Deputy Section Chief, GS-905-15

National Security Division (NSD)
Office of Intelligence, Operations Section
Attorney
Washington, DC 20530
United States
About the Office: 

The mission of the Office of Intelligence is to protect the nation against terrorism and other threats to national security by providing legal representation and counsel to the U.S. Intelligence Community in support of its operations and by conducting oversight of intelligence activities to ensure adherence to the Constitution and laws of the United States.

The office is part of the Department's National Security Division, which consolidates the Department's primary national security elements and carries out the Department's highest priority of protecting the country against terrorism and other national security threats. The Operations Section in the Office of Intelligence handles a wide range of complex and highly sensitive operational legal matters involving terrorism, counterintelligence, and cyber primarily arising under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), and represents the United States before the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC).

As the federal agency whose mission is to ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans, the Department of Justice is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. To build and retain a workforce that reflects the diverse experiences and perspectives of the American people, we welcome applicants from the many communities, identities, races, ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities, religions, and cultures of the United States who share our commitment to public service.

Job Description: 

The Office of Intelligence (OI) currently is seeking a Deputy Section Chief in OI’s Operations Section.  Deputy Section Chiefs in the Operations Section perform the following major duties:

  • Support and assist the Chief of the Operations Section in the management of the section, including by assuming certain operational and administrative responsibilities and by serving as Acting Chief in the Chief’s absence.
  • Supervise and provide support to the Operations Section’s operational units by providing guidance on operational and administrative matters and by directly supervising one or more unit chiefs in the Operations Section.
  • Ensure effective coordination among the units within the Operations Section, as well as with the Oversight Section and Litigation Section of OI and the Division’s front office.  In addition, ensure effective coordination of the Operations Section’s operational work with other Department components, members of the U.S. Intelligence Community, and other components of the U.S. Government, as needed.
  • Evaluate proposed foreign intelligence collection activities and programs to determine their consistency with U.S. law and policies.
  • Coordinate with U.S. Intelligence Community and law enforcement agencies in order to achieve U.S. intelligence and other national security objectives.  Represent the Division when interacting with other agencies on legal, policy, and operational issues.  Participate in meetings and planning sessions and update Division leadership and staff on pending issues.
  • Assist the Chief of the Operations Section in coordinating operational matters with and providing advice to senior Department and Division leadership, including the Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division and the Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Intelligence.
  • Work closely with the Chief of the Operations Section and the Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Intelligence in providing information to and responding to inquiries from Congressional oversight committees, including participating in oral briefings.
  • Review and provide comments on legislative proposals related to foreign intelligence collection.
  • Review and evaluate Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and coordinate and assist in responding to such requests.
  • Promote and support the Division’s equal employment policies and programs designed to enhance workforce diversity aims.  Demonstrate a firm commitment to applying merit promotion principles in all aspects of hiring, selection, training and development, and employee retention.
Qualifications: 

Applicants must possess a J.D. degree with at least three years of post J.D. experience and be an active member of a bar (any jurisdiction).  Applicants also must have:

  1. Experience implementing FISA and other national security and intelligence-related authorities, as well as experience practicing before the FISC.
  2. Management and leadership abilities.
  3. Strong analytical and legal writing abilities.
  4. Sound judgment and excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
  5. Ability to work collegially to achieve operational goals.
  6. Dedication to the mission of the National Security Division and familiarity with Office of Intelligence procedures and processes.

Deputy Section Chiefs report to the Chief of the Operations Section in the Office of Intelligence.  They are expected to demonstrate independence and judgment in the performance of their duties.

Applicants must be able to qualify for the highest and most sensitive security clearances.

Only U.S. citizens are eligible for employment with the National Security Division.

Salary: 
(GS-15) $148,484 - $176,300 per annum
Travel: 
Occasional travel may be required.
Application Process: 

Please submit a cover letter highlighting your relevant skills and experience.  Please include in your submission a copy of your current resume and a current performance appraisal (if a current performance appraisal is available).  Materials must be sent by email to Operations.DeputySectionChief@usdoj.gov with the subject line “Operations Deputy Section Chief Vacancy.”

