Head of Ethics and Employment Law

Clarification from the agency

All groups of qualified individuals within the Civil Service and individuals with SES reinstatement eligibility 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.

The Head of Ethics & Employment Law/Deputy General Counsel provides a full range of legal and advisory services to the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration, Chief of Law & Policy/General Counsel (Chief), and all subordinate organizational components of the Social Security Administration in connection with the operation and administration of the Agency. These services reflect the Agency's attorney role as a full participant in the process of program development to administer the Agency's benefit program responsibilities, in the drafting of the legislation to establish these programs, and in the counseling of program and administrative managers and other senior officials whose responsibility it is to develop and carry out these programs.

The Head of Ethics & Employment Law/Deputy General Counsel is responsible for the following:

• Advising the Chief concerning all aspects of programs managed, their interrelationships and their relationships with other Agency programs/operations.
• Collaborating and sharing responsibility with the Chief and the Head of Program Policy & Data Exchange for all functions of Law & Policy including planning, formulation, and execution of policies, objectives, and goals. As required, the incumbent may represent the Chief and the Agency at meetings or on workgroups with various Federal or private sector counterparts/organizations.
• Assisting the Chief by providing legal services in matters relating to general law, program law, and labor management and employee relations. The incumbent has oversight and responsibility for all legal practice areas and direct oversight of Ethics & Employment Law, and assists in the oversight of Program Litigation; Labor Management & Employee Relations; Program, Fiscal & Disclosure Law; and Privacy & Disclosure Policy practice areas.
• Serves as the Designated Agency Ethics Official (DAEO) and provides legal services on ethics and standards of conduct and SSA's confidential reporting system regarding financial interests and outside activities, and liaison with the Office of White House Counsel and the Office of Government Ethics.
• Participates with the Chief in the resolution of the most difficult and important legal problems submitted to the component. The incumbent may be required to perform confidential and sensitive assignments for the Chief.
• Developing, directing, and overseeing litigation strategy for the most complex and difficult employment cases, including challenges to statutes, regulations and/or administrative policies, as well as complex procedural (e.g., jurisdictional) and substantive (e.g., statutory and/or constitutional) issues, and may be responsible for conducting and overseeing the conduct of such litigation in administrative and court tribunals.
• Leading the development and implementation of critical infrastructure protection, security measures, and other controls to prepare for and mitigate negative consequences.

Conditions of employment

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).

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Subject to a 1-year supervisory probationary period (unless already completed).
• Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency
• 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.
• May be subject to pre-employment and random drug tests
• Must file a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report OGE-278e within 30 days of appointment and annually from then on.
• 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.

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

• Noncriminal Justice Applicant's Privacy Rights, for those who undergo an FBI fingerprint-based criminal history record check for personnel vetting, which includes Rap Back;
• FD-258 Privacy Act Statement - FBI (this is the same statement used when your fingerprints are submitted as part of your background investigation); and
• SEAD-3-Reporting-U.pdf (dni.gov), (applicable to those who hold a sensitive position or have eligibility for access to classified information).

Qualifications

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.

The application process used to recruit for this position is RESUME BASED. It is important that your resume be complete and thorough, following the requirements outlined below.

As a basic requirement, to meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position, 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 Technical Qualifications within their 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.

Separate narrative statements addressing the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) or the Mandatory Technical Qualifications (TQs) will not be reviewed or considered.

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). 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.

NOTE: If you are (1) a member of the SES, (2) have been certified through successful participation in an Office of Personnel Management (OPM) approved SES Candidate Development Program (SESCDP), or (3) have SES reinstatement eligibility, you must attach proof (e.g., SF-50, Certification by OPM's SES Qualifications Review Board (QRB)) of your eligibility for noncompetitive appointment to the SES.

TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS (TQs): Your resume should demonstrate accomplishments that would satisfy the technical qualifications.

1. Membership in the bar of the court of a State, Territory, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

2. Experience leading legal teams/offices providing legal advice and counsel to senior officials in the majority of the following relevant areas of law:

• Federal employment law advice and litigation
• Federal privacy and disclosure law and policy
• Federal fiscal law including contract and procurement law
• Labor-management and employee relations
• Ethics law and policy
• Criminal fraud litigation
• Federal program law and litigation

• Federal employment law;
• Experience in federal privacy and disclosure law and policy
• Experience in federal fiscal law including contract and procurement issues for a federal government agency
• Experience in federal labor law including union contract review and bargaining

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS (DQs):
None

EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS (ECQs): In addition to the Technical Qualification requirements listed above, all new entrants into the Senior Executive Service (SES) under a career appointment will be assessed for executive competency against the following five mandatory ECQs. If your 2-page resume does not reflect demonstrated evidence of the ECQs and TQs you may not receive further consideration for the position.

