Deputy Position

(Term-Limited | Based in Washington DC)

What we’re looking for

We are seeking a Deputy in the Office of Technology based in Washington, DC. You will be part of a growing team of world class technologists who will help the FTC ensure a vibrant technology marketplace, by participating in agency law enforcement investigations, policy issues and research initiatives to help benefit consumers and promote competition. We are committed to building a skilled team of technical experts that is reflective of the communities we serve and strongly encourage people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, women, minorities, people with disabilities, system-impacted people, veterans, and people of all ages to apply.  Final selections will be made in accordance with federal merit principles.  

What you will do

At the FTC, you will be working on leading a team that executes on consumer protection or competition projects focused on 3 core mandates: 

1. Strengthen and support law enforcement investigations and actions. These duties include serving as an agency resource to support investigations into business practices and the technologies underlying them; developing appropriate investigative techniques and craft effective civil investigative demands; aiding in the review and analysis of data and documents received in investigations; supporting the development of case theories and analysis; and aiding in the creation of effective remedies. Where appropriate, technologists will also support litigation teams by, among other things, serving as or helping to identify external expert witnesses.

2. Advise and engage with FTC staff and the Commission on policy and research initiatives. These duties include working on non-enforcement agency actions including 6(b) studies, reports, requests for information, research, policy statements, and policy deliverables. Technologists provide regular technical assistance for incoming Congressional bills and engage with Congressional staff via briefings in coordination with the FTC’s Office of Congressional Relations. They also provide strategic guidance on technology matters through report recommendations and participate in engagement with regulatory counterparts in partnership with the agency’s Office of International Affairs.

3. Engage the public and relevant experts to understand trends and to advance the Commission’s work. These duties include proactively engaging with external stakeholders to identify emerging technologies that implicate the Commission’s consumer protection and competition mandates, and use these findings to advance the Commission’s work. This may entail running formal workshops, research conferences, and briefings or consultations. Technologists may also help to engage the public and relevant experts to highlight key trends and encourage best practices.
    

Ideal candidates are leaders and practitioners with experience in: 

• Supervision and Management: You can manage a team of roughly a dozen FTE and are open to handling details required to keep the team running at the agency. You use best practices in managing personnel and agency resources to ensure goals of the office and the agency are met at the highest standards. You engage with employees to instill a clear sense of the workgroup’s goals and objectives and accountability in achieving organizational and FTC goals. You demonstrate leadership in identifying and anticipating real and potential conflicts, performance and conduct issues, and address them immediately consistent with applicable laws, regulations, and policies. You constructively respond to issues, suggestions, or concerns raised by employees or customers and takes appropriate action to correct or eliminate problems in the workplace. 

• Project management and execution: You can get things done from start to finish. You demonstrate support for the agency’s strategic goals and objectives by producing work assignments that are always complete, accurate, and accomplished in a timely manner, assuring an exceptional high quality and quantity of work that meets the needs of the organization. You set and consistently complete projects by deadlines regardless of handling multiple projects with competing deadlines, their complexity, and staffing. You demonstrate an exceptional high level of resourcefulness, initiative, creativity, and adapt to changing circumstances with ease. 

• Initiative and responsiveness: You demonstrate exceptional skill in creating a climate that fosters engagement, integration, and knowledge sharing. You ensure open, candid, and regular exchanges and sharing of information within and outside of own organization; facilitates exchanges of information that increase contributions to the mission. You promote the communication of diverse and innovative perspectives within and among work units and organizations to address issues and problems. 

• Communication: You present and brief ideas in a clear, concise, articulate, and poised manner, which are well tailored to intended audience and setting. You communicate exceptionally well in extremely difficult or stressful situations or on highly complex issues. You come to meetings prepared to discuss ideas and findings and support positions, and are able to be effective, even in impromptu situations. You listen attentively, raise perceptive and relevant questions, and skillfully lead and participate in discussions. 

• Effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders: You proactively develop and establish effective working relationships with all stakeholders both internal and external to the Commission. You demonstrate leadership and initiative in problem solving. You ensure that appropriate staff within OT are made aware when new information or methods of resolving problems are discovered that could benefit the entire office. You independently seek out innovative ways to approach and resolve customer issues and concerns, which produces results in less time than anticipated; and incorporates feedback received into subsequent interactions with all customers.

• Teamwork and professionalism: You make valuable contributions to various team and agency priorities in pursuit of common goals and objectives. You are flexible, acknowledge, help develop alternative views, and incorporate constructive criticism. You are effective in resolving team conflicts if they arise. You are considerate of others, and when appropriate, raise difficult and sensitive issues in a constructive manner. You can effectively lead teams or projects involving highly difficult or complex projects. You seek out opportunities to constructively direct support staff and other attorneys and help team members develop professionally. 

• Technology-related expertise: You have expertise in a broad range of relevant technological topics to the FTC and readily make yourself-available to others as a source of knowledge, experience, and guidance. You are able to strengthen and support the agency’s strategic goals and objectives, produces work of exceptional quantity, and of very high quality involving complex technical, legal, regulatory, and policy issues. You independently conduct, oversee, or guide highly complex legal and research using a variety of sources, including novel sources, where necessary, and can help guide team members in these tasks. 

 
Requirements:

• Candidates must be U.S. citizens 

• Candidates must be able to pass a background check 

• Males born after December 31, 1959 must register with Selective Service. 

How to apply

Please copy the email template below, modify text appropriately where highlighted, and send it to techjobs@ftc.gov. You can remove the “Notes to applicant” in italics. Please do not include any personally sensitive information (e.g., SSN or date of birth) in your submission or any information beyond what is requested below in the body of the email.  
 
Please copy the email template below and modify any text in brackets as appropriate.

----------------------------------------------------------------------  
 
To: techjobs@ftc.gov  
Subject: Application for Deputy - [FirstName LastName]  

To whom it may concern,  
 
I am applying for the position of Deputy in the Office of Technology. I understand this appointment is full-time and term-limited, for up to two years, with possible extension for an additional two years; which yields a total of up to four years if approved.