Duties

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The Assistant Chief Counsel for Airports & Environmental Law provides executive direction and oversight for all aspects of legal services supporting the agency's activity on airport and environmental matters, including relationships with state and local governments. Specifically, the Assistant Chief Counsel for Airports and Environmental Law provides legal advice concerning policies, procedures, and rulemaking for airports law, airport planning and programming, federal grants and other funding, airport compliance, air traffic procedures and modernization, commercial space transportation activities, and unmanned aircraft systems. The Assistant Chief Counsel works with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to represent the FAA in federal court litigation concerning airport and environmental law matters.

The incumbent executes these duties and responsibilities through a geographically dispersed organization of approximately six managers, 20 attorneys, and support professionals.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities:

• Directs the planning, policy development, and execution of FAA's airports and environmental law programs, ensuring legal sufficiency and alignment with the priorities of the FAA Administrator and Chief Counsel. Serves as the subject matter expert and provides strategic legal advice and counsel on airports and environmental law matters.
• Renders authoritative legal opinions and interpretations of FAA airports and environmental authority and policies, ensuring consistency with applicable statutes, Executive Orders, and Department of Transportation and FAA policies.
• Oversees all legal aspects of FAA's airports and environmental law programs across headquarters and regional offices, including litigation, training, policy formation, and evaluation of legal services provided to client offices.
• Provides expert legal advice on complex airports and environmental law matters and related strategic initiatives, including the Airport Improvement Program, Passenger Facility Charge Program, Airport Compliance Program, airport noise and access restrictions, environmental impacts of airport development and airspace initiatives, and commercial space launch activities.
• Leads and manages the Airports and Environmental Law Division, establishing objectives and strategies; directing subordinate managers and attorneys; allocating resources and workload; evaluating performance; and fostering employee development, organizational effectiveness, and a positive workplace culture.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• US Citizenship is required.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Designated or Random Drug Testing required.
• This position has a positive education requirement. Transcript(s) required.
• Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency.
• You will be required to serve a one-year FAA Executive System (FAAES) probationary period unless you have previously completed a probationary period in either the FAAES or the Senior Executive Service (SES).
• You may be required to obtain and maintain an interim and/or final security clearance prior to entrance on duty. Failure to obtain and maintain the required level of clearance may result in the withdrawal of a job offer or removal.

Qualifications

To meet the minimum qualifications of this position, you must clearly articulate and describe within your two (2) page resume evidence that you possess the Executive Leadership Dimensions (ELDs) and Mandatory Technical Requirements (TRs) related to this position. Your resume should include examples of experience and accomplishments applicable to the qualifications. Applicants who do not possess these criteria are ineligible for further consideration.

Please do not submit separate documents addressing the Technical Requirements (TRs) and Executive Leadership Dimensions (ELDs), only your two (2) page resume will be accepted and considered.

MANDATORY TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS (TRs):

• TR: Demonstrated leadership experience in airports and environmental law.

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP DIMENSIONS (ELDs)

• ELD 1: Commitment to the Rule of Law and the Principles of the American Founding - This ELD 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.

• ELD 2: Driving Efficiency -This ELD involves the demonstrated ability to strategically and efficiently manage resources, budget effectively, cut wasteful spending, and pursue efficiency through process and technological upgrades.

• ELD 3: Merit and Competence - This ELD involves the demonstrated knowledge, ability, and technical competence to effectively and reliably produce work that is of exceptional quality.

• ELD 4: Leading People - This ELD 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.

• ELD 5: Achieving Results - This ELD involves the demonstrated ability to achieve both individual and organizational results, and to align results to stated goals from superiors.

Note: Applicants who are current Officers or Executives (EV-1 or EV-2 level) of the FAA Executive System (FAAES), Career Senior Executive Service (SES), individuals certified through successful completion of an OPM-approved SES Candidate Development Program (SESCDP), or those with Career SES reinstatement eligibility are not required to address the Executive Leadership Dimensions (ELDs). Such applicants must provide documentation verifying eligibility for noncompetitive appointment to the FAAES (e.g., SF-50, or certification from OPM's SES Qualifications Review Board (QRB).

Education

This position has a positive education requirement: Applicants must submit a copy of their college or university transcripts(s) and certificates by the closing date of announcement to verify qualifications. If selected, an official transcript will be required prior to appointment. You may upload these documents with your application in USAJOBS or fax it to fax number provided in the announcement (please include announcement number on each page).

Failure to do so will result in loss of consideration.

Schools must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Accreditation may be verified at the following website: www.ed.gov/accreditation.

Foreign education must be evaluated by a private professional organization specializing in interpretation of foreign education credentials or an accredited U.S. educational institution in terms of equivalence to a degree acquired at an American college or university. A copy of the evaluation results must be included, otherwise your foreign education will not be considered.

Education: Must have earned at least a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an accredited law school; and

Bar Membership: Must be an active bar member in good standing (as defined by the relevant bar) of any U.S. jurisdiction, state, territory, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

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Make sure your resume includes detailed information to support your qualifications and answers to the job questionnaire.

Additional information

Position may be subject to a background investigation.

A one-year probationary period may be required.

Veterans preference does not apply to the FAA Executive System.

The person selected for this position may be required to file a financial disclosure statement within 30 days of entry on duty. FAA policy limits certain outside employment and financial investments in aviation-related companies. www.faa.gov/jobs/workinghere/financial-disclosure-requirements

This position is covered by the Department of Transportation's Drug and Alcohol Testing Program. Any applicant tentatively selected for this position will be subject to pre-employment or pre-appointment drug screening. Persons occupying a "testing designated position (TDP)" will be subject to random drug and/or alcohol testing.

If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so (see https://www.sss.gov/RegVer/wfRegistration.aspx)Designated or Random Drug Testing required.

This is not a bargaining unit position.

Links to Important Information: Locality Pay, COLA

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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.

Benefits

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.