Deputy General Counsel Job in Washington, DC

Vacancy No. OGC-2024-408R1 Department Architect of the Capitol
Salary $147,649.00 to $212,950.00 Grade 00 to 00
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 11/15/2024 Close Date 12/6/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Washington, DC


Summary

Join our team providing legal advice at the Architect of the Capitol (AOC). The Deputy General Counsel serves as a principal advisor to the agency providing advice and counsel on all legal matters. The AOC is a legislative branch agency of more than 2,500 employees serving around the clock in diverse roles to maintain and preserve the buildings and grounds on the Capitol campus. 

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

This is a re-advertisement. Persons who submitted application under announcement number OGC-2024-408 would need to re-apply to receive consideration. Applications are accepted from all U.S. citizens. Please see detailed guidance regarding employment eligibility under "Requirements." This is an Excepted Service position and does not require or confer Civil Service Competitive Status. This position serves at the pleasure of the Architect. This position is eligible for direct hire.

Duties

At the AOC, we are proud of the services we deliver around the clock to our various stakeholders. The Deputy General Counsel is an executive level position that provides, in collaboration with the General Counsel, leadership and direction of the Office of the General Counsel (OGC). In addition, the Deputy General Counsel:

  • Provides legal advice and counsel to the General Counsel and AOC managers on a broad range of legal matters including: employment law; employee and labor management relations; occupational safety and health matters; service and construction contracts; ethics rules, restrictions, and best practices; environmental issues; fiscal/appropriations law; acquisition and real estate law; tort law; interpretation of proposed legislation and intent of enacted laws; policies; and liability concerns.
  • Independently plans and conducts legal research, and personally prepares or directs the preparation of written memoranda, advisory opinions, and other legal documents on behalf of the agency, and exercises independent judgement in recognizing legal issues and determining the scope of and approach to assigned tasks.
  • Reviews the work products of OGC staff preparing briefs, opinions and other legal documents.
  • Provides advice on inquiries and responds to procedural questions concerning alleged violations of the law or other areas of legal expertise, while acting in the best interest of the agency.
  • Ensures legal integrity by ensuring regulations, policies, and procedures are consistent with the intent of the law, are administratively sound, and are efficient and economical in operation.
  • Serves as a senior representative of the Architect in administrative proceedings.
  • Leads by example; looks for innovative opportunities; ensures commitment to customer expectations; establishes consistent standards, expectations and policies; and demonstrates genuine concern for and interest in the professional development of AOC employees.
  • Exhibits innovative and strategic planner skills, applies legal acumen and communicates effectively, both orally and in writing.
  • Exercises tact and diplomacy in handling highly sensitive issues for the organization and exercises independent initiative.
  • Evaluates current and proposed programs and operations, and recommends actions to initiate, modify or discontinue projects as needed.

Architect of the Capitol (AOC) executives serve at the pleasure of the Architect. 

The selected candidate for this position must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret/SCI security clearance.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • Filing of a Financial Disclosure Report.
  • Successful completion of a background investigation commensurate with the risk and sensitivity level of the position.
  • Successful completion of pre-employment and applicable random drug testing required.
  • Meets qualifications requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
  • You must provide narratives to the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) and Professional Technical Qualification (PTQ).

To be employed by the Architect of the Capitol in a paid position, an individual must meet one of the categories below:

  • A citizen of the United States;
  • A person who is lawfully admitted for permanent residence and is seeking citizenship as outlined in 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)(B);
  • A person who is admitted as a refugee under 8 U.S.C. 1157 or is granted asylum under 8 U.S.C. 1158 and has filed a declaration of intention to become a lawful permanent resident and then a citizen when eligible;
  • A person who owes allegiance to the United States (nationals of American Samoa, Swains Island, and the Northern Mariana Islands, and nationals who meet other requirements described in 8 U.S.C. 1408); or 
  • A person who is currently an officer or employee of the Government of the United States.

Qualifications

You must meet the United States Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) qualification requirements for the advertised position. You must meet all eligibility and qualifications requirements by the closing date of the job announcement. For the ECQs and PTQ, you are required to submit a narrative response addressing your specific knowledge, skills, and abilities that demonstrate your possession of the qualifications. For more information about the Executive Core Qualifications, please visit this site: https://www.opm.gov/ses/references/GuidetoSESQuals_2010.pdf

Applicants must clearly show possession and demonstrated leadership experience, normally obtained over several years by serving in positions at the GS-15 level or equivalent for each ECQ and PTQ. Failure to address and meet any of the ECQs and PTQ via the vacancy questionnaire, will eliminate you from further consideration. Review the ECQ competencies guidance and sample resumes in OPM’s Guide to Senior Executive Service Qualification.

Applicants currently serving in a Senior-Rated (SR) appointment (other than a temporary promotion), career Senior Executive Service (SES) appointment, or have successfully completed a SES Candidate Development Program and have been certified by the Office of Personnel Management do not need to address the ECQs, but must address each PTQ.

Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs):

ECQ 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.

ECQ 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.

ECQ 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.

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

ECQ 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 Qualification (PTQ):

Demonstrated experience regarding legal matters related to employment law; employee and labor management relations; occupational safety and health matters; service and construction contracts; ethics rules, restrictions, and best practices; environmental issues; fiscal/appropriations law; acquisition and real estate law; tort law; interpretation of proposed legislation and intent of enacted laws; policies; and liability concerns.

Law License:

You must have a current license to practice law from at least one state, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. commonwealth or U.S. territory, and be able to demonstrate that in at least one state or jurisdiction in which you are licensed, you are permitted to engage in the active practice of law. Active status must be maintained in at least one state or jurisdiction during the course of employment. 

Education

Applicant must possess a J.D. or LL.B. degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association. Therefore, provide only the degrees from schools accredited by the American Bar Association.

