Senior Counsel to the Inspector General (Legislative Affairs) Job in Washington, DC

Vacancy No. 24-IG-12562647-SL-BP Department Department of Energy - Agency Wide
Salary $147,649.00 to $221,900.00 Grade 00 to 00
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 9/30/2024 Close Date 10/14/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Washington, DC


Job Description (Please follow all instructions carefully)

Summary

If you are ready to be part of an organization dedicated to serving our Nation, consider a career with the Department of Energy Office of Inspector General.

The Department of Energy OIG is seeking a highly qualified individual to fill its Senior Counsel for Legislative Affairs position in the immediate office of the Inspector General. Bring your extensive legislative affairs experience to support the mission of strengthening the integrity, economy, and efficiency of the Department's programs.

Duties

As the Senior Counsel to the Inspector General (Legislative Affairs) you will:

  • Serve as the primary coordinator of Congressional relations for the OIG, and the primary representative for the OIG in interactions with Congressional staff.
  • Maintain regular communication with Congressional staff of DOE OIG's main oversight committees.
  • Advise the Inspector General (IG) on all matters involving interaction with members of Congress, monitoring legislative activity, providing comments on legislative proposals, drafting testimony and Congressional correspondence, and responding to requests from Congress.
  • Facilitate briefings of high-level officials to include Congressional members and senior Federal officials.
  • Attend various Congressional hearings on energy-related matters and report back to the IG.
  • Prepare and review testimony for the IG and Senior Staff as they testify before Congressional committees, assuring that testimony, presentations, and other statements are accurate and timely.
  • Develop and execute a program for IG meetings with key chairs and ranking members, monitoring developments on legislation relevant to the OIG and work directly and through the Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency legislative committee to promote legislation to enhance OIG authorities generally, and for the OIG in particular.
  • Serve as a representative for the OIG with high level officials within and outside the Department, other federal agencies, congressional oversight committees.
  • Makes legal and policy recommendations based upon research, analysis, and the evaluation of expert information.
  • Use legal training, practical experience and knowledge of OIG and Department personnel and activities to advise the IG on matters affecting the mission of the OIG and the efficiency of the Department.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen
  • This employer participates in the e-Verify program
  • Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for Selective Service
  • Suitable for Federal employment, as determined by a background investigation. May be required to successfully complete a probationary period.
  • PUBLIC FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE REPORT (OGE 278): If you are selected for this position, you will be required to file this report prior to entry to duty in accordance with the Ethics of Government Act of 1978.
  • Must be able to obtain and maintain a Q security clearance
  • Will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronic Funds Transfer Program
  • Must have an active BAR membership and be in good standing. If selected, must maintain an active BAR membership in good standing while employed as an attorney with DOE OIG.

Qualifications

To meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position, you must show that you possess all of the Professional Technical Qualifications (PTQs) listed at the GS-15 level or a higher grade level equivalency. These qualifications would typically be acquired through education, work experience, and training which reflect progressive development and achievement in leading and managing a comprehensive program in a complex organization.

Professional Technical Qualifications: A supplemental narrative must be submitted separately addressing each PTQ listed below. No more than one (1) page per PTQ is allowed; additional information will not be considered. PTQs must provide specific examples that address relevant experience and accomplishments. Applicants must reflect superior technical qualifications demonstrated through leadership and management in the following PTQs:
  • Demonstrated applied knowledge of the federal legislative process, including Congressional procedures, practices, and guidelines for proposing and monitoring new legislation and communicating legislative goals.
  • Demonstrated experience in providing expert advice to leadership on congressional matters and conveying priorities to congressional stakeholders; communicating effectively and credibly with congressional staff; drafting or responding to congressional inquiries; and drafting accurate and compelling Congressional materials.
  • Demonstrated experience and expertise representing an organization in formal and informal interactions with high-level internal and external stakeholders. Duties included delivering oral and written communication on sensitive and controversial issues to a wide variety of audiences, such as the organization head and Executive Staff members, Members of Congress and their staffs, counterparts in other agencies, Departmental officials, or industry groups.
Failure to submit a narrative statement addressing each of the PTQs may cause your application to be deemed incomplete and not be considered.

Education

Basic Education Requirement: Applicants must possess a JD degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association (or have an LLM (Master of Laws) degree or other graduate law degree in addition to a JD).

Foreign Education: To receive credit for education completed outside the United States, you must show proof that the education has been submitted to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education has been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs. For additional info, refer to the U.S. Network for Education Information.

You will be required to provide official college transcripts to verify educational qualifications, if selected. An official transcript must be sent directly from the University's Registrar's office and must be provided from the institution awarding the degree. Academic transcripts certified by notary publics are NOT official. Official transcripts must be submitted prior to reporting to work as a condition of employment. Failure to submit official transcripts may be grounds for dismissal or rescission of the job offer.

