedure Act, First Amendment issues, civil rights and freedom of conscience issues and health care finance issues.
   
   https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/senior-executive-service/executive-core-qualifications/#url=Overview
   
   IF SELECTED, the agency will determine if ECQ narratives or a Structured Interview is used to certify the candidate by an OPM Qualifications Review Board (QRB) prior to October 1, 2025. If you are currently serving in a career SES appointment, are eligible for reinstatement into the SES, or have successfully completed an SES Candidate Development Program approved by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), you WILL NOT need to draft the ECQs or Structured Interview.

How you will be evaluated

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

You will be evaluated on the quality and extent of your total accomplishments, experience, and education (if applicable). Your application will be rated and ranked by an Executive Resources Board (ERB) Panel, comprised of at least three SES members, using only the information required within the application package. Applicants who do not demonstrate in their application sufficient possession of the Fundamental Competencies, ECQs, and PTQs will be determined ineligible for further consideration.

As part of the Resume Based recruitment method, the ERB Panel conducts a structured interview for all applicants, both competitive and non-competitive, who are determined to be in the top category from the ERB Rating Panel. Based on the Panel's evaluation, applicants who are determined Best Qualified will be referred to the selecting official for further consideration.

Once a candidate has been identified for selection, reference checks may be completed. The Department's appointing official(s) will make a final approval of the selection, and in competitive cases, OPM's Qualifications Review Board (QRB) must certify the ECQs before final appointment can occur. If OPM approval is required for the ECQs, the candidate is required to assist in the development of the QRB template for submission to the QRB. Verification of performance, suitability and security information from reference checks will be taken into consideration when making offers of employment.