Principal Deputy Chief Counsel

About the role

This position is located in the Office of the Chief Counsel (OCC). OCC provides quality, timely, relevant, and solutions-oriented legal counsel and support to CISA officials and program offices charged with leading the National effort to understand and manage cyber and physical risks to our critical infrastructure.

What you will do

• Under the general direction of the Chief Counsel for OCC and Office of the General Counsel leadership, providing legal advice and guidance to CISA and DHS leadership including, but not limited to, the CISA Director, Deputy Director and Executive Director, the DHS General Counsel, Principal Deputy General Counsel, Deputy General Counsel, and other senior DHS officials in the exercise of their responsibilities and authorities under the Homeland Security Act of 2002, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Act of 2018, Executive Orders, and other related authorities necessary for DHS to carry out its complex mission.
• Making recommendations on overall CISA programs and initiatives and representing OCC at various Departmental, Agency, and interagency meetings and negotiations, as well as with Congressional staff, State, Local, Tribal, Territorial, and private sector representatives.
• Directing research and analysis on a wide variety of court decisions, legislation, regulations and policies, and provides legal counsel in the development, negotiation, and execution of memoranda of agreement and understanding for international and interagency projects in support of the DHS and CISA mission.
• Establishing, leading, and managing comprehensive strategic and long-range planning processes to foster the effective management of DHS and CISA resources to achieve stated goals, enhance program support, and improve customer service standards.
• Assesses the legal issues raised by new and proposed DHS and CISA policies pertaining to cybersecurity and infrastructure security.
• Ensuring CISA OCC actively supports and advances the goal of a unified Office of the General Counsel, of which CISA OCC is a part.

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. citizen.
• Selective Service - Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service see *** All Federal employees are required to participate in Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer for salary payments.
• DHS uses e-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States.
• Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities.
• This position has been identified as a drug testing designated position (TDP) for purposes of the CISA's Drug-Free Workplace Program.
• All applicants tentatively selected for this position will be required to submit to a drug test to screen for illicit/illegal drug use prior to receiving a final offer of employment.
• A final offer of employment is contingent upon a negative drug test result.
• After appointment, you may be subject to periodic random drug testing.
• You must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance suitable for Federal employment as determined by a background investigation.
• This may include a credit check, a review of financial issues, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs.
• One-year SES probationary period may be required.
• This position may be designated as essential personnel.
• Essential personnel must be able to serve during continuity of operation events without regard to declarations of liberal leave or government closures due to weather, protests, and acts of terrorism or lack of funding.
• Failure to report for or remain in this position may result in disciplinary or adverse action in accordance with applicable laws, rules, and regulations (5 U.S.C.
• 7501-7533 and 5 CFR Part 752, as applicable).
• You are required to file an Executive Branch Personnel Public Financial Disclosure Report (OGE-278) upon entering the position, as well as annually.
• You must possess a professional law degree, e.g., J.D. or LL.B., acquired through graduation from an accredited school of law.
• You must be an active member in good standing of the Bar of a state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States.

Education

You must possess a professional law degree (e.g., J.D., LLB.) acquired through graduation from a School of Law accredited by the American Bar Association, and be a member in good standing of the Bar of a state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States.

You must submit documentation supporting that you meet this qualification when applying to this job opportunity announcement.

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education for it to be credited toward qualifications. Applicants' resumes and supporting documentation should reflect only education received from schools accredited by such institutions.

Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: ***

If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must submit a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency, which is a U.S. private organization's interpretation that such education has been deemed at least equivalent to conventional U.S. education programs, with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education.

For more information regarding evaluation of foreign education for federal employment, please visit the U.S. Department of Education webpage.

How you will be evaluated

Veterans' Preference: Veterans' preference is not applicable to the SES. Once the application process is complete, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be conducted.

If you meet minimum qualifications, your Application Package will be further reviewed to determine if you possess the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ) and Technical Qualifications (MTQ) listed above. ECQs and TQs must be thoroughly addressed within your two (2) page resume. Separate narratives will not be accepted or reviewed.

Highly Qualified applicants may undergo one or more interviews and may be referred to the selecting official for further consideration.

Upon selection, if not already a member of the SES serving under a career appointment, the individual selected must have his/her executive qualifications certified by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's SES Qualifications Review Board (QRB) before appointment to this position.

