The incumbent serves as International Tax Counsel and principal legal advisor to the Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy and the Secretary on all international tax matters, including legislation, taxation of foreign income and investment, and negotiation of tax treaties. The position serves as a member of Treasury's Legal Division under the legal guidance of the General Counsel, but is attached to the Office of Tax Policy to lead the Office of International Tax Counsel.
To qualify for the position of International Tax Counsel, you must meet the following requirements: Possess at least the first professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.) from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association; and Applicants must be an active member in good standing of the bar of a State, U.S. Commonwealth, U.S. territory, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; Desired Education/Experience: An LL.M. in Taxation is desired but not required. Seven (7) years of professional legal tax experience is desired. RESUME: As a basic requirement for entry into the Senior Executive Service (SES), you must clearly articulate and describe within your two (2) page resume evidence of progressively responsible supervisory, managerial, or professional experience which involved management of a program or organization of significant scope and complexity. Your resume must provide information regarding your professional experience and accomplishments that demonstrate your ability to perform the duties of this position and meet the mandatory Technical Qualification(s) and Executive Core Qualifications listed below. Your resume must demonstrate possession of the knowledge, skills, and abilities essential to fulfill executive responsibilities typically required in SES positions, including: Directing the work of an organizational unit; Accountability for the success of one or more specific programs or projects; Monitoring progress toward organizational goals and periodically evaluates and makes appropriate adjustments to such goals; Supervising the work of employees (other than personnel assistants) at least 25% of the time; or Exercising important policy-making, policy-determining, or other executive functions If you are currently serving under a career SES appointment, are eligible for reinstatement into the SES (this means you were previously employed as a Career SES employee and successfully completed a one-year probationary period) or have successfully completed an OPM-certified SES Candidate Development Program (CDP), your resume must clearly state that you are a current career SES, eligible for reinstatement, or SES CDP certified, including the year of certification. EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS (ECQs): By statute, OPM prescribes Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) for the appointment of career SES members. The ECQs were designed to evaluate executive experience and not technical expertise. The following ECQs provide the focus for certification of executive core qualifications for initial appointment to the Senior Executive Service. Your two-page resume should show that you possess the Executive Core Qualifications. ECQ 1 - Commitment to the Rule of Law and the Principles of the American Founding: 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. Leadership Competencies: Knowledge of the American System of Government, Commitment to the Rule of Law, Civic-Mindedness. ECQ 2 - Driving Efficiency: Demonstrated ability to strategically and efficiently manage resources, budget effectively, cut wasteful spending, and pursue efficiency through process and technological upgrades. Leadership Competencies: Fiscal Responsibility, Managing Resources, Leveraging Technology. ECQ 3 - Merit and Competence: Demonstrated knowledge, ability, and technical competence to effectively and reliably produce work that is of exceptional quality. Leadership Competencies: Technical Skill, Problem Solving, Agility and Resilience. ECQ 4 - Leading People: 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. Leadership Competencies: Accountability, Developing Others, Executive Judgement. ECQ 5 - Achieving Results: Demonstrated ability to achieve both individual and organizational results, and to align results to stated goals from superiors. Leadership Competencies: Operational Mindset, Innovation, Strategic Thinking. FUNDAMENTAL COMPETENCIES: The following competencies are the foundation for success in each of the Executive Core Qualifications: Interpersonal Skills, Oral Communication, Written Communication, Integrity/Honesty, Continual Learning, and Public Service Motivation. Additional information about the SES and ECQs can be found on the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) SES Website: Executive Core Qualifications. MANDATORY TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS (MTQs): In addition to the ECQs, candidates must address Technical Qualifications (TQs). MTQs are designed to assess an applicant's experience relevant to the specific position requirements. All applicants must clearly demonstrate in their two-page resume, experience and accomplishments related to the MTQs below: MTQ 1: Diversified legal experience dealing with highly complex issues in the field of international taxation and related matters, including the taxation of foreign taxpayers with U.S. source income and investment, the taxation of U.S. taxpayers with foreign source income, tax avoidance through transnational transactions, and reconciliation of U.S. and foreign tax systems. MTQ 2: A comprehensive understanding of the functions of the Office of the International Tax Counsel and its relationship to other offices within Treasury, the Internal Revenue Service, the Department of State, foreign governments, and international organizations. MTQ 3: Achievement of significant professional recognition and standing within the international taxation community. Evidence of outside professional activities, such as publications, speaking engagements, teaching, or substantial contributions to tax associations or similar groups. MTQ 4: Demonstrated management and leadership experience. Evidence of leadership may include managing professionals, experience developing subordinate employees, leading organizational strategic planning, and leveraging organizational resources to meet goals. Please DO NOT submit separate documents addressing the ECQs or MTQs.
As the International Tax Counsel, you will: Have responsibility for the formulation and review of legislative proposals, the preparation and review of regulations to be issued under laws relating to the taxation of foreign income and investment, and the supervision of activities connected with the negotiation of international conventions for the avoidance of double taxation. Supervises International Tax Counsel staff on matters which relate to tax on maintaining ongoing relations with international organizations on tax matters. Attend meetings with top officials of the Treasury and other agencies, staffs of Congressional Committees and representatives of foreign governments concerned with international tax matters for the purpose of clarifying legal issues and explaining the Department's views. Selectively review documents, bills, and other materials received by the Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy, focusing on essential elements for the information of the Assistant Secretary, and otherwise advise the Assistant Secretary on matters requiring attention in the field of international tax affairs. Directly negotiates with foreign governments on tax treaties and other international tax matters. He or she also works closely with the Tax Legislative Counsel on international tax matters and maintains continual liaison with the Office of Tax Analysis. Perform related advisory duties and make analytical studies needed by the Assistant Secretary and the Secretary.