Additional information

  • The U.S. Department of Energy fosters a diverse and inclusive workplace and is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
  • This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional similar vacancies across DOE OIG.
  • More than one selection may be made from this announcement.
  • For general information on government wide Telework polices visit: www.telework.gov
  • For Reasonable Accommodation information or assistance, please email reasonableaccommodationoig@hq.doe.gov or call (202) 586-4393.711 for TTY-Based Telecommunications Relay Service | Federal Communications Commission (fcc.gov)

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 rated and ranked using only the information submitted for consideration.

Applicants will be evaluated on their narrative responses to the PTQs. The narrative must demonstrate the necessary level of skills, specialized knowledge, and technical competence that would indicate success at this level and must include clear and concise examples that emphasize the applicant's level of responsibilities, scope, and complexity.

Required Documents

Please carefully review the following list to determine what documentation you need to submit. Some documents may not apply to all applicants. If you fail to submit required documentation before the announcement closes, you will be rated "ineligible."

You must submit:

  1. ALL APPLICANTS - An executive level resume, no to exceed 5-pages, that supports your specialized experience and responses to the online questionnaire. Ensure that you address the PTQs attached as supplemental narrative documentation.
  • Your resume should list all relevant work experience (paid and unpaid); you must list the full name and address of each employer.
  • For all types of work experience, you should indicate the start and end dates (include month, day, and year); you must also list the average number of hours per week that you worked.
  • For paid work experience, please indicate your starting salary for each position and the highest salary you earned (if different).
  • Your resume should also include any education and training you have completed (list the program title, subject area, number of hours completed, and completion date).
  1. ALL APPLICANTS - PTQ Narrative (no more than one page per PTQ, 12 pt font, 1-inch margins).
  2. ALL APPLICANTS - Transcripts - A copy of your law school transcript (unofficial is acceptable) from an institution accredited by the American Bar Association. In addition, a copy of your college transcript (unofficial is acceptable). Once selected and prior to appointment, applicants must provide an official transcript for both college and law school.
  3. ALL APPLICANTS- Proof that you are an active member in good standing of the bar of the highest court of a State, U.S. Commonwealth, U.S. territory, or the District of Columbia.
  4. Current or former Federal Civilian employees must submit a copy of your most recent SF-50 (non-award) documenting show the following: 1) Full position title; 2) appointment type; 3) occupational series; 4) pay plan, grade, and step; 5) tenure code; 6) service computation date (SCD).
  5. Veterans' Preference documentation, if applicable, DD-214 Member Copy 4 showing type of discharge/character of service; current active duty members- certification of expected discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions dated within 120 days; SF-15 Form and related documentation; VA letter. For more information visit the USAJOBS Help Center & OPM CHCOC website for VOW information.
  6. Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program documentation, if applicable(e.g., Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; SF-50 that documents the RIF separation action; and most recent performance appraisal.) For more information see the OPM Guide to Career Transition.

Pages submitted in excess of the limits described above will not be considered. Substituting pages for other required documents in the application is not acceptable (e.g., submitting only a four-page resume but adding an additional page to address a PTQ).

Do not use borders, provide photos or list a Social Security Number or date of birth on any attachment. 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.

If you are selected for this position, you may be asked to provide additional documentation to verify your responses.

Failure to submit any of the above mentioned required documents may result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted.Please carefully review the following list to determine what documentation you need to submit. Some documents may not apply to all applicants. If you fail to submit required documentation before the announcement closes, you will be rated "ineligible."

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

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include submission of the required items specified in the Required Documents section. You must submit a complete application online by 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date to receive consideration. We will not accept faxed or e-mailed applications or resumes. Extension requests for extensions will not be granted, unless required by law.

All statements made in this application are subject to investigation and any false or dishonest answer to any question may be grounds for disqualification and loss of consideration. If your resume does not support the responses in your application questionnaire, or if you fail to submit required documentation before the vacancy closes, you may be rated 'ineligible' or 'not qualified'.

The application process is as follows:

  1. You must have a login.gov account to sign into USAJOBS: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/account/.
  2. To begin the application process in USAJOBS, click the Apply Online button.
  3. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all required and supporting documentation.
  4. You must click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 pm (ET) on the announcement closing date.
You may update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period by returning to your USAJOBS account, select Update Application: https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.

To verify the status of your application, during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account; applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each application status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.

If you need help with login.gov or USAJOBS (e.g., account access, Resume Builder) visit the USAJOBS Help Center: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/

If you experience difficulty applying on USAJOBS, after clicking the Apply Online button, or you are experiencing a significant hardship hindering your ability to apply online, the Agency Contact listed in the announcement can assist you during normal business hours. If you receive any system error messages, take screenshots if possible, to aid technical support.

Agency contact information

Betty Poole
Address
Office of the Inspector General
1000 Independence Ave SW
Washington, DC 20585
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

You may check your application status any time after the announcement closes. USAJOBS has added an alert setting to the system to drive status updates notification for applicants. We recommend that you update your USAJOBS profile to receive these status updates via email after the announcement closes. We will continue to update your status on-line as changes are made. Applicants who meet the mandatory PTQs will be evaluated by a panel of senior executives. Failure to meet all qualifications automatically disqualifies an applicant. The most highly qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interview.


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