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SENIOR OFFICER-SOLICITOR

Securities and Exchange Commission
Office of the General Counsel
This job announcement has closed

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Summary

***The closing date for this job announcement has been extended to August 12, 2024.***

The Solicitor position is in the Office of the General Counsel located in Washington, DC. This position is open to US citizens.

The Securities and Exchange Commission's Solicitor leads the Commission's Appellate Litigation and Bankruptcy Group ("Appellate Group") and serves as a senior advisor to the agency's General Counsel.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
07/17/2024 to 08/12/2024
Salary
$200,988 to - $305,096 per year
Pay scale & grade
SO 1
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Washington, DC
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
2
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
Yes
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
High Risk (HR)
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
Yes
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
24-EX-12471674-DMQ
Control number
800281000

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

This position is open to US Citizens.

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Duties

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At the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), we are committed to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) and value a workforce that reflects the diverse experiences and perspectives of the communities we serve. We thus welcome applications from qualified individuals of all backgrounds who share our commitment to public service.

The Solicitor is the Commission's chief appellate attorney, overseeing all aspects of the agency's litigation involving appeals from district court civil enforcement actions, petitions for review of Commission rulemakings and adjudicative orders, and cases in which the Commission appears as amicus curiae. The Solicitor supervises and manages the Office of the General Counsel's Appellate Group.

The Appellate Group represents the Commission in appellate litigation, including in appeals from district court civil enforcement actions, petitions for review of Commission rulemakings and adjudicative orders in the courts of appeals, and (in conjunction with the Office of the Solicitor General) in cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. In addition, the Appellate Group represents the Commission as amicus curiae in private litigation raising important issues under the federal securities laws. The Appellate Group also provides advice to the Commission, individual Commissioners, and staff in the agency's operating divisions and offices regarding the legal sufficiency and litigation risk of proposed rules and other regulatory and enforcement actions. And the bankruptcy component of the Appellate Group is responsible for overseeing the representation of the Commission in certain significant proceedings under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code.


Typical duties include:

  • Providing strategic litigation advice to the Commission, the General Counsel, and other divisions and offices and leading appellate litigation involving the statutes the Commission administers.
  • Supervising the preparation of briefs and other court filings; supervising attorneys presenting oral arguments in the courts of appeals and other courts in cases involving the Commission; reviewing court opinions and making recommendations on whether to seek further review of adverse decisions.
  • Supervising the preparation of legal interpretations, legal memoranda, and other advice for the Commission with respect to difficult, complex, and/or novel legal problems arising in litigation concerning the federal securities laws and applicable other areas of law, such as administrative law.
  • Establishing and maintaining close cooperative working relationships with the Office of the Chair, other Commissioners' offices, and senior leadership of the Commission's other divisions and offices to advance the Commission's programs and objectives.
  • Developing and maintaining cooperative working relationships with leaders throughout the federal government, including in the Office of the Solicitor General, other divisions and offices in the Department of Justice, and other federal civil enforcement agencies to advance the Commission's objectives and coordinate responses in matters of government-wide interest.
  • Managing and directing supervisors within the Appellate Group, and planning, organizing, and managing work production to meet deadlines and maintain quality.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must possess a J.D. or LL.B Degree.
  • You must be an active member of the bar in good standing.
  • CITIZENSHIP: This position is open to US Citizens.
  • Application procedures are specific to this vacancy announcement. Please read all the instructions carefully. Failure to follow the instructions may result in you not being considered for this position.
  • Supplementary vacancies may be filled in addition to the number stated in this announcement.
  • This position has promotion potential to the SO-02 level.
  • TRIAL PERIOD: This appointment may require completion of a two-year supervisory/managerial trial period.
  • 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.
  • This position is not in the collective bargaining unit.
  • For consideration at the SO-2 level, you must currently hold a SO-2 position within the SEC.
  • This position is eligible to request telework in accordance with the SEC 's telework policy.

Qualifications

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

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.

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.

SO-01: Applicant must have at least four years of post J.D. work experience identifying legal issues, conducting legal research, providing legal analyses, providing legal solutions/recommendations, and preparing legal documents, such as legal opinions, briefs, memoranda, or motions, which also includes at least three years of specialized experience:
  1. Conducting federal appellate litigation by drafting briefs and presenting oral arguments in cases involving the U.S. Constitution, federal securities laws, and federal administrative law;
  2. Providing legal advice to federal agency leaders and/or private sector leaders, including producing legal memoranda and providing oral presentations on complex questions of law involving the federal securities laws, the rules and regulations thereunder, and administrative law; AND
  3. Managing a diverse workload in a high-pressure environment, while leading or providing guidance and direction to subordinate staff.

Education

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 and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

Official Transcripts will be required at the time of appointment to verify educational eligibility.

Additional information

SEC COMPENSATION PROGRAM: The overall salary range listed above is provided for informational purposes as it represents the full range that is applicable to current employees in this occupation/grade; however, a selectee's initial pay is always set below the maximum rate of the range. Please click here for additional information.

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 for disability to participate in the application process at the SEC, submit the form for Reasonable Accommodation for Participation in Job Application Process here. 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, sex (not limited to conduct which is sexual in nature, includes pregnancy, gender identity, sexual orientation, transgender status), age (40 and over), religion, national origin, disability, genetic information, retaliation for participating in the EEO process or opposing discrimination. 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 ElliottT@sec.gov.

How you will be evaluated

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

Your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed on this announcement. If you are basically qualified for this job, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses on the Occupational Questionnaire. All applicants may provide narrative responses (500 words or less per question) addressing the executive (core) and technical qualifications. After the announcement closing date, you will receive an email asking you to respond to the core and technical qualifications. You must provide your responses within the established deadline.

Based on the information provided in the narrative responses and resume, a rating panel will rate/rank candidates and place them in the following quality category groupings:

  • Highly Qualified: indicates that the candidate meets the criteria to an extent predictive of outstanding performance of the related duties.
  • Well Qualified: indicates that the candidate meets the criteria to an extent predictive of excellent performance of the related duties.
  • Qualified: indicates that the candidate meets the criteria to an extent predictive of fully successful performance of the related duties.
You will be rated on the following Executive Core/Technical Qualifications:

Core Qualifications:
  1. Management Experience: Experience designing and implementing strategies which maximize employee potential and foster high ethical standards in meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals.
  2. Leading Change/Achieving Results: Experience developing and implementing an organizational vision which integrates key national and program goals, priorities, values, and other factors of that organization. Examples should include experience implementing change in their organization, exercising leadership and motivating managers to incorporate vision and strategic planning into the process.
  3. Building Coalitions/Communications: Experience explaining, advocating, and expressing facts and ideas (both orally and in writing) in a convincing manner. Experience working with the press, political appointees, Congress, and other high-level organizations and staff on various types of important national issues. Experience includes working in groups and teams conducting briefings with outside groups and gaining cooperation from others to obtain information and accomplish goals.
Technical Qualifications:
  1. Experience drafting briefs and presenting oral arguments in cases raising complex or novel constitutional or statutory issues and supervising other attorneys in the performance of those functions.
  2. Experience interpreting and applying the U.S. Constitution and federal statutes, rules, and regulations, including the federal securities laws and the Administrative Procedure Act.
  3. Experience working with other leaders in a federal agency or large organization to develop strategies to achieve the organization's objectives.
The Assessment Questionnaire will take you approximately 20 minutes to complete. To preview the Assessment Questionnaire, click the following linkhttps://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12471674

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