The Division of Investment Management's Chief Counsel Office seeks an Attorney Adviser (Senior Special Counsel) in the IM Liaison Office to provide expert legal analysis, guidance, and interpretations on complex issues under the Advisers Act and Investment Company Act. The role advises on exams and enforcement matters, supports cross-divisional initiatives, and ensures consistent application of federal securities laws.
Duties
In this role as a Senior Special Counsel, you will be responsible for: Serving as a primary liaison between staff in the Division of Enforcement, Division of Examinations, other Divisions and Offices, and the Division of Investment Management (IM), ensuring enforcement and exam teams have timely access to IM's subject matter expertise. Providing expert legal and interpretive guidance on enforcement and examination matters, with a focus on issues arising under the Investment Advisers Act and the Investment Company Act. Delivering independent, high-level counsel on enforcement investigations, examinations and other significant matters from their initial development through final resolution, identifying emerging issues and advising on appropriate regulatory approaches. Leading or supporting complex legal projects involving novel or sensitive issues that may substantially affect Commission activities, coordinating with senior staff and serving as principal attorney where appropriate. Conducting in-depth legal research and analysis and preparing substantive written work products, including memoranda, analyses, and formal correspondence, or reviewing and providing quality assurance on work drafted by staff attorneys. Evaluating staff recommendations for enforcement actions involving investment advisers, investment companies, and private funds, ensuring consistency with IM policy, statutory requirements, and Commission precedent.
Salary
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. Qualifying education must have been obtained from an accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. 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 one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS/SK-14 level. Providing legal advice and analyses on regulatory issues; AND Researching and interpreting statutes to support the development and implementation of regulations; AND Interpreting, applying, and providing legal guidance on the provisions of the Investment Advisers Act, the Investment Company Act, the Securities Act, and 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: Legal and Regulatory Analysis - Conducts analysis and prepares documents and reports in compliance with Federal law that governs the rulemaking process. Critical Thinking - Considers a variety of factors, general and subject matter-specific, when making decisions and determining next steps in a case. 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.
Required Documents
You must provide a complete Application Package, which includes: Required: Your responses to the Questionnaire. Required: Resume - Resumes should include relevant work experience, with specific employment dates, that demonstrates qualifications for the specialized experience and competencies as outlined above. If your resume does not reflect demonstrated evidence of these qualifications, you may not receive consideration for the position. Resumes that exceed two pages will be deemed ineligible and receive no further consideration. For resume writing tips, visit USAJOBS and the SEC careers page. Required: Accomplishment Record - The Accomplishment Record is a set of narrative responses that demonstrate your proficiency in the competencies listed. These narratives support your resume by providing specific examples from your training or experience. For each competency, you must provide a 300 word or less written narrative (text only) describing one example of competency-related experience. Text beyond this limit will not be considered. This document must be uploaded to the application under Accomplishment Record. An accomplishment record submitted outside the USA Staffing system will not be accepted. Failure to provide the Accomplishment Record in the correct format will result in an ineligible rating. SEC EMPLOYEES: OHR will verify your competitive service eligibility via the SEC's personnel database.
How to Apply
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents. A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. No additional documentation will be accepted after the closing date of the announcement. 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. 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/.
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