Associate General Counsel for Claims and Litigation

The General Services Administration is actively seeking top-tier talent for our Senior Executive Service (SES) positions from within GSA, across the government, and from the private sector. We have streamlined our recruitment process which will require you to submit an online resume (not-to-exceed 2 pages) to apply for this position.

Duties

Serves as the Associate General Counsel for Claims and Litigation, providing day-to-day direction, guidance and coordination of legal services in connection with claims and litigation involving GSA; more specifically, claims and disputes under the Contract Disputes Act, representation before the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals (CBCA), supporting the Department of Justice (DOJ) in litigating matters involving GSA contracts and programs/responsibilities filed in the U.S. District Courts, responding to requests for information arising from litigation in which the government is not a party and managing the defense of and response to torts claims against the agency.

Oversees, manages, reviews and approves work of the legal staff which may involve complex or difficult questions of law or policy for which no precedent has been established or that concern legal matters of unusual or novel nature.

Engages with a diverse range of high-level stakeholders, including Congressional committees, other Federal agencies, and industry leaders. This requires sophisticated communication skills to represent GSA interests, develop and maintain strategic partnerships, and negotiate complex inter-agency issues.

Formulates and recommends to the General Counsel litigation strategy, policies and practices to provide effective resolution of claims and disputes in matters related to GSA activities.  Recommends the need for new or revised legislation, Executive Orders and regulatory material.

Serves as the principal legal advisor and senior litigator overseeing GSA’s claims and litigation portfolio and other causes of action filed in the U.S. District Courts, Court of Federal Claims, CBCA, the Government Accountability Office, and Federal and State regulatory bodies involved with electric, gas, and other regulated non-communication utilities. 

Leads and oversees subordinate attorneys in connection with claims and other cases resulting in litigation before judicial tribunals, including the review and submission of documentary evidence to the DOJ, the interview of and taking of depositions from witnesses, preparation of briefs, petitions, complaints, motions and answers.

Salary

• $151,661 - $216,400/year

Conditions of Employment

• Resume-only hiring method; resume must not exceed 2 pages.
• All application materials must be received by the closing date.
• Veterans' preference is not applicable to the SES.
• Applicants must be U.S. Citizens.
• Apply online (See 'How to Apply' section.)

OTHER CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

• This position is a critical sensitive national security position. Appointment to this position requires the selectee to undergo a background investigation and receive favorable adjudication for the GSA security office to grant you a Top Secret national security clearance. Applicants do not need this level of clearance in order to apply for the position. If you are not a GSA employee, the security office must grant the clearance before you are appointed to this position unless a pre-appointment waiver of this requirement is approved.
• This position has been designated under Executive Order 12564 as being subject to random drug screening. If tentatively selected for this position, you may be required to submit to a urinalysis screen for illegal drugs prior to appointment. Appointment will be contingent upon your receiving a negative test result.
• If tentatively selected, you will be required to submit a Declaration for Federal Employment. Male applicants born after December 31, 1959 will be required to complete a  certification statement confirming their selective service status.
• Persons selected for their initial appointment to an SES position must have their executive qualifications approved by the Office of Personnel Management before being appointed to the position.
• If selected, you will be required to serve a one-year probationary period unless you have previously successfully completed a one-year probationary period in the Senior Executive Service.
• If selected, you must file a Public Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 278) upon appointment in accordance with the Ethics in Government Act of 1978.
• Veteran's preference does not apply to positions in the Senior Executive Service.  
• Must possess a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association (at the time of graduation) and must be an active member of the bar in good standing (Certificate of Good Standing to practice law) in a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia or Puerto Rico.

Qualifications

All applicants must meet the Mandatory Technical Competency and Executive Core Qualification requirements listed below to be eligible for consideration. Eligibility will be based on a clear demonstration that the applicant's training and experience are of the scope, quality and level of responsibility sufficient to successfully perform the duties and responsibilities of this executive position.

Note: Your 2-page resume must show possession of the Mandatory Technical Competencies (MTCs) and the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) listed below; please do not address the MTCs nor ECQs through submission of separate narrative responses- written narratives will not be reviewed for consideration.

MANDATORY TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES:

• Demonstrated Expertise in Managing and Overseeing the Delivery of Litigation-related Services

• Proven Leadership and Management of Legal Teams

EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS (ECQs):

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 the Constitution and the rule of law, and commitment to serve the American people.

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.

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.

4. Leading People - This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to lead and inspire a group towards 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

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.

