General Counsel

Summary

NEH is a grant-making agency of the government dedicated to supporting research, education, preservation, and public programs in the humanities.

Duties

The General Counsel serves Counselor to the Chairman and senior policy advisor responsible for rendering advice to the Chairman, Senior Deputy Chairman, management and staff of NEH. The General Counsel interprets NEH's enabling legislation, conflicts of interests and ethics questions, constitutional issues, appropriations law, civil rights law, administrative law, contracts law, laws relating to grant-making and grant management, and other matters. Major duties include: Serve as the chief legal advisor to NEH leadership, shaping agency policy and strategy. Represent NEH at the highest levels in legal negotiations and external relations. Provide executive oversight of ethics, FOIA, and advisory committee programs. Direct the drafting, review, and approval of critical legal documents and agreements. Lead and develop the Office of General Counsel, managing attorneys and professional staff. Engage with senior federal and private sector stakeholders on complex legal and legislative matters.

Qualifications and evaluation

Your application will be evaluated and rated under the SES Merit Staffing Selection Procedures. We will review your resume and supporting documentation and compare this information to your responses to determine if you meet the qualifications for this position. You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above. All applicants must submit a two-page resume (not to exceed two-pages) which reflects demonstrated experience for each Executive Core Qualification (ECQ) and Technical Qualification (TQ). Failure to submit a two-page resume WILL DISQUALIFY YOU FROM FURTHER CONSIDERATION. As a result, you will be rated as "INCOMPLETE". 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 ECQs and TQs listed above. ECQs and TQs must be thoroughly addressed within your two (2) page resume. Separate narratives will not be accepted or reviewed. Applicants will be evaluated on the quality and extent of their total accomplishments, experience, the ECQs, and the TQs. Highly Qualified applicants may undergo one or more structured 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

Applicants must possess a LL.B. or a J.D. degree. Licensure: Applicants must be an active member of the bar, duly licensed and authorized to practice law as an attorney under the laws of a U.S. state, territory, Puerto Rico or the District of Columbia (include the date of your admission to the bar).

How to apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 10/13/2026 to receive consideration. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire. Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package. It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date. To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete. Only send documentation as requested/required by this announcement and that directly supports your qualifications for this position. 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.

Required documents

Resume SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action Proof of Bar Membership Transcript(s) The following are highly recommended: A copy of your most recent annual performance appraisal (from either the Federal or private sector). Please remove your social security number. A cover letter. (In your cover letter, please describe what appeals to you about the NEH's mission and how your skills and experience would make you an ideal candidate.

Additional information

1. If you are a male applicant who was born after 12/31/59 and are required to register under the Military Selective Service Act, the Defense Authorization Act of 1986 requires that you be registered or you are not eligible for appointment in this agency. 2. All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. 3. This position required a 1-year probationary period for initial SES appointment. 4. Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) must be submitted to verify federal status. 5. Additional information on the Executive Core Qualifications is available at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/senior-executive-service/executive-core-qualifications/