Duties

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or Commission, is an independent agency that regulates the interstate transmission of natural gas, oil, and electricity. The Commission also regulates natural gas and hydropower projects. As part of our goal, we are seeking highly skilled individuals to assist in carrying out the mission of this agency. Join the team and help solve the challenges of managing today's energy markets and set policy direction for the energy industry at large.

The Commission is looking for an experienced senior level executive to serve as the Associate General Counsel. The Associate General Counsel for Rehearings reports directly to the General Counsel and Deputy General Counsel and is responsible for leading the Rehearings section of the Office of the General Counsel (OGC). The Rehearings section provides the Commission legal services with respect to requests for rehearing of earlier Commission orders issued pursuant to the Commission’s authorizing statutes.

Additional duties as the Associate General Counsel for Rehearings:

• -Oversees the analysis of legal issues in draft orders and memoranda related to wide-ranging matters that may be raised in requests for rehearing of Commission orders issued pursuant to the Commission’s authorizing statutes including but not limited to the Federal Power Act, the Natural Gas Act, the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act, and the Interstate Commerce Act.

• -Contributes to the formulation of legal and policy positions of the Commission on issues involving the Commission's regulatory responsibilities under the Commission’s authorizing statutes.

• -Advises the Chairman and Commissioners, the General Counsel, the Deputy General Counsel, and other Commission senior staff on matters within the expertise of the Rehearings section.

• -Coordinates and cooperates with other sections within OGC and with other Program Offices to implement Commission policy and ensure consistent and legally defensible approach to regulatory policy.

• -Supports the General Counsel and Deputy General Counsel in responding to written and oral inquiries from Congress, other Executive Branch agencies, and other interested parties.

• -In managing the section's processes, monitors, analyzes, measures and evaluates work and administrative processes to ensure effective and efficient operations. Directs section staff so that all processes work effectively within the teaming and collaborative environment set forth for both OGC and Commission operations. Teams, as appropriate, with managers and staff of other OGC sections and other Program Offices to achieve efficient process operations.

• -Promotes, models, and supports the values of the Commission. Ensures that both personal activities and those of subordinate managers and staff adhere to and promote the specified leadership behaviors defined for all Commission leaders. Plans and implements section activities in a strategic fashion to not only accomplish section objectives, but also to meet goals and objectives within an OGC and Commission-wide perspective. Sets direction for the section and sets expectations for all section staff to carry out that direction.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Must meet specialized experience.
• One year probationary period may be required.
• A background investigation is required.
• Must meet mandatory technical and executive core qualifications.
• Proof of current, active bar membership required.
• Possess a J.D. or LL.B. degree from an accredited college or university.
• This position has an education requirement; you must submit transcripts.
• You may be required to divest certain energy-related securities.
• Generally, male applicants must be registered with the Selective Service.

If selected for this position, you will be required to:

• Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) to determine your suitability for Federal employment.
• Have your Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of your choice.
• 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. FERC also participates in the USCIS Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify). For more information about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit: http://www.uscis.gov/e-verify.
• Attend a mandatory ethics training. We are governed by the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) Standards of Conduct, the criminal conflict of interest statutes, and FERC’s supplemental ethics regulation, which specifically prohibits FERC employees from holding certain energy-related securities. To comply with these regulations and statutes, divestiture of these securities may be required after you begin employment. See 5 C.F.R. 2634-41; 18 U.S.C. 201-208; 5 C.F.R. 3401. If selected, you may also be required to file a financial disclosure statement within 30 days of appointment.
• Receive authorization from OPM on any job offer you receive, if you are or were (within the last 5 years) a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch.

Federal agencies may request information regarding the vaccination status of selected applicants for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as protocols related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine. Any information regarding vaccination status will be maintained securely and confidentially.

How You Will Be Evaluated

• Benefits

  A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

  Review our Benefits

  Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

• Required Documents

  As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.

  Please note that if you do not provide all required information by the closing date of the announcement, as specified in this announcement, you will not be considered for this position.

