Deputy Director of Operations, Programs, Technology and Information Management-OPTIM

The Deputy Director of Operations, Programs, Technology and Information Management (OPTIM), participates in the formulation of basic policies and provides direction and leadership needed to ensure maintenance of the delicate balance between producers and consumers in the American system of free enterprise. Shares responsibility for identifying emerging problems, which warrant the Commission's attention in these statutory areas, developing legal theories and enforcement techniques to cope with such problems, and mobilizing and sharing in the direction of the enforcement program. The incumbent acts for the Director in resolving both administrative and substantive legal matters, shares responsibility with the Director in achieving efficient operations and a maximum degree of accomplishment in all phases of the work of the Bureau, and keeps the Director informed of important developments.

Subject to the Director's discretion, the Deputy Director (OPTIM) directly manages the Premerger Notification Office, the Operations Division, the Honors Paralegal Program, and the Technology and Information Management Office-units comprising 40-60 employees, including attorneys, paralegals, and administrative staff. The Deputy Director leads and evaluates their work through subordinate managers, determines resource allocations, assesses program performance, and decides when to initiate or discontinue projects. The role helps coordinate Bureau activities with other government agencies and Commission offices.

Premerger Notification: The Deputy Director has overall responsibility for administering and implementing the agency's Premerger Notification Enforcement Program and overseeing attorneys, HSR review professionals, and administrative staff. The HSR program is the primary mechanism through which the FTC and the Department of Justice Antitrust Division obtain information on planned mergers and acquisitions, making it vital to U.S. antitrust enforcement. The PNO reviews all Hart-Scott-Rodino filings, receives HSR filing fees, recommends regulatory changes, and provides guidance to businesses and counsel.

Filing fees exceed $160 million annually, and the Deputy Director ensures proper collection and accounting. Although jointly administered with the Department of Justice, the FTC leads HSR program regulation and interpretation. The incumbent, directly and through staff, coordinates with DOJ officials on policy initiatives, regulatory proposals, and daily management of the dual-agency filing process.

Bureau Operations: The Deputy Director (OPTIM) provides overall leadership for the Operations Division, directing staff in allocating resources across the Bureau, reviewing programs, implementing improvements, and helping shape the Competition Mission's goals and policies. The role oversees planning for the Competition Mission, which affects broad sectors of the U.S. economy and delivers significant consumer savings. The incumbent leads all administrative management functions, including managing the Bureau's $30+ million budget, tracking expenditures, forecasting needs, and overseeing expert-witness contracting.

The Deputy Director coordinates with Human Capital Management to recruit, hire, train, and allocate staff; monitors attrition and staffing needs; and advises the Bureau Director on workforce distribution. The role also ensures proper labor-management practices and works with Human Capital officials to resolve labor issues. Antitrust Clearance System: Oversees administration of the FTC's Antitrust Clearance Program, through which the FTC and the Department of Justice Antitrust Division coordinate the opening of every antitrust investigation to ensure that the agencies' enforcement efforts do not duplicate one another.

Technology and Information Management: Oversees technology, litigation, and operational support for the Bureau staff, including plans for IT support for all BC litigation. This group develops and coordinates implementation of electronic case management processes, advises the Bureau on electronic case storage, and assists litigation staff in creating courtroom exhibits by applying various software applications to case data. Paralegal Program: Oversees the Honors Paralegal Program, providing legal support staffing for casework, assisting attorneys and economists in the investigation and litigation of complex antitrust matters, and carrying out special projects.

Litigating Divisions: The Deputy Director (OPTIM) may, from time to time and at the Director's discretion, manage the Compliance Division and/or any of the Bureau's litigating divisions, which include Mergers 1, 2, 3, and 4, Health Care, Anticompetitive Practices (ACP) 1 and 2, Technology Enforcement Division (TED), and American Competition Enforcement (ACE). The incumbent works with litigating divisions may be in conjunction with another Deputy Director or alone depending on the needs and priorities of the Bureau and the Director's discretion.

Professional/Educational Credentials: This position requires comprehensive, professional knowledge of federal antitrust and consumer protection laws and regulations; specifically, sections 2, 3, 7, and 8 of the Clayton Act and Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act. Graduation from an accredited law school and current possession of a bar membership, which permits the practice of law in the United States, are required. In order to qualify, you must meet the basic educational requirements: A. Law degree (J.D.

OR

LL.B) from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association AND B. Bar Membership: Be an active member in good standing of a State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of a territory of the United States.

IMPORTANT: Applicants are responsible for citing J.D. and bar membership information (institution name, state(s) for bar, and dates) on their respective resumes. Applicants who possess an equivalent degree rather than a J.D. may be subject to additional review. A college or university degree generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S.

Department of Education. For a list of schools which meet these criteria, please refer to Department of Education Accreditation page. Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.

If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. For further information, visit: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov)

You will be assessed for this position based on how effectively your background and experience align with the qualifications outlined above.

This position is being filled through the revised Resume-Based SES Hiring Method - a streamlined approach that simplifies the application process. Once the application process is complete, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be conducted. If you meet minimum qualifications, your Application Package will be further reviewed to determine if you possess the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ) and Technical Qualifications (MTQ) listed below.

ECQs and TQs must be thoroughly addressed within your two (2) page resume. Separate narratives will not be accepted or reviewed. Highly Qualified applicants may undergo one or more interviews and may be referred to the selecting official for further consideration.

Note: If the resume received by an applicant is longer than two pages, the applicant is automatically ineligible for further consideration. Upon selection, if not already a member of the SES serving under a career appointment, the individual selected must have his/her executive qualifications certified by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's SES Qualifications Review Board (QRB) before appointment to this position.

