Other Agencies and Independent Organizations

Deputy Chief Counsel

Washington, District of Columbia Full time

Deputy Chief Counsel

Department: Other Agencies and Independent Organizations

Location(s): Washington, District of Columbia

Salary Range: $169279 - $197200 Per Year

Job Summary: Serves under the Chief Counsel in a Member's Office at the Federal Labor relations Authority (FLRA) as Deputy Chief Counsel. Responsible for preparing and overseeing decisions in arbitration, representation, unfair labor practice, and negotiability cases under the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute. Conducts complex legal analysis, advises on policy issues, and supervises attorneys and staff to ensure high-quality, timely adjudication of labor-management disputes.

Major Duties:

  • The incumbent serves under the general supervision of the Chief Counsel in the Office of the Chairman/Member and functions as the Deputy Chief Counsel. The position manages a broad portfolio of highly complex and sensitive assignments involving all areas of labor-management disputes arising under the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute, including arbitration, representation, unfair labor practice (ULP), and negotiability cases. Key Responsibilities: Functions as Deputy Chief Counsel, overseeing the adjudication and resolution of cases within the Office and supervising Attorney-Advisors. Assigns, reviews, and edits draft decisions, legal memoranda, and related work products to ensure analytical rigor, legal sufficiency, clarity, and consistency with Authority precedent and the Chairman/Member's adjudicatory philosophy. Independently prepares draft decisions and other legal documents for the Chairman/Member and Chief Counsel, including complex, sensitive, precedent-setting, or high-impact cases. Reviews hearing records, briefs, exhibits, and other case materials; conducts extensive legal research; analyzes statutory, regulatory, and case law; and applies precedent to complex factual and legal issues. Recommends strategic approaches to cases to promote an orderly, consistent body of Authority precedent with minimal supervision. When requested, reviews draft decisions and other work products prepared by other Members' staffs and Authority components, including the Office of Case Intake and Publication and the Office of the Solicitor, and advises the Chairman/Member and Chief Counsel regarding voting positions. Performs and supervises fact-development activities, including conducting hearings or post-petition conferences, and ensures proper development of the record. Assists in developing major policy statements, statutory interpretations, and proposed regulatory revisions affecting the federal labor-management program. Meets regularly with the Chairman/Member and Chief Counsel to plan workflow, prioritize assignments, and manage case processing from initial review through final disposition. Provides ongoing guidance, mentoring, and performance feedback to Attorney-Advisors; prepares performance-appraisal narratives and recommends performance ratings. Assists with administrative management of the Office, including resource allocation, strategic planning, and implementation of case-processing goals and performance measures. Represents the Chairman/Member or Chief Counsel in meetings and internal management discussions, and acts on behalf of the Chief Counsel when delegated. Plans and executes special projects, including assignments involving sensitive information or confidential personnel matters. This position requires advanced legal expertise, exceptional analytical and writing skills, sound judgment, and strong leadership and managerial capabilities.

Qualifications: Basic Requirements: The first professional law degree (LL.B. or JD) or the second professional law degree (LL.M.); AND Specialized professional legal experience in excess of three (3) years that is commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position. The quality of the individual's background may be evidenced by the relatedness of his or her specialization. Specialized Experience: The skills and experience listed immediately below are of particular importance to the position, and applicants should provide specific detailed information in these areas, where applicable, as part of their application. For this position, specialized experience includes providing legal advice and support on labor and employment law matters in the federal government or private sector. You qualify for the GS-15 grade level if you possess one year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-14 grade level in the federal government. Substitution of education in lieu of specialized experience may not be used for this grade level. All qualifications and eligibility requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

How to Apply: You may complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date to receive consideration. To begin, click Apply Online to access an online application. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account or you may need to create a new account. To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes: 1. Your Resume. If you submit more than one resume, only the most recent will be reviewed. The "most recent" is considered the resume with the latest timestamp. Resumes may not exceed two pages. The two-page resume ensures the most relevant experience is reviewed and considered, which is a common practice in both the public and private sectors. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. Additional information on how to complete or update your resume may be located here. For qualification determination your resume must contain hours worked per week and dates of employment (i.e., month/year to month/year or month/year to present). If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as insufficient, and you will not receive consideration for this position. If you are a current Federal employee or previous Federal employee, provide your pay plan, series, and grade, i.e. GS-0301-09. Current Federal Civilian Employees may list any relevant performance related rating (given within the last three years) and/or incentive awards in your resume. Do NOT include photographs, inappropriate material, inappropriate content, nor personal information such as age, gender, religion, social security number, etc., on your resume. If the resume you submit contains such information you will not be considered for this vacancy. Your name, first and last, MUST be included on your resume. 2. A complete Application Questionnaire 3. Additional Required Documents (see Required Documents section). Ensure all submitted documents contain your full name. 4. Help recruiters find you. Make your resume and profile searchable, which means recruiters may contact you about possible jobs. Additional information may be located here. PLEASE NOTE: It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that information entered and/or uploaded, (i.e., resume) is received, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. You may verify your documents have been processed with your application package successfully. You can access your USAJOBS account to do so by clicking here. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan.

Application Deadline: 2026-03-19