Summary
The Associate General Counsel (AGC), is the principal Office of the General Counsel (OGC) official responsible for all program litigation in one or more major jurisdictions (circuits) within the federal court system of the United States, provides executive leadership and coordinates the full range of program litigation services required on behalf of the Social Security Administration.
This job is open to
Clarification from the agency
All groups of qualified individuals may apply.
Additionally, current career Senior Executive Service (SES) members, OPM certified graduates of an SES Candidate Development Program (CDP), and individuals with SES reinstatement eligibility may be considered noncompetitively.
Duties
The Associate General Counsel for Program Litigation (AGC, OPLit) serves as principal advisor to the General Counsel with respect to the legal aspects of the formulation, coordination, revision and execution of program litigation policy and programs for the circuit(s) within the Associate General Counsel's responsibility.
The AGC, OPLit is responsible for:
- Consulting with and assisting U.S. Attorneys and the headquarters Department of Justice in the investigation, preparation, presentation and conduct of civil litigation within the circuit(s) of responsibility that relate to the Agency's programs, including development of strategies for litigation activities and negotiating settlements of claims against the United States. Such consultation and assistance may include the preparation of answers, briefs, motions, stipulations, judgments, findings, and all other instruments and documents peculiar to litigation, interviewing witnesses, and advice provided concerning the legality of claims against the United States.
- Serving as the principal legal official responsible for the Agency's program litigation in one or more federal court circuits, provides leadership, strategic and administrative direction, and coordinative control for the harmonious and effective delivery of program litigation legal services to SSA's regional and headquarters officials.
- Developing and supervising procedures and operations as follows: (1) In litigation that crosses circuit boundaries, coordinates with the appropriate Associate General Counsel as to lead responsibility in the case and to ensure consistency nationwide on positions taken in the litigation; (2) Establishes policies whereby work is assigned to and completed by staff; (3) Ensures the collection of--and analyzes--program litigation data to inform strategic litigation decisions, improve court results, and provide legal counsel to high-level Agency officials; (4) Where necessary or as requested by staff, reviews pleadings, motions, briefs, appeal recommendations, memoranda, letters, and other communications in more difficult cases and as appropriate (arranging and supplementing such materials as necessary); and (5) In very difficult or important cases, performs necessary additional legal research.
- In addition to program litigation, may oversee or provide litigation services in one or more additional OGC workloads.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
U.S. Citizenship is required.
In order to be considered minimally qualified for this position, candidates must have had responsible professional experience at a senior level (equivalent to the GS-15 in either the General Schedule (GS) or a comparable pay plan).
Qualifications
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 Executive Core Qualifications and Mandatory Professional/Technical Qualifications. Typically, experience of this nature will have been gained at or above the GS-15 grade level in the Federal service or its equivalent with state or local government, the private sector, or non-governmental organizations. Failure to meet this basic qualification requirement and all executive and technical qualification factors automatically disqualifies an applicant.
You must clearly show that you possess the experience and leadership competencies to perform the duties of an executive. To be considered for this position, all applicants must address each of the Mandatory Professional/Technical Qualifications (MTQ), and the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ) listed below in the application documents you submit. Unless you are currently serving under a career Senior Executive Service appointment, are eligible for reinstatement into the Senior Executive Service, or have successfully completed a Senior Executive Service Candidate Development Program approved by OPM and been certified by OPM, you must submit a narrative statement covering each of the Executive Core Qualifications listed below. Your examples should be clear and concise, and emphasize your level of responsibilities, scope and complexity of programs managed, program accomplishments with results of your actions, policy initiatives, and level of contacts.
Each MTQ and ECQ must be addressed separately and submitted with your application. Please refer to the OPM Guide to SES Executive Core Qualifications ( https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/senior-executive-service/reference-materials/guidetosesquals_2012.pdf) for guidance on how to describe your executive qualifications.
EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS:
Narrative Statements for the ECQs must not exceed 10 pages; additional pages will not be considered. This document MUST be submitted using the "Executive Core Qualifications" document type.
- ECQ 1 - LEADING CHANGE: You must have demonstrated an 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.
