Office of Advocacy Position Announcement - Assistant Chief Counsel: Taxes, Investment Markets, and Employee Benefits

The Office of Advocacy (Advocacy), an independent office within the U.S. Small Business Administration, is seeking an Assistant Chief Counsel to join our team in Washington, DC. ?Advocacy examines the role and contributions of small businesses in the U.S. economy and advocates for small businesses in policymaking to federal agencies, Congress, the White House, and the public.

The Assistant Chief Counsel reviews and analyzes existing and proposed laws, regulations, policies, and federal activities that affect small entities. The Chief Counsel for Advocacy monitors these impacts and makes policy recommendations to federal policymakers on behalf of small entities.

The Assistant Chief Counsel works in the Office of Interagency Affairs, with a team of attorneys dedicated to ensuring that federal policies do not disproportionally harm small entities.

Duties:

• Serve as advisor to the Director of the Office of Interagency Affairs on federal tax, investment market, and employee benefits policy, programs, and activities and propose advocacy initiatives and objectives related to these activities.
• Represent the Chief Counsel at the direction of the Director of the Office of Interagency Affairs on interagency reviews, task forces, and committees.
• Review multiple regulations under tax, securities, investment markets, and employee benefits statutes within your assigned area, which may include the Internal Revenue Code, Securities Exchange Act, the Securities Act, and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the CHIPS and Science Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and other statutes.
• Write draft policy positions, proposals, memorandums, comment letters, and reports identifying key issues and policies while advocating the policies of federal agencies with clear benefit to small businesses consistent with other policy statements on behalf of the Chief Counsel.
• Collaborate with relevant agency personnel and Administration officials to exchange information about matters affecting small businesses.
• Conduct outreach to, and work with, small entities and their representatives to ensure the timely identification of federal programs and policies affecting small business and the impacts of such programs and policies, including hosting roundtables to discuss relevant issues.
• Oversee compliance with the Regulatory Flexibility Act in assigned areas.
• Analyze and review technical supporting documents such as regulatory impact analyses.
• Participate in interagency groups as appropriate to develop policy on emerging issues in assigned areas.

Qualifications:

• J.D. with relevant professional experience in administrative law, regulatory affairs, and the federal rulemaking process, including drafting and submitting comment letters.
• Experience with tax, securities, investment markets, and employee benefits laws, including the Internal Revenue Code, Securities Exchange Act, the Securities Act, and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act.
• Strong legal research and writing skills.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Interest in public policy and small business issues.
• Flexibility and the willingness to take on additional issues as appropriate.

Eligibility Requirements:

• United States citizenship.
• Ability to pass a background check.
• Availability to work at the U.S. Small Business Administration headquarters in Washington, DC. Currently operating by hybrid telework and in person.??

Salary:

Advocacy offers a competitive salary commensurate with education, qualifications, and experience.

This is a federal civilian job in the excepted service (Public Law employment). Office of Advocacy employees are paid on the GS scale and receive federal leave, health benefits, and retirement contributions. Advocacy employees work on contracts, subject to renewal by the office head. The employee reports to the Director of Interagency Affairs.

Application Instructions:

To apply for this position, applicants may submit a cover letter, a resume, and a short writing sample directly to Stephanie Fekete, Director of Interagency Affairs, at [email protected].

Applications will be collected until Friday, April 26, 2024.

For more information on the Office of Advocacy, please visit https://advocacy.sba.gov/.