Ethics Program Specialist
What you'd do
With nearly 1,700 attorneys, IRS Chief Counsel is the largest tax law firm nationwide. Our attorneys are among top tax law practitioners and some of the very best legal minds found anywhere. Together with the IRS, we serve the public by applying the tax code with fairness and integrity. After pausing hiring in 2025, we are seeking administrative professionals to support our legal work. Click to learn more: IRS Office of Chief Counsel Careers Site Meet Our People Learn about our Legal Divisions
Major duties
The Office of Associate Chief Counsel, General Legal Services (GLS) serves as in-house counsel to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Chief Counsel, providing legal services over a broad spectrum of general government matters (excluding FOIA and the Privacy Act) including appropriations, fiscal and grant law, intellectual property, delegations of authority, records and property management, as well as government contracts, information technology, and personnel and labor law. The Ethics and General Government Branch (EGG) acts as the program coordinator and primary advisor to the Deputy Ethics Official, providing legal advice on all ethics matters, including those arising under the Ethics in Government Act; 18 U.S.C. Part I, Chapter 11; and Government-wide and Treasury standards of conduct. EGG also provides advice on a multitude of other non-tax legal issues. As an Ethics Program Specialist you will: Serve as an IRS and Chief Counsel (CC) expert and team leader for the financial disclosure program and other ethics programs; implement and manage a system for compliance with the public financial disclosure requirements of the Ethics in Government Act; initiate the development and implementation of policies, systems, and procedures for the functioning and maintenance of the public and confidential financial disclosure systems. Work closely with the IRS Human Capital Office and the Office of the Associate Chief Counsel (Finance & Management) to ensure that all ethics program elements including the public and confidential financial disclosure system, are effectively delivered, formulating policies and service delivery systems to integrate ethics rules and programmatic requirements effectively with the IRS and CC, in consultation with management officials. Conduct comprehensive analysis of ethics programs and systems and develop improvements to these systems and procedures; develop new guidelines as needed. Develop relevant and innovative ethics training programs for senior-level IRS and CC officials, including presidential appointees confirmed by the senate, Senior Executive Service members, and others required to be trained under all applicable regulations. Serve as coordinator for the ethics website, responsible for ensuring materials are updated as well as for developing new materials to be included on the website. Develop and maintain databases and other tracking systems for ethics records and program information, including, but not limited to, information on financial disclosure filings, training and ethics agreements. Analyze public financial disclosure reports filed by top-level IRS and CC officials for potential and actual conflicts of interest, ensuring reports are compliant with regulations and policies implemented by the Office of Government Ethics; draft counseling letters and/or meet with filers to advise of potential conflicts and acceptable remedies in accordance with applicable statutes and regulations. Review, analyze and comment on new legislation and regulations in the ethics area, and determine best methods for implementing new rules affecting financial disclosure and other ethics issues for IRS and CC. This is not an all-inclusive list. If selected at a lower grade level, you will have the opportunity to learn to perform the duties of the position and will receive training to help you grow in the position.
What you need to qualify
In order to qualify for this position of Ethics Program Specialist, you must meet the education and/or experience requirements detailed below by the closing date of this announcement. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. For GS-11:Specialized Experience: Your resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-9 grade level or pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector. Specialized experience is defined as: Experience supporting the administration of program, preferably focused on ethics or financial disclosure. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-9). OR Education Substitution: You may substitute education for specialized experience as follows: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, or an LL.M. in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as Compliance and Corporate Law. OR Combination of Education and Experience: You may qualify by a combination of experience and education: Options for qualifying based on a combination are identified in the online questions. NOTE: If qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application package. For GS-12: Specialized Experience: Your resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-11 grade level or pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector. Specialized experience is defined as: Experience applying ethics and financial disclosure regulations and procedures to support the administration of a financial disclosure program; reviewing financial disclosure reports for completeness and compliance with established guidance; tracking and monitoring disclosure activities and program requirements; assisting with analysis of ethics program operations and identifying process improvements; and providing guidance to employees or stakeholders regarding financial disclosure procedures and requirements. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-11). For GS-13: Specialized Experience: Your resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-12 grade level or pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector. Specialized experience is defined as: Experience assisting with the development, implementation, and administration of a financial disclosure program in support of Ethics in Government Act requirements; monitoring the financial disclosure systems for effectiveness; analyzing ethics program procedures and recommending improvements; researching and interpreting applicable regulations and guidance; and assisting with the development or revision of procedures, guidance, or training materials related to ethics and financial disclosure programs. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-12). 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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week, on your resume.
Before you apply
Federal applications are different: your resume should be 3–5 pages and mirror the language of this announcement. Read our federal resume guide first — it's the #1 reason qualified people get screened out.
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