Summary

This vacancy is for a Supervisory General Attorney (Deputy Chief Counsel for NIST) at The Department of Commerce.

The Office of the General Counsel (OGC) is seeking an experienced, knowledgeable, and innovative supervisory attorney-advisor to serve as Deputy Chief Counsel at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to manage day-to-day operations.

This is a Public Notice. Please read this Public Notice in its entirety prior to submitting your application for consideration.

This job is open to

• The public
  
  U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from all U.S. Citizens.

Duties

As a Supervisory General Attorney (Deputy Chief Counsel) (Public Notice Flyer), you will perform the following duties:

• The Deputy Chief will manage the day-to-day operations of the office, including managing assignments and supervising the work of the office's attorneys, who provide legal counsel to NIST leadership and staff on all activities and matters involving NIST and NTIS initiatives, operations, programs, and policies.
• The Deputy Chief will serve as the lead attorney coordinating OCC/NIST's advice on CHIPS Research and Development programs, which includes the Industrial Advisory Committee (IAC); a National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC); a National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program (NAPMP); a Microelectronics Research/Metrology Program; and a Manufacturing USA Institute(s) focused on semiconductor manufacturing. The Deputy will have primary responsibility for legal work related to each of these programs and ensure the high quality of the advice provided.
• The Deputy Chief will be the primary point of contact to the Department's Office of the General Counsel front office on CHIPS R&D matters.
• Incumbent is responsible for extremely complex and difficult legal questions or factual issues involved in drafting, interpreting, or applying opinions, legislation, regulations, decisions, or other legal instruments which may require original legal endeavor to obtain a reasonable balance of conflicting interests.
• Provides technical legal and administrative supervision to an established organizational unit within OGC. Supervisory work includes establishing positions and selecting staff by applying Merit and EEO principles; assigning and reviewing work considering the skills and needs of employees; planning and arranging for the training and development of employees; setting organizational and individual performance standards, and evaluations; reviewing and approving awards; hearing and resolving complaints that have not been resolved; and finding/implementing ways to improve business practices and budget process.
• With respect to the variety of questions that arise, supervise and conduct legal analysis and research; participate as necessary in meetings, conferences, and consultations; review and prepare high quality memoranda and opinions; and maintains continuing liaison with NIST leadership, OGC management, and clients.
• Represents NIST and NTIS in conferences and meetings with representatives of other Executive Departments and agencies, industry, and the public in regard to legal matters of interests.
• May be assigned tasks within the Office of the General Counsel, depending on the nature and volume of workload, to ensure the most efficient use of the resources of the Office.

This Job Opportunity Announcement may be used to fill other Supervisory General Attorney (Deputy Chief Counsel) (Public Notice Flyer) GS-0905-15 positions within the Office of the Secretary in the same geographical location with the same qualifications and specialized experience.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.
• You must successfully pass a background investigation. This may include a credit check, a review of financial issues, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use of possession of drugs.
• You must complete a 2-year trial period.
• Selective Service: Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see https://www.sss.gov/)
• If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application.
• All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
• Drug Test Required: Yes
• License required: Yes. J.D. degree and active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction).
• Pre-employment physical required: No
• Bargaining Unit Position: No
• Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE form 450): Yes
• Permanent Change of Duty Station (PCS) Expense: Will not be paid

Qualifications

Qualification requirements in the vacancy announcements are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook, which contains federal qualification standards. This handbook is available on the Office of Personnel Management's website located at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/

Applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the next lower grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular competencies/knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. This experience need not have been in the federal government.

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.

The successful candidate must possess the following skills and abilities:

• a sound understanding of technology transfer and intellectual property law and programs, including knowledge of relevant agreement types;
• superior legal writing and editing ability;
• outstanding analytical and interpersonal skills and the ability to work directly with clients and staff members; and
• a demonstrated commitment to professionalism and client service.

It is also preferrable for the candidate to have:

• management and organizational skills;
• a demonstrated strong interest and expertise in the subject matter; and
• experience with complex commercial transactions and/or Other Transaction Authority.

Minimum Requirements:

• Applicants must possess a J.D. degree (MUST include law school transcripts in your application);
• Must be an active member of the Bar (any U.S. jurisdiction - MUST include proof of bar membership in your application); and
• Must have at least five (5) years post-J.D. legal or other relevant experience to qualify for a GS-15 grade level. Must also possess legal or other relevant experience in the area of ethics law.

Specialized Experience Requirements:

To be qualified for this position, the applicant's résumé must reflect experience in a managerial capacity. Typically, experience of this nature is gained at the GS-15 grade level in the Federal service, or its equivalent with state or local government, the private sector, or nongovernmental organizations. As such, your resume must demonstrate that you have the knowledge:

GS-15 - You must have a professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.), plus five (5) years of professional legal experience, at least one of which must be specialized experience at a level of difficulty comparable to the GS-14 level in the Federal service:

Specialized experience is defined as experience identifying and analyzing complex legal issues involved in federal technology transfer law. Expertise is preferred in a broad variety of technology transfer subject areas such as intellectual property, research agreements, international agreements, joint venture partnership agreements, other transaction authority agreements, licenses, confidentiality agreements, inter-agency agreements, memorandums of understanding, and other agreements.

Education

Applicants must possess a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree or equivalent from an accredited law school. Official or unofficial transcripts must be submitted with your application package.

Additional information

This position does not confer non-competitive conversion to the competitive service. Acceptance of an excepted service appointment from applicants in the competitive service will require a written statement of understanding when voluntarily leaving the competitive service.

