ATTORNEY-ADVISER Job

Vacancy No. 25-IN-12785161-MJB Department Securities and Exchange Commission
Salary $160,007.00 to $289,400.00 Grade 16 to 16
Perm/Temp Temporary FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 8/18/2025 Close Date 8/29/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
Los Angeles, CASan Francisco, CADenver, COWashington, DC


Summary

The Division of Enforcement investigates possible violations of securities laws, recommends Commission action when appropriate, either in a federal court or before an administrative law judge, and negotiates settlements.

This position is located in the Enforcement Division's Office of the Director.

If selected you will serve as an adviser to the Director and Managing Executive (the "Office of the Director").

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

This position is open to: Well-qualified surplus/displaced Federal employees (i.e., CTAP) in the local area and current SEC employee within the Division of Enforcement

Duties

  • Providing the Office of the Director with high level assistance on priority matters, including novel or complex assignments that have been given high priority by the Office of the Director or the Commission.
  • Providing analytical support for key decision-making, and preparing written materials to advance Enforcement Division priorities.
  • Assisting in the formulation and review of Division policies.
  • Participating in the execution of key policy projects, analyzing legal issues, and preparing draft policy statements and speeches.
  • Developing and preparing responses to requests for information from the Commission, other Divisions or Offices within the Commission, or Congress.
  • Representing the Enforcement Division at various meetings, or providing assistance in preparing for such meetings.
Salaries:
Atlanta: $160,007 - $271,739
Boston: $171,369 - $289,400
Chicago: $169,146 - $287,259
Denver: $168,706 - $286,512
Fort Worth: $164,492 - $279,356
Los Angeles: $176,397 - $289,400
Miami: $161,145 - $273,671
New York: $178,310 - $289,400
Philadelphia: $166,729 - $283,154
San Francisco: $189,155 - $289,400

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • CITIZENSHIP: You must be a US Citizen.
  • You must possess a J.D. or LL.B Degree and you must be an active member of the bar in good standing.
  • This position is open to Well-qualified surplus/displaced Federal employees (i.e., CTAP) in the local area and current SEC employee within the Division of Enforcement
  • Application procedures are specific to this vacancy announcement. Please read all the instructions carefully. Failure to follow the instructions may result in you not being considered for this position.
  • Supplementary vacancies may be filled in addition to the number stated in this announcement and may be filled from any division or office within the agency.
  • This position has promotion potential to the SK-16.
  • Consistent with 5 U.S.C. § 7511, you will be required to serve a two-year trial period (one year for preference eligible veterans) if the position to which you have applied is not the same or similar to your current position of record.
  • SECURITY CLEARANCE: Entrance on duty is contingent upon completion of a pre-employment security investigation. Favorable results on a Background Investigation may be a condition of employment or selection to another position.
  • DRUG TESTING: This position may be subjected to drug testing requirements.
  • PERMANENT CHANGE OF STATION (PCS): Moving/Relocation expenses are not authorized.
  • DIRECT DEPOSIT: All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
  • This position is not in the collective bargaining unit, NTEU Chapter 293.
  • This is a temporary promotion not-to-exceed 1 year from the date of appointment to the position. The temporary promotion may be extended to up an additional 1 year, for a total of 2 years from the date of initial appointment.
  • This appointment may be extended OR it may end at any time during the course of the appointment at the discretion of management. Applicants should also be available for possible extension, if needed.
  • If selected, you may receive a salary increase for the duration of the temporary promotion. You will be returned to your original salary at the end of the appointment.

Qualifications

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Qualifying experience may be obtained in the private or public sector. 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. Qualifying education must have been obtained from an accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

BASIC REQUIREMENT: All applicants must possess the following
  • J.D. or LL.B. degree --AND--
  • Active membership of the bar in good standing in any state, territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the commonwealth of Puerto Rico. (Note: proof of bar membership will be required before entry on duty.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT: In addition to meeting the basic requirement, applicants must also meet the minimum qualification requirement.