  Or submit your completed application package to:

  U.S. Department of Justice
  National Security Division
  950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
  Suite 6150
  Washington, D.C. 20530
  ATTN: Tammy Green/Deputy Section Chief, Operations Section Vacanc

Applicants should familiarize themselves and comply with the relevant rules of professional conduct regarding any possible conflicts of interest in connection with their applications. In particular, please notify this Office if you currently represent clients or adjudicate matters in which this Office is involved and/or you have a family member who is representing clients or adjudicating matters in which this Office is involved so that we can evaluate any potential conflict of interest or disqualification issue that may need to be addressed under those circumstances.

Application Deadline: 
Tuesday, August 2, 2022
Relocation Expenses: 
Relocation expenses are not authorized.
Number of Positions: 
1
Updated July 19, 2022

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Department Policies

Equal Employment Opportunity:  The U.S. Department of Justice is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer.  Except where otherwise provided by law, there will be no discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex - including gender identity, sexual orientation, or pregnancy status - or because of age (over 40), physical or mental disability, protected genetic information, parental status, marital status, political affiliation, or any other non-merit based factor.  The Department of Justice welcomes and encourages applications from persons with physical and mental disabilities. The Department is firmly committed to satisfying its affirmative obligations under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, to ensure that persons with disabilities have every opportunity to be hired and advanced on the basis of merit within the Department of Justice. For more information, please review our full EEO Statement.

Reasonable Accommodations:  This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency.  Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

Outreach and Recruitment for Qualified Applicants with Disabilities:  The Department encourages qualified applicants with disabilities, including individuals with targeted/severe disabilities to apply in response to posted vacancy announcements.  Qualified applicants with targeted/severe disabilities may be eligible for direct hire, non-competitive appointment under Schedule A (5 C.F.R. § 213.3102(u)) hiring authority.  Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to contact one of the Department’s Disability Points of Contact (DPOC) to express an interest in being considered for a position. See list of DPOCs.   

Suitability and Citizenship:  It is the policy of the Department to achieve a drug-free workplace and persons selected for employment will be required to pass a drug test which screens for illegal drug use prior to final appointment.  Employment is also contingent upon the completion and satisfactory adjudication of a background investigation. Congress generally prohibits agencies from employing non-citizens within the United States, except for a few narrow exceptions as set forth in the annual Appropriations Act (see, https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/non-citizens/). Pursuant to DOJ component policies, only U.S. citizens are eligible for employment with the Executive Office for Immigration Review, U.S. Trustee’s Offices, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Unless otherwise indicated in a particular job advertisement, qualifying non-U.S. citizens meeting immigration and appropriations law criteria may apply for employment with other DOJ organizations. However, please be advised that the appointment of non-U.S. citizens is extremely rare; such appointments would be possible only if necessary to accomplish the Department's mission and would be subject to strict security requirements. Applicants who hold dual citizenship in the U.S. and another country will be considered on a case-by-case basis. All DOJ employees are subject to a residency requirement. Candidates must have lived in the United States for at least three of the past five years. The three-year period is cumulative, not necessarily consecutive. Federal or military employees, or dependents of federal or military employees serving overseas, are excepted from this requirement. This is a Department security requirement which is waived only for extreme circumstances and handled on a case-by-case basis.

Veterans:  There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of Justice considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., the DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty and other supporting documentation) to their submissions. Although the "point" system is not used, per se, applicants eligible to claim 10-point preference must submit Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, and submit the supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed (visit the OPM website, www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf for a copy of SF 15, which lists the types of 10-point preferences and the required supporting document(s). Applicants should note that SF 15 requires supporting documentation associated with service- connected disabilities or receipt of nonservice-connected disability pensions to be dated 1991 or later except in the case of service members submitting official statements or retirement orders from a branch of the Armed Forces showing that their retirement was due to a permanent service-connected disability or that they were transferred to the permanent disability retired list (the statement or retirement orders must indicate that the disability is 10% or more).

USAO Residency Requirement:  Assistant United States Attorneys must reside in the district to which appointed or within 25 miles thereof.  See 28 U.S.C. 545 for district specific information.

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This and other vacancy announcements can be found under Attorney Vacancies and Volunteer Legal Internships. The Department of Justice cannot control further dissemination and/or posting of information contained in this vacancy announcement. Such posting and/or dissemination is not an endorsement by the Department of the organization or group disseminating and/or posting the information.