Associate General Counsel- Designated Agency Ethics Official Job in Washington, DC

Vacancy No. NL26ES12970758NC Department National Labor Relations Board
Salary $151,661.00 to $228,000.00 Grade 00 to 00
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 6/4/2026 Close Date 6/18/2026
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Washington, DC


Summary

The Associate General Counsel- Designated Agency Ethics Official, reports directly to the Chairman and General Counsel, with day-to-day supervision by the Office of the General Counsel's Deputy or Associate General Counsel. The incumbent is an attorney and is an expert in the field of Government ethics laws and rules and legal (Bar) ethics laws and rules, and in the management of ethics programs, office, and staff.

This job is open to

The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Senior executives

Individuals looking for an executive-level job and who meet the five Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs).

Duties

Particular duties include, but are not limited to:

  • Exercises all authority of the DAEO with respect to the management of the ethics program in accordance with all applicable government and legal ethics rules and regulations.
  • Develops and implements Agency-wide policies, protocols, processes, and systems to ensure effective accomplishment of the NLRB's Ethics Program's goals and a strong ethical culture. Determines the need for, and develops, Agency supplements to government-wide ethics regulations, and coordinates directly with OGE to ensure appropriate content and timely publication of supplemental regulations.
  • Assesses all new NLRB programs and policies for conformance with legal and government ethics requirements and principles.
  • Establishes policy and overall direction for an Agency-wide system for the collection, filing, review, and when applicable, public inspection of financial disclosure reports required by the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 and by other applicable statutes, Executive Orders, and legal and government regulations. Personally advises, or supervises staff in advising, Section 278e Financial Disclosure Report filers on complying with all applicable rules and regulations.
  • Establishes policy and overall direction for an Agency-wide system for ethics training as required by the Ethics in Government Act of 1978, the Standards of Ethical Conduct for employees of the Executive Branch, the Hatch Act, other applicable statues, Executive Orders and legal and government regulations.
  • Performs and supervises staff in performing research and preparation of appropriate documents to carry out the ethics program as required by individual employees' circumstances.
  • Coordinates appropriately with the Office of the Chairman, the Office of the General Counsel, and the Office of Congressional and Public Affairs in answering requests from media or Congressional offices relating to Agency ethics programs and policies or the ethical conduct of Agency employees.
  • Represents the NLRB before the OGE, DOJ, and Congress, as appropriate, on legal and other issues concerning Agency ethics and conduct programs; acts as liaison with the same bodies and provides ethics program information to them.
  • Ensure that all financial disclosure reports filed by employees are completed and effectively and consistently reviewed for conformance to all applicable statutes and regulations. Measures are implemented to correct violations or avert potential violations of the Agency's standards of conduct and personnel consistently follow-up to verify that appropriate actions have been taken.
  • Coordinates the certification and submission of financial disclosure reports, ethics pledges and any other related required documentation for all Presidential appointees requiring Senate confirmation.
  • Maintains a cooperative relationship with the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) with respect to ethical matters that implicate the functions of both offices. In particular, refers cases with potential violations of criminal conflicts of interest laws or ethics-related matters involving fraud, waste, or abuse to the OIG for investigation. When there are findings of violations of standards of conduct, advises the Chairman and/or the General Counsel, or other Agency leaders, as appropriate, on potential Agency administrative actions.
  • Meets regularly with the Chairman, the General Counsel, or their respective designees, and other management officials as necessary, to update them on the operations of the Ethics Office and apprise them of any relevant developments, whether statutory, regulatory, policy-based, or case-related.
  • Manages the provision of legal ethics advice and guidance concerning the Ethics in Government Act, the Standards of Ethical Conduct for employees in the Executive Branch, and the Hatch Act to all Agency employees. Counsels all employees on ethics and standards of conduct matters, including post-employment and outside employment issues.
  • Researches the best practices internal and external to the Agency, developing benchmarks from public and private sector practices and techniques in order to champion modernization of the ethics program, processes and systems. The incumbent is responsible for, and exercises leadership in, the development and acquisition of modern systems and processes.
  • Maintains a close working relationship with staff in OCFO, the Division of Administration, OEEO, OCIO, the Office of Congressional and Public Affairs, the Division of Judges, and the Office of Special Counsel and Labor Relations to ensure that management throughout the Agency has the resources necessary to ethically manage the Agency's operations.
  • Periodically reviews/ recommends changes in delegated authority in running the Agency's ethics program. Manages subordinate employees by ensuring that those who are delegated authority for ethics functions are qualified and that they receive guidance and training.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is required.
  • You may be required to obtain and maintain an interim and/or final security clearance prior to entrance on duty. Failure to obtain and maintain the required level of clearance may result in the withdrawal of a job offer or removal.
  • 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.
  • Initial SES Career appointee is subject to a one-year probationary period.
  • Must have a J.D. from an accredited school.
  • Active member of the bar, proof of good standing is required.
  • VETERANS PREFERENCE DOES NOT APPLY TO THE SENIOR EXECUTIVE SERVICE
  • All Federal employees are required by PL 104-134 to have federal payments made by direct deposit.
  • Before entering on duty, you will be required to complete a Public Financial Disclosure Report OGE-278e. You will need to provide the information annually.
  • Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency
  • Geographic location negotiable upon selection.

