Deputy General Counsel for Litigation Job in Washington, DC

Summary

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

This senior supervisory attorney position offers a unique opportunity to support the General Counsel of the Federal Communications Commission, to advise on a wide range of litigation and other complex legal and policy matters that come before the Commission, to support and shape policies, and to offer creative solutions to thorny legal and procedural issues.   The incumbent will serve as a Deputy General Counsel for Litigation and is a critical member of the Office of General Counsel with wide and varied duties to help best protect the agency’s interests, including:

• Collaborate with the General Counsel in shaping overall office polities related to litigation.  
• Supervise and review preparation of pleadings and briefs and presentation of oral arguments in connection with cases delegated to the Commission for handling. 
• Oversee all litigation at the appellate level, including handling cases in the Supreme Court in cooperation with the Solicitor General of the United States, the U.S. Courts of Appeals, and State Appellate Courts, as well as administrative proceedings before other Federal agencies involving communications matters.
• Provide effective personnel management of assigned workforce through subordinate supervisors in accordance with Office of Personnel Management, Commission policies and procedures, in accordance with Office of Personnel Management and Commission policies and procedures.
• Monitor program and policy initiatives of other Bureaus/Offices as well as other Agencies (e.g., NTIA, Department of State, Department of Justice).
• Identify possible duplication, inconsistencies, or conflicts, and, in coordination with the General Counsel, takes steps to resolve problems or to achieve early resolution of problems, thus lessening the potential for intra- and inter-agency conflicts.
• Advise the General Counsel and other Commission Officials on legal policy considerations of Commission studies and research projects.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• US Citizenship.
• Must submit a financial disclosure statement upon assuming the position.
• Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered with Selective Service.
• Serve a probationary period of one year, if applicable.
• Suitable for employment as determined by a background investigation.
• Drug Testing Required.
• Top Secret/SCI Clearance Required
• Bar Membership Required
• Transcripts Required

This position has been designated as a Testing Designated Position in accordance with the Commission's Drug-Free Workplace Plan. If selected for the position, you will be subject to drug testing prior to employment and periodic random testing after entering on duty.

Other:
-  Before hiring, an agency will ask you to complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation.  The agency will also ask you to sign and certify the accuracy of all the information in your application.  If you make a false statement in any part of your application, you may not be hired; you may be fired after you begin work; or you may be fined or jailed. If you are a male over age 18 who was born after December 31, 1959, you must have registered with the Selective Service System (or have an exemption) to be eligible for a Federal job.

-  If applicable, you will be required to serve a probationary period of one year.

-  In order for you to be employed at the FCC, there are certain Commission and Federal laws governing the financial interests of you and members of your immediate family. If selected for the position, you must submit a financial disclosure statement upon assuming the position.

How You Will Be Evaluated

Required Documents

How to Apply

Apply on-line using the Commission's automated recruitment system in https://fcc.usajobs.gov or at www.usajobs.gov. 

IN ORDER TO RECEIVE FULL CONSIDERATION, YOUR APPLICATION MUST INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING (in addition to registration information required to utilize this web site):

1.  Resume  - Your resume must clearly demonstrate that you meet the ECQs and the MTQs required for this positions.

• ECQs and MTQs must be addressed within your resume; separate narrative statements will not be accepted. 
• The resume may not exceed two (2) pages (2 pages/1-side or 2 pages/both sides).
• Resumes should include the following information:
  • - Vacancy announcement number such as SES-2025-001
    - Full name, mailing address, and day and evening phone numbers
    - Job title (include series and grade if Federal job)
    - Duties and accomplishments
    - Employer's name and address
    - Starting and ending dates of employment (month and year)
    - Information about honors, awards, and special accomplishments

If applying online poses a hardship, or you have any questions regarding eligible status, please contact the HR point of contact listed on the vacancy announcement during business hours (8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern Standard Time) prior to the closing date of the vacancy announcement.

2.  Optional Essay Questions (Per OPM Guidance)

In accordance with the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Merit Hiring Plan, applicants are encouraged to respond to the following four optional essay questions:

Question 1: How has your commitment to the Constitution and the founding principles of the United States inspired you to pursue this role within the Federal government?  Provide a concrete example from your professional, academic, or personal experience. (Constitutional Commitment)

Question 2: In this role, how would you use your skills and experience to improve government efficiency and effectiveness?  Provide specific examples where you improved processes, reduced costs, or improved outcomes. (Government Efficiency)

Question 3: How would you help advance the President's Executive Orders and policy priorities in this role?  Identify one or two relevant Executive Orders or policy initiatives that are significant to you, and explain how you would help implement them if hired. (Advancing Executive Orders and Policy Priorities)

Question 4: How has a strong work ethic contributed to your professional, academic, or personal achievements?  Provide one or two specific examples, and explain how those qualities would enable you to serve effective in this position. (Work Ethic)

• Your responses will not be scored or rated; however, they may be reviewed by the selecting official and agency leadership as part of the hiring process.
• Each response should be no more than 200 words.
• Applicants must certify that all responses are their own work and have not been generated by artificial intelligence tools.
• You will not be disqualified if you choose not to respond.
• Responses may be addressed on your cover page of the resume.

For more information on applying for federal jobs, please check this webpage https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/Main_Page

Required documents must be received no later than midnight U.S. Eastern Standard Time of the closing date, or it will not be considered.  Requests for extensions will not be granted.  

Next steps

Once your complete application is received, a screening panel comprised of senior executives will assess the application packages to identify the best qualified candidates.  Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications will be further evaluated to determine the degree to which they meet or exceed the ECQ and MTQ requirements.  This evaluation will focus on your demonstrated leadership experience, technical expertise, and overall executive potential.

Candidates identified as highly qualified may be invited to participate in a structured interview and reference checks.  Final selections are subject to OPM Qualification Review Board (QRB) certification of the ECQs for initial career SES appointment.