Associate General Counsel Legislation and Regulation

Summary The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is seeking highly qualified individuals who are willing to meet the challenges of public service and support our mission. Our compensation package is comparable to the private sector. And we also offer a broad array of program activities to develop your career, such as: networking and training opportunities. At HUD, you'll have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to gain insight into federal housing policy and community development. Learn more about this agency Duties This position is located in the Office of General Counsel (OGC), U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). OGC provides legal opinions, advice, and services with respect to all departmental programs and activities. OGC has primary responsibility for the development of HUD program regulations and assists in the development of HUD programs and policies. The incumbent of this position serves as an Associate General Counsel and, as such, is given considerable latitude and independent authority to administer certain functional and/or programmatic responsibilities of the Office of General Counsel. Each Associate General Counsel directs and supervises the activities of a substantial portion of the professional and clerical staff of the Office of General Counsel. Major Duties: The AGC supervises and manages legal work pertaining to the legislative and regulatory functions described below. Since these functions are not limited to specific program areas, requests for this work come from across the Department, including the Secretary, Deputy Secretary, and Assistant Secretaries. Since both legislation and regulations reflect, at times, major policy calls of the Department, or carry significant budgetary implications, the Associate General Counsel also interacts significantly with legislative, regulatory, and budgetary staff at other agencies, and often with Congressional staff. The Office of Legislation and Regulations, which the Associate General Counsel supervises and manages, consists of two divisions. Each division is headed by an Assistant General Counsel who reports directly to the Associate General Counsel. The activities assigned to each division are as follows: Legislation Division The Legislation Division provides legal services and advice in connection with the development of the Department's legislative program. Specifically, the Division 1) coordinates the development and clearance (through the Department and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) of the Department's annual authorizing legislation, including the drafting of legislative text and the drafting or review of accompanying explanatory material; 2) provides legal counsel during congressional consideration of HUD-related legislation; 3) provides legal advice in connection with the pre-drafting development of possible legislative proposals advanced by the Secretary and members of Principal Staff; 4) prepares and clears (through the Department and OMB) departmental policy positions (known as "reports") on proposed and pending legislation affecting HUD that originate in other Federal agencies or in Congress; 5) provides legal services (including drafting) in connections with the Department's annual Budget and Appropriations Act; 6) provides technical drafting services, legal review, and other technical assistance, upon request, for members of Congress and their staffs, in connection with legislation; and 7) serves as liaison with OMB for HUD legislative proposals and reports to Congress, which require review and approval by OMB's Legislative Reference Division. Regulations Division The Regulations Division provides legal services and advice in connection with the development of the Department's regulatory program. Specifically, the Division drafts and clears (through the Department and OMB) regulations necessary to carry out the Department's programs and policies. This includes drafting the Department's highest priority rules; editing rules and related documents (such as Notices of Funding Opportunity) drafted elsewhere in the Department; managing departmental clearance; providing information and legal advice in connection with the overall management of the process by the Secretary and Deputy Secretary; resolving, or raising for resolution, clearance issues; serving as liaison with OMB's Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) on regulatory actions that are subject to review by OIRA under Executive Order 12866; managing the process for the review of rules by the Congress; and arranging for the publication of Federal Register documents after Secretarial approval. The Division, together with the Legislation Division, prepares Implementation Guides for all new laws affecting the Department that may give rise to the need for new or amended regulations or policies. The Division also coordinates Office of General Counsel clearance of the Department's internal directives, prepares the Department's comments on draft Executive Orders, and provides legal advice on the Department's rulemaking authorities, including the Administrative Procedure Act, the Federal Register Act, the Paperwork Reduction Act, the Regulatory Flexibility Act, and several Executive Orders affecting the rulemaking process. Perform other duties as assigned. Requirements Conditions of employment Must be a U.S. Citizen or National of the United States. Ability to complete personnel security vetting (e.g., investigation, evaluation, and adjudication) 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. Subject to an one-year supervisory probationary period (unless already completed). 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 (see www.sss.gov). File a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report OGE-278e within 30 days of appointment and annually from then on. Complete the Declaration for Federal Employment, Optional Form (OF) 306, to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency. Qualifications As a basic requirement for entry into the senior executive service (SES), applicants must provide evidence of progressively responsible executive leadership and supervisory experience that is indicative of senior executive level managerial capability. This experience should be sufficiently broad in scope and at a major management level in a large or complex organization. The ideal candidate will have experience supervising many employees through subordinate supervisors and have experience hiring, developing, and evaluating employees. Typically, experience of this nature is at the GS-15 or equivalent level in the federal service or its equivalent in the private sector. Your application should demonstrate that you possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully fulfill responsibilities inherent in SES positions such as: Leading the work of an organizational unit Ensuring the success of one or more specific major programs or projects Monitoring progress toward strategic organizational goals, evaluating organizational performance and taking action to improve performance Supervising the work of employees, developing policy and other executive functions If your experience does not include these basic qualifications, you will not be determined qualified for this position. Veterans' preference: Is not applicable to positions in the Senior Executive Service. To meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position, you must show that you possess the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ) and Mandatory Technical Qualifications (MTQs) related to this position within your resume - NOT TO EXCEED 2 PAGES. Applications received with resumes exceeding the 2-page limit will be disqualified and will not receive further consideration.