SENIOR SPECIAL COUNSEL

Summary The Division of Investment Management's Disclosure Review and Accounting Office seeks a Senior Special Counsel to provide expert legal analysis, guidance, and interpretations on complex disclosure, legal, accounting, and regulatory issues affecting investment companies and advisers. The role leads reviews of filings, supports policy and rulemaking initiatives, and advises staff and leadership to ensure compliance with federal securities laws. Learn more about this agency Duties In this role as a Senior Special Counsel, you will be responsible for: Coordinating review of, and providing expertise regarding, federal securities law issues applicable to disclosure documents such as registration statements, proxies and other filings for registered investment companies and certain insurance products. Conducting legal and other research (such as data and prior filings) to support the development of staff guidance and interpretive positions and to inform staff and management of trends affecting the asset management industry and filings reviewed in the Disclosure Review and Accounting Office. Preparing responses to correspondence, filings, and other inquiries arising under the federal securities laws and their rules. Drafting policy recommendations, template disclosure comments, and guidance regarding application of the federal securities laws and their rules to investment company and insurance product activities. Assisting staff in resolving issues related to specific disclosure documents and the applicability of the regulatory provisions of the Investment Company Act and its rules. Advising on the Division's regulatory approach to fund disclosure and prepare recommendations to promote consistency, transparency, and clear investor disclosure. Requirements Conditions of employment CITIZENSHIP: This position is open to US Citizens. SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see https://www.sss.gov/). TRIAL PERIOD: Consistent with 5 U.S.C. § 7511, you will be required to serve a two-year trial period (one year for preference eligible veterans) if the position to which you have applied is not the same or similar to your current position of record. SECURITY CLEARANCE: Entrance on duty is contingent upon completion of a pre-employment security investigation. Favorable results on a Background Investigation may be a condition of employment or selection to another position. DRUG TESTING: This position may be subjected to drug testing requirements. PERMANENT CHANGE OF STATION (PCS): Moving/Relocation expenses are not authorized. DIRECT DEPOSIT: All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing. You must possess a J.D. or LL.B Degree. You must be an active member of the bar in good standing. Qualifications Applicants are responsible for confirming all required materials are submitted by the closing date of the announcement. Please check the How You Will Be Evaluated and Required Documents sections carefully, as missing documents will render the application incomplete and ineligible for review. Qualifying experience may be obtained in the private or public sector. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. BASIC REQUIREMENT: All applicants must possess the following: J.D. or LL.B. degree --AND-- Active membership of the bar in good standing in any state, territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the commonwealth of Puerto Rico. (Note: proof of bar membership will be required before entry on duty. MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT: In addition to meeting the basic requirement, applicants must also meet the minimum qualification requirement. SK-16: Applicant must have four years of post J.D. work experience independently identifying legal issues, providing legal analyses, providing legal solutions/recommendations, and preparing legal documents such as contracts memoranda, and disclosure documents, three years of which includes: Developing and preparing legal advice and guidance on legal issues, including the interpretations and application of statutes; Researching and providing legal interpretations to support the implementation of regulations; and Interpreting and applying provisions regarding federal securities laws (such as the Investment Company Act, the Investment Advisers Act, the Securities Act and/or the Exchange Act. ACCOMPLISHMENT RECORD COMPETENCIES: Your Accomplishment Record narratives should address the following competencies. See the How You Will Be Evaluated section below for more information: Disclosure Examination - Reviews and analyzes disclosure documents in accordance with relevant rules, regulations, accounting principles, standards, and Commission, Division, and Office positions and interpretations to determine compliance with SEC and industry regulations. Disclosure Guidance and Advice - Applies legal expertise, and knowledge of industry issues and current topics, to provide guidance and recommendations to others. Teamwork and Collaboration - Interacts with internal and external others in a manner that advances examinations and SEC goals and objectives. Workload Management - Effectively prioritizes workload in a way that accommodates unforeseen developments and achieves successful outcomes. Education You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: (1) official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. If you are qualifying for this position by substituting education or training for experience, you must submit a copy of your unofficial transcripts or equivalent by the closing date of the announcement. Qualifying education must have been obtained from an accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Internal Applicants: OHR will verify education qualifications for internal applicants using documents in the Electronic Official Personnel Folder (eOPF). If required transcripts or certificates are not present in your eOPF, you will be required to provide them to OHR. If selected, a start date will not be established until official transcripts are received. FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs. For more information, click here. Applicants may also find the following helpful: National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) is an association of 19 credential evaluation services with admission standards and an enforced code of good practice. Association of International Credentials Evaluators (AICE) is an association of 10 credential evaluation services with a board of advisors and an enforced code of ethics. Additional information Supplementary vacancies may be filled in addition to the number stated in this announcement and may be filled from any division or office within the agency. SEC COMPENSATION PROGRAM: Total salary (base pay + locality) is dependent upon duty location. The overall salary range listed above is provided for informational purposes; a selectee's initial pay will be established below the maximum rate of the range. The pay for current SEC employees will be determined according to the procedures specified in the agency's policy. Please click here for a compensation overview. Disability Employment: For information on disability appointments, please visit http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/disability-employment/ Reasonable Accommodation: If you are an applicant who needs a reasonable accommodation to participate in the SEC application process due to a medical disability, please contact [email protected]. For religious-based accommodations, please contact [email protected] . Please be sure to submit your request at least 5 business days in advance of the date you need the requested accommodation. Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Information for SEC Job Applicants: Federal EEO laws protect all applicants from discrimination on the following bases: race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor. Applicants who believe they have been discriminated against on any EEO basis can seek recourse through the SEC's administrative complaints process. To be timely, an individual must enter the EEO process within 45 days from when they know (or should have known) of the alleged discrimination. Click here for additional information. The Fair Chance Act prohibits specific inquiries concerning an applicant's criminal or credit background unless the hiring agency has made a conditional offer of employment to the applicant. An applicant may submit a complaint, or any other information, to the agency within 30 calendar days of the date of alleged non-compliance by contacting the Legal and Policy Office in the Office of Human Resources at [email protected]. Expand Hide  additional information 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. 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.