The selected individual's application will be forwarded to the OPM for review and certification by the QRB, unless the selectee provides evidence of their noncompetitive status (i.e., a current SES, OPM QRB certified SESCDP graduate, or SES reinstatement eligible). Upon QRB certification, the selected individual will be required to serve a one-year probationary period.

For more information regarding the SES, go to ***

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 with dates specified in month and year and hours worked per week.
• The USAJOBS database will not allow an applicant to submit an application that includes a resume over two pages.
• For Federal civilian service, you MUST include your series and grade.
• Applicants seeking initial career appointment to the Senior Executive Service (SES) must include evidence of the ECQs and TQs.
• PLEASE DO NOT USE USAJOBS RESUME BUILDER.
• Do NOT include photographs, social media links (e.g., LinkedIn, GitHub), inappropriate content, or other personal or sensitive information such as date of birth, social security number, gender, religious affiliation.
• IF INCLUDED YOUR RESUME WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.
• OTHER SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS (only submit if applicable): CURRENT OR FORMER SES MEMBERS: Submit a copy of your SES appointment SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, and an SF-50 which indicates your current career SES status or career SES reinstatement eligibility.
• SES CANDIDATE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (SESCDP) GRADUATES: Submit a copy of your verification of successful completion of an OPM-approved SESCDP and OPM SES QRB certification.
• CURRENT OR FORMER FEDERAL CIVILIAN EMPLOYEE: Submit a copy of your most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action which indicates the Federal status, grade, tenure code, and type of service.
• PERFORMANCE EVALUATION (STRONGLY RECOMMENDED): Submit a copy of your most recent performance evaluation.
• CURRENT OR FORMER POLITICAL SCHEDULE A, SCHEDULE C, NON-CAREER SES OR PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTEE EMPLOYEE: Submit a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information regarding your most recent political appointment: Position title; Type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee); Agency; AND Beginning and ending dates of appointment.
• You must possess a professional law degree, e.g., J.D. or LL.B., acquired through graduation from an accredited school of law, and be a member in good standing of the bar of a state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States.
• You must submit documentation supporting that you meet this qualification when applying to this job opportunity announcement.

What to expect next

We will conduct a qualifications evaluation of applicants who supply all requested material. Qualified applicants will be rated and ranked by a panel. Best qualified candidates will be referred to the selecting official for further consideration and possible interview.

You will be notified of the outcome after completion of the selection process.

Any offers of employment made pursuant to this announcement will be consistent with all applicable authorities, including Presidential Memoranda, Executive Orders, interpretive U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance, and Office of Management and Budget plans and policies concerning hiring.

These authorities are subject to change. Notice to Applicants - The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is subject to the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act of 2019.

Unless excluded by law, all CISA hiring officials and agency representatives are statutorily prohibited from asking applicants to disclose their criminal history record information prior to receiving a conditional offer of employment.

Applicants may submit a complaint, or any other information, to the CISA Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer Human Capital Policy and Programs Subdivision at email *** within 30 calendar days of the date of the alleged non-compliance by a CISA hiring manager or agency representative.

Thank you for your interest in the Department of Homeland Security, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency!

Additional information

Other incentives may be authorized. 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, prior to entry on duty.

False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment. Mobility: Organizational and geographical mobility is essential in developing and managing SES leaders.

Individuals selected for SES positions members may be subject to reassignment across geographical, organizational, and functional lines, and may be required to sign a Reassignment Rights and Obligation Agreement. A one-year SES probationary period may be required during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest.

We may consider your performance and conduct, the needs and interests of the agency, whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government, and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. 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) Reasonable Accommodation Requests: This agency provides reasonable accommodation to otherwise qualified applicants and employees with a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, unless to do so would create an undue hardship to the agency (29 CFR 1614.203 (2017)).

If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, contact the CISA Office of Privacy, Access, Civil Liberties, and Transparency (PACT) by sending an email to *** with the subject line, "Reasonable Accommodation Request @ CISA." In the email itself, you must include your name, vacancy announcement number(s), and state your intent to seek a reasonable accommodation.

Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis. For more information or inquiries, please contact the CISA Reasonable Accommodation Program at ***.

Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees.

If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.