Summary
The Deputy Associate General Counsel (Benefits) serves in the Department of Veterans Affairs. Office of the General Counsel, located in Washington, DC. The position operates in a fast-paced executive legal environment providing legal, legislative, policy, and litigation support on matters affecting benefits, health care operations, loan guaranty programs, revenue collections, and related administrative law issues. The incumbent works closely with senior VA leadership, Congressional committees.
Duties
1. Legal Program Leadership - Plans, directs, and supervises a professional staff furnishing legal, legislative, and litigation services across VA on veterans' benefits matters, including compensation and pension, life insurance, education, vocational rehabilitation, and burial/memorial affairs. 2. National Litigation Strategy - Manages national policy and litigation strategy before the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC) and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. 3. Benefits Policy & Compliance Oversight - Provides legal counsel on eligibility questions, character of discharge, domestic relations, regulation of representatives, fiduciaries, garnishment, forfeiture, and judicial review of benefits decisions 4. Medical Care & Research Counsel - Leads counsel on medical care administration and operations (including eligibility and access), Homeless Programs, Veterans Canteen Service, patents and intellectual property, non-profit research corporations, and medical research and development programs. 5. Loan Guaranty & Real Property Oversight - Oversees loan guaranty programs (Home Loan Guaranty, NADL, SAH) and related real-property legal matters. 6. Revenue, Collections & FTCA Leadership - Directs legal strategy for revenue and third-party collections activities and provides leadership on Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) issues.
Education
If you are qualifying for this position by substituting education or training for experience, an official transcript or equivalent will be required if you are selected. Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. For further information, visit: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov)
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above. Once the application process is complete, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be conducted. If you meet minimum qualifications, your Application Package will be further reviewed to determine if you possess the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ) and Technical Qualifications (MTQ) listed above. ECQs and TQs must be thoroughly addressed within your two (2) page resume. Separate narratives will not be accepted or reviewed. Highly Qualified applicants may undergo one or more interviews and may be referred to the selecting official for further consideration. Upon selection, if not already a member of the SES serving under a career appointment, the individual selected must have his/her executive qualifications certified by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's SES Qualifications Review Board (QRB) before appointment to this position. The selected individual's application will be forwarded to the OPM for review and certification by the QRB, unless the selectee provides evidence of their noncompetitive status (i.e., a current SES, OPM QRB certified SESCDP graduate, or SES reinstatement eligible). Upon QRB certification, the selected individual will be required to serve a one-year probationary period. For more information regarding the SES, go to https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/senior-executive-service/.