Summary
This position serves as Assistant Chief Counsel, Enforcement and Litigation Division, Office of Chief Counsel, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
Duties
As an Assistant Chief Counsel, you will: Plan, direct and control legal services of the Division. Analyze activities and cases which involve extremely complex and novel legal questions or require a high order of originality and competence to resolve. Assign work to the Division attorneys for review and approval of legal opinions and decisions. Provide legal opinions and interpretations on statutes and regulations applicable to motor carrier operations and FMCSA enforcement program and policies, including in the areas of safety, commercial, passenger carrier and hazardous materials regulation. Direct the work of subordinate legal professionals, reviews and edits draft documents, hires and trains new attorneys, and identifies opportunities for continued professional development. Coordinate judicial defense of FMCSA rulemaking and other final agency action through the DOT Office of General Counsel and U.S. Department of Justice. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience researching, drafting and reviewing litigation filings and analyzing complex legal issues, and at least some experience arguing before judicial or administrative tribunals. The ideal candidate also will have demonstrated creativity in legal problem solving, worked directly with clients, and have strong emotional intelligence and people skills, and outstanding verbal and writing skills. He or she should be an effective communicator and advocate in formal and informal settings, in both large organizations and small groups. We are seeking a well- organized, highly intelligent, persuasive leader with experience supervising attorneys. Familiarity with the Administrative Procedure Act and Federal rulemaking processes is valuable, and a general familiarity with FOIA, the Privacy Act and other statutes applicable to Federal agencies is also a plus. Knowledge of motor carrier or other transportation law is useful but not required. Immerse yourself in the heart of interstate commercial truck and bus safety. This opportunity for a mid-career attorney offers you the chance to serve the American people, lead a talented group of lawyers and paralegals, support mission-driven and highly energized program colleagues, master and improve a body of Federal regulations, and leave your mark on reauthorizing legislation. Gain experience supervising and mentoring other professionals while continuing to keep your own legal skills sharp. This job offers daily legal puzzles, engagement with Congress, the public and other external stakeholders, creative problem solving, limitless and unpredictable scenarios and hours of spirited debate over regulatory operations and enforcement. Please join us as we strive to keep our Nation's roadways safe!
Requirements
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered for Selective Service. TRIAL PERIOD: This is an Excepted Service position. This job will be filled by an alternative hiring process and is not in the competitive service. Applicants selected for an excepted service position may be subject to a two-year trial period. ETHICS/CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT: All employees are subject to the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch, set out in Title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations, section 2635, including restrictions on owning financial interests that may conflict with performance of their duties. Some employees, like those involved in contracting or regulating non-Federal entities, are subject to Executive Branch Financial Disclosure requirements set out in Title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations, section 263. PCS/RELOCATION/RECRUITMENT: Permanent Change of Station (PCS), Relocation, and Recruitment Incentive authorization varies by position/selection and a service agreement may be required. SCHEDULE POLICY/CAREER: As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be serving in a position in Schedule Policy/Career of the excepted service. You will obtain competitive status after two years of service in this position [if applicable]. Your employment in this position will be at-will. Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) appeals of adverse actions concerning performance, discipline, and other matters arising under chapters 23, 43, and 75 of title 5, United States Code will not be available to an individual serving in this position. Prohibitions on prohibited personnel practices will be enforced by the DOT Office of General Counsel and not the Office of Special Counsel.
Education
MANDATORY EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS: In order to qualify for this position, candidates must have successfully completed a full course of study in a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) and have a professional law degree, and must currently be a member in good standing of the bar of a State or Territory of the United States or the District of Columbia.
How you will be evaluated
DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE: PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume/ application does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s). Your resume must contain sufficiently detailed information upon which to make a qualification determination. Please ensure that your resume contains specific information such as position titles, beginning and ending dates of employment for each position, average number of hours worked per week, and if the position is/was in the Federal government, you should provide the position series and grade level For this announcement, all applicants will be reviewed to determine if they meet the basic qualifications for this position, specifically the educational and specialized experience requirements. Applicants will not be rated or ranked. All applications that are verified to meet the basic qualifications will be referred to the selecting official. The answers you select in the on-line process must be substantiated in your application package. If upon review, it is determined that your described work history, competencies, and/or supporting documents do not support your answer choices, you may not be referred to the selecting official. Please ensure that your work history provides enough details to support your answers. You may preview questions for this vacancy.