Qualifications

THIS POSITION IS IN THE SENIOR EXECUTIVE SERVICE (SES): This position is designated as a General position. This position may be filled by a career or non-career appointee. Candidates are not required to have previous SES career service before applying. The selected candidate executive/managerial qualifications must be certified by the Office of Personnel Management prior to an initial SES career appointment. Positions in the SES are ungraded.

To qualify for this position, you must meet the following requirements:

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. Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin.

As a basic requirement for entry into the SES, applicants must provide evidence of progressively responsible leadership experience that is indicative of senior executive level managerial capability and directly related to the skills and abilities outlined under Executive Core 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 not be reviewed beyond page 2 or may be disqualified. 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.

ECQ 1 - Commitment to the Rule of Law and the Principles of the American Founding: 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.
ECQ 2 - Driving Efficiency: Demonstrated ability to strategically and efficiently manage resources, budget effectively, cut wasteful spending, and pursue efficiency through process and technological upgrades.
ECQ 3 - Merit and Competence: Demonstrated knowledge, ability, and technical competence to effectively and reliably produce work that is of exceptional quality.
ECQ 4 - Leading People: 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.
ECQ 5 - Achieving Results: Demonstrated ability to achieve both individual and organizational results, and to align results to stated goals from superiors

ALL CANDIDATES MUST FULLY ADDRESS ALL ITEMS UNDER 'EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS' WITHIN THE RESUME TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR CONSIDERATION.

There is NO requirement to prepare a separate narrative statement specifically addressing the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs)


Education

Applicant must possess a J.D. or LL.B. degree and be a member of the bar in good standing in any state, territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The selectee will be required to provide proof of current bar membership prior to appointment. ALL APPLICANTS must submit proof of successful completion of education requirements. This proof may consist of a law school transcript, copy of diploma from the applicant's law school, or other documentation which provides clear and specific proof of education, such as a current SF-50 demonstrating that the applicant is currently occupying a position in the 905 series. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements for this position if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is the responsibility of the applicant to provide such evidence by the closing date of the announcement.

Additional information

SUPPLEMENTARY VACANCIES: Supplementary vacancies may be filled in addition to the number stated in this announcement.

PLACEMENT POLICY: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY: The National Labor Relations Board is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for appointment without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including pregnancy), age, disability, genetic information, political affiliations, or any other non-merit factor. Applicants with disabilities who need reasonable accommodations for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the Agency's Selective Placement Coordinator by email here. NLRB offers a wide array of reasonable accommodations and programs for individuals with disabilities. (Note: for additional information for job seekers with disabilities, please click on the following website here.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION POLICY: Federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities as appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process should follow instructions in the job announcement.

VETERANS PREFERENCE DOES NOT APPLY TO THE SENIOR EXECUTIVE SERVICE.

Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see www.sss.gov).

Before entering on duty, you will be required to complete a Public Financial Disclosure Report OGE-278e. You will need to provide the information annually.

Privacy Act Information: The application materials you submit for this position contain information subject to the Privacy Act of 1978 (P.L. 93-579, 5 U.S.C. 552a). We are required to provide you with information regarding our authority and purposes for collecting the data; the routine uses which will be made of it, the effect, if any, of nondisclosure. You are entitled to the same information, as it pertains specifically to disclosure of your social security number.

All Federal employees are required by PL 104-134 to have federal payments made by direct deposit.

There are three key documents that contain important information about your rights and obligations. Please read and retain these documents:


OPM must authorize any employment offers made to current or former (within the last 5 years) political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employees in the executive branch. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Noncareer SES employee in the executive branch, you must disclose that to the Human Resources Office.

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.

The National Labor Relations Board offers career opportunities that feature competitive starting salaries and the potential for performance-based increases, flexible hours, and the ability to achieve and maintain a balanced lifestyle. You will enjoy a range of comprehensive and competitive employment benefits that include Work/Life Balance Programs (Alternative Work Schedules, Telework, Employee Assistance Program, and the Child Care Subsidy Program), the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program, Flexible Spending Accounts, Life Insurance, Long-Term Care Insurance, Thrift Savings Plan, and the Transit Benefit Program.

