Chief Counsel (US Mint)

About the role

The Chief Counsel serves as the principal legal advisor to the Director of the United States Mint and senior leadership on complex legal, regulatory, policy, and operational matters. The incumbent provides executive leadership of the Mint's legal program, manages legal risk, and ensures compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

The position represents the Mint before Treasury leadership, Congress, oversight entities, and other key stakeholders.

What you will do

• Direct an office responsible for advice and counsel concerning all aspects of the Mint's operations.
• This includes interpreting statutes and regulations and providing advice pertaining to all activities of the Mint, including the manufacture of coins and medals; procurement of supplies and services; construction and maintenance of Mint facilities; Freedom of Information and Privacy Act matters; the Federal Tort Claims Act; and all employment-related matters.
• Perform or oversee the drafting of proposed legislation involving Mint activities, commenting on legislation proposed by other government agencies or members of Congress, and formulating responses to congressional inquiries.
• He/she is also responsible for the drafting of formal Mint regulations and instructions.
• Confer with key officials of the Mint and advise such officials on the legal aspects of all matters arising within the jurisdiction of the Mint.
• From time to time, the incumbent also meets with representatives of other departments, as well as representatives of businesses and private law firms with respect to the interpretation and application of the laws and regulations pertaining to the operations of the Mint.
• The incumbent supervises all employees in the Mint Office of Chief Counsel.

Requirements

• U.S. Citizenship is required.
• Must have graduated from an accredited law school.
• Must be an active member in good standing of the bar of a U.S. state, territory, or the District of Columbia.
• A one-year SES probationary period is required, if not previously completed.
• An initial SES career appointment becomes final only after the individual successfully completes a 1-year probationary period.
• Must successfully complete personnel security vetting (e.g., investigation, evaluation, and adjudication).
• Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency.
• Must have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer.
• 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.
• Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9.
• Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S. File a Public Financial Disclosure Report within 30 days of appointment and annually from then on.
• Disclosure of Political Appointments.
• Veterans' preference is not applicable to the Senior Executive Service.
• All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
• There are three key documents that contain important information about your rights and obligations.
• Please read and retain these documents: Noncriminal Justice Applicant's Privacy Rights, for those who undergo an FBI fingerprint-based criminal history record check for personnel vetting, which includes Rap Back, FD-258 Privacy Act Statement - FBI (this is the same statement used when your fingerprints are submitted as part of your background investigation), and SEAD-3-Reporting-U.pdf (dni.gov), (applicable to those who hold a sensitive position or have eligibility for access to classified information)"

Education

Applicants must possess a first professional law degree (J.D. or LL.B.) from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA).

Applicants must submit copies of both law school and undergraduate transcripts at the time of application.

Unofficial transcripts are acceptable for application purposes; however, official transcripts will be required if selected. A college or university degree generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

For a list of schools which meet these criteria, please refer to Department of Education Accreditation page.

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.

If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. For further information, visit: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov)

How you will be evaluated

Following the close of this announcement, applications will be reviewed in accordance with the process outlined below: Initial Qualification Review: Applications will undergo an initial review by a Human Resources Specialist to determine applicant eligibility and verify that minimum qualification requirements for the position are met.

Qualification Assessment: Applicants who meet eligibility and minimum qualification requirements will be evaluated by a rating and ranking panel to identify those candidates deemed best qualified. This assessment will be based on the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) and Mandatory Technical Qualifications (MTQs) outlined in the Job Opportunity Announcement (JOA).

As required, ECQs and MTQs must be fully addressed within the applicant's two-page resume. Separate narrative statements or supplemental documentation will not be accepted. Referral and Selection: Applicants determined to be among the best qualified will be referred to the selecting official for further consideration.

Referral does not guarantee selection or an interview. Executive Review Board (ERB): Final selection recommendations are subject to approval by the Department of the Treasury's Executive Review Board prior to the extension of a tentative offer.

Qualification Review Board (QRB): Individuals selected for initial career appointment to the Senior Executive Service must receive approval from the Office of Personnel Management's Qualification Review Board. QRB certification is not required for non-competitive candidates, including current or former career SES members and SES Candidate Development Program (CDP) graduates.

Documents you must provide

• A complete application includes items described below.
• Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, you may not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible).
• Please carefully review the following list to determine what documentation you need to submit.
• Some documents may not apply to all applicants.
• RESUME: All applicants are required to submit a resume limited to two (2) pages (i.e., 1 page that is double-sided or 2 pages that are one-sided each) showing all relevant experience.
• Applicants seeking initial career appointment to the Senior Executive Service (SES) must include evidence of the ECQs and TQs.
• VACANCY QUESTION/ASSESSMENT QUESTIONNAIRE RESPONSES: Responses are automatically submitted through USA Jobs when you apply to this vacancy.
• ADDITIONAL REQUIRED DOCUMENTS: Applicants are required to submit the following supporting documentation if applicable: CURRENT OR FORMER SES MEMBERS: Must provide your SES appointment SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action), and an SF-50 showing current career SES status or career SES reinstatement eligibility.
• SES CANDIDATE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (SESCDP) GRADUATES: Verification of successful completion of an OPM-approved SESCDP and OPM SES QRB certification.
• CURRENT OR FORMER FEDERAL CIVIL SERVICE EMPLOYEES: Must provide a copy of your Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50) or equivalent personnel action form reflecting you are a current Federal Civil Service employee.
• EDUCATION DOCUMENTATION: You must submit a copy of your law school transcript(s) with your application to document that you meet the education requirement for this position.
• Unofficial transcript(s) are acceptable at the time of application; however, they must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement.
• If selected, you will be required to provide official transcript(s) before a final job offer can be issued.
• Failure to submit the required transcript(s) by the closing date may result in your application being considered incomplete and you will not receive further consideration.
• PROOF OF ACTIVE BAR STATUS: You must be in good standing and eligible to practice law in state, U.S territory, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
• STRONGLY RECOMMENDED: Most recent performance evaluation.
• Applicants who fail to submit ALL required documents WILL NOT receive consideration for this position.
• Application will result in an "Incomplete" rating.

What to expect next

To verify the status of your application, sign in to your USAJOBS account (***), 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: ***

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated by the Human Resources Office to determine your eligibility for the position. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another notification regarding the status of your application.

Additional information

Veterans' Preference: Veterans' preference is not applicable to the SES.

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy Statement: *** Employment Information Resources - Resource Center: *** OPM must authorize any employment offers made to current or former (within the last 5 years) political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employees 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 in the executive branch, you must disclose that to the Human Resources Office. Reasonable Accommodation Policy: Federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate.

Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process should follow the instructions in the job opportunity announcement. For any part of the remaining hiring process, applicants should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

A reasonable accommodation is any change to a job, the work environment, or the way things are usually done that enables an individual with a disability to apply for a job, perform job duties or receive equal access to job benefits. You can request a reasonable accommodation at any time during the application or hiring process or while on the job.

Requests are considered on a case-by-case basis. Learn more about disability employment and reasonable accommodations or how to contact an agency. Legal and regulatory guidance Financial suitability Social security number request Privacy Act Signature and false statements Selective Service New employee probationary period