Summary This position is in the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, Policy and Licensing Management Division, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) located in Washington, D.C. RELOCATION EXPENSES WILL NOT BE PAID. THIS VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT MAY BE USED TO FILL ADDITIONAL POSITIONS WITHIN 90 DAYS. Responsibilities Serves as Deputy Chief of the Policy and Licensing Management Division in the Commission’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (Bureau). As the Commission’s primary experts on public safety and homeland security matters, the Bureau’s mission is to put public safety first. The Bureau supports public safety and homeland security by developing and implementing policies, consistent with the FCC’s statutory authority, to promote access to effective, reliable, and secure communications, and by collaborating with government partners responsible for protecting the nation’s communications infrastructure. Portfolio. The Policy and Licensing Management Division develops and administers rules, regulations, and policies to support public safety entities - including law enforcement, fire and emergency medical first responders, Public Safety Answering Points, and emergency operations organizations - to protect the welfare of life and property and to safeguard the nation’s security. The Deputy Chief oversees an inter-disciplinary team comprised of legal and engineering subject matter experts who develop and implement the Commission’s initiatives to strengthen the nation’s 911 and first responder communications systems. The Deputy Division Chief’s core responsibility will be to serve as the Division’s primary manager responsible for the development of recommendations for improving the effectiveness and reliability of the 911 and first responder communications systems to benefit the public. These technically complex systems provide timely and life-saving emergency response to the public that makes communities safer. 911 and first responder systems are used nationwide to improve emergency response such as enhanced location accuracy for 911 calls and texts and routing 911 calls to the most appropriate 911 call center with callback and location information. The Deputy Chief works closely with the Bureau’s Deputy Bureau Chief responsible for 911 and public safety spectrum matters and with senior-level staff within the FCC and other federal agencies to ensure that the Commission’s rules and policies are responsive to the public’s need for effective and reliable 911 and first responder communications. The Deputy Chief’s duties may also include public safety and homeland security projects as directed by the Division Chief, close coordination with the Bureau’s Cybersecurity and Communications Reliability Division and Operations and Emergency Management Division, regular collaborations with FCC Bureau’s and Offices, and maintenance and development of information technology systems. The Deputy Chief supervises Division staff in the expert application and interpretation of administrative law generally and communications law in particular, e.g., the Communications Act, the Administrative Procedure Act, the Paperwork Reduction Act, the Freedom of Information Act, the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the Commission’s rules and decisions and court decisions affecting the Division’s activities. The Deputy Chief ensures that all Division work product under his or her supervision is consistent with applicable statutory and regulatory provisions and court and Commission precedent. He or she, as a first-line reviewer, ensures that staff documents are well-reasoned, legally valid and well-written before they are submitted to the Division Chief or Deputy Bureau Chief, other divisions within the Bureau, and other FCC Bureaus and Offices. Management Functions. The Deputy Chief reports directly to the Division Chief and assists the Division Chief in planning, directing and coordinating Division functions related to communications policy, rules, licensing and other homeland security-related activities that affect the public. The Deputy Chief assists the Division Chief in establishing priorities and strategies for the Division, including Division administration. He or she determines resource requirements, especially for assigned portfolio, and presents those requirements to the Division Chief for fulfillment. The Deputy Chief is responsible for the professional development of staff under his or her supervision. Stakeholder Engagement. The Deputy Chief counsels staff and leaders in other Bureaus and Divisions on public safety issues affecting their operations. He or she reviews and evaluates existing and proposed rules and policies to determine whether they adequately address modern public safety needs. The Deputy Chief serves as a point of contact for the Division’s relationship with federal, state, tribal, territorial, and local governments, emergency management officials, service providers, and industry associations. He or she convenes and participates in meetings with agency staff members, telecommunications industry representatives, trade associations, standards-setting bodies, and public safety stakeholders to discuss and promote public safety and homeland security. Requirements Conditions of Employment FCC Employees Only US Citizenship. Suitable for employment as determined by a background investigation. SF-50 Documenting One Year of Time in Grade Required Bar Membership documentation required upon selection Transcripts required upon selection Financial Disclosure may be required Current FCC employees must provide SF-50 verifying grade & status. Drug Testing Required. To be considered for this position, applicants must: Currently be employed in the Federal Communications Commission in positions serving under career, career conditional, or excepted service (Schedule A appointments under authority 213.3102(d)-Attorneys) appointments. SF-50 Required: ALL FCC EMPLOYEES MUST provide a legible Personnel Action, SF-50, that verifies your status and highest permanently held grade. If an SF-50 is not submitted, the application will be rated as ineligible. To request a copy of your SF-50 please send an email to PersonnelRecordsRequest@fcc.gov Qualifications Applicants must meet eligibility and qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Current Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Professional law experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position and is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. In order to be deemed as "BEST QUALIFIED" candidates must meet both the educational requirements and the specialized experience requirements outlined below. A. Education You must meet the minimum basic educational requirements for Attorney positions. Education requirements include: a professional law degree JD, LL.B., and/or LL.M. If transcripts are not submitted at the time of application, a copy of the transcript must be submitted at the time of selection. AND B. Specialized Experience Applicants must have a minimum of four years of professional law experience, including one year of specialized experience which must be equivalent to at least the GS-14 in the Federal service. For this position, specialized experience includes the following: 1) Supervising and/or managing a multi-functional staff responsible for line/staff functions and activities; (2) Conducting legal research and interpreting law, policy and regulation related to communications, administrative, public safety/homeland security, and/or emergency warning matters; (3) Providing advice to senior officials on complex legal, regulatory, and/or policy matters involving communications, administrative, public safety/homeland security, and/or emergency warning matters; (4) Drafting, reviewing, editing and delivering complex legal and policy documents, briefing materials, technical reports, assessments, plans, and/or proposals; (5) Conducting oral presentations of plans, proposals, legal, and technical analysis to a variety of audiences, including senior leadership; and/or (6) Developing and implementing strategic plans. PART-TIME OR UNPAID EXPERIENCE: Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Education Refer to information outlined under the "Qualifications" subheading. Additional Information EEO Policy Statement Reasonable Accommodation Policy Statement Veterans Information Legal and Regulatory Guidance
