Supervisory Trial Attorney (Assistant Director – Civil Affirmative)

Civil Division (CIV)
Consumer Protection Branch
Attorney
450 5th Street NW
Washington, DC 20530
United States
DE-11707810-23-CM
About the Office: 

The Consumer Protection Branch (CPB) enforces federal consumer protection laws throughout the United States. CPB brings enforcement actions in matters of national importance related to complex consumer fraud schemes, prescription drug diversion, adulterated and misbranded products, deceptive trade practices, and data privacy. The Branch’s litigation regularly involves issues that attract congressional and media interest. CPB works closely with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, the Criminal and Antitrust Divisions, and numerous federal agencies.

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 Consumer Protection Branch is seeking an Assistant Director to lead a broad range of civil investigations and cases. The Assistant Director will supervise trial attorneys and staff in all phases of discovery and litigation, including use of the civil investigative tools, the preparation of appropriate pleadings, and the handling of motions and trials before U.S. District Courts. He or she also will work closely with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and federal agency partners, including the Food and Drug Administration, Drug Enforcement Administration, Consumer Product Safety Commission, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and Federal Trade Commission. The Assistant Director will have responsibility as well for coordinating multi-component and international matters and initiatives, and he or she will represent the United States in direct negotiations with opposing counsel. The Assistant Director also may be asked to supervise criminal enforcement matters, especially those related to enforcement areas in which the Assistant Director has expertise.  In addition to supervising matters, the Assistant Director will be expected to handle personally certain complicated and important matters.

Areas of enforcement emphasis for the Branch include: adulterated and misbranded food, drugs, tobacco, and medical devices; the prescription opioid crisis; fraud schemes affecting older Americans and U.S. service members; and deceptive trade practices and data-privacy violations.

As a member of the Branch’s management team, the Assistant Director will help guide select Branch initiatives and develop policies. He or she further will be expected to review and opine on regulatory and legislative proposals related to public health and safety, and to advise U.S. Attorneys’ Offices on considered actions under the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and other federal laws. The Assistant Director will be responsible for managing administrative and personnel responsibilities, leading trainings, serving on committees, and engaging with Department leadership. This is a supervisory position.

Qualifications: 

Applicants must possess a J.D. degree, be an active member of the bar (any jurisdiction), and have at least four years of post J.D. experience to qualify at the GS-15 level. Applicants must have excellent writing and advocacy skills as well as superior negotiation and interpersonal skills. Successful applicants will be highly motivated, exhibit sound judgment and creativity, and have several years of active litigation experience. Judicial clerkship experience, at least seven years of post J.D. experience, and familiarity with the civil enforcement of federal statutes is strongly preferred

Salary: 
The salary for the position is at the GS-15 level ($148,484.00 to $176,300.00 per year).
Travel: 
The position requires occasional travel.
Application Process: 

Applicants must submit a cover letter, resume, and writing sample (not more than 10 pages in length) by email to: consumer.protection@usdoj.gov

On the subject line, please put “CPB – Assistant Director Application – Civil Affirmative.”  No telephone calls, please. 

Applicants may also send their materials by commercial courier service (FedEx or UPS) to:

Mr. Vincent Shuler
U.S. Department of Justice
Consumer Protection Branch
450 5th St., NW, Ste. 6400
Washington, D.C. 20530

Applications must be postmarked by no later than the listed closing date of this announcement (applications submitted by e-mail must be received by 11:59 PM, Eastern Daylight Time on the listed closing date of this announcement).

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, November 22, 2022
Relocation Expenses: 
Relocation expenses are not authorized.
Number of Positions: 
1
Updated November 15, 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.