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.

Once the application process is complete, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be conducted. Rating and Ranking to determine "Best Qualified" applicants will be conducted by a panel of experts and will be based upon consideration of the degree to which applicants meet the mandatory knowledge, skills and abilities described in the ECQs and positive results from the assessment or structured interview process. If you meet minimum qualifications, your Application Package will be further reviewed to determine if you possess the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) listed above. ECQs must be thoroughly addressed within your two (2) page resume. Separate narratives will not be accepted or reviewed. Superior 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 Hiring and Talent Development for the Senior Executive Service

Required Documents

In addition to your responses to the occupational questionnaire and your resume, you must submit the following additional documents specific for this vacancy:

  1. Your responses to the Occupational Questionnaire,
  2. Your resume; (Content of Resume: Your resume that you choose to describe your job-related experiences will be used to verify your qualifications. Therefore, it is important that the information be specific, detailed where appropriate, and complete. Your resume must contain hours worked per week and the dates of employment (i.e., HRS per week and month/year to month/year or month/year to present). If your resume does not contain this information, your application will be marked as incomplete and you will not receive consideration for this position.)
  3. SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action (indicating highest grade level held, tenure group, promotion potential and salary. Reinstatement eligibles should submit their SF-50 documenting their career appointment to SES if applying for noncompetitive consideration).
  4. Most Recent Performance Appraisal (Current federal service employees: If performance appraisal is not dated within the last year or if you are unable to provide a performance appraisal, an explanation why must be provided).
  5. Proof of Active Bar Certification is required.
All materials must be received by 06/18/2026 to be considered for this announcement.

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 provide a complete Application Package, which includes:

  1. Occupational Questionnaire
  2. Resume (See Content of Resume)
  3. SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action
  4. Most Recent Performance Appraisal
  5. Active Bar Certification
  6. Any additional required documentation.
Please follow the instructions listed below for submitting your complete application package. Application procedures are specific to this vacancy announcement. Please read all instructions before you begin.

To begin the process, click the APPLY button at the right side of this screen to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the occupational questionnaire. Please ensure you click the SUBMIT MY ANSWERS button at the end of the process.

If you have never applied through USA Jobs for a position with the Federal Civil Service, you will need to create a USA Jobs account. To change or update your application, simply reapply through My USAJOBS, before the closing date. New or updated resumes are considered "incomplete" applications until the required virus scan is cleared. To check the status of your application, log into your USA Jobs Account, select Application Status and click on the more information link under the application status for this position.

Your complete application package (including required documents) must be received no later than 11:59 PM Eastern Standard on the closing date of this announcement. INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.

NOTE: OPM Form 1203-FX no longer exists.

Agency contact information

Nina Crawford
Email
nina.crawford@nlrb.gov
Address
ETHICS OFFICE
1015 Half St SE
Washington, DC 20570-0001
US

Next steps

Once the online questionnaire is received you will receive an acknowledgement e-mail that your submission was successful and we will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications and determine if you meet the mandatory technical qualifications of this position and the SES ECQs. Those who meet the qualifications will be referred to a panel of SES members for rating and ranking to determine the "Best Qualified" candidates. The panel will make a recommendation to the selecting official, If your name is referred to the selecting official, you may be contacted directly by that office for a possible interview. Once a selection is made, the selectee's application will be forwarded to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) for approval by OPM's Qualifications Review Board (QRB), unless the selectee is a current SES employee or has graduated from an OPM approved SES Candidate Development Program.

You will receive notice via email or by mail, if no email address was provided by you during the application process, once this process is completed (generally 4-6 weeks).

National Labor Relations Board

The NLRB is an independent federal agency created in 1935 to administer and enforce the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), the primary federal statute governing labor-management relations in the private sector. The NLRA protects the right of employees to choose for themselves, without interference by employers or unions, whether to form, join, assist, or collectively bargain through a labor organization, and to otherwise join together for their mutual aid or protection, or to refrain from all such activity. The NLRB enforces these statutory rights to remedy the known inequality of bargaining power between employees and their employers, to promote the full freedom of association of workers, and to strengthen the Nation's economy by promoting the peaceful resolution of disputes that might otherwise cause disruptions to commerce.

The NLRB is fully committed to cultivating and preserving a positive work culture that values difference, embraces a workforce that promotes respect, and fosters a culture of belonging that allows our employees to maximize their potential.

Agency contact information

Nina Crawford
Email
nina.crawford@nlrb.gov
Address
ETHICS OFFICE
1015 Half St SE
Washington, DC 20570-0001
US

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