Lead Trial Attorney (Assistant Deputy Chief, MIMF Unit)

Criminal Division (CRM)
Fraud Section
Attorney
Washington, DC 20005
United States
21-CRM-FRD-055
About the Office: 

The Fraud Section is composed of litigating units that investigate and prosecute complex white-collar criminal cases across the country, and has responsibility for implementing and coordinating the Department's fraud enforcement policy. 

The Market Integrity and Major Frauds (MIMF) Unit's approximately 45 prosecutors focus on the prosecution of complex and sophisticated securities, commodities, corporate, and investment fraud cases. MIMF has five broad subject-matter concentrations: securities fraud; commodities fraud; procurement fraud; financial institution fraud; and consumer, investment, and regulatory fraud. The MIMF Unit works closely with regulatory partners at the SEC, CFTC, and other agencies to tackle major national and international fraud schemes. In carrying out this mission, the MIMF Unit has brought a number of significant prosecutions against corporate executives for securities and accounting fraud, as well as cases involving market manipulation and commodities fraud in the financial services industry. The MIMF Unit also focuses on combating a broader array of financial and corporate fraud, including government procurement fraud, bank fraud, mortgage fraud, consumer fraud, and recently, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, disaster-relief related fraud targeting SBA programs under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

This posting is for an Assistant Deputy Chief (Lead Trial Attorney) position to manage CARES Act and financial institution fraud prosecutions in the MIMF Unit.

Upon accepting an employment offer, applicants must make a three-year commitment to the Fraud Section.

Job Description: 

All of the below duties will be in the context of the Fraud Section's CARES Act prosecutions. Management duties would also specifically include whatever Section and Department needs require.

As an Assistant Deputy Chief, the incumbent:

  • Oversees and manages the work of MIMF Trial Attorneys, ensuring ongoing individual and team development, identifying and correcting deficiencies, and appropriately allocating personnel resources. Provides in-person support and guidance to Trial Attorneys in D.C. and on trials in venues across the country.
  • Advises Trial Attorneys on strategic approaches to investigations and prosecutions, including assistance with development of investigative plans; charging document review; and proposals for resolutions. Oversees and reviews the work of Trial Attorneys and support positions.
  • Helps to oversee the Section's financial, human, and technical resource applications. Assists and supports the MIMF Unit Chief in the day-to-day operations of the Unit, including but not limited to providing input on budget allocation, hiring, staffing, personnel disciplinary actions, and a wide variety of Department reporting responsibilities.
  • In collaboration with the MIMF Unit Chief, develops and maintains the MIMF Unit's program to foster effective national investigation and prosecution of complex white collar and corporate investigations and prosecutions including developing litigation priorities, policy and legislative recommendations; develops and maintains agency partnerships across the country.
  • Develops and conducts trainings on white collar crime related issues and fraud prosecutions and investigations.
  • Engages in all phases of investigation and litigation, including, but not limited to: using the grand jury; advising federal law enforcement agents; utilizing evidence collection tools; conducting witness interviews and debriefings; preparing appropriate pleadings, warrants, and plea agreements; and litigating motions, hearings, and trials before U.S. District Courts across the country.
  • Serves as a liaison on MIMF cases and related matters between the Criminal Division and other DOJ components and U.S. Attorneys' Offices, and with a variety of other criminal and civil enforcement agencies, including DOJ-Civil Fraud, SEC, CFTC, and others, and officials on white-collar crime issues.

Due to COVID-19, if selected, you may be expected to telework for an undefined period under the Department’s evacuation authority, even if your home is located outside the local commuting area. Employees in this status may be notified of a requirement to report in person to the component workplace with an advance notice of not less than 30 days. Prior to a requirement to report to the workplace, employees may be eligible to request to continue to telework one or more days a pay period depending upon the terms of the component’s telework policy.

Qualifications: 

Required Qualifications: Interested applicants must possess a J.D., or equivalent, degree, be duly licensed and authorized to practice as an attorney under the laws of any State, territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia, and be an active member of the bar in good standing. To qualify at the GS-15 grade level, applicants must have at least five (5) years post J.D. legal experience, to include at least four (4) years of federal prosecution experience,

Preferred Qualifications:
Your qualifications will be further evaluated based upon the following competencies:

  • Experience as a criminal prosecutor.
  • Experience with complex white collar and corporate investigations and prosecutions.
  • Experience in supporting, litigating, and supervising federal and/or state criminal cases.
  • Experience in U.S. District Court and with the federal judiciary.
  • Experience conducting investigations of organizations and entities, including corporations.
  • Trial experience: three or more federal trials preferred.
Salary: 
$144,128.00 to $172,500.00 per annum, which includes locality pay. See OPM’s Web page at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/2021/generalschedule/.
Travel: 
Frequent travel will be required.
Application Process: 

The Application Package must be received by 11:59 PM, Eastern Time, on the closing date of this announcement.

Any applicant who has, in the previous 24 months, applied for a position with the Fraud Section must note the date of any such application and position applied for in the applicant’s cover letter. Please highlight recent relevant experience gained since the time of any previous application.

Please submit your application through USAJOBS. The list of required documents can be found in the USAJobs announcement.

  1. If you do not already have an account, please create a USAjobs account before applying Create an Account. You will be able to upload your resume and supporting documents and complete your profile prior to applying.
  2. Once you have an account, apply to the USAjobs vacancy: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/607344700 

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, July 27, 2021
Relocation Expenses: 
Relocation expenses are not authorized.
Number of Positions: 
Few
Updated July 13, 2021

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Department Policies

COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement:  As required by Executive Order 14043, Federal employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 regardless of the employee’s duty location or work arrangement (e.g., telework, remote work, etc.), subject to such exceptions as required by law. If selected, you will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination by November 22, 2021, or before appointment or onboarding with the agency, if after November 22. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request of the agency a legally required exception from this requirement.

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 his  or her retirement was due to a permanent service-connected disability or that he/she was transferred to the permanent disability retired list (the statement or retirement orders must indicate that the disability is 10% or more).

 

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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.