  REQUIRED DOCUMENTS FOR ALL CANDIDATES:

  1.) RESUME: We encourage you use the USAJOBS online Resume Builder to ensure all the essential information is included in your resume. If you decided to submit your own resume, you must ensure it contains the following information for each experience/position:

  • Position title
  • Name of employer
  • Beginning and ending dates of employment (Month/Day/Year format)
  • Hours worked per week
  • Detailed description of job duties, accomplishments, related skills, and responsibilities to include any supervisory/managerial responsibilities and number of staff supervised (if applicable)
  • Series and grade or equivalent (for federal positions)
  • If the position has an education requirement or you are qualifying based on your education, you must list your education history, including the type of degree and your major of study.

  2.) MANDATORY TECHNICAL QUESTIONS: Applicants are required to submit a narrative statement for each Mandatory Technical Qualification (MTQ) listed. Only the MTQ responses in the text boxes provided will be evaluated to determine technical qualifications. When describing your technical qualifications, please give examples and explain how often you used your skills, the complexity of the knowledge you possessed, the level of people you interacted with, the sensitivity of the issues you handled, etc.

  3.) EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS: In order to be considered for the position, applicants are required submit a narrative statement separately addressing each of the five Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ). Each statement should contain at least two examples describing experiences and accomplishments/results specific to that ECQ. As a guideline, 1-2 pages per ECQ is sufficient. Applicants for an initial SES career appointment must clearly demonstrate that they possess the broad executive core qualifications needed to succeed in the SES.

  4.) TRANSCRIPTS (only required when the position has an education requirement, or you are qualifying for the position based on your education): You MUST submit copies of your college transcripts to verify your education. Unofficial copies are acceptable; however, if selected you will be required to provide official transcripts before your effective date.

  5.) SF-50: Current and former Federal employees must submit their most recent SF-50.

  If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

  Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

  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.

• How to Apply

  The FERC Careers site provides detailed instructions on how to apply to our vacancies. For more information visit: https://www.ferc.gov/careers/job-search/how-to-apply.asp.

  Here are a few additional tips:

  • When applying to a FERC vacancy announcement, please remember you must complete and submit your entire application (including your resume, vacancy questionnaire, and any applicable supporting documentation) no later than 11:59 pm Eastern Time (ET) on the vacancy closing date. Please note, it may take you longer to apply to some vacancy announcements than others. Starting your application late on the evening the vacancy closes is not recommended because you might not have enough time to ensure your application is successfully submitted and received.
  • When the specialized experience statement in the vacancy announcement requires experience presenting information to a large audience, your resume should include speeches or presentations you've given.
  • Make sure you verify that your resume clearly indicates possession of the competencies and specialized experience listed under the “Qualifications and Evaluations” and “How You Will Be Evaluated” sections of this announcement.
  • Remember to submit all required and supporting documentation listed under the
    “Required Documents” section of this announcement

  Agency contact information

  Rita Howsare

  Phone

  202-502-8965

  Fax

  000-000-0000

  Email

  Rita.Howsare@ferc.gov

  Address

  FERC
  888 First Street, NE
  Washington, District of Columbia 20426
  United States

  Next steps

  Once your complete application is received we will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications and determine your ranking. The best qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interview. You will be notified of the status of your application up to four times throughout the application process. You may check the status of your application for this position at any time by logging onto the USAJOBS "My Account" tab and clicking on "Application Status." We also recommend you opt to receive status change emails through USAJOBS by logging into "Notification Settings." Please notify us if your contact information changes after the closing date of the announcement. Also, note that if you provide an email address that is inaccurate, or if your mailbox is full or blocked (e.g., spam-blocker), you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.

• Fair and Transparent

  The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

  • Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
  • Reasonable accommodation policy
  • Financial suitability
  • Selective Service
  • New employee probationary period
  • Signature and false statements
  • Privacy Act
  • Social security number request

Required Documents