Education Must possess a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association (at the time of graduation) and must be an active member of the bar in good standing (Certificate of Good Standing to practice law) in a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia or Puerto Rico. 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. Other Information ORGANIZATIONAL LOCATION FOR THE VACANCY: General Services Administration Office of the General Counsel Washington, DC The 1993 Hatch Act Reform Amendments prohibit oral and written political recommendations for Federal jobs. NOTICE REGARDING SALARY: GSA has established Pay Tiers within the Governmentwide SES pay band and categorized each SES position in the agency into one of three tiers. This structure is designed to provide a more refined approach to executive compensation, aligning pay levels with the scope, complexity, and impact of each SES role. This is a Tier II SES position. Current SES members whose salary equals or exceeds the maximum advertised salary for this position, will not lose pay upon appointment. Required Documents

• Include any supporting documents that don't fit within another category or are listed in the job announcement.
• Some jobs require additional professional certifications. See the job announcement for details.

All applicants must submit the following:

1.  A resume (not-to-exceed 2 pages) that clearly demonstrates your experience, accomplishments, training, education and awards. Additionally, your 2-page resume must corroborate your experience and possession of both the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) and the Mandatory Technical Competencies (MTCs) as listed in this announcement. P​lease do not submit letters of recommendation, award certificates, diplomas, college transcripts, training certificates or any other documents not specifically requested in the "Required Documents" section listed below. 

2. Bar Membership - Evidence showing membership in good standing of the bar of a state, territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. 

Please review the following information to determine if additional documents are required to complete your application for this position.

NONCOMPETITIVE PROCEDURES FOR CURRENT OR REINSTATEMENT ELIGIBLE CAREER SES APPLICANTS: In addition to the 2-page resume, you must also submit proof of non-competitive eligibility as a current career or reinstatement SES eligible appointee. Proof consists of:

(1) an SF-50 showing your status as a:

(a) current Career SES appointee,
(b) former Career SES appointee with career SES reinstatement eligibility, or
(c) current or reinstatement eligible Career SES-equivalent executive who is/was employed in a Federal government agency that has an interchange agreement with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) allowing for movement between the agency’s SES-equivalent personnel system and the SES.  NOTE: This applies only to current or reinstatement eligible Career SES-equivalent executives of the Government Accountability Office, the Transportation Security Administration, or the Office of the Inspector General of the United States Postal Service.

OR

2) a certificate of completion from an OPM-approved SES Candidate Development Program (SES CDP). NOTE: This applies only if your ECQ's have been approved by an OPM Qualifications Review Board (QRB) or Structured Interview Qualifications Review Board (SIQRB) through the SES CDP.
*The above documents may be used to determine your eligibility for noncompetitive consideration under this announcement. Noncompetitive applicants must submit proof of noncompetitive eligibility as listed above; failure to do so may result in non-consideration of noncompetitive eligibility. 

CURRENT CIVIL SERVICE EMPLOYEE APPLICANTS: You must submit an SF-50 that shows your current position title, series, grade and rate of basic pay as well as Tenure Group. This document may be used to determine your eligibility to be considered under this announcement.

How to Apply Submit a complete online application including any required documents prior to 11:59 pm Eastern Time on the closing date of the announcement. You can modify or complete your application any time before the deadline. Simply return to USAJOBS, select the vacancy, and update your application. For more detailed instructions on how to apply, click here: Apply for a GSA Job. If you are having issues applying to this announcement, you should switch to a different browser, network or device. Note: Your firewall may block your transfer from USAJOBS to your GSA application. To begin, click the Apply Online button on the vacancy announcement. Sign in or register on USAJobs and select a resume and documents to include in your application. Resumes exceeding two pages will not be accepted by USAJOBS and will prevent your application from moving forward in the hiring process. Please see Required Documents for additional details. Once you have clicked Apply for this position now, you will be taken to the GSA site to complete the application process. Click the Apply To This Vacancy and complete all steps in the application process until the Confirmation indicates your application is complete. If you click Return to USAJobs or get timed out prior to receiving confirmation, your application will not be submitted and cannot be considered for this job. Note: Review the REQUIRED DOCUMENTS section of this announcement to determine which apply to you and must be submitted online. You may choose one or more of the following options to submit your document(s): Upload (from your computer) or USAJOBS (click the "USAJOBS" link to complete the transfer process). Need Assistance? Questions or issues completing an application and/or submitting documentation - contact mgshelp@monster.com or 1-866-656-6831 Monday-Friday 7AM - 7PM EST, except for Federal holidays Specific questions on the position - contact the HR representative (Monday-Friday during normal business hours) listed on the announcement, prior to the application deadline You must receive HR approval before deviating from these instructions.