The Office of the General Counsel of the United States Department of Health
and Human Services (HHS) is seeking to fill several
advisory-attorney
positions (GS 11/12/13/14) for its Ethics Division, which provides
legal
services involving federal criminal conflict of interest statutes,
standards
of ethical conduct regulations, financial disclosure requirements,
procurement integrity provisions, lobbying rules, and Hatch Act
political
activity restrictions.
Ethics Division attorneys work
closely with the White House Counsel’s Office and the Office of Government Ethics
(OGE) in clearing new Presidential appointees in the Senate confirmation
process and also provide, in consultation with state bar authorities, guidance
on legal ethics and professional responsibility issues. Although the
positions will have generalist ethics responsibilities, depending upon staffing needs, the positions may be focused on providing these services to a
principal client agency, such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the
Administration for Children and Families (ACF).
The duty station for the positions may
be at the HHS headquarters in Washington, DC, or at an Ethics
Division satellite office in Silver Spring, MD.
Candidates must have strong writing, oral, and analytical skills and be
adept at working with and advising clients. Knowledge of
federal or state
government ethics law, professional responsibility rules,
political activity
restrictions, procurement integrity, or related subjects is preferred, but
recent law graduates and other attorneys with a strong interest in
the
subject matter will be considered. Knowledge of food and
drug law, or the
legal framework for health and social services programs, will be
considered
a plus.
Salary currently ranges from $63,091 (Grade 11, Step 1) to
$138,136, (Grade 14, Step 10), depending upon experience.
This is an open continuous announcement. The first deadline for application
packages will be April 10, 2014. Review of applications will
begin after
this date. All applications received on or before this date
will receive
first consideration. After this deadline, applications will be considered
as needed on a rolling basis until the vacancies are filled.
To be
considered, applicants must email to OGCEthicsVacancy@hhs.gov
(1) a cover letter summarizing relevant experience; (2) a résumé; (3) a list of three
references; (4) law school transcripts (required only if the
applicant has
graduated within the last five years); and (5) two writing
samples. Those
individuals who are unable to submit materials electronically may
send hard
copies to Elizabeth J. Fischmann, Deputy Associate General
Counsel,
Attention: Linda Conte, Operations Specialist, HHS/OGC/Ethics Division, Room
710-E, Hubert H. Humphrey Building, 200 Independence Ave., SW,
Washington,
DC 20201.
These career positions are in the Excepted Service under a Schedule A
appointment. Applicants must be U.S. citizens. If
selected, an applicant
must submit, prior to appointment, (1) an SF 85P, Questionnaire
for Public
Trust Positions; (2) a copy of the applicant’s state bar card or a
certificate of good standing from all jurisdictions in which the
applicant
holds an active license to practice law; and (3) within thirty (30) days of
entrance on duty, an OGE 450 Confidential Financial Disclosure
Form. HHS is
an equal opportunity employer and a smoke-free
workplace.
