Counsel to the Inspector General

Summary

This position is located in the Office of Legal Services (OLS) within the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (OIG). OLS provides legal advice and covering the full range of activities within the OIG, including investigations, audits, inspections, and evaluations. The office also advises on the Freedom of Information Act, Privacy Act of 1974, records management, congressional reports, Controlled Unclassified Information, the government ethics program and employee conduct.

Duties

Serves as the Counsel to the Inspector General. At the request of the Inspector General, serves as a representative of OIG before Federal agencies, councils, state and local governments, and other organizations. and provides authoritative legal representation for the Inspector General. Speaks for the Inspector General on legal opinions concerning all OIG related issues. Primary source for legal advice in the OIG. Directs the review and analysis of new laws and regulations affecting the IG Act and its amendments. Directs the formulation of policies resulting from new laws, regulations, the setting of precedents, and the continual analysis of the IG Act and its amendments. Responsible for interpretations and evaluations, often without legal precedent. Provides litigation support. Directs the legal program of the OIG. Activities of the legal staff include: the management of Freedom of Information Act, Privacy Act and Ethics; provision of litigation support services to the Department of Justice; representation of OIG employees in civil and administrative proceedings. Coordinates with representatives from the Department of Labor, Office of the Solicitor, Department of Justice, etc. Manages and directs the full range of professional legal services through a staff of attorneys. Manages and directs a legal program which provides expert and independent legal counsel to the Inspector General and staff both in the national and regional/field offices.

Qualifications and evaluation

Your application will be evaluated based on your 2-page resume and how well it demonstrates the required qualifications. Your resume must clearly substantiate the ECQs and TQs; if it does not, your application will be deemed ineligible. Current/Former Career SES or SES Candidate Development graduates who have been certified by OPM must submit a Standard Form 50 that documents your SES Career appointment or a copy of your OPM approved SES Candidate Development Program certificate. 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 https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/senior-executive-service/.

Education

BASIC REQUIREMENT: Applicants must possess a professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D) from an American Bar Association (ABA) accredited law school AND be an active member in good standing of the bar of a court of general jurisdiction of a state, territory or possession of the U.S., District of Columbia, or Puerto Rico. You must submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent and proof of bar certification. An official transcript will be required if you are 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 to apply

To apply for this position, you must complete this application and submit any required documents specified in the Required Documents section and submit by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application. Follow the prompts to select and upload your resume and/or other required documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the "Include Personal Information" section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process. You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application. It is applicant's responsibility to verify that information entered and uploaded, (i.e., resume and other required documents) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Human Resources will not modify or change any part of your application. Application packages will NOT be accepted via mail.

Required documents

Thoroughly review the following list to determine the documentation you need to submit. Your application and ALL required supplemental documents MUST be received by 11:59 pm Eastern Time (ET) on the vacancy closing date (08/14/2026) to receive consideration. If you fail to submit the required documentation before the announcement closes, you will be rated ineligible. 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. 1. 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. PLEASE DO NOT USE USAJOBS RESUME BUILDER. 2. TRANSCRIPTS: You must submit academic transcripts demonstrating that you meet the qualifying educational requirements. NOTE: The OFFICIAL Transcript(s) MUST BE RECEIVED, if you are selected, and prior to receiving the firm offer with a start date. 3. BAR CERTIFICATION: You will be required to submit documentation verifying that you are an active member of the Bar in Good Standing of any State, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, or any Territorial Court under the U.S. Constitution. 4. 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 FEDERAL CIVIL SERVICE EMPLOYEE: 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. STRONGLY RECOMMENDED: Most recent performance evaluation

Additional information

Applicants must meet all legal and regulatory requirements. Reference the "Required Documents" section for additional requirements. DOL seeks to attract and retain a high-performing workforce in which employee differences are respected and valued to better meet the varying needs of the customers we serve. DOL fosters a work environment that promotes collaboration, flexibility, and fairness so that all individuals are able to participate and contribute to their full potential. Position designation: This position is designated as SES Career Reserved. Veterans Preference: Veterans' preference is not applicable to the SES. 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. Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy Statement: http://www.eeoc.gov/federal/index.cfm Employment Information Resources - Resource Center: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to 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. Refer to these links for more information: GENERAL INFORMATION, ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION, FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES As a condition of employment, all personnel must undergo a background investigation for access to DOL facilities, systems, information and/or classified materials before they can enter on duty: BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION The Fair Chance Act (FCA) prohibits Federal agencies from requesting an applicant's criminal history information before the agency makes a conditional offer of employment. If you believe a DOL employee has violated your rights under the FCA, you may file a complaint of the alleged violation following our agency's complaint process Guidelines for Reporting Violations of the Fair Chance Act. Note: The FCA does not apply to some positions specified under the Act, such as law enforcement or national security positions. All applicants tentatively selected for this position will be required to submit to screening for illegal drug use prior to the appointment. All Department of Labor employees are subject to the provisions of the Drug-Free Workplace Program under Executive Order 12564 and Public Law 100-71.