SK-16: Applicant must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS/SK-14 level identifying legal issues, providing legal analyses, providing legal solutions/recommendations, and preparing legal documents, such as contracts, dispositions, pleadings, and motions. Specialized experience also includes:
(1) Applying knowledge of the Federal securities laws and Commission rules and regulations; and
(2) Conducting investigations and/or civil cases or administrative proceedings; and
(3) Applying knowledge of the securities market.

Education

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

Additional information

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR SURPLUS OR DISPLACED FEDERAL EMPLOYEES: Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) is available to individuals who have special priority selection rights under this plan. Individuals must be minimally qualified for this position to receive consideration for special priority selection. CTAP eligibles will be considered minimally qualified if they meet the minimum requirements for this position.

Reasonable Accommodation: If you are an applicant who needs a reasonable accommodation to participate in the SEC application process due to a medical disability, please contact reasonableaccommodation@sec.gov. For religious-based accommodations, please contact religiousaccommodation@sec.gov . Please be sure to submit your request at least 5 business days in advance of the date you need the requested accommodation.

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Information for SEC Job Applicants: Federal EEO laws protect all applicants from discrimination on the following bases: race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor. Applicants who believe they have been discriminated against on any EEO basis can seek recourse through the SEC's administrative complaints process. To be timely, an individual must enter the EEO process within 45 days from when they know (or should have known) of the alleged discrimination. Click here for additional information.

The Fair Chance Act prohibits specific inquiries concerning an applicant's criminal or credit background unless the hiring agency has made a conditional offer of employment to the applicant. An applicant may submit a complaint, or any other information, to the agency within 30 calendar days of the date of alleged non-compliance by contacting the Legal and Policy Office in the Office of Human Resources at ElliottT@sec.gov.

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.

Benefits

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.

Review our 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.

All applicants will be notified of their application status once the vacancy announcement has closed. Applicants that have a tentative eligible rating will be referred to the hiring office for review.

The resume review panel, designated by the hiring office, will review your application, including the Assessment Questionnaire. Your resume must support your responses to the Assessment Questionnaire and demonstrate your qualifications for the position. Additional application materials submitted outside of the USAJOBs system or after the position is closed will not be accepted, unless requested by the hiring office as part of the evaluation process (e.g. writing sample).

Once the resume review panel has completed their review of all applicants, they will recommend the top candidates for interview. The hiring office will schedule the interview(s) directly with the recommended candidates.

When the selection is made, applicants will be sent a referral status notification and a final disposition notification.

Applicants will be evaluated on the following competencies :
Communication, Interpersonal Skills, and Legal, Government and Jurisprudence

The Occupational Questionnaire will take you approximately 10 minutes to complete. To preview the Occupational Questionnaire, click the following link https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12785161.

Required Documents

You must provide a complete Application Package, which includes:

  • Required: Your responses to the Occupational Questionnaire.
  • Required: Your complete and comprehensive resume that includes a complete history of your work experience and the applicable employment dates with months and years. It is recommended that your resume include the title, series, and grade (e.g. SK-0301-12) for all relevant Federal experience . To determine if you qualify for this position, OHR will review your work history that is relevant to the specific position for which you applied. If you are a current SEC employee selected for this position, the standard percentage increases will be applied (i.e., 6% for non-supervisory and 10% for supervisory positions) if your selection results in a promotion. If your selection results in lateral movement (i.e. no change in grade) you will maintain your current salary. If your selection results in a change in grade from an SK-15 to an SK-16 you will maintain your current salary. Note: Your resume must directly address the definition of specialized experience listed in the qualification section of this announcement and must NOT contain pictures.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

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.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.

A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration.

  • To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
  • Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
  • After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
  • You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.

To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.

Agency contact information

ask HR
Address
Division of Enforcement
100 F Street NE
Washington, DC 20549
US

Next steps

You will be notified of your application status through USAJOBS at four points during the hiring process, as applicable. You can check the status of your application by accessing the USAJOBS website at http://usajobs.gov/ and clicking on "Track Your Online Application."

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 before appointment. The agency will then verify the information provided on your application (i.e., degree, Veterans' Preference, certification of disability, etc.).

Additional Locations

  • Miami, FL
  • Atlanta, GA
  • Chicago, IL
  • Boston, MA
  • New York, NY
  • Philadelphia, PA
  • Fort Worth, TX


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


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