Leadership Competencies: Creativity & Innovation, External Awareness, Flexibility, Resilience, Strategic Thinking, Vision
- ECQ 2 - LEADING PEOPLE: You must demonstrate 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.
Leadership Competencies: Conflict Management, Leveraging Diversity, Developing Others, Team Building
- ECQ 3 - RESULTS DRIVEN: This core qualification involves 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.
Leadership Competencies: Accountability, Customer Service, Decisiveness, Entrepreneurship, Problem Solving, Technical Credibility
- ECQ 4 - BUSINESS ACUMEN: This ECQ involves the ability to manage human, financial, and information resource strategically.
Leadership Competencies: Financial Management, Human Capital Management, Technology Management
- ECQ 5 - BUILDING COALITIONS: This ECQ involves 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.
Leadership Competencies: Partnering, Political Savvy, Influencing/Negotiating
FUNDAMENTAL COMPETENCIES: The following competencies are the foundation for success in each of the Executive Core Qualifications: Interpersonal Skills, Oral Communication, Integrity/Honesty, Written Communication, Continual Learning, and Public Service Motivation.
MANDATORY PROFESSIONAL/TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS (MTQs):
No more than one (1) page per MTQ is allowed; additional information will not be considered.
- Experience providing legal advice and counsel, orally and in writing, to senior officials of a large government agency or organization at the Federal or corporate level on a wide variety of legal issues. Submit this narrative document using the "Mandatory Technical Qualification" document type.
- Membership in the bar of the court of a State, Territory, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Proof of bar membership is required. Submit this document using the "Proof of Bar Membership" document type.
DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS (DQs):
An optional statement addressing each Desirable Qualification (DQ) is strongly recommended. No more than one (1) page per DQ is allowed; additional information will not be considered. This document should be submitted using the "Desirable Qualification" document type.
- Significant experience in the practice of law, either in administrative or court litigation.
- Experience performing as litigator with, or directing staff interaction with, United States Attorneys or District/State Attorneys in the preparation, development, and defense of litigation, or performing the same activities as the litigation or supervisor of attorneys pursuing or defending against the governmental entity.
**Note for Current and/or Former Political Appointees: Effective January 1, 2010, OPM must authorize any employment offers we make 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 Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose that to the Human Resources Office within your application package.
Education
This job does not have an education qualification requirement.
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.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above, as evidenced by the quality and extent of your accomplishments and experience within your application materials. Applicants who meet all the mandatory executive and technical qualifications will be evaluated by an SES Rating Panel, comprised of at least three SES members. Your application will be rated and ranked using only the information submitted within the application package. This evaluation will determine which applicants are best qualified.
Applicants determined to be Highly Qualified must demonstrate sufficient possession of ECQs, MTQs, and DQs, and will be referred to the hiring component for further consideration. Highly Qualified applicants may undergo an interview and a reference check. If you are the recommended selectee, your ECQs must be certified by an OPM Qualifications Review Board prior to appointment, unless you are a current SES executive or have successfully participated in an OPM approved SES Candidate Development Program. You may be asked to further modify the ECQ narratives submitted with your application package.
Required Documents
Your complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on 10/16/2024. Failure to submit any of the required documents by the closing date of the announcement will result in your removal from consideration for this position.
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete application package which includes:
1. REQUIRED: Your resume (5-page maximum) - We recommend that your resume emphasize your level of responsibilities, the scope and complexity of the programs managed, and your program accomplishments, including the results of your actions. It is important that your resume be complete and thorough. Insufficient information will result in an ineligible rating. It is recommended that you include the following information:
- Full name, mailing address, and day and evening telephone numbers
- Educational information, including the name, city and state of colleges or universities you attended, as well as the type and year of any degrees received
- Information about your paid and nonpaid work experience related to this position including:
- Job title (include series and grade if Federal job)
- Duties and accomplishments
- Employer's name and address
- Supervisor's name and phone number
- Starting and ending dates of employment (month and year)
- Salary
- Indicate if we may contact your current supervisor
- Information about honors, awards, and special accomplishments
2. REQUIRED: Proof of Active Bar Membership. Applicants must hold a law degree from a School of Law accredited by the American Bar Association and be a member in good standing of the Bar of a State, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico .
3. REQUIRED: Narrative Statements separately addressing each of the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ) and Mandatory Professional/Technical Qualification(s) (MTQ). ECQ narratives are not to exceed 10-pages, total; MTQs may not exceed one page per MTQ.
Narratives should address experience (paid and unpaid), education, training, awards, and/or self-development activities as related to each ECQ and MTQ. Please refer back to the Qualifications and Evaluation sections of the vacancy announcement for further guidance on preparing narrative statements. If you do not provide these narrative statements you will not be considered for this position.
OR
If you are a graduate of an approved SES Candidate Development Program (SESCDP), you must submit MTQ narratives to demonstrate possession of the required qualifications. To be considered non-competitively, you must also submit a copy of your QRB Certificate of Qualifications. This document MUST be submitted using the "Executive Core Qualifications" document type.
Failure to provide the required documentation will result in ineligibility, or consideration under Competitive procedures.
OR
If you are a current member of the SES, or former SES with reinstatement eligibility, you must submit MTQ narratives to demonstrate possession of the required qualifications.
4. REQUIRED: SF-50 (Please remove your social security number and date of birth)
- If you are a current Federal employee, you must submit a recent Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) to substantiate your minimum qualifications eligibility. The provided SF-50 must reflect your grade/step (e.g., a Within-Grade Increase or Promotion/Reassignment), tenure, and type of service. Providing an SF-50 that does not contain the required information (such as an award SF-50), may result in an ineligible rating.
- For current members of the SES, or former members of the SES with reinstatement eligibility:
- Current - You must provide an SF-50 documenting your appointment, as well as an additional SF-50 showing service greater than one (1) year, or satisfactory completion of the SES Probationary Period.
- Former - You must provide an SF-50 documenting your SES appointment and resignation.
- Failure to provide the proper documentation may result in the rating and ranking of your application under competitive procedures, which requires the submission of an ECQ narrative at the time of application.
- If you are a current or former political appointee within the last five (5) years, including Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-Career SES, please submit documentation of your appointment, including a copy of your SF-50.
5. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: A supplemental narrative addressing each Desirable Qualification (DQ). Maximum 1 page per DQ
6. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: A copy of your most recent annual performance appraisal (from either the Federal or private sector). Please remove your social security number.
Extraneous documents provided with your application package will not be considered.
If you are having difficulty applying online, please contact the HR Specialist listed as the contact on the vacancy announcement during core business hours (9:30 am - 2:30 pm Eastern Time).
How to Apply
To be considered for this position, you must submit a complete application no later than 11:59 PM (Eastern Time) on the closing date of the announcement - 10/16/2024. If you fail to submit a complete application prior to the closing time, the application system will not allow you to finish. Requests for extensions will not be granted, so please begin the application process with enough time to finish before the deadline.
Fonts cannot be smaller than 10 point. All documents must be uploaded into the system; USAJobs Resume Builder will not be accepted.
You must complete the online assessment questions. If your resume does not support the responses in your questionnaire, you may be rated "ineligible".
Steps to submit a complete application:
(1) You must have a USAJobs account and be logged in.
(2) Once you are logged in and all of your application materials are ready, click the "Apply" button.
(3) You must respond to all application assessment questions, carefully following the instructions provided. To preview the questions, click here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12549782
(4) You will then be asked to upload additional supporting documentation (resume, ECQ narratives, MTQ supplemental statement(s), SF-50, etc).
Individuals with hearing or speech disabilities may use the listed email or 7-1-1 for TTY-based Telecommunications Relay Services to call the listed phone number. Additional Telecommunications Relay Services options are available in each state: https://www.fcc.gov/general/trs-state-and-territories
Next steps
You may check your application status at any time after the announcement closes. USAJobs has an alert setting in the system to drive status update notifications for applicants. We recommend that you update your USAJobs profile to receive these status updates via email after the announcement closes. We will update your status on-line as changes are made.
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