Summary
As an Assistant Director, you will assist the Director to provide managerial and supervisory direction. You will serve as an expert in the unit and provide legal advice in specialized areas of law to national banks, their customers and/or the OCC's operation, as well as represent the legal practice and policy of the Comptroller in meetings with internal and/or external stakeholders.
Chief Counsel's Office
Washington, DC
This job is open to
Internal to an agency
Current federal employees of the hiring agency that posted the job announcement.
Clarification from the agency
Applications will only be accepted from Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Chief Counsel Office (CCO) employees on permanent appointments.
Duties
As an Assistant Director, you will:
- Serve as law department expert on bank advisory matters such as international banking, compliance, rulemaking, capital, liquidity, etc.
- Develop new legal theories, legal precedents, and legal supervisory policies, where appropriate.
- Research legal problems and prepare legal memoranda and letters for the Comptroller and senior staff on complex issues within areas of expertise.
- Sign legal memoranda representing legal research and analysis of highly complex issues in areas of expertise, pursuant to inquiries of the Comptroller and senior staff of OCC.
- Provide training and development to attorneys in the unit by instructing areas of expertise.
- Represent the legal practice and policy of the Comptroller in meetings with other government agencies, bankers and bank's counsel, and the public concerning areas of expertise.
Requirements
Conditions of employment
This position requires that the successful candidate undergo personnel vetting, which includes a background investigation and enrollment upon onboarding into "Continuous Vetting." Enrollment in Continuous Vetting will result in automated record checks being conducted throughout one's employment with Treasury. The successful candidate will also be enrolled into FBI's Rap Back service, which will allow Treasury to receive notification from the FBI of criminal matters (e.g., arrests, charges, convictions) involving enrolled individuals in near real-time.
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).
- Selectee(s) will be required to sign an agreement allowing for their reassignment within the Chief Counsel's Office to serve the agency's business needs at the discretion of the Chief Counsel or at the expiration of a four-year term set forth in that agreement, with the option to be renewed at the election of the Chief Counsel.
- Complete a one-year trial period (unless already completed).
- Travel occasionally to attend conferences and/or training.
- Sign a statement that you are voluntarily leaving the competitive service for a position in the excepted service, if applicable.
- File an Executive Branch Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE 450) and an OCC Financial Disclosure Form.
- Complete a financial disclosure review and resolve any ethics issues.
- Click here for important information about OCC ethics standards, such as the requirement that new hires divest their bank securities.
- Successfully complete a background investigation that includes criminal history, financial history (including a credit check) and other information.
Qualifications
You must meet the following requirements within 30 calendar days after the closing date of this announcement:
You must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the NB-VI band level in the Federal service. Examples of specialized experience for this position include:
- Experience advising on the laws and regulations relating to the supervision of national banks and thrifts in both safety and soundness matters and Bank Secrecy Act/Anti-Money Laundering enforcement and policy development, rulemaking, or legislative matters. And
- Experience in the analysis and/or drafting of opinion papers, and/or regulations related to financial services law. And
- Experience in successfully leading teams and/or cross unit initiatives in providing guidance, mentorship, and instruction to less experienced attorneys.
AND
Must be an active member of the bar of a State, U.S. territory, or the District of Columbia.
Current OCC employees must have a performance rating of at least Level 3 overall and for all critical performance elements to be eligible for promotion.
The experience may have been gained in the public sector, private sector, or through volunteer service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis.
To receive any credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/year, and indicate the number of hours worked per week, on your resume.
Education
You must have graduated with a J.D. or an LL.M. degree from an ABA-accredited law school.
Additional information
- This position is excluded from the bargaining unit.
- Salary range includes 25.72% geographical pay.
- Total pay cannot exceed applicable pay cap, which is $311,400 for 2026.
- If you are a current OCC employee who previously received a waiver determination permitting you to retain bank securities due to extenuating circumstances, please note that this determination may be rescinded if the nature of your duties changes. We strongly suggest that you discuss the potential implications of any change in duties on a prior securities determination with your ethics official.
