This position is located in the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet), which is an independent authority housed within the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) of the U.S. Department of Commerce. FirstNet is responsible for building, deploying, operating, maintaining, and enhancing a nationwide, interoperable public safety broadband network. The Chief Counsel, FirstNet leads the legal office that directly supports FirstNet's programmatic activities.

Duties

The Chief Counsel provides legal advice to the FirstNet Authority Board, the FirstNet Authority Executive Director, FirstNet Authority Senior Management, the Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information, and the Secretary of Commerce regarding the FirstNet Authority's programmatic activities. The Chief Counsel reports to the General Counsel of the Department of Commerce as the Department's Chief Legal Officer with respect to all legal matters. The Chief Counsel coordinates on FirstNet Authority legal matters across the Department's Office of General Counsel and serves as the FirstNet Authority's liaison with other legal offices within the Federal Government. Specific responsibilities include: Advise and collaborate with the FirstNet Authority Executive Director, Senior Management team, and the Board on legal and policy matters to contribute to the formulation and execution of strategy for the overall organization; Represent the FirstNet Authority to outside entities and articulates FirstNet Authority actions and decision making in light of applicable statutes, regulations, guidelines, policies, directives, charters, and agreements; Manage an office of attorneys and subject matter experts and oversee coordination between the Office of Chief Counsel and the Department's Office of General Counsel; Analyze legal and policy options and risks and communicate effectively with the Board and Senior Management team to identify ways for the FirstNet Authority to achieve its objectives; Draft legal memoranda and documents (e.g., spectrum leases, Board resolutions, memoranda of understanding, and regulatory filings) on behalf of the FirstNet Authority; Interpret legal authorities including statutes, Executive Orders, administrative rulings, and other directives, and provide advice and input on legislative and regulatory proposals in coordination with the Department's Office of General Counsel to ensure they advance the FirstNet Authority's mission and goals; Prepare or review orders, notices, rules, and regulations for publication, including notices in the Federal Register and announcements posted on regulations.gov to be issued by the FirstNet Authority, and examine legal instruments associated with FirstNet Authority programmatic activities; Develop and implement a comprehensive legal compliance program for the FirstNet Authority, examine audits reports from the Department's Office of Inspector General and the Government Accountability Office regarding FirstNet Authority activities and operations, and coordinate the FirstNet Authority's response to audit findings; Coordinate with the Department's Office of General Counsel and the U.S. Department of Justice regarding litigation matters; Oversee the policy development, review and update process to ensure all FirstNet Authority policies are properly maintained and support the overall legal compliance of the FirstNet Authority; and Ensure FirstNet Authority program compliance with all relevant spectrum management and environmental and historic preservation requirements.

Requirements

Qualifications

All candidates for SES positions with the Federal Government must demonstrate leadership experience indicative of senior executive level management capability. To meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position, your resume should demonstrate that you possess the five Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs), and the Professional Technical Qualifications (PTQ's), listed below. It is recommended that your resume emphasize levels of responsibility, scope and complexity of programs managed, and program accomplishments and results. Typically, experience of this nature will have been gained at or above the equivalent of the GS-15 grade level in the Federal service or its equivalent with state and local government, the private sector, or non-governmental organizations. Failure to meet all executive and technical qualification factors will automatically exclude you from further consideration. Executive Core Qualifications: The following are the five ECQs and their competencies. The ECQs were developed to assess executive experience and potential, not to evaluate technical experience. ECQs measure whether an individual has the broad experience needed to succeed in a variety of SES positions. ECQ 1 - LEADING CHANGE: This core qualification involves the ability to bring about strategic change, both within and outside the organization, to meet organizational goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to establish an organizational vision and to implement it in a continuously changing environment. (Competencies: creativity and innovation, external awareness, flexibility, resilience, strategic thinking, vision). ECQ 2 - LEADING PEOPLE: This core qualification involves the ability to lead people toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to provide an inclusive workplace that fosters the development of others, facilitates cooperation and teamwork, and supports constructive resolution of conflicts.(Competencies: conflict management, leveraging diversity, developing others, team building). ECQ 3 - RESULTS DRIVEN: This core qualification involves the ability to meet organizational goals and customer expectations. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to make decisions that produce high-quality results by applying technical knowledge, analyzing problems, and calculating risks. (Competencies: accountability, customer service, decisiveness, entrepreneurship, problem solving, technical credibility). ECQ 4 - BUSINESS ACUMEN: This core qualification involves the ability to manage human, financial, and information resources strategically.(Competencies: financial management, human capital management, technology management). ECQ 5 - BUILDING COALITIONS: This core qualification involves the ability to build coalitions internally and with other Federal agencies, State and local governments, nonprofit and private sector organizations, foreign governments, or international organizations to achieve common goals. (Competencies: partnering, political savvy, influencing/negotiating). For detailed guidance on ECQs, applicants are strongly encouraged to review the Office of Personnel Management's Guide to Executive Qualifications at http://www.opm.gov/ses/recruitment/ecq.asp Example of ECQ statements are available at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/senior-executive-service/reference-materials/guidetosesquals_2012.pdf Professional/Technical Qualifications: Demonstrated ability to plan, implement, and supervise the work of a legal office, effectively interpreting existing or proposed statutes, regulations, directives and other policy instruments in at least one of the following areas: telecommunications, public safety, emergency response, or commercial law. Demonstrated knowledge of and experience in researching, negotiating, and/or managing complex multi-year agreements in a corporate or government environment. Demonstrated ability to establish or maintain a policy development, review and update process in a corporate or government environment. IF SELECTED, you will be required to complete an ECQ package by drafting narratives for each of the ECQs and be certified by an OPM Qualifications Review Board (QRB) in order to be placed in this position. If you are currently serving in a career SES appointment, are eligible for reinstatement into the SES, or have successfully completed an SES Candidate Development Program and your ECQs were certified by an OPM QRB, you WILL NOT need to draft the ECQs.

Education

A professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.) from an accredited law school, Law School transcript required AND active membership of the bar in good standing in any state, territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Contacts

• Address First Responder Network Authority 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive M/S 243 Reston, VA 20192 US
• Name: Nicole McFadden
• Phone: 202-809-7468
• Email: [email protected]