There are five ECQs:

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; and

ECQ 5: Achieving Results - Demonstrated ability to achieve both individual and organizational results, and to align results to stated goals from superiors.


**Note for Current and/or Former Political Appointees: 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.

How you will be evaluated

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

Do not list a Social Security Number or Date of Birth on any attachment.

Once the application process is complete, a Human Resources Specialist will conduct a review of your resume and supporting documentation. If you meet minimum qualifications, your Application Package will be further reviewed to determine if you possess the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ) and Technical Qualifications (TQ) listed above. The ECQs and TQ must be thoroughly addressed within your two (2) page resume. Separate narratives will not be accepted or reviewed. Highly Qualified applicants may undergo one or more interviews and may be referred to the selecting official for further consideration, including reference checks.

You will be evaluated on the quality and extent of your accomplishments and experience. Your application will be rated and ranked by an SES Rating Panel, comprised of at least three SES members, using only the information submitted within the application package. Applicants determined to be Highly Qualified must demonstrate sufficient possession of the ECQs andTQs, and will be referred to the hiring component for further consideration.

Upon selection, if you have not provided evidence of noncompetitive status (i.e., a current SES, OPM Qualifications Review Board (QRB) certified SESCDP graduate, or SES reinstatement eligible), you must participate in a Structured Interview assessment based on the ECQs conducted by an OPM QRB prior to appointment. Your application will be forwarded to OPM for review and certification by the QRB.

Upon QRB certification, the selected individual will be required to serve a one-year probationary period. For more information regarding the SES, go to https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/senior-executive-service/

A complete application includes items described below. Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified, and by the closing date of the announcement, you may not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible).

• Resume (2-page maximum) - All applicants are required to submit a resume limited to two (2) pages (i.e., 1 page that is double-sided or 2 pages that are one-sided each) showing all relevant experience. Applicants seeking initial career appointment to the Senior Executive Service (SES) must include evidence of the ECQs and TQs. PLEASE DO NOT USE USAJOBS RESUME BUILDER.
• Vacancy Assessment Questionnaire Responses - Responses are automatically submitted through USA Jobs/Application Manager when you apply to this vacancy.
• Additional Required Documents - Applicants are required to submit the following supporting documentation, if applicable:
  • PROOF OF BAR MEMBERSHIP: You will be required to provide the state(s) in which you are licensed, your license/bar number (if applicable), and month/year of your licensure as part of the online assessment
    questionnaire. You may also upload documentation that reflects your active bar membership, but this
    is optional and must be in addition to providing the information requested on the assessment. In order to
    be eligible for consideration, you must be an active member in good standing of a Bar of a State,
    Commonwealth or Territory of the United States or District of Columbia and authorized and eligible to
    practice law. Judicial status is acceptable in lieu of "active" status in States that prohibit sitting judges
    from maintaining "active" status to practice law. Being in "good standing" is acceptable in lieu of "active"
    status in States where the licensing authority considers "good standing" as having a current license to
    practice law.
  • CURRENT OR FORMER SES MEMBERS: Must provide your SES appointment SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action), and an SF-50 showing current career SES status or career SES reinstatement eligibility. You must meet all TQs.
  • SES CANDIDATE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (SESCDP) GRADUATES: Verification of successful completion of an OPM-approved SESCDP and OPM SES QRB certification. You must meet all TQs.
    • Failure to provide the proper documentation may result in the rating and ranking of your application under competitive procedures, which requires you to demonstrate possession of the ECQs within your 2-page resume.
  • CURRENT FEDERAL CIVIL SERVICE EMPLOYEES: If you are a current Federal employee, you must submit a recent Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) to substantiate your minimum qualifications eligibility.
    • You must provide an SF-50 that reflects your current position, grade, step, tenure, and type of service (e.g., a Within-Grade Increase or Promotion/Reassignment).
    • You may need to provide more than one SF-50 to substantiate your eligibility.
    • Heavily redacted documents that do not contain the required information may result in an ineligible rating.
• Strongly Recommended: Most recent performance evaluation
• 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.

Failure to submit any of the required documents by the closing date of the announcement (09/25/2026) will result in your removal from consideration for this position.

Next steps

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