Additional information

Veteran's preference does not apply to AOC's senior executive positions.

If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System. If you are exempt from registration under Selective Service Law, you must provide appropriate proof of exemption. Please visit the Selective Service System website for more information.

The AOC is a Drug Free Workplace. As part of the AOC’s suitability assessment, a candidate tentatively selected for a position who is not currently an AOC employee is required to submit to screening for illegal drug use. Satisfactory completion of a drug test is a condition of employment. A candidate must test negative prior to being eligible for appointment into a position. The AOC will schedule, provide and cover the cost for the drug test.

The selectee for this position is subject to a criminal record check by the U.S. Capitol Police and satisfactory adjudication to become eligible for employment.

The AOC is an E-VERIFY Participant. E-VERIFY is an Internet-based system that compares information from an employee's Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification to data from U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Social Security Administration records, to confirm employment authorization in the United States. If selected, the documentation you present for purposes of completing the DHS Form I-9 is verified through the DHS "E-VERIFY" electronic system. For more information on E-Verify, please visit http://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/gc_1185221678150.shtm

The AOC is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination based on race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information and/or disability.

The AOC provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency. The AOC makes decisions on granting reasonable accommodation on a case-by-case basis.

The AOC does not authorize moving or relocation expenses. 

All application materials become the property of the AOC.

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 designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Learn more about federal benefits.

The AOC offers:

  • Competitive salary, comprehensive retirement plan, monetary and non-monetary awards, and other employee recognition.
  • Health, dental, vision and life insurance options as well as flexible spending accounts; the government shares the cost of health and life insurance premiums.
  • Training and developmental opportunities.
  • Flexible work hours, subsidized transportation options and paid annual and sick leave and holidays.
  • Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position and work schedule. Contact the hiring agency for more information on specific benefits offered.

The Architect of the Capitol offers eligible employees opportunity to participate in the Student Loan Repayment Program.

This position is authorized to earn 8 hours of annual leave per bi-weekly pay period.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

Review your resume and responses carefully. Your eligibility for consideration and qualifications for the position will be determined based upon a review of your detailed resume and your narrative responses.  

Your resume will be evaluated to determine if you possess the ECQs and PTQ required for this position and how well your background and experience relates to the self-assessment questions in the job announcement.  All applicants must submit online written statements describing accomplishments that would satisfy the ECQs and PTQ. You must address each ECQ separately and are required to respond to all ECQs, unless serving in a Senior-Rated (SR) appointment (other than a temporary promotion), career Senior Executive Service (SES) appointment, or have successfully completed a SES Candidate Development Program and have been certified by the Office of Personnel Management. All applicants must address the PTQ. 

Your resume and narratives must support your answers to the self-assessment questions. Falsifying your background, education, and/or experience is cause for non-selection or disqualification from further consideration. 

Please note that a complete application is required for consideration. (Please review the “Required Documents” section of this job announcement to see what must be included in a complete application).


You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Required Documents

The Architect of the Capitol's (AOC) job application process is designed to ensure you only provide information necessary to evaluate your qualifications and eligibility for the position vacancy.

To apply for this position, you only need to submit: a) your resume and b) answers to the online vacancy assessment questionnaire. The online questionnaire contains eligibility and screening questions and other relevant information. No additional documentation or attachments are required at the time of application.

Your resume should list your education, training and work experience including job titles, employment dates, duties and accomplishments.

Nothing further is required until it is requested by AOC’s Human Capital Management Division. If additional documentation is required for the position, you will be asked to provide it during the interview or selection process. At that time, you may be asked to submit documentation to support statements made in your resume.

For example, you may be asked to provide a copy of your diploma, college transcripts, or proof of Federal employment status. If the position requires licensure or certification, you will be asked to provide proof at the time of selection.

If Veterans’ preference is claimed, you will be asked to submit proof (DD-214, and, if claiming a 10-point preference, a SF-15 and the proof required by that form).

Failure to provide the required documents will end further consideration and/or result in the withdrawal of any tentative job offers.

How to Apply

You MUST apply online. FORMS RECEIVED BY FAX, EMAIL OR U.S. POSTAL SERVICE DELIVERY WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

If you are a new user to the USAJOBS Site and have never registered for an account; you will first need to create an account profile with your basic contact information and a resume to begin applying.  You must be a registered USAJOBS user AND you must be signed-in to your account in order to apply for this position.  For help with setting up an account or for general assistance with using USAJOBS, go to USAJOBS Help Page.
 
NEED HELP?
If you experience any difficulties with the application site, help is available!  If you have problems completing your on-line application, contact the Monster Hiring Management Help Desk at 1-866-656-6831 or by e-mail at MGSHELP@monster.com. The help desk is available Monday - Friday 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time.  You may call and leave a voice mail message at all other times. 

All required supporting documents will be collected electronically via the USAJOBS “Saved Documents” feature.

If you are unable to apply on-line, you may visit our Employment Center for technical assistance in entering your application. The Employment Center is located at 441 Second & D Streets S.W., Washington, D.C., Room H2-178, and is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. You may call (202) 226-7000 for directions.

Agency contact information

Marvin Cortez
Address
Architect of the Capitol
2nd and D Street, S.W.
Washington, District of Columbia 20515
United States
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

You will receive a notice generated by the USAJOBSs System when you have successfully submitted your application.  We will review your application and transcript(s) (if you are qualifying based on education) to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements.  
 
You can check the status of your application by logging into http://www.usajobs.gov.  You may also sign up to receive automatic emails anytime the status of your application has changed by logging into your USAJOBS Account, editing your profile and changing the ‘Notification Settings’ to indicate that you want to be notified by email when the status changes. Information regarding the status of your application should be updated in the system within two (2) weeks after the closing date of this job announcement.


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


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