The selected individual's application will be forwarded to the OPM for review and certification by the QRB, unless the selectee provides evidence of their noncompetitive status (i.e., a current SES, OPM QRB certified SESCDP graduate, or SES reinstatement eligible). Upon QRB certification, the selected individual will be required to serve a one-year probationary period. For more information regarding the SES, go to https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/senior-executive-service/.

1. The agency may reimburse relocation expenses.
2. Mobility: Organizational and geographical mobility is essential in developing and managing SES leaders. Individuals selected for SES positions members may be subject to reassignment across geographical, organizational, and functional lines, and may be required to sign a Reassignment Rights and Obligation Agreement.
3. If we select you for an initial career appointment to an SES position, the OPM QRB must approve your ECQs prior to appointment. A selection is tentative until we obtain a QRB certification.

4.

You must complete a Declaration for Federal Employment before we can hire you in order to certify the accuracy of your written application and provide the information necessary to determine your suitability for federal employment.

1. If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959 and we select you for this position, you must certify prior to appointment that you registered for the military selective service.
2. If we select you for this position, you must complete personnel suitability documents.

Your appointment is contingent upon the successful completion of an appropriate background investigation.

1. Veterans' preference does not apply to SES positions.
2. The FTC provides reasonable accommodations, where appropriate, to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the FTC. The agency considers requests for reasonable accommodation on a case-by-case basis. Questions about the FTC's accommodation policy can be directed to Lesley Nesmith at [email protected].
3. The Ethics in Government Act, PL 95-521, requires the applicant selected for this position to submit a financial disclosure statement, SF-278, prior to assuming the SES position, annually while employed, and upon termination of employment.

You may also be subject to post employment restrictions.

10.

Your application includes information subject to the Privacy Act (P.L. 93-579, 5 U.S.C. 552a). This information is necessary to determine qualifications for employment, and collection is authorized under Title 5 of the U.S. Code, 3302 and 3361.

1. We will not accept applications received in government postage-paid envelopes.
2. An initial SES Career appointment becomes final only after the individual successfully completed a 1-year probationary period.
3. OPM must authorize any employment offers made to current or former (within the last 5 years) political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employees in the executive branch. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Noncareer SES employee in the executive branch, you must disclose that to the Human Resources Office.
4. Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy Statement: http://www.eeoc.gov/federal/index.cfm
5. Employment Information Resources - Resource Center: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to
6. Males born after 12-31-1959 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see https://www.sss.gov/RegVer/wfRegistration.aspx)

To apply for this position, you must complete this application and submit any required documents specified in the Required Documents section and submit by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. To begin, click Apply to access the online application.

You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.

Follow the prompts to select and upload your résumé and/or other required documents to be included with your application package.

You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted.

Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.

After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the "Include Personal Information" section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.

You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position.

Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application. It is applicant's responsibility to verify that information entered and uploaded, (i.e., resume and other required documents) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Human Resources will not modify or change any part of your application.

Application packages will NOT be accepted via mail. Due to security processes, mail delivery takes approximately 2-3 weeks to process at which time the vacancy announcement will be closed, and no further consideration will be given to additional application packages.

*DO NOT SUBMIT ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION* Extraneous materials such as a cover letter, letters of recommendation, award certificates, etc., will be discarded and not considered.

1. Vacancy Announcement number: EXEC-20260317-35885-BC-SDL 2. RESUME (Mandatory) - All applicants are required to submit a resume limited to two (2) pages (i.e., 1 page that is double-sided or 2 pages that are one-sided each) showing all relevant experience. Applicants seeking initial career appointment to the Senior Executive Service (SES) must include evidence of the ECQs and TQs. If the resume received by an applicant is longer than two pages, the applicant is automatically ineligible for further consideration. PLEASE DO NOT USE USAJOBS RESUME BUILDER.
2. VACANCY QUESTION/ASSESSMENT QUESTIONNAIRE RESPONSES: Responses are automatically submitted through USA Jobs when you apply to this vacancy.
3. ADDITIONAL REQUIRED DOCUMENTS: Applicants are required to submit the following supporting documentation if applicable: CURRENT OR FORMER SES MEBERS: Must provide your SES appointment SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action), and an SF-50 showing current career SES status or career SES reinstatement eligibility. SES CANDIDATE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (SESCDP) GRADUATES: Verification of successful completion of an OPM-approved SESCDP and OPM SES QRB certification.

CURRENT FEDERAL CIVIL SERVICE EMPLOYEE: Must provide a copy of your Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50) or equivalent personnel action form reflecting you are a current Federal Civil Service employee. STRONGLY RECOMMENDED: Applicants are encouraged to include their most recent performance evaluation.

NOTE: Current or Former Political Appointees: OPM must authorize any employment offers made to individuals who are currently serving in or have previously served in political positions within the last 5 years. These positions include Presidential appointees with or without Senate confirmation, Schedule A or Schedule C political appointees, appointees serving in a political capacity under an agency-specific authority, and Noncareer SES employees in the Executive Branch. If you are currently a political appointee or have been within the last 5 years, please indicate this in your resume.

Serving in a political position WILL NOT eliminate you from consideration. Veterans' preference: Is not applicable to positions in the Senior Executive Service. REMINDER: Before uploading your required documents, please ensure they are in PDF format and DO NOT EXCEED the noted page limits.

Applicants who fail to submit ALL required documents WILL NOT receive consideration for this position. Application will result in an "Incomplete" rating.

NOTE: YOU MUST SUBMIT ALL DOCUMENTATION BY 11:59 P.M. EST ON THE CLOSING DATE OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR CONSIDERATION.