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. There is NO requirement to prepare narrative statements specifically addressing the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) or the Mandatory Technical Qualifications (MTQs). MANDATORY TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS (MTQs): Your resume should demonstrate accomplishments that would satisfy these technical qualifications. MTQ 1: Extensive knowledge of the Federal legislative, appropriations and regulatory processes, and the authorities that govern or relate to such processes, including demonstrated ability to formulate legislative and regulatory policy and to draft significant legislation and regulations. MTQ 2: . Experience demonstrating the ability to manage or lead teams of attorneys providing legal advice and guidance under tight deadlines. Must be a graduate of an accredited law school and an active member in good standing of the bar of a State, the District of Columbia, or a United States Territory or Commonwealth. Relevant specialized legal knowledge and experience is desirable. Active Bar membership is verified prior to appointment. EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS (ECQs): In addition to the Mandatory Technical Qualification (MTQ) 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 two-page resume does not reflect demonstrated evidence of the ECQs and MTQs, you may not receive further consideration for the position. These are the five ECQs and their competencies: ECQ 1 - COMMITMENT TO THE RULE OF LAW AND THE PRINCIPLES OF THE AMERICAN FOUNDING: This core qualification requires a demonstrated knowledge of the American system of government, commitment to uphold Constitution and the rule of law, and commitment to serve the American people. (Competencies: Knowledge of the American System of Government, Commitment to the Rule of Law, Civic-Mindedness). ECQ 2 - DRIVING EFFICIENCY: This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to strategically and efficiently manage resources, budget effectively, cut wasteful spending, and pursue efficiency through process and technological upgrades. (Competencies: Fiscal Responsibility, Managing Resources, Leveraging Technology). ECQ 3 - MERIT AND COMPETENCE: This core qualification involves the demonstrated knowledge, ability, and technical competence to effectively and reliably produce work that is of exceptional quality. (Competencies: Technical Skill, Problem Solving, Agility and Resilience). ECQ 4 - LEADING PEOPLE: This core qualification involves the 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. (Competencies: Accountability, Developing Others, Executive Judgement). ECQ 5 - ACHIEVING RESULTS: This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to achieve both individual and organizational results, and to align results to stated goals from superiors. (Competencies: Operational Mindset, Innovation, Strategic Thinking). Note: If you are a member of the SES or have been certified through successful participation in an OPM approved SES Candidate Development Program (SESCDP), or have SES reinstatement eligibility, you do not need to respond to the ECQs. Instead, 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. A method to present demonstrated evidence of the ECQs and MTQs is to use the C - C - A - R model (Challenge / Context / Action / Results): 1. Challenge - Describe a specific problem or goal. 2. Context - Talk about the individuals and groups you worked with, and/or the environment in which you worked to tackle a particular challenge (e.g., clients, co-workers, members of Congress, shrinking budget, low morale). 3. Action - Discuss the specific actions you took to address a challenge. 4. Results - Give specific examples of the results of your actions. These accomplishments demonstrate the quality and effectiveness of your leadership skills. Note for Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize any employment offers made to current or former (within the last 5 years) political appointees (i.e., Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employee, or Presidential Appointee employee in the executive branch). If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Noncareer SES employee, or Presidential Appointee employee in the executive branch, you must disclose that to the Human Resources Office. Education Must be a graduate of an accredited law school and an active member in good standing of the bar of a State, the District of Columbia, or a United States Territory or Commonwealth. Relevant specialized legal knowledge and experience is desirable. Active Bar membership is verified prior to appointment. Additional information The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development strives to ensure that the public perceives HUD as a fair and equitable agency that administers its programs in an objective and impartial manner. As such, HUD is committed to its government ethics program which advises employees on applicable ethics laws and regulations designed to protect the agency against real and apparent conflicts of interest.As a federal employee, you will be subject to the Standards of Ethical Conduct, and the U.S. criminal conflict of interest statutes. As a HUD employee, you will also be subject to the HUD Supplemental Ethics Regulations which includes restrictions on working in a real estate related business, and having Section 8 tenants, along with other prohibited interests and outside activities and employment. To review applicable ethics rules, including HUD specific rules, please visit https://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/general_counsel/ethics. Depending on your position, you may also be required to file a Public Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 278e) within 30 days of your appointment. Upon your new appointment, you will receive guidance regarding your ethics obligations. You will also be required to attend a mandatory ethics training within 3 months of your appointment. If you have any questions or concerns about the ethics requirements, please contact the Ethics and Appeals Division at email address: [email protected] Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire CompetencyBased Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. (https://appsupport-usastaffing.opm.gov/hc/en-us/sections/45063131363475-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information) 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.