Chief Counsel for Enforcement

As the Chief Counsel for Enforcement for the Consumer Product Safety Commission, you will be leading teams in the Washington, DC area and across the Nation who are dedicated to saving lives and keeping families safe from hazardous consumer products. In your role as a senior executive, you will have the opportunity to contribute to CPSC's life-saving mission through your legal expertise and experience and exceptional leadership and management skills.

A recruitment incentive may be authorized.

Basic Requirement: All applicants must possess a J.D. or LL.B. degree and be an active member of the bar in good standing in any state, territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the commonwealth of Puerto Rico. In addition to basic requirement and qualifying specialized experience, applicants must have a minimum of five years (ten years preferred) of experience as a practicing attorney (post bar admission). All applicants are required to provide proof of current, active bar membership/good standing.

You MUST provide transcripts to support your educational claims. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable during the application process. Official transcripts will be required upon appointment.

All materials must be submitted by the closing date of this announcement.

All education claimed by applicants will be verified.

This highly visible and consequential position is responsible for directing the development, planning, and execution of Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC's) enforcement activities and improving the efficiency, quality, and timeliness of delivering consumer product safety for consumers. The incumbent manages, and as necessary, adjusts and establishes systems to ensure consumer product hazard issues are prevented and/or resolved on a timely basis. Critical to success in the role is the ability to lead the enforcement team in the identification of, and the Commission's response to consumer product hazards, while managing enforcement operational costs and workflow, and improving resource utilization, timely completion of internal projects, and the efficiency and effectiveness of the enforcement effort.

The position is officially titled Assistant Executive Director (AED) for the Office of Compliance and Field Operations. The working/organizational title is Chief Counsel for Enforcement (CCE). As the CCE, the incumbent is the chief officer responsible for organizing, staffing, coordinating, and managing the day-to-day, substantive enforcement efforts of the Commission, which includes, among other things, identifying consumer product hazards, negotiating voluntary product recalls, providing public notice to consumers of product hazards and, where necessary, pursuing litigation to obtain mandatory product recalls. The CCE establishes and evaluates operational policies, makes decisions on programs and specific matters, establishes priorities, and allocates resources, all in furtherance of the Commission's consumer product safety efforts. The CCE reports directly to the Deputy Executive Director for Safety Operations. Specific activities associated with this position include:

1. Managing and coordinating the work of the subordinate Deputy AED and Division Directors;
2. Conducting the Commission’s enforcement and field operations activities;
3. Conducting case development and supporting litigation efforts to obtain effective and meaningful corrective actions;
4. Providing guidance to regulated industries on how to comply with all CPSC-administered laws and regulations;
5. Promoting industry compliance with existing safety requirements;
6. Reviewing proposed standards and rules with regard to their enforceability;
7. Identifying and acting promptly on safety hazards in consumer products already in distribution;
8. Conducting civil penalty investigations of companies that have committed prohibited acts, including failure to report products that could present possible substantial product hazards;
9. Working closely with the Office of Import Surveillance and the Office of Risk Reduction to advance consumer product safety programs and enforcement.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution. Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin.

To meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position, you must show that you possess the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) and Technical Qualifications (TQs) related to this position within your resume - NOT TO EXCEED 2 PAGES. Resumes over the 2-page limit, will not be reviewed beyond page 2 or may be disqualified. Your resume should include examples of experience, education, and accomplishments applicable to the qualification(s). If your resume does not reflect demonstrated evidence of these qualifications, you may not receive consideration for the position.

There is NO requirement to prepare a narrative statement specifically addressing the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) or the Technical Qualifications (TQs).

TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS (TQs): Your resume should demonstrate accomplishments that would satisfy the technical qualifications.

1. Knowledge of investigation and enforcement principles sufficient to lead, direct, and supervise a large, multi-disciplinary organization charged with: 1) investigations of consumer product hazards, 2) handling of violations of mandatory standards, 3) development of corrective action programs, and 4) civil penalty investigations.
2. Ability to conduct successful negotiations to obtain corrective actions with major manufacturers, importers, manufacturers, retailers, distributers, and their counsel.
3. Ability to frame and supervise administrative adjudications to enforce consumer product safety laws and regulations.
4. Ability to apply the laws administered by the CPSC to the facts of individual cases, the ability to communicate and teach this skill to subordinates, the ability to communicate with and represent senior CPSC leadership with high level government and non-government officials, stakeholders and firms about their responsibilities under the statutes administered by the Commission.

EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS (ECQs): In addition to the Technical Qualification Requirements listed above, all new entrants into the Senior Executive Service (SES) under a career appointment will be assessed for executive competency against the following five mandatory ECQs. If your 2-page resume does not reflect demonstrated evidence of the ECQs and TQs, you may not receive further consideration for the position.

There are five ECQs:

• ECQ 1: Commitment to the Rule of Law and the Principles of the American Founding – This core qualification requires a demonstrated knowledge of the American system of government, commitment to uphold the Constitution and the rule of law, and commitment to serve the American people.
• ECQ 2: Driving Efficiency -This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to strategically and efficiently manage resources, budget effectively, cut wasteful spending, and pursue efficiency through process and technological upgrades.
• ECQ 3: Merit and Competence - This core qualification involves the demonstrated knowledge, ability and technical competence to effectively and reliably produce work that is of exceptional quality.
• ECQ 4: Leading People - This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to lead and inspire a group toward meeting the organization’s vision, mission, and goals, and to drive a high-performance, high-accountability culture. This includes, when necessary, the ability to lead people through change and to hold individuals accountable.
• ECQ 5: Achieving Results - This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to achieve both individual and organizational results, and to align results to stated goals from superiors.

Note: If you are a member of the SES or have been certified through successful participation in an OPM approved SES Candidate Development Program (SESCDP), or have SES reinstatement eligibility, you do not need to respond to the ECQs. Instead, you should attach proof (e.g., SF-50, Certification by OPM’s SES Qualifications Review Board (QRB)) of your eligibility for noncompetitive appointment to the SES.