- We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies.
- The candidate selected for this position may be credited with directly-related non-Federal experience for annual leave purposes if eligible and considered appropriate.
- Click all links in this vacancy announcement to view additional information and instructions.
- Please refer to "Conditions of Employment."
- Click "Print" to review the entire announcement before applying.
- The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Treasury and its bureaus from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to the Department of Treasury by email at, FairChanceAct@treasury.gov. To learn more, please visit our page at: Treasury.gov/fairchanceact.
- Optional Essay Questions: Applicants may choose to respond to four short essay questions (200 words max each) to help us better understand your alignment with the agency's mission. These responses are optional and will not affect the applicant's eligibility.
- All newly appointed employees to the excepted service are subject to a trial period. During this time, your performance, conduct, and suitability for continued employment will be evaluated. You will not automatically convert to permanent status at the end of the trial period. Your supervisor must affirmatively determine that continued employment is in the best interest of the Federal service. If no certification is made before the trial period ends, your appointment will be terminated. You are encouraged to actively engage with your supervisor, seek feedback, and understand role expectations. Additional guidance and support will be provided during onboarding.
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.
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.
Your application package includes your resume, required supporting documents, and responses to the online questions. Your application will be reviewed to determine if you meet the minimum qualification requirements listed in this announcement. Failure to provide sufficient evidence of the minimum qualification requirements in your resume may result in a "not qualified" determination.
Referral: If you are among the top qualified candidates, your application may be referred to a selecting official for consideration. You may be required to participate in a selection interview.
Current OCC employees must have a performance rating of at least Successful (i.e., Level 3) to be eligible for promotion.
Required Documents
A complete application package includes: 1) A resume 2) vacancy question responses and 3) submission of required documents.
Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, you may not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible). Note: (be sure to redact/remove all sensitive information prior to submitting).
RESUME: All applicants are required to submit a resume by either creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one of their own choosing. (Cover letters are optional.) To receive any credit for relevant experience, please list the month/year and number of hours worked for experience listed on your resume. We suggest you preview the online questions, as you may need to customize your resume to ensure that it supports your responses to these questions. Please review Resume Tips.
EDUCATION DOCUMENTATION: This position has a positive education requirement. Attorneys in the Chief Counsel's Office are not required to provide a transcript with their application; however, one may be requested at the discretion of the agency. Other attorneys must submit an official or unofficial copy of your law school transcript (or equivalent) by the time of interview; however, are encouraged to do so by the closing date of this announcement. An official transcript will be required, if selected.
A J.D. (or equivalent) must be from an ABA accredited college or university law school. For a list of schools which meet these criteria, please refer to American Bar Association Accreditation page. Other qualifying education must be recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency, if you are selected. Refer to the OPM instructions.
OPTIONAL DOCUMENTS: In addition, you may submit the following:
- Cover letter
- Recent performance evaluation
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
The following instructions outline our application process. You must complete the online application process and submit any required documents by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on the closing date of this announcement. We are available to assist you during business hours (8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, you must contact us by noon Eastern Standard Time on the announcement's closing date. If you are unable to apply online, you must request an alternative application which is available from the Human Capital Office. Please contact Sam Reddy at Harnet.Reddy@occ.treas.gov or 202-649-5264 to obtain an alternative application.
If you require a reasonable accommodation for disability during any part of the application and hiring process, please contact LaToya Wilson by phone at 202-649-6322 or by email at . Treasury provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis. You must contact us by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the announcement's closing date to request accommodation. If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services. Ms. Wilson is not the point of contact for questions about the vacancy announcement.
To preview the Application Questionnaire, please click here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13035475.
A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date of the Announcement to receive consideration.
- To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
- Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
- After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
- You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated by the Human Capital Office to determine your eligibility for the position. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another notification regarding the status of your application.
Next steps
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your 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/.
Please notify us if your contact information changes after the closing date of the announcement. Also, note that if you provide an email address that is inaccurate or if your mailbox is full or blocked (e.g., spam-blocker), you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.