• 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.
  
  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.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above. Applicants will be rated based on their education, experience, demonstrated legal research and writing abilities, and performance during the interview process. Basis for evaluation: If eligible and meeting basic qualifications, your application package will be evaluated in conjunction with your résumé and supporting documents for the required knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) to successfully perform the duties of this position:

1. Knowledge of research strategies and techniques sufficient to research the most complex legal issues. The issues researched are almost always factually complex and are in areas of the law which are often in a continual state of evolution, thus requiring atypical and innovative research strategies.
2. Ability to communicate, both orally and in writing, with diverse clients and constituencies on varied and complex topics clearly, concisely and persuasively, with particular emphasis on the ability to analyze and explain complex legal issues.
3. Ability to maintain effective working and reporting relationships with professional peers, support staff and management officials.
4. Ability to organize work effectively to meet established deadlines and priorities.

Please be advised that Department of Commerce Attorney positions are in the Excepted Service. As such, these positions are not covered by the usual civil service hiring procedures. You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications stated herein. We will perform an initial review of applications to determine basic eligibility. The Office of the General Counsel favorably considers veterans preference eligibility in hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference are encouraged to include that information in their cover letter or resume. If selected, additional information may be required.

• 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.
  
  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.
• Required Documents
  
  As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.
  
  A complete application consists of the following:
  
  
  • Cover letter. Address demonstrated interests and qualifications as it relates to the position.
  • Resume showing relevant experience. Your resume should list your educational and work experience, including the dates (mm/dd/yyyy) and provide the hours per week, if less than 40. For work in the Federal Service, please include the pay plan and grade level for the position(s).
  • Copy of law school transcript. (Unofficial copy is sufficient, but official copy must be submitted before appointment). You are not required to submit official documents at this time; copies are sufficient.
  • Certificate of bar membership and proof of good standing. Prior to receiving an offer, you will be asked to provide a certificate of bar membership and proof of good standing.
  
  
  Failure to provide documents, if selected, may result in lost consideration.
  
  Please DO NOT put your SSN on pages within your application package. Privacy Act - Privacy Act Notice (PL 93-579): The information requested here is used to determine qualifications for employment and is authorized under Title 5 U.S.C. 3302 and 3361.
  
  
  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.
  
  Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
• How to Apply
  
  INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING RESUMES AND SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
  
  Please send the required documents to nistcounsel@nist.gov with subject line "Attorney-Advisor (Deputy Chief)".
  
  Contact phone number: (202) 482-5384
  
  Contact address:
  
  U.S. Department of Commerce
  
  Office of the General Counsel
  
  Mail Stop 5875
  
  1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington DC 20230
  
  Agency contact information
  
  
  
  Conchita Lawrence
  
  Email
  
  CLawrence@doc.gov
  
  Address
  
  Office of the Secretary
  
  1401 Constitution Ave NW
  
  Washington, DC 20230
  
  US
  
  Next steps
  
  By submitting your application, you are certifying the accuracy of the information contained in your application. If you make a false statement in any part of your application, you may not be hired; you may be terminated after you begin work; or, you may be fined or jailed.
  
  After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation.
  
  You will be required to submit official documentation prior to appointment. The agency will then verify the information provided on your application (i.e., resume, law school degree transcript, writing sample, bar membership, etc.).
• Fair and Transparent
  
  The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
  
  
  • Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
  • Reasonable accommodation policy
  • Financial suitability
  • Selective Service
  • New employee probationary period
  • Signature and false statements
  • Privacy Act
  • Social security number request

Required Documents

A complete application consists of the following:

• Cover letter. Address demonstrated interests and qualifications as it relates to the position.
• Resume showing relevant experience. Your resume should list your educational and work experience, including the dates (mm/dd/yyyy) and provide the hours per week, if less than 40. For work in the Federal Service, please include the pay plan and grade level for the position(s).
• Copy of law school transcript. (Unofficial copy is sufficient, but official copy must be submitted before appointment). You are not required to submit official documents at this time; copies are sufficient.
• Certificate of bar membership and proof of good standing. Prior to receiving an offer, you will be asked to provide a certificate of bar membership and proof of good standing.

Failure to provide documents, if selected, may result in lost consideration.

Please DO NOT put your SSN on pages within your application package. Privacy Act - Privacy Act Notice (PL 93-579): The information requested here is used to determine qualifications for employment and is authorized under Title 5 U.S.C. 3302 and 3361.


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.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING RESUMES AND SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

Please send the required documents to nistcounsel@nist.gov with subject line "Attorney-Advisor (Deputy Chief)".

Contact phone number: (202) 482-5384

Contact address:

U.S. Department of Commerce

Office of the General Counsel

Mail Stop 5875

1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington DC 20230

Agency contact information



Conchita Lawrence

Email

CLawrence@doc.gov

Address

Office of the Secretary

1401 Constitution Ave NW

Washington, DC 20230

US

Next steps

By submitting your application, you are certifying the accuracy of the information contained in your application. If you make a false statement in any part of your application, you may not be hired; you may be terminated after you begin work; or, you may be fined or jailed.

After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation.

You will be required to submit official documentation prior to appointment. The agency will then verify the information provided on your application (i.e., resume, law school degree transcript, writing sample, bar membership, etc.).

Fair & Transparent

The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

• Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
• Reasonable accommodation policy
• Financial suitability
• Selective Service
• New employee probationary period
• Signature and false statements
